The future of every organisation is in hands of their young talent. 

Yet, companies are struggling to retain the best talent for long enough to see a profit, the journey from onboarding to high performance is taking too long and young talent falls into the trap of doing just enough to get by.

Whilst our Education system is overwhelmed with Ofsted frameworks, a ridiculous teacher workload and declining engagement. 

So, I started Aim A Little Higher to fix that. We're on a mission to equip young people with the clarity, confidence and communication skills necessary to thrive in the real world and become an undeniable asset for their organisation.  

We've worked with amazing organisations such as HSBC, Siemens Energy, Goldman Sachs, Greenwood Dale Academies & The Sutton Trust to name a few. All working on the ground with their young talent and accelerate their journey from potential to high performance. 

Young talent should be excited to be part of the journey, contributing fresh ideas and become the largest asset in any organisation.

We help organisations in a number of ways
We put together programmes that increase employee engagement & company alignment.
Develop strategies that improve output and contribution from young talent by increasing confidence & skillset.
Build a road map that enables young talent to gain clarity, confidence and effective communication at an accelerated pace.

Ultimately, leading to a return on investment for employers, managers & educators alike.


I'm a Husband who married up, a Father figuring it out as I go and an Arsenal fan who has been convinced next year will be our year since I was 12. 
I went from coasting to 7A's & 2A*'s, crowned as Peter Jones' National Entrepreneur of The Year & was recently part of Lincolnshire's 30 under 30. 
Fresh Prince of Bel Air is my theme tune and if you borrowed my headphones you'd be met by Podcasts & Audiobooks.

Let's get your young people performing like the pro's!

Drop me a DM and we'll book a call to get started!

Kamal Ellis-Hyman

How do you make a boring, played out topic practical and engaging?
HSBC gave us the call...

'Communication & Leadership' 

HSBC's ET Team, invited us to level up leaders in their Early Careers Talent Council. 

⚠️ The challenge: Deliver a session that engages, shifts perspective & results in real behaviour change. 

⚠️ The problem: Leadership and Communication, are topics that have been HAMMERED. 

It's impossible that these young people have not already seen the TED talk, read the quotes & had the pep talks!

So the session had to be fresh. 

❌ We refused to deliver something off the shelf
❌ We didn't want quotes they'd seen on their feed for years 
❌ Attendees could not be passively learning

So Eliza Ellis- Hyman MSc , Jackson Ogunyemi  and I spent hours, discussing, debating and creating a fresh Leadership & Communication workshop!

We put young leaders in situations where they had to think fast, speak up, and take real risks. No room for passivity. 

We took them on a journey:

✅ Adopting the Entrepreneurs mindset, from within the company
✅ Understanding the power of a leader to engage or kill a room
✅ Frameworks to give their communication the competitive edge

Then it got real..

✅ We made it uncomfortable
✅ Put people on the spot
✅ Demanded honest feedback in the moment

Best of all... it worked!

This was confirmed by a comment at the end of the session, a young man shook my hand and said:

"I'm usually cynical about these kinds of sessions. But this was actually engaging and I found it helpful"

That's the point. Growth only happens when people feel pressure. If they're comfortable, nothing changes.

Credit to HSBC's ET Team Laura Anderson , Francis Reed , Elisha Kopec , Kiran Bhalla, Neve Savage , Vicky Benham for allowing us to approach this in our way. They supported, added context and let the silence sit when needed!

Real impact must be based on the brief, not recycled information. 
True transformation is personal. 
It's bespoke.

undefined undefined

Developing Young Talent From Potential to High Performance 🚀 Director of Aim A Little Higher

Partnering with school leaders to advance student happiness and success by delivering powerful, entertaining workshops and seminars across UK schools.

Emerging Talent Development Lead | ISE Vice Chair, Board Director

Emerging Talent Undergraduate Programmes & Skills Strategy Lead at HSBC

Emerging Talent Events and Projects Lead

Emerging Talent Support Specialist

Emerging Talent Development Coordinator HSBC via AMS

Senior Project Coordinator via AMS

Your Early Career Cohort Has Potential. I Build Performance. 🟠 Founder @ Aim A Little Higher

This is what fantastic careers education looks like! ⭐
Last week I delivered the opening speeches for a series of school takeovers in partnership with HSBC and Zero Gravity!
 
