We Are PoWEr Podcast
The We Are PoWEr podcast spotlights voices and perspectives that need to be heard. Our weekly podcast, with listeners in over 60 countries, delivers PoWErful conversations that inspire, challenge, and empower... from personal life stories to business insights and leadership lessons.
We share diverse experiences, bold discussions, and real solutions. Whether you're looking for career advice, topical themes, or stories of resilience and success - this is where voices spark change.
We Are PoWEr Podcast
How Emma Green’s Curiosity Built a Career She Never Planned
The brilliant Emma Green joins the We Are PoWEr Podcast – bringing creativity, courage, and a passion for storytelling that’s transforming communities across the North and beyond. As Communications Lead for Peel Waters, Emma combines her love of connection and communication to shape places where people truly belong.
From a film studies degree to leading communications for one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration projects, Emma’s story proves that career paths don’t have to be linear to be impactful. What started as a fascination with Media City evolved into working for the very organization that created it – a full-circle moment powered by curiosity, authenticity, and the willingness to raise her hand and challenge convention.
With genuine warmth and insight, Emma shares how she’s turned her superpower for connection into tangible impact – from linking local independents with major waterfront developments to turning complex planning projects into national stories. Her mantra, inspired by her late aunt – “There’s value in every experience” – shapes both her career and her approach to life, reminding us that every moment has purpose.
Emma also opens up about the importance of community, crediting the Northern PoWEr Women network for providing support and opportunity during challenging times like the pandemic. Her story is proof that powerful storytelling, when rooted in authenticity and connection, can reshape not just brands or places, but people’s lives.
In this episode:
- From film studies to regeneration: finding purpose through storytelling
- How curiosity and connection created a career she never planned
- Communicating complex projects in ways that engage and inspire
- The power of challenging authority and speaking truth to power
- Why there’s “value in every experience” – personally and professionally
- How authentic communication builds thriving communities
Find out more about We Are PoWEr here. 💫
Hello, hello and welcome to the we Are Power podcast. If this is your first time here, the we Are Power podcast is the podcast for you, your career and your life. We release an episode every single Monday with listeners in over 60 countries worldwide, where you'll hear personal life stories, top-notch industry advice and key leadership insight from amazing role models. As we Are Power is the umbrella brand to Northern Power Women Awards, which celebrates hundreds of female role models and advocates every year. This is where you can hear stories from all of our awards alumni and stay up to date with everything MPW Awards and we Are Power. Well, welcome to the we Are Power podcast. We've already been Never imitated, never replicated. Singularly wonderful, everybody's wonder girl. Well, welcome to the we Are Power podcast. We've already been having fun behind the scenes before we've even started, haven't we? My lovely, fantastic guest, emma Green, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2:How are you? I'm so good and all the better for seeing you obviously.
Speaker 1:It's been such a long time. How would you explain yourself in three words?
Speaker 2:Whirlwind, enthusiastic and probably passionate.
Speaker 1:Okay, now tell me what's your day job.
Speaker 2:So day to day I lead on communications for Peel Waters. Peel Waters is part of the Peel group but our business specialises in waterside regeneration across the country. So I get all the stories and the amazing kind of things all the guys are doing at work, but I have to put them across in a way people understand.
Speaker 1:So how did you go from? Because, because you studied, was it film studies? Yep, how did you go from film studies to Regeneration, yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's interesting because the thing I loved the most and why I chose film studies was because it's all about kind of telling people's stories and that's what kind of communications is.
Speaker 2:But the reason I chose the course at John Moores at the time was because of all their links with Media City. John Moores at the time was because of all their links with Media City. So when I was choosing kind of what course to do, I thought, well, I'm going to go for the university which got all these times with Media City, because this is the place where if you want to work in media production something creative you go to Media City and it was brand new and it's just being built. What I didn't realize was I've ended up working for the people who had the vision and developed Media City. So it's kind of gone full circle. But from that original university course I ended up doing an apprenticeship and then the apprenticeship led again to Media City and doing events in Media City and it was my line manager at the time who he saw the job going at Peel Media said I think I found your dream job and then it's gone on from then.
