The Business of Being Brilliant podcast

S11 E3: 'How to inject fun into work'
with Alys Martin

Monday 16 February 2026




Headshot of Alice smiling against a sage green background.

About this episode

What happens when bringing fun to work collides with professionalism, pressure to conform, and the boundaries of workplace culture? In this episode, I explore why having fun at work matters, how leaders can show personality, and when we should steer clear of levity and humour. We look at ways to encourage joy—planned or spontaneous—while staying human round the edges.

 

My guest is Alys Martin, Group HR Director at Terrapin. A strategic people leader, Alys was formerly People Director at what3words, and has held senior HR roles in technology, engineering, and publishing. She helps organisations to navigate growth, ambiguity, and reinvention, designing people practices that are thoughtful, effective, and rooted in real-life human experience. Alys also describes herself, delightfully, as a fan of occasional nonsense and word games.

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Perspectives from Alys

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Alys on Linked In

Terrapin’s website

 

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