Halls full of young people who came in unsure but left with something real.
 
I set the energy, got every student locked in, before they were introduced to the main challenge! 

As I walked around, I love what I saw!

✅ Real conversations, 
✅ Young people, genuinely curious about their futures.
✅ Gearing up for the big challenge!
 
The HSBC volunteers were exceptional. 

✅ Enthusiastic
✅ Knowledgeable
✅ Completely invested in the young people in front of them. 

Not there to tick a box. There to make a difference. Fantastic to get such great pre-session clarity too from the team Katherine Bond, Luke Beresford, @Matthew hall, 
 
The Zero Gravity team were a pleasure to work alongside, as always! 
Organised, passionate, and fully bought into the mission. 
Nothing but positivity from the dream team Sophie Radford, @Izzy read, Rachel Harwood , Alex O'Connor 👌🏾
 
And Katherine Bond, sharing a stage with someone who cares that much just makes the whole thing better. 
She made it real, accessible and about the individual young people, not the company!
 
This is the standard. Real people, real insight, real impact.
 
What a couple of months it's been!

It has arrived!

National Careers Week 2026!

With the theme of ‘Own Your Future’, which in a time of mass distraction, manipulative algorithms and AI chat bots. 

Is so perfectly timed!

My two pence for a great National Careers Week…

1 - Do NOT be passive. 

Get stuck in. Be it a careers fair, virtual work experience, practice interviews, speeches. 
Get stuck in!

2 - Experiment constantly 

The best way to find out your best path; test a bunch until you find the thing that resonates. Happiness, fulfilment, capability - all great signs you’re on a solid path. 

3 - Ask more questions than feels comfortable 

Everything you need to know; on the other side of a question. 

One great answer, key insight or perspective shift can change everything. So ask, ask then ask again. 

Happy National Careers Week 🎉

Huge shoutout to the wonderful Sir nick newman, Stephen Logan  & the whole team making NCW happen!

Proud to be an ambassador for such a worthwhile organisation!

This National Careers Week...
The power of public facing part time roles!


My absolute superpower! What to search for...

✅ High footfall 
✅ Varied customers 
✅ The need to adapt on the fly

An absolute formula for real world preparation!

Look I know...

👉🏾 Tik Tok shop
👉🏾 Vinted
👉🏾 Etsy
👉🏾 Video Editing

You can make money without even leaving your bedroom. 

BUT. 


Do not underestimate the power & the opportunity to work face to face with the public!

Hogan Lovells invited us to launch their Pathways To Law programme with a bang!

If I could go back in time, I wouldn't change my career choices.
I'd change my level of exposure, so I know I'm making an Educated decision.

Career choice is not easy and far too often our decisions are made based on our circumstances, not our potential. 

So we loved joining forces with Hogan Lovell & The Sutton Trust to get this group of high potential young people, ready to take on the challenge and explore the new world of Law!

From the start we could see the apprehension. 

Of course!

How intimidating to be in a Law Firm for the very first time.
Sat at tables with people you've never met
Hearing from high performing Law professionals. 

So rather than diving into legal jargon and lectures, we hit pause. 

✅ Helped them understand they deserve to be in the room
✅ Broke down the skills, lessons and unique abilities they could bring to the table 
✅ Took them through a process to relieve the nerves and get stuck in
✅ Delivered our Potential to Performance framework so they could understand their journey in context
✅ Pushed them beyond their comfort zones, (better they learn with us than in their one shot at meeting a partner)

🤯 The before and after of this group... astounding. 🤯

👏🏾 Huge shout out to Anna Rutowicz , whose passion for young talent shines through and to Hogan Lovells & The Sutton Trust for making 'social mobility; more than just a buzz word!

If you work with young talent, don't just open the door. 
Pull up a chair and show them they belong.

Most people are terrified of public speaking!
Here are three ways to up your game!

1. Knowledge beats nerves.

We all get nervous, some way more than others. But believe it or not, nerves aren't actually the biggest barrier. In fact, most speakers who genuinely care about their audience feel nerves. 

They get through those nerves anyway, mainly because they know what they are speaking about. Do not step into a public speaking arena without knowledge of your topic. It's a recipe for disaster!

2. Silence, is your best friend. 

Stop fearing silence. It's not a sign of weakness, it doesn't make you look bad and it's not awkward... If used correctly. 