Speaker 1:And not only that, you actually now live in Media City. Don't you Up on the 450th floor or something ridiculous?
Speaker 2:I do. I've moved back. I think it's because I'm from a Wirral originally, so I still have to have something to do with water.
Speaker 2:It's still having a bit of an escape. So being by the Quays, it's the most phenomenal view and you can see everything out there. You can see the Trafford Centre, you can see all the stuff that's going on at Trafford City, like coming out the ground and being built. You can see across to Manchester Airport and you've got still the amazing water and we overlook Coronation Street as well. So just having a little sneak peek and seeing what's going on there, but it's amazing.
Speaker 1:Cobbles countryside and I'm trying to find something nautical beginning with a, c, but it's okay, we can, we can, we can help.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not quite, but it's close enough.
Speaker 1:There we go. It's all good, but you know, someone tapped you on the shoulder and said I've got your dream job here. Did you know what your dream job was?
Speaker 2:I knew it was going to be something linked to storytelling. I knew it would have to be linked to meeting interesting people and for me, because of that film background, I knew I wanted it to have something to do with media and communications, but I still wasn't sure what it would quite be. At Media City you had Doc 10 Studios, so there was something always going on amazing film production, amazing news programs. It was just the mix and hub of everything. Um, and it was just phenomenal the way it happened and I think, having that, that, it was that tap on the shoulder of saying like we found everything that aligns with your skill set, like do it. And when I remember walking into that interview and I was like this is my job, this is my job, I'm gonna, this is what I'm gonna do and you talk about the, the storytelling.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's what you do, that's what your superpower, isn't it? You love to create those stories.
Speaker 2:I do and I love just finding, even if someone's talking about the most day-to-day what they might think is mundane. If they're passionate about it, then you'll unlock all of these stories and then it's basically what you're doing with me now. It's just the listening, and then they might be like, oh, I've never thought someone would find that interesting. Like no, no, if you put it in the right way, everything is interesting. And that goes back to like that bit of advice Andy Lindsay said to me years and years ago, saying um, it's more important to be interested than interesting.
Speaker 1:And if you can listen to someone and like give them the time of day and properly listen to their story, then that's just how the communications flow then and it's lovely and I think that's when we first met and I feel like we're coming into our 10th year of Northern Power Women Awards as part of our we Are Power family community and you were at the Juice Academy, weren't you? You were doing an apprenticeship for the fabulous Henry over at the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, and I felt like that's where it started. Then I saw you everywhere, yeah, so we think we were on our journey, an adventure travelling across the country.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wherever you were, we were Two blondes in Fiat 500s, yeah, and often high-vis, wasn't it? Yeah, the stuff we got up to. So that was another weird one. I started at um, the juice academy and at the time I was doing my apprenticeship at um, the UTC at media city, so that's a university technical college and then we all got invited they were doing names out of hat if people wanted to go to the Northern Powerhouse Partnership Apprentice Summit and I thought, yeah, no, I really want to go to that. So we kind of made our way to Siemens in Congleton and then had to do this presentation about what we thought the future of apprenticeships would be, because Henry and the team were doing their 2050 strategy. And then we did this presentation and then nothing really happened with it. So I thought, hmm, then they were launching the strategy and then they said, oh, would anybody like to come? And I think I was the only one out of the whole summer who went. Yeah, no, I'll go to the middle of Burnley, I'll go and see what's going on.
Speaker 2:And they had this amazing panel. Jürgen Mayer was there, who was the chief exec of Siemens. He was so interesting. He had George Osborne who was the chair of Northern Powerhouse Partnership, so a really big panel, and I think there were about 90 people who'd been invited to visit the room and I was the youngest person there, because I would have been about 24 probably at the time, so the youngest person there by at least 30 years.
