Ollie on Work Nik Whitfield - Wellbeing, Leadership & The Power of Journaling
In today's episode, my guest is Nik Whitfield, Chairman and Chief Seer of Panaseer, the cyber security business he founded in 2014. Nik’s is a computer scientist and technology entrepreneur who is now a passionate advocate for wellbeing, exploring consciousness and learning new ways to help entrepreneurs and leaders to stay well.
After reading about Panaseer’s work and coming across Nik’s LinkedIn profile, I contacted him to ask if he’d be up for an interview as part of the research for my book, Work/Life Flywheel, which will be published next January. I find our conversation so interesting that I had to bring him on to the podcast too.
During the chat you’ll hear today, we discuss how, after years of severe, chronic back pain, Nik was told by a consultant that he was going to eventually lose the feeling in his hands and that the only solution was inserting a shunt – a metal tube to drain fluid from his brain and spine.
Understandably, he didn’t fancy the sound of that, and with a willingness to try anything he could to avoid such an invasive procedure, he tested what in our highly medicalised society appeared a radical solution – mediation and journaling.
Nik and I go on to discuss the new habits he incorporated into his daily life, the impact they had on his ability to lead his growing business, and how he lent on the support of his family and colleagues to ultimately live a pain-free life.
As someone first diagnosed with degenerative discs when I was 15 and having suffered ongoing back pain throughout my adult life, I found Nik’s story inspiring. I’ve already implemented some of the tips he’s given me and am looking forward to exploring the benefits of the practices in my work and personal life.
As well as discussing Nik’s dramatic recovery, he also shares insights on his approach to leadership, which, as you might expect, includes a focus on wellbeing for the whole business.
I’ll be writing about these topics in the book, as well as the newsletter, over the coming weeks, so make sure you sign up for updates. You’ll find a link in the show notes, alongside Nik’s profile and some resources he’s shared with me.
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