From Neuroscience to TEDx: Gill McKay on Visibility and Voice

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In this episode of The Secrets of Learning and Development, Julia and Valerie are joined by the inspiring Gill McKay, speaker, neuroscience advocate and co-founder of Speak and Shine. Gill shares her fascinating career journey across learning and development, corporate leadership and addiction recovery coaching, highlighting the pivotal moments that shaped her work.

From designing leadership programmes informed by neuroscience to delivering a powerful TEDx talk on sober shaming, Gill reflects on the personal and professional experiences that helped her find her voice and support others in doing the same. She also introduces the mission behind Speak and Shine, which creates inclusive spaces for women to step into visibility with confidence.

This is a thoughtful and uplifting conversation about identity, growth and speaking up, even when it feels difficult.

Key Learnings

Visibility begins with self-acceptance and clarity of purpose
Gill emphasises that confidence in public speaking and in professional life more broadly comes from knowing what you stand for and being able to say it out loud. Whether it's stepping onto a TEDx stage or launching a movement like Speak and Shine, the first step is internal: recognising your own voice and values before sharing them with others.

Challenging cultural norms can lead to powerful personal and professional transformation
Gill’s decision to become alcohol-free revealed the deep-rooted stigma around sobriety, even among friends and colleagues. Her experience highlighted how prevalent unspoken biases can be, and how addressing them publicly can give others permission to reflect, relate and heal. This has become a cornerstone of her work, showing that personal change can drive meaningful social impact.

Guest Information:

https://gillmckay.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillmckay/
hello@gillmckay.com

Chapters

• 2:42 Introduction
• 3:37 Gill’s journey into Learning and Development
• 8:41 Discovering neuroscience and its impact on leadership programmes
• 11:15 Gill’s TEDx talk and the stigma around sobriety
• 22:14 The story behind founding Speak and Shine
• 28:33 Practical advice for stepping into your voice