Speaker 2:I was probably one of only 10 women who had been invited and I was looking around and I thought I'm not quite feeling this. And then they were talking all about how these people had made the strategy and it's going to benefit all the people who were going to be younger than me. And I thought but this strategy has been made by people who are older than me and I'm going to have to deliver it. What have you actually done to engage with us? So I thought they went oh, has anybody got any questions? We're all praising this report. And then I thought, no, I do so. I said this to um George Osborne and I remember it's Lorna Fitzsimmons who was um chairing it.
Speaker 2:Who's phenomenal as well, force of nature, absolutely. And I put this to him and everyone was kind of looking, oh, and she just went you lady have just challenged the former chancellor of the exchequer, you are going to go far. And then, um, after that Henry said he was like would you consider moving your apprenticeship from like I was really enjoying it at the time there, but would you consider being our apprentice? So went, moved the apprenticeship with them, became their first apprentice and then they kind of threw me in at the deep end and just went yeah, everything we're doing you can do. So that included that tour of the North with Jake Berry who was the Minister of the Northern Powerhouse at the time. And then I remember you and I we just kept meeting at things and we just kept kind of gravitating towards each other. And then we did that visit to Camelhead's and, yeah, high biz hot hats, big boots.
Speaker 2:And it was just lovely because I think you're just like me, aren't you? And it's. You could either walk into a room and not say anything, sit in a corner and think, oh, I don't like this, but I'll just leave it be, or you can kind of take it on and speak to the decision makers and then just go. But have you considered everyone? Have you spoken to everyone? Have you thought about how this will land with all different people and start change-making a bit more?
Speaker 1:And were you like that through school and growing up? Were you always to put the hand up?
Speaker 2:because I was probably less of that probably a bit like um, we all got given end of year awards. I remember in sixth form and mine was um misopinionated, so but I think people sometimes say, oh, she's very opinionated. I think, no, no, that's a good thing, because, again, why would you want to be sort of not have an opinion on anything and passive? Or you can share an opinion, you can have a view and help like work with people to make change happen. So now I've always been, yeah, probably quite forthcoming.
Speaker 1:I know you were, or you are, on our future list from 2018 and once you're on the future list or published, you're always in the gang. There's no excuses there, there is no escape. Shall I say no, and definitely part of our OG, you know. But I remember there was a fringe event I don't know whether it was a Labour or a Tory conference in Manchester and it was in one of, I think, the Sir Peter Square offices and I think it might have been lovely. We it was in one of the, I think the Sir.
Speaker 1:Peter Square offices and I think it might have been lovely. We're doing lots of name checking today. So many great people. I think it might have been Emma Dagg, chairing or something like that, and I remember you put a hand up and it was a little bit like meerkats suddenly all sweeping around to the short blonde in the corner, kind of thing. That wasn't me for once, kind of thing. And think you name checked us Northern Power women and I'm sure, and all of a sudden it started a whole other dialogue. But there is that importance of putting your hand up and being heard, isn't it?
Speaker 2:yeah, I think it that was on the back off again and that strategy, that 2050 strategy, the Northern Powerhouse lot had done. They invited me then to um the Fringe event and I just thought you've got your guest list all wrong Because it was just the same people again going from one thing to another. And I thought, no, if you're just preaching to all your friends, you're not going to make change happen. Invite the people into the room who wouldn't normally be invited and it's good to widen your circle.
Speaker 1:Well, I remember it was after that. It was 2019. We created Northern Power Futures, yeah, and the whole ethos of that was around the rather catchy, snappy title of you know. Sort of it was all about the how do we create a future? Let's listen to those leaders of the future, not just white men and mares Not that there's anything wrong with that, you know our white men and mares not that there's anything wrong with that, you know our white men and mares but actually let's make sure we're creating a better place for the future. Yeah, it was never a snappy project, but we created that whole Northern Power Futures movement with a view that, going hold on, these opinions are not being heard. Why can we not create environments for more people to put their hands up and lead in and actually come up with flipping good suggestions as well?
