When I started doing The Third Half - about eight or nine months ago, back when it was still called The Tech Ledger - one of the first people I thought of to have on the show was Michelle Prance.
It took what felt like months of polite pestering to get her here, but when she finally came on, I asked how she was, and without missing a beat she said: “Awesome.”
That one word sums up exactly why I wanted Michelle on the show. She is fun (and funny), energetic, and - as my grandmother would have said - sharp as a tack. Intelligent, insightful, and just all-round brilliant. Yes. She is actually ‘awesome’.
In this conversation, Michelle talks about how her eight-year-old son managed to ground her after what she called a crap day, and in doing so, articulated what financial services is actually for better than most boardrooms ever manage. She walks us through how she got into her career - economics degree, bars and clubs in London, a break that came through a personal recommendation rather than any recruitment agent - and then into the real substance of what good digital banking actually looks like today.
We talk about how leadership evolves over time. She shares the Church of Fail - a slightly weird if fantastic concept, and a great jumping-off point for her reframe that experimentation isn’t risky if you make things small enough to course-correct. We get into responsible growth, and one of our favourite topics on The Third Half: ESG and inclusion, where Michelle is refreshingly honest about her own luck as much as her success.
We close with a conversation about what she listens to when she’s out walking - or, as she puts it, rocking: running action at walking speed.
Always revealing, that question.
This is a really great interview. Michelle is one of the true standout leaders I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and every time I talk to her I come away genuinely uplifted.
I hope you enjoy this one.
Read the complete guide to Third Half careers
Want the full story? Listen to Scott’s full Blueprint conversation with Michelle Prance here.
https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c7171b71-9419-4d61-aec0-df465301cc5d/
If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also love our episode with Bhavin Visavadia — the consultant surgeon rebuilding faces, restoring lives, and shaping the next generation of NHS talent. Bhavin opens up about the power of teamwork, his passion for coaching young surgeons, and what it truly means to leave a legacy. Watch the full episode here: https://www.thethirdhalf.uk/p/tth-blueprint-episode-20-bhavin-visavadia
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