Silence is the ultimate tool to let a point land, to give your audeince time to chew on the information and give you a second to gather your thoughts. 

Rush to fill the silence and you're going to end up waffling!

3. Don't be them.

Too often we see a speaker we like and instantly steal their entire style. No no no, don't be them. Be you. 

You've got a way better chance of doing a good job being yourself. 

Take inspiration, acknowledge skill sets but take those and filter them back through your own lens. 


Which of the three have you struggled with in the past?

Why do we belittle ourselves so often?

Language is so important, I'm slightly obsessed with the words people choose to use. 

Your words tell me so much about you. 

Your world view.
Your intention.
Your feelings.

Worst than what they say to others about you...

YOU hear them too. 

Those internal conversations are dangerous and even something as subtle as the word 'just'. Can continually undermine you. 

Undermine your progress
Undermine your self-image
Undermine your sense of confidence. 

So next time you're describing yourself. 

Don't you DARE. Use the word "Just".

As National Careers Week comes to a close, three ingredients to truly 'Own Your Future'

  
Awareness, Questions & Action


Have a fantastic year ahead!

Perspective is everything. 

That’s why I’m climbing on the cieling like Spider-Man. 

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change”

Real transformation begins with a shift in perspective. 

🕷️

No alternative text description for this image

On the search for positive male role models? 
Let me point you towards a Man, that I personally look towards as a fantastic example...

This week the world gave us:
⚠️ A documentary on the 'Manosphere', 
⚠️ A live debate where two ego's collided and a Wife was collateral damage. 
⚠️ A focus on men who think their power comes from a domination of women.

Today there's a man being honoured whom offers a slightly different version manhood. 

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St.Joseph.

The Husband, Father and ultimate servant. 

Joseph, from the bloodline of a king, yet humble beyond measure. 

Provides for his Wife & Child even in circumstances that could lead to shame

Protects his Wife & Child at the warning of danger, regardless of his own desires

Raised and taught Jesus Christ... I mean... wow. 


So today I'd like to point towards a Man that I personally look towards as a fantastic example. 

In a world where noise & controversy wins - St.Joseph did not utter a word in the entire New Testament.

In a world where the value of Marriage is to be judged against 'who wins' - St.Joseph served his Wife as his absolute priority 

In a world where we want to be seen as clever, impressive & important - St.Joseph was simply described as a Righteous man. 

Following my Baptisim, I needed to choose my confirmation Saint. 

Not an easy choice.

Once I really, truly, understood the journey of St.Joseph, the choice was clear & simple. 

Happy Feast of St Joseph.

Pure class. 👌🏾 Communication is everything!

There's a way to disagree, here's a lesson on how not to...

LinkedIn can sometimes, be full of trolls, negative opinions and mostly lazy responses. 

Eliza posted about Burnout. 

👉🏾 The post warned, to be very careful when self-diagnosing yourself with 'Burn Out'. 

It challenged people, especially young people entering a career for the first time. 

Most people who claim burnout, aren't burnt out. There are simpler, easier to fix issues that can be addressed as a first port of call. 

💡 Sleeping enough?
💡 Managing your time effectively?
💡 Are you hydrating?
💡 Overcommitting to tasks?

There were a flurry of comments, questions and challenges. 

🧡 Beautiful, I love ideas being tried, tested and ensure that they stand on solid ground. 

👏🏾But this comment, took the cake. 👏🏾



Three absolutely beautiful elements I'd like to congratulate on:

1 - The tone, such a wonderful manner in speaking to Woman online and I hope one day to emulate such mastery. 

2 - Fantastic interpretation. You know, some would have read the post and understood that it's saying - before you self-diagnose, make sure you master the basics as you may not be experiencing the true definition of burnout.  Maybe even ask a question, share a challenge or open conversation where they explain a different viewpoint. 

This individual not only read between the lines of the actual post, but wrote some imaginary elements too! Masterful. 

3 - The ability to diagnose narcism. Phenomenal. Without conversation, question, meeting. Truly phenomenal. Many train years and years and still have to actually get to know and understand a patient before reaching diagnosis. So hats off 👏🏾 




I actually like LinkedIn, 
I LOVE debate,
I am happy to be corrected and learn. 

I have never, and will never insult. 
"ignorant" , "narcisist". Na. 

This could have been such a great conversation on burn out and introverts. 