Speaker 2:and it was amazing what you did there as well, because you had, I remember I was chairing a panel at one point and again I would have only been 24, 25 doing that and suddenly thinking it was a. It was again another impressive panel of people who have done like far more kind of senior in their careers to me, but to have the opportunity to chair that. And then you put me on a different panel where I was being interviewed you don't get away lightly.
Speaker 2:I told you there's no escape once you're in there it's amazing and that that was sponsored by, like, really big, big companies as well, who were and to think they were putting the investment in and backing us. That was amazing, but you created a platform there.
Speaker 1:that was it a future we wanted, wanted to create a future for the future of the North by those people who are going to live and lead it. That was the whole ethos and the sentiment of what it was about to what it's going to be. What is the thing that you're most proud of that you have kind of lent into, disrupted, put your hand up for, just made a simple suggestion what are you most proud of?
Speaker 2:disrupted, put your hand up for just made a simple suggestion. What are you most proud of? Oh see, I'd say there's not, there's not one particular moment, but I think it's a skill I've realized just kind of within me, and it's championing that connecting up. So what I've realized is I love meeting people and, as we know, I love like learning everything about them. But there's someone who I could have met about six years ago and not seen for ages. But suddenly, if I've had a conversation yesterday, I thought you need to meet you and then that's how, if you two got together, that would be amazing and I think it's that creative thinking. But with the connecting up, that's what I'm so proud of, because you don't know, like, what that will lead to for them.
Speaker 2:I met a random person who was just selling independent ice creams around the marine lake and I thought, oh, I love this, but you'd be amazing at Liverpool Waters, which is one of our developments on the waterfront, and then, through that connection, from just a chance walk, they've gone and based themselves there all summer now and they've done so well for their business. They've expanded, they love the partnership with us because they've got to meet Peel and we've got this platform now as well and to see their business has grown and been so successful over summer. I love that. And that's just one small business.
Speaker 1:But that's thoughtfulness, isn't it? That's surely what sometimes this thing is. We think that these are big, bold things that we've got to do and we've got to shift and write strategies, for sometimes it's just being thinking, yeah, and, dare I say, outside the box. I said it didn't I.
Speaker 2:Oh, buzzword bingo but that, that creativity thing and as well, and just thinking who, who would really benefit from meeting who and I love that and it goes back to that widening the circle again as well if, rather than just keeping all contacts yourself or going over my friend or my contact, just share.
Speaker 1:Peer Waters, of all the things that you've been involved with and probably lots of crazy things, I imagine, along the way what is the one that you're most proud of, the one that you've taken to market, and why?
Speaker 2:So this is going to sound very, very obscure, but there's a sport at the moment which is just sweeping the UK and the world and it's paddle. Well, love paddle, see. So that's the.
Speaker 2:If someone's played paddle, it's always followed by love paddle yeah, because it's so addictive and our kind of office are obsessed with it and they got kind of a bit ahead of the curve really with it. So we've created kind of working with the paddle club. We're creating the biggest purpose-built paddle facility in the UK and I was working on comms with them. But then a separate company have decided they're going to do the very first floating paddle courts in all of Great Britain with the UK's first floating clubhouse. So that might even be a world first.
Speaker 2:And I got interested with doing that story and delivering it and again getting to work with Gareth Evans, who's like the leader in Paddle, then working with the guys over in Finland who are doing the most innovative crazy things, but working with all these international experts to then try and pull a story together to make it believable because it's going to happen, but then to entice people for it to get planning. And we put this story together and it just went wild. It went so good I'm thinking like, oh my God, they're my words, they're my pictures. That's the quote I've done. I've been able to tell their story and things like it got on the Sunday Times. So seeing us getting national coverage for that amazing. And then even down to the echo and seeing a front page story but putting Peel in a positive light as well, and then seeing across all these publications who would never touch normally a sort of planning story. It's amazing. That makes me feel so proud, and you talk at the start.
