Ivan and Nadine Hollingsworth
Ivan and Nadine Hollingsworth on building the foundations of trust
Ivan and Nadine Hollingsworth decided to ditch the security of their office jobs and launch their own business, Centric Consultants. It paid off. Now, they are helping other businesses avoid rampant ‘culture-washing’ and build team relationships that are based on trust, kindness and psychological safety. The pair spoke to Pattern about the need for meaningful connection in the workplace, the ingredients for a sustainable work culture, and how they complement each other as business and life partners.
Edited by Ruby Guyler Photographs by Christopher Owens
What does a brief history of you look like?
Ivan: I spent over 16 years in the pharmaceutical industry, experiencing a wide and varying range of team dynamics, while Nadine’s background is in recruitment and project management.
We’ve got totally different skill sets and backgrounds but when we started exploring the idea for Centric, we realised they were really complementary.
Tell me about Centric Consultants. What do you attribute to its success?
Nadine: Centric Consultants was founded in a bid to tackle ‘culture-washing’ and support business leaders to build strong, sustainable, high-performing teams based on trust and psychological safety.
People buy from people and we’re both so passionate about using our skills to improve people’s working lives and cultures, while giving people the platforms they need to be the best version of themselves. I think this really resonates with the clients we work with.
We are always very transparent about our journey both in and outside of our careers, and that has been really important when it comes to building client relationships where trust is so important. Technical skills aside, we always try our best to have a positive impact on each individual that we work with.
What do you love most about what you do every day?
Ivan: In general, people are feeling pretty beaten up at the moment. The cost of living crisis and increased stress at work are really affecting people, and no one feels able to press pause after the pandemic. We’re privileged to have an opportunity to take people out of that and give them a chance to reflect and reconnect with colleagues again in a meaningful way.
Nadine: I personally love being able to connect with different people from different backgrounds. I come away feeling really energised when I’m able to bring some enthusiasm and energy to teams that are really flagging.
I love to help people reconnect with what they enjoy in their role and help them to remember that they are part of something much bigger than their day-to-day to-do list.
Have you had to make sacrifices in your chosen career, and have they been worth it?
Ivan: Giving up a secure role and salary with no real guarantee that Centric was going to be a success was certainly the highest risk with the biggest sacrifice. However, I always felt that there was a risk of redundancy in the pharmaceutical industry anyway, so this was a way of taking control of my own destiny.
We talked about it together for a long time and the time just seemed right. Now, 16 months down the line, we can say that those sleepless nights at the time were definitely worth it.
“The cost of living crisis and increased stress at work are really affecting people, and no one feels able to press pause after the pandemic. We’re privileged to have an opportunity to take people out of that and give them a chance to reflect and reconnect with colleagues again in a meaningful way”
What are some of your daily rituals and why are they part of your routine?
Ivan: I’ve always been an active person and I’ve trained since I was 9 or 10, especially while I was fundraising through the active challenges, and that has just stuck with me. I set the alarm for 5.45 every morning and do either cycle or strength training – a back injury means I’ve had to hang up my running shoes unfortunately. Having this routine helps more with my mental health than my physical health and just sets me up for the day, especially if I know it’s going to be a busy one. Just recently I’ve started taking ice showers some mornings, and I’ve got up to about 2 minutes – that really wakes you up!
Nadine: One of the draws of building Centric was that I could build my daily routine around our kids, Seb and Immy. I love being able to be part of their morning routine before school, and I always take half an hour to bookend the day and make time for myself with a dog walk along the beach.
I’m a feeder too – I love nothing more than preparing food at the end of the day. Cooking really relaxes me and a meal together serves as a real marker at the end of the work day, where we can all be together and talk about the day.
What does work/life balance look like for you?
Nadine: Having the flexibility to go to school and hospital appointments is a non-negotiable for us and we work together to make sure that we keep things calm and consistent for the kids - something which is especially important for Seb with his health conditions.
We know what is important to each other and what our stressors are, so we make sure to check in if the other is having a busy day. Ivan is really diligent with his training in the morning but can find stopping work at the end of the day difficult if he’s really got his head in something – I guess your biggest strength can also be your biggest weakness. A cold beer on a Friday usually lures him away from his desk though!
“Showing kindness is hugely underrated when it comes to positions of power and leadership and I hope that we see more of it in our businesses and on the world stage over the coming years.”
How do you stay focused and productive in a world of distractions?
Ivan: I’m religious about blocking out time before and after a call or meeting so I can be prepared, focused and present in what I am doing and give the other person my full attention. I also try to plan meetings around when my energy is at its best for certain tasks, so I can be fully engaged in what I need to deliver.
Nadine: We’re complete opposites in this aspect! Concentration is something that I really struggle with, so I have to proactively think of ways to stop myself getting distracted – I don’t have my phone near me if I have something to finish or I’m on a call, and I’ve also taken all of the notifications off my phone for social media so I don’t get sucked in!
It’s a constant battle but I think once you have identified that this is something you need to work on, it’s much easier to create strategies to address it.
If you had the power to change the world, what would you change?
Ivan: I would like to see people being kinder to others that they come into contact with and hope that the next person pays it forward. I believe we need kindness and compassion more than ever right now and they will genuinely change the world for the better.
Recently, Seb received a few tutor awards from school, one for maths, one for art and one for kindness, and I know which one I was proudest of. Showing kindness is hugely underrated when it comes to positions of power and leadership, and I hope that we see more of it in our businesses and on the world stage over the coming years.
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