But nope.

As a High Performance Coaches & Speakers, it's only right that we set ourselves new high performance goals..

So as January 2026 came round, we took the time to set a huge new goal.


⚠️ Deliver three, international speeches/workshops. ⚠️


Have we done it before.. nope. 

Did we have a plan on exactly how it would happen... not really.

Was it a scary goal, way outside our current comfort zone.. oh yes. 

👉🏾 Which is EVERYTHING we coach our high potential clients to do.

Well...




Some exciting news to share...

The sprinkle of sugar to your Early Careers team. 

We support your early career talent to become high performers through clarity, confidence and communication. 

Understanding your pathway and goals provides a strong foundation to build upon when starting your career. 
Starting a job for the first time can be daunting, having confidence in your abilities and lack of them is essential to being able to learnt efficiently. 
Communication is the key to success. Putting the messages/ emails down and contributing your voice is how high performance is achieved.  


Eliza Ellis- Hyman MSc

I failed my Psychology ALevel 

I got a first in my Pschology degree 

I got a masters in Psychology whilst raising two children

Not every failure has to lead to bad end 

As long as you learn.

I learnt three things when I failed psychology: 
❤️ how much I loved it. I took it for granted in ALevels- psychology just being a subject I chose.  When I failed and couldn’t continue I realised it was something I wanted to pursue 

🤯 the need to write better. I knew most of the answers but the way I wrote did not answer the question they were asking - I waffled. So I learnt I needed to get my writing more succinct. I really struggled with this at Uni but thanks to my lecturers I got there 💪🏽

🕣 time management. I was studying 5 alevels. My mum worked 3 jobs at the time and I was working 2 jobs as well so my evenings and weekends were very busy. So I really needed to nail my time management because time was rarely focused in the perfect environment. 

Just a little note from me to say if you failed- you didn’t get the uni, the job, the pitch. It’s ok. Just learn from it and do better next time.

But the lesson is the most important!

What a day of transformation! 

Well done to every single one of you! 

The group went from a room full of passengers to proactive pilots active pilots 🙌🏽

It was amazing to see advice taken, and acted upon in real time 👏🏽

It was a tough session. 
✨We spoke through the need for “hunger” in this competitive job market. It’s not acceptable to just want the job, you have to need it! In every interaction, meeting, networking event, piece of work giving your all! 
😎Attitude and Proffessionalism 
🎵We confessed the things we aren’t great at and the action to make it better. 
💃🏽We danced about the super power we bring to the table! 

It was an awesome 5 hours with further questions at the end - putting that “hunger”into action 👌🏽

Thank you to Francis and Emily for inviting us in and supporting the session! 

Well done to Tommaso, Kabir, Daniel, Oscar, Sophie, Jochebed, Tolu, Ben, Xenon, Simran, Zahra and Shresth - you should be proud 👏🏽 cherish those profiles 😂

Kamal Ellis-Hyman Aim A Little Higher

Amazing to meet the team at Arm. 

Thankful to Charlotte Carvallo for inviting us in 🙌🏽 

The apprentices were so engaged and bought so much energy to the session. A fantastic day was had! 

Aim A Little Higher Kamal Ellis-Hyman

Speeches on the 'manosphere'.

Does it work?

Bring in a speaker, deliver the big lecture on 'toxic masculinity', and expect a room of young men raised on hours of social media and Andrew Tate to do a complete 180.

Wishful thinking...

You will get an initial reaction for sure but that will fade quickly.

Most research shows boys need solid male mentorship. Building real rapport with a role model who can support their growth is where real progress happens.

When a young man has a mentor who listens, who doesn't belittle what he's up against, things shift. Misogyny fades when trust builds. The posturing drops away when there's space for real confidence, not just a mask.

Here's the uncomfortable bit. Awareness is important. But most boys already know which corners of YouTube are ridiculous. If we want young men to grow, let's stop wasting time with speeches and start actually talking to them, through mentorship, over time.¸

You hear a lot about getting young women into business and leadership.
But no one tells you what happens when you become the kind of director who refuses to pay an invoice.

Not because you're cutting corners. Because it's not enough.

This week, two brilliant speakers from Aim A Little Higher sent their invoices. Both were lower than agreed. Rushed, maybe. Or just forgot the deal.

