272. What if work was about purpose, not survival? With Louise Hill, Founder of GoHenry, and Ruth Handcock OBE, CEO of Octopus Money

A LinkedIn Live conversation on money confidence, risk and the future of careers

Over the last few years, work has quietly shifted from ambition to survival.

Rising living costs, economic uncertainty, layoffs and AI have changed how people make career decisions. Instead of taking risks or pursuing meaningful work, many are staying put not because they want to, but because it feels safer to stay. The media has called this the Big Stay or job-hugging.

Why these two perspectives together

Louise and Ruth operate at different, but deeply connected, points in the system.

• Louise works at the earliest stage, where money beliefs, habits and confidence are formed in childhood and adolescence.

• Ruth works at the adult decision-making stage, where financial confidence shapes career risk-taking, leadership progression, entrepreneurship and long-term wellbeing.

Together, they offer an end-to-end view of how money confidence shapes working lives.

• Why money confidence often matters more than income when it comes to career choices

• How financial insecurity quietly shapes promotions, leadership ambition and risk-taking

• Why people from less affluent backgrounds are less likely to take career risks, even when highly capable

• How early money beliefs follow people into adulthood and the workplace

• Why financial wellbeing is the most neglected pillar of workplace wellbeing

• What leaders and organisations can do to reduce fear-driven decision-making without being intrusive

What you’ll learn in this episode

This conversation reframes financial literacy not as budgeting or products, but as freedom, confidence and optionality.

Money confidence influences:

• Who feels able to negotiate, speak up or take risks

• Who progresses into leadership roles

• Who starts businesses or new ventures

• Who opts out, plays safe or stays stuck

Why this matters for leaders and organisations

For leaders concerned about engagement, retention, wellbeing, DEI and social mobility, this episode highlights a hidden but powerful driver of workplace behaviour.

About our guests

Louise Hill
Co-founder of GoHenry, a financial education platform helping children and young people build money confidence from an early age.
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-hill-5197614/
🔗 GoHenry: https://www.gohenry.com

Ruth Handcock
CEO of Octopus Money, supporting adults and employees to make confident financial decisions about work, life and the future.
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-handcock-obe-71b3656/
🔗 Octopus Money: https://octopusmoney.com

🎧 Who this episode is for

• Leaders and managers worried about engagement, retention and risk-aversion

• HR and People teams focused on wellbeing, DEI and social mobility

• Parents thinking about the long-term impact of money conversations at home

• Employees feeling cautious, stuck or unable to take career risks

• Founders and policymakers interested in innovation and economic participation

  
  

  💬 Connect with Truth, Lies & Work

• Website: https://truthliesandwork.com

• Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truth-lies-and-work

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthlieswork

  
  

  Connect with the hosts

• Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alelliott/

• Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leanneelliott/

🧠 Mental health support

If this conversation brings anything up for you:

• UK & ROI: Samaritans — 116 123 | https://www.samaritans.org

• US: Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — 988 | https://988lifeline.org

• Australia: Lifeline — 13 11 14 | https://www.lifeline.org.au

• Elsewhere: https://findahelpline.com