emPOWERMENt 2026 Is Officially Launched With James Brook Partridge!

Thank you to everyone who joined The emPOWER Breakfast for emPOWERMENt! The first in the Men's sessions for 2026!

If you weren't there then you really missed out! The conversation with James Brook Partridge and Athene Parker was inescapably candid, and James' commitment to openness, was inspiring. The Long Way Home: How Relocation Redefines Reinvention traced the arc of a life lived across borders, ad industry territories and emotional landscapes. Working at the high stake levels of global production with Ogilvy, Hogarth and now WPP Production - we went beyond the job title though, and were privildged to get a rare insight into James' thoughts on his upbringing, belonging,  reinvention and the reality of the demands of family dynamics, both those you are born into and those we try to create, protect and sustain.

 James spoke about his years abroad living in Hong Kong and Singapore, and the way distance can become a kind of creative and personal reset. When you move somewhere new, you get to build a fresh version of yourself.  The expectations though, land in a different way. We also explored what homecoming truly requires when you have spent so much time away from your old life and how we bridge the gaps.

James spoke openly about mental and emotional wellbeing, burnout and how the pressure of working at the highest levels in an unfamiliar environment, with a young family forging new spaces,  can create the kind of shadow over even the most outwardly successful chapters of a life... Until the fullness of time allows you to forge a new rhythm. He shared the complexities of how ingrained family dynamics can shape our understanding of resilience,  and we explored inherited coping mechanisms.

What made James’s talk so powerful was not just the content, but the way he delivered it:  

A man responsible for more than 150 people. A senior leader. A decision maker. Someone carrying enormous responsibility, completely focused, grounded and comfortable in his ability to hold vulnerability and authority simultaneously. It was impressive to witness and a display of true Leadership.

Thank you for all the thoughtful questions. One reflection that particularly stayed with us came from Jamie Gamache, who picked up on James's observation that producers are often wired to anticipate and mitigate disaster. Whilst an invaluable skill professionally, there is also an awareness that this way of thinking can train the brain towards a state of hyper-vigilance if left unchecked.

As ever, the Q&A sparked insightful discussion and highlighted one of the things that makes emPOWER so special: the collective wisdom that emerges when people share their own perspectives and experiences. It was a window into how every move, every return, every change in circumstance and every reinvention shapes us in ways we often only recognise much later. More often than not, those experiences become some of our greatest teachers.

It was a powerful reminder of the importance of self-awareness; of understanding what is, and isn't, within our control, and learning how to find balance between preparedness and presence. 

The emPOWER Breakfast was designed to create a different kind of professional gathering. One where judgement is replaced by curiosity, where lived experience sits alongside expertise, and where status, job titles and hierarchy take a back seat to honest human connection., and most importantly a space where people can engage with one another in good faith, where different perspectives can be explored respectfully, and where genuine discourse is valued over easy opinion.

Thank you so much for being part of this seismic shift in conversation.

Missed the event? You can watch the full interviews with every previous emPOWER Breakfast session, by subscribing to Premium Content on The emPOWER Breakfast App. The app is designed as an extension of the emPOWER experience, giving you access to an extraordinary library of candid conversations with some of the industry's most respected leaders, alongside nervous system regulation tools, sound bowl journeys from House of Butterfly, themed Pep Talks and wellbeing resources designed to help you reset, regulate and reconnect throughout the working week.

Think of it as a pocket-sized emPOWER Breakfast. A place to dip in whenever you need inspiration, perspective, encouragement or simply a moment to pause. You can download the APP from Apple Store or Google Play. We can't wait to see you there!