So, I did the least "corporate" thing possible: I sent them back. I told them to bill me more.

Some would call that bad business. Too honest. Too generous.

But that's how I run things.

Because of three values:

1. Truth and integrity. Your word should mean something. If I promise a fee, I pay that fee.
2. Relationships. If I want to work with the best, I have to be the best partner for them.
3. Real management. My job isn't to say yes to every invoice or tick boxes. It's to help people recognise and claim their value, even when they forget.

Would they have noticed if I'd just approved the smaller amount? Maybe not. But I'd notice. And that goes against my values.

Being a woman in business is not about becoming what you THINK you should be, or becoming a carbon copy of what is out there. 

It is about knowing what you bring to the table and maintaining that in every decision and interaction you have. And if that means sending an invoice back with a note that says "this amount is too little," so be it.

Aim A Little Higher

When you protect them from challenge, you protect them from growth. ❌ 

We bubble wrap them, coddle them, soften every edge.

And then wonder why they lack hunger and initiative 🤔

They enter the workforce wanting to achieve, they want the great job, the fabulous life, the top salary.

But somewhere between school and onboarding, someone convinced them achievement doesn't require discomfort.

Let's be honest, some of that's on them. But a lot of it is on us.

Last week we ran a session for a group of IPs and future leaders. No hand-holding. No sugar-coating. Just raw feedback and real risks.

It was uncomfortable. Truth was told, silences were soaked in and defences were made.

But something brilliant happened. ✨

The group engaged themselves, threw all of what they had into each task. They woke up. Found some of that hunger. And prepared themselves for achieving high performance.

They didnt run for the hills when it got harder, they leant into it more.

Their curiosity extended to the end, when all was done. They remained afterwards. With 45 minutes of questions, honesty and plans for next steps.

If you're still tiptoeing around Gen Z, you're dulling their edge and capping their ambition.

Aim A Little Higher Kamal Ellis-Hyman

#earlycareers #challenges #initiative

This is also me 

Still a Director, Mentor, Speaker

Just wanted to break up the stunning images that are on here and just give an insight into my reality sometimes 

Wouldn’t change it for the world - you need the balance to keep you humble 😂 

Aim A Little Higher Kamal Ellis-Hyman

560 young people. 

This week, four of us took on four cities with one mission. 

Raising aspirations regardless of circumstance. Lifting their ambitions higher than they thought possible. 

A mix of small group mentoring sessions and key notes.

Not just talking at them, but challenging what they think is possible for themselves. Too many bright, talented young people never get told they can go further.

So we made it clear. 

Thank you to the team delivering. The clients for trusting. The young people for engaging! The feedback has been incredible to read! Here are some insights... 

Aim A Little Higher Kamal Ellis-Hyman

Purpose is the only thing that leads to true happiness 

Although I have lived a relatively short life I have met a lot of different people on the way and learnt a lot from them. 

Millionaires that don’t feel successful, because it’s not enough, they are still chasing 

Millionaires that have lost everything because of some stupid case 

People at the top of their careers, high performers, whilst their personal life is falling apart

Poor people who are surrounded by stress and disorder 

People on the bread line that have such peach 

Wealthy people with an amazing personal life and a great balance 

I meet a lot of people starting their career who think if they achieve the pay cheque it’s enough. Or hold the idea that they may be unhappy but at least they will be wealthy 

I get it. I have been there. 

Chased the title. Chased the bag. Chased the clout. 

Leaving behind purpose on the way because it becomes secondary to all the loud cheering you hear around you. 

It sucks.  

You can be confident. You can speak well. You can look the part. 

But underneath is lifeless. 

That is why for me Purpose and Clarity will always be the most important thing. After many mistakes.

I want you to win. Have the career, the money, the car, the house, but most of all I want you to feel as though you deserve it. And if it got taken away tomorrow you still have something their that wasn’t just clothed in cash. 

It’s possible. I am fortunate enough to have seen it.

2026- the year we embraced 

We stopped talking about the pros of running a business and took advantage of them 

In January we took the girls out of school and decided to home school 

Since then we have travelled to most cities we have had work in. 

This weekend we went straight from Birmingham to Scotland and we have a busy month to come.

The girls are loving seeing new cities, actually seeing the places they learn about and they have become so much more confident. 

For me as a mum and business owner, it’s busy but so rewarding! 