Speaker 1:You know I work at Peelport. It's in regeneration, but it's more beyond that. How, how do you make that balance between supporting the needs of the people in the community with the projects that are going on, because sometimes they can be at odds, I guess, can't they?
Speaker 2:so um, I think it's about getting the, the level and the messaging right and remembering to speak in a way that people understand. So, because I work now in regeneration and planning and development, there are so many words that if you're having a normal conversation with someone in the pub, they'll be like what you mean? Btr, pbsa, um, all these sorts of random words which just keep coming through and have to no, no, how will this actually benefit someone like me or you? How would I speak to my dad about this? And it's just about making it a little bit more inclusive, a bit more accessible, and then thinking about okay, we're doing this amazing development, but what about the park? That's a bit people will want to know. Or how can they walk to the stadium a bit easier? Or, if you are an independent food and drink person, will there be something for you there too? So it's rather than just thinking like, oh, we're doing this many units and it's going to be this tall and this big.
Speaker 1:It's like no, no, let's just make it a little bit more like place focused or people focused. And what advice would you give to your younger Emma? You're young anyway, but what advice would you go back when you were, probably before you'd even decided to do film studies? What advice would you say then?
Speaker 2:I think it's don't take things too personally, because I do, and you know what I'm like as well, because I am forthcoming and I am opinionated. Not everyone likes that, and I've had to like as I'm like as well, because I am forthcoming and I am opinionated. Not everyone likes that. And I've had to like as I'm getting older and maturing. I have to realize that's okay because I'm also, as you can imagine, working in comms, working in public relations, people pleaser through and through. I want to be liked and I like liking people. But it's this really weird self-acceptance of thinking, no, not everyone's going to like me, and you've got the option of some people do want to be really similar to other people, but to me that's blending in, whereas if you can be your authentic self and now I know everyone's going to be your authentic self it's on the bingo card right, but if you can be that, that true to self person, then you're never gonna to slip up, are you?
Speaker 2:I would hate it. If I lose my passion for something, then what am I doing? And I'd have to take myself out and just stop and reflect. But I think it's that. Don't take it personally. Stick to your guns and just keep going.
Speaker 1:And what part has this community had to play in your world?
Speaker 2:Oh, the Northern Power Women community. You have and this is you and everyone collectively part has this community had to play in in your world of a northern power women community? You have, and this is you and everyone collectively you've been that sort of anchor for me and that you played agony and as well, if I've had an issue I've been able to kind of go to you or go to someone else. You've it has opened doors as well because you've you throw so many events and the people in there, all different levels, all different backgrounds, all different careers, but it's such a melting pot of talent and passion and amazing people that you have no idea who you're going to connect.
Speaker 2:But even outside of all the professional um side of work, I remember when Covid happened, you knew I was living by myself, yet you dialed up, you had a hit list of kind of people you knew might be alone and you put us all in like an online dinner party. I remember I turned up completely drunk to one like naturally, but you just kept checking in and that's the. That's a really, really powerful stuff that goes beyond just professional networking. That's connection through and through and proper like relationship, kindness that I appreciate so much and will stick with me forever what is your superpower.
Speaker 2:She says, trying to distract while welling up a little bit um, I think it is that connecting up piece, I think, being able to meet people, warm to people and then thinking, rather than just thinking of them in a box, thinking you know what are all the other amazing things that this person has and how can I help expand their circle and connect them to this, but applying that bit of creativity, I think.
