Welcome

It’s that time of year again. End of August. Back-to-school chaos. If you’re a fellow parent, you know exactly what I mean, buying uniforms that hopefully still fit in a few months, digging out book bags, and mentally prepping ourselves (and our kids!) for the school year ahead.

And just like our children getting ready for a new term, at EqualEngineers we’ve been laying the groundwork for what’s next.

2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for us. We’ve launched our new membership model. The SAFE Leader training course is now officially CPD-certified. We were appointed to the UK Government’s MCF4 framework. We’re setting new stones in place to support the long-term future of the business, and to ensure we’re continuing to help you and your teams thrive.

The SAFE Leader Course

At EqualEngineers, we’re hitting the road this Autumn with The SAFE Leader, our flagship CPD Certified two-day in-person training course designed for engineers and technical professionals looking to build inclusive, psychologically safe teams. 

The engineering industry is facing a mental health crisis. Our research shows that over 80% of engineers have some form of emotional or mental health concern, less than half of those are comfortable talking about this with their employer, and a staggering 1 in 4 engineers have considered self-harm or suicide. It's imperitive that we make our industry more psychologically safe. 

The course covers:

• How to foster trust and emotional intelligence

• Ethical, inclusive leadership practices

• Real-life strategies to embed psychological safety

Dates & Locations:

• Glasgow: 29–30 September

• London: 21–22 October

• Aberdeen: 28–29 October

• Bristol: 4–5 November

• Birmingham: 10–11 November

• Manchester: 12–13 November

• Belfast: 17–18 November

Exclusive Offer for Subscribers:

• 10% off for all newsletter readers

• 50% off second seat for SMEs (<50 employees)

To apply the discount, email me directly or get in touch with any of the EqualEngineers team.

From Branding to Belonging with Barry LaBov

This week’s guest is Barry LaBov, two-time Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and founder of LaBov & Beyond. From unloading boxes at 3am to running a nationally recognised agency, Barry shares a story of resilience, reinvention, and the human side of brand strategy.

We explore:

• How to engage employees before customers

• Why storytelling is a leadership superpower

• The role of VR/AR in connecting people to innovation

• The underrated power of resilience in business

This episode is packed with insight for founders, team leaders, and anyone rethinking how to win hearts and minds in a distracted world. Barry’s approach to leadership is full of empathy, curiosity, and humility, an ideal complement to our SAFE ethos.

A Coalition of the Willing

Earlier this year at Safety on the Edge in California, I attended a standout panel featuring Jennifer McNelly (ASSP), Larry Sloan (AIHA), and Lorraine Martin (NSC). They spoke about the Intersociety Forum, a group of safety association CEOs who meet informally to align efforts, reduce duplication, and focus on what really matters: protecting people.

From that work, they developed three Core Principles for Safety:

1. Business-driven standards + worker wellbeing

2. Beyond compliance

3. Leading indicators for predictive insight

Each one carries a quiet provocation. Jennifer reminded us: "Without the people, we have no numbers." Lorraine challenged boards to flip what they measure. And Larry called out our own profession’s blind spots, especially the myth that compliance alone equals safety.

What resonated most? The simplicity. The humility. And the reminder that we can’t call ourselves future-fit leaders unless our work reaches everyone, from global brands to the five-person site crew.

Let’s Connect!

Please reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn if we are not already connected.

I love helping organisations where the angle I take with the work I do might help in someway have you make traction in your culture.

Feel free to get in touch here.

Stay SAFE!