It will get to a time where this is less possible with secondary school etc. so taking full advantage of it now, is so precious. 

I am very grateful for the opportunity to have such a life with my family! 

Thank you to Kamal Ellis-Hyman for following through on some of my crazy ideas!

The glamour of running a business and entrepreneurshop 

My day today 

5am unexpectedly woken up by my youngest who was AWAKE laughing and jumping on the bed- terrifying really 
5:30am gave in trying to get her back to sleep and we packed our room up
6am woke up the older two got ready to hit the road 
7am drove to Gloucester 
8:15am Lidl bakery 
9am did some maths, answered emails, organised speakers, whilst Kamal did session 1 in the tour
10:30am went to Tesco for lunch, played picking daisys and making daisy chains - Kamal stop 2 on the tour
11:50am The girls recorded some footage for Kamals vlog this week whilst baby napped Kamal session 3 on the tour 
1:30pm Ate at Toby Carvery for lunch and had a run around - Kamals last session of the tour 
2:50pm Drove to Cambridge 
6pm Arrived at our hotel 
6:30pm Dinner 
7:30pm Reading 
8pm Answered some mentees questions 
8:30pm Content discussion 
9:30pm Bed 

Not as glamorous as you may think BUT I wouldn’t change it for the world 🙏🏽 grateful and blessed

Aim A Little Higher Kamal Ellis-Hyman

Failure is scary but not trying is way worse ⚡

You cannot stop sleeping because of the fear of bad dreams 😴

At 15, if someone told me this would be my life, I'd have laughed, thinking it wasnt possible

At 25, I might have been disappointed, convinced I should have done more, moved faster. I'd have seen missed milestones and the lack of a shiny title.

The reality is, right now, I am so secure and happy where I am but only because I spent 17 years of trying.

Trying different jobs, studying various things, failing at exams and interviews, winning clients and amazing jobs. Becoming a mum young, juggling family, supporting others when they needed it.

If I had frozen terrified of messing up, worried about making the wrong decision I would have resentment now. I wouldn't know what I am capable of or what I actually want.

Whenever I share my story with young people it's not for them to imitate my path or follow my exact journey. It is to provide proof that you dont need to be a genius, innately superior or come from privilege of boundless opportunity.

It just takes this thought - let the fear of wasting your potential be bigger than temporary risk 🚀

Aim A Little Higher Kamal Ellis-Hyman

#earlycareers #interns #apprenticeships #pathwaystolaw #personalgrowth

Last week was one of those weeks 😮‍💨 

We met some awesome people. Delivered amazing sessions. Travelled over 600 miles . 

Thank you to the team Aim A Little Higher and to all those who had us deliver last week! Grateful and Blessed.

Silence, holding back, waiting to be spoken to. 

They are symptoms not the root cause. 

We often hear these complaints & observations about early talent. 

The thing is, they are signs of something deeper. 

When we work with early talent, one of the key breakthroughs come through reframing. 

We reframe their perception with new ideas. 
We reframe their concept of proactivity
We reframe their idea of ‘visibility’

Because the shift from passive observer - built through years of being lead by a teacher & a media landscape that encourages consumption over creativity. 

Is not as simple as increasing confidence or improving a pay check. 

& we love seeing the difference once the penny drops!

graphical user interface, text, application

At 16, I had to tell grown adults they didn't get the job and send them home.

The lesson I learnt, we bring to our sessions 

Year 11 work experience story time. 

Second day at Michael Rose Productions in Fulham, clipboard shoved into my hands, list of names I'd first met 3 hours ago signing them in for auditions. 

No training, no warnings, just, "Go tell them they're unsuccessful."

I stood in the corridor, 16 years old, peeking through the window at a crowd waiting on news that would change their week, maybe their year.

My heart was racing. I thought they'd be furious. 

But I swallowed the fear. Walked out. Read the names. Gave the line: "Sorry, you've been unsuccessful this time."

A few wanted reasons. Most just left quietly. 

That memory stuck.

Someone recently asked where my confidence comes from. It isn't magic. It started here, in moments where I was expected to do things that scared me.

No pep talk. No one hovering, ready to rescue me. Just the quiet assumption I'd get on with it.

The clipboard wasn't just a prop. It was a message: You're up. Your turn. They trusted me.

I could have refused. Asked for help. But when the expectation is "you'll get it done," you do it.

