DECODING AQ - Adaptability For The Future Of Work With Ross Thornley
DEVELOPING A NEW PLATFORM FOR CHANGE IN AN EXPONENTIAL WORLD.
Conversations with special guests on their stories of adaptability. From resilience, grit and motivation, to stress, mindset and support from those around us.
We explore the science and real-life experiences of adaption. Helping HR leaders, coaches and consultants learn the tools, mindsets, and actions to thrive in an ever-changing world.
**New Episode Every Second Tuesday**
DECODING AQ - Adaptability For The Future Of Work With Ross Thornley
Decoding AQ with Ross Thornley Feat. Shelley Winner - Restorative Justice
International Keynote | Restorative-Justice, D&I Speaker | TEDx Storyteller | Ex-Microsoft
Shelley Winner’s life is proof that second chances create world-class talent. Today she leads Winner’s Circle, a movement equipping justice-impacted people with the skills, mindset, and job placements they need to build thriving careers—while convincing employers that fair-chance hiring is a competitive advantage.
Her mission is threefold:
- Empower with career-focused training and mindset coaching
- Bridge the gap between talent and companies willing to invest in second chances
- Shift the narrative around fair chance hiring and drive systemic policy change
During her eight-year tenure at Microsoft, Shelley excelled in B2B sales, earning top honours in performance and demonstrating what’s possible when companies bet on potential over the past.
Shelley’s powerful message has resonated with audiences across sectors, challenging leaders to move beyond token opportunities and build truly inclusive workplaces. Her work continues to inspire change, helping employers transform hiring mindsets and justice-impacted individuals transform their futures.
Ross and Shelley talk about prison, incarceration, rehab, interviews, mastering sales, rewiring, rethinking, success, sales reps, teaching, mindset, turning your life around, prison programmes, fear, forgiveness, outside comfort zone, turning life around, mistakes, digital programmes, personal development, the law off attraction and attracting opportunities. The pair also discuss operating at a higher frequency, energy changing, getting into tech, job readiness programmes, criminal records, proof of rehabilitation, hitting walls, sense of hopelessness, shame, society, trust, new laws, hard interviews, fair chance employment, gratitude, work ethic, loyalty, company policies, scaling, manifesting, doing important work and improv classes improving confidence.
Timecodes:
- 00:16 Intro to Shelley
- 01:19 Shelley's 'Winner's Circle' Rehabilitation
- 04:40 Becoming 'categorically whole'
- 10:17 How rare is recovery and rehab from prison
- 12:27 Differences in prisons and some being unique
- 14:58 From prison to Microsoft
- 19:36 Background checks
- 26:11 Having job offers rescinded
- 27:05 Fighting back discrimination & battling Microsoft
- 35:02 Winning a case and manifestation
- 39:15 How can companies unlock their potential
- 45:36 Legacy mindset
- 46:46 Ways to get involved with 'Winners Circle'
- 50:12 What would make it Shelley's best year ever
- 54:50 The last time Shelley did something for the first time
Connect with Ross:
Connect with Shelley: