21st November 2025
Inspire Club Podcast: EP #36 – Janet Hitchin
This week’s Inspire Club Podcast guest is Janet Hitchen, a strategic internal communications leader whose career spans global brands including Apple and Nespresso.
Janet joins host Matt Manners to reflect on the team that changed everything — a group where psychological safety, trust and respect created an environment for truly brilliant work. “Anyone on that team could have a great idea,” she recalls. “We challenged each other respectfully because it was never personal — it was always about the work.”
That experience shaped Janet’s belief in the power of collaboration and the courage to “disagree agreeably.” Drawing on her philosophy from The Rest Is Politics podcast, she explains why creating “room for discussion” — not division — is essential in today’s workplaces.
Janet also shares lessons learned from more difficult times, including the early days of 24/7 connectivity. The constant pings of a manager’s BlackBerry taught her to value boundaries and rest. Her rule now? “If you’re on holiday, be on holiday. That’s part of your compensation.”
Her best advice came from a friend: “Keep your side of the street clean.” A reminder to act with integrity and focus on what you can control, not the behaviour of others.
Tune in for a masterclass in trust, communication, and listening — from one of the industry’s most respected voices.
