Freedom for Everybody

Joanne Lockwood is joined by coach and retreat specialist Lulu Minns to explore what “freedom for everybody” really means, and why it matters for inclusion.

Lulu reflects on her former career as a criminal defence lawyer and the frustration of working inside systems shaped by privilege, bias, and entrenched gender expectations. Together, they discuss how women are often expected to tone down assertiveness, how everyday sexism shows up through behaviours like mansplaining and unwanted physical cues, and how that cumulative pressure can be exhausting.

The conversation moves into what freedom looks like in practice: creating time and space to think, recover, and create. Lulu shares why retreats can be transformational for women and why confidence, permission, and self-trust are often the real barriers—not capability. They also explore how leadership and workplace norms could shift by valuing listening as much as speaking, making room for diverse opinions, and moving away from rigid “command and control” approaches. The episode closes with reflections on how cultural change—at home, at work, and in society—requires rewriting inherited rules so that more people can thrive.