Turns out, those standards matter. When people expect more, you tend to give more.

That's why, in our sessions with young people, we set the bar high. Real work. Real consequences. Real trust.

You want initiative and confidence? Stop wrapping young talent in bubble wrap. Give them the trust and your own 2026 clipboard and let them step up.

Don’t be a competent person turning down opportunities because you can’t sort out basic time management - please! 

“I would go for it but I don’t seem to have any time now… I just feel so busy” 

This is something mentioned in a mentoring call 

What I have learnt is:
At 18 working 3 jobs I thought I was busy 
At 20 when I had a baby and was working 2 jobs and at uni I thought I was busy 
At 24 when I was doing my masters had 2 babies, renovated a house, ran a business I thought I was busy 
At 30 with 3 children, home schooling, running a business I think I’m busy 

To tell the truth I felt a little bit less busy at each of these steps 

I meet tons of people that say they are busy-  but still want more money and responsibility.

Sort out your time management because your going to be busy with or without this opportunity clearly. 

Sorting out one of these three or all of them tends to help you feel more in control of your time:
- Distractions- generally the phone and social media. This doesn’t have an age limit. When the phone pings or your stuck on a doom scroll time gone. 
- Not learning your schedule. When are you better day or night? I am a night owl so I can work till late but don’t wake me up at 5am. I know how long it takes me to cook meals, get ready, food shop, gym- everything has a time. Learn it. The quicker you start keeping track the quicker you will see where you are wasting time. 
- No sacrifices. I had to sacrifice going out with my friends. I used to see my friends every weekend without question. The reality is this was not serving any of us. I still see them but normally once a month. 

I see a lot of competent people turn down roles due to fear of not being able to manage. But doing nothing to actually make it better.

Do these three things and take the opportunity- you will still feel busy but the sacfrifice is worth it. Opportunities don’t come around all the time! 

Aim A Little Higher Kamal Ellis-Hyman

Amazing project and one that really helps bridge that gap! 

Grateful to be apart of it 🙏🏽

We’re extremely proud to have partnered with HSBC and The Careers & Enterprise Company on a new project that's bridging the gap between talent and opportunity - bringing tech careers to the forefront in South Yorkshire. 🚀

Together, we’re connecting 800+ young people to real careers in technology and financial services.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been busy coordinating school takeover days at five partner schools in the Sheffield area, where HSBC volunteers led high-impact workshops designed to equip young people with practical skills linked to genuine career routes, all while boosting confidence in bucketloads.

Next up, these talented young people will visit HSBC's Sheffield office for immersive "day in the life" experiences to deepen their learning, plus ongoing access to our HSBC career mentors on the Zero Gravity platform. 🤝

A huge thank you to Katherine Bond at HSBC and Kieran Loftus at South Yorkshire Careers Hub for their collaboration and expertise, as well as Kamal Ellis-Hyman at Aim A Little Higher for providing BIG energy to kick-start each day.

Of course, none of this would be possible without HSBC’s fantastic volunteers. This is community support in action and we love to see it. ✨

How to conduct yourself in meetings. 

Here are my 3 points to help

✨This happens before the meeting. Please prep! Do not turn up to a meeting, or especially one of my mentorship calls with no reason to be here. Have points you need support with , have things you would like to share etc. 

✨Engage. The amount of people that turn up to a meeting and whilst their manager or colleague is talking they just look so dead pan. Or don’t even have their camera on(if virtual). I’m not asking you to be a CBeebies presenter but some nods here and there, a smile , just to show you are listening. 

✨ After the meeting write action points. If you are allowed AI to record then they can do the action points for you. Follow up with an email/ teams afterwards saying this is what was discussed and I am starting ABC. This shows that you understood the meeting, you listened, and communicated the actions you are now taking following this meeting. It keeps you accountable. Highlights any inaccuracies. Ensures that the team are aware you are working on projects in case they can offer some insight early doors.

taplio

The Battle

Kamal Ellis-Hyman

Eliza Ellis- Hyman MSc

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreKamal Ellis-Hyman's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreEliza Ellis- Hyman MSc's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Kamal Ellis-Hyman

Eliza Ellis- Hyman MSc

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kamal Ellis-Hyman's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreEliza Ellis- Hyman MSc's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreKamal Ellis-Hyman's LinkedIn Performance