Speaker 1:And do you have like a mantra or quotation or a film quote? I don't care that you live by that, you go yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:So with this one I remember so my um Auntie Christine. She was phenomenal um, she was a teacher at the um secondary school I went to and she was. She was faded as well, but she was lovely and she passed away, really unfortunately, um kind of about six years ago and when I was moving house I was sorting through all old cards and I found one from her just before she passed away and it said there's value in every experience. And I thought, oh my gosh, that's so true. And that's.
Speaker 2:Even if you go to an event and say it's like, why on earth am I here? You'll find, even if it's just a story, after going, I went to this really weird event and it's like, why on earth am I here? You'll find, even if it's just a story, after going, I went to this really weird event, it's a story to tell. Or you might meet someone you would have never met. And then again, about six years later, you might go, oh my gosh, we've met before, haven't we at this and this. There is anything. It's. Even if the meeting seems pointless, you might have learned something from it. So it's going back to anything that comes your way in life. You will find value in that experience every time great tote bag moment.
Speaker 1:So, emma, we are going to go and delve into our power jar. Are you, are you game power jar? I'm not even sure that quite came out right, but so many innuendos as well?
Speaker 1:I don't know where to go with this, but anyway, we have a power jar here and so we ask every guest to write a question and pop it into the jar. Okay, so you'll be popping yours in later. So this is from a previous guest. Yes, please don't make it too obscure, or maybe do let's just you do you right. Yeah, are you ready for the power jar? I'm ready. Are you ready for the power jar? I'm ready. This is great for those of you listening on the podcast. Emma is just delving into the power jar, which contains a series of questions posed by our previous guests Emma.
Speaker 2:Good one. So if your life had a theme song that played every time you walked into a room, what would it be? So this obviously changes depending on the mood, but I can't I know this sounds stupid to um copy a theme tune. But if you've ever watched Ali McBeal or Searching my Soul by um Vonda Shepard I actually sometimes drive to work listening, listening to that, pretending that my life's a TV show anyway, and it does work. But what I've had on repeat, though as well, is One, girl Revolution, which is from a Legally Blonde soundtrack, which clear inspiration as well. But I think, yeah, it would be one of them, and it's just something that really gets your mood going Like that shoulders back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm getting that car parking space. Yeah, or that seat on the tube or the tram I'm getting it.
Speaker 2:So, pulling this card out, though this has made me think of when I was at Northern Powerhouse Partnership Henry used to say, oh, go on, you can have a go of doing anything. And when it was International Women's Day, I thought, oh, I want to do something a bit different. And I thought I had these like questions which I sent out to some of these amazing like female, like leaders. But one question I put on the bottom was, if I was to build a powerhouse playlist, what's that song that gets you like up and going? And I remember Joanne Roney, who was chief executive of Manchester City Council. She put in like Missy Elliott, and then I had like songs from like Nicky Chance Thompson and all these other amazing women from across the North. And I've built this playlist and I'll still have it on my Spotify somewhere.
Speaker 1:That needs to go in the show notes 100% in the show notes.
Speaker 2:I'm like you know what Professor, dame Nancy Rothwell from University of Manchester her submitting her song. I thought that's such a good way to understand what people listen to. It's so like insightful into them as well. I. It's so like um insightful into them as well.
Speaker 1:I love that. That's made me have a full circle moment. Well, thank you for joining us and sharing the, the playlist of your life so far evergreen. It's a joy to have you in our world and our community. Um, keep being awesome, keep spinning those records. She has like records, like.
Speaker 1:Anyway, thank you so much we'll do a disco next we will do oh my gosh a we Are Power disco. I can feel it coming on. Thank you so much, lovely lady. I really appreciate you joining us and it's always a blast, thank you for the opportunity thank you.
Speaker 1:And thank you for joining us and we will see you next week subscribe on YouTube, apple, amazon Music, spotify or wherever you. And thank you for joining us and we will see you next week subscribe on youtube, apple, amazon music, spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave us a review or follow us on socials. We are power underscore net on insta, tiktok and twitter, or we are power on linkedin, facebook and we are underscore power on youtube.
