The Vertical Climb is a podcast about the inner journey of leadership and the lifelong work of becoming the leader one is capable of being. Hosted by Sandra Viljoen and Margot Vannelet of New Beginnings Coaching, it features honest conversations with CEOs, HR leaders, coaches and thought leaders. Each episode explores the stories and turning points behind leadership titles rather than focusing only on techniques or business success. The shared purpose is to examine how we can build healthier organisations through better leadership.
Episodes
The Vertical Climb 1.5 | Tough vs Nice Leadership | Anthony Leung Shing, PwC Mauritius
"By trying to be nice and avoid conflict, I created abigger mess." The Country Senior Partner of PwC Mauritius on why greatleaders are neither tough nor nice, but both. Sandra Viljoen sits down with Anthony (Tony) Leung Shing,Country Senior Partner of PwC Mauritius and Deputy Regional Senior Partner forEast Africa. Ten years after telling Sandra "I would really like to changethe culture", Tony sha
The Vertical Climb 1.4 | Leading Beyond Our Blind Spots | Andre Viljoen, CEO Air Mauritius
"So tell me, Andre, do you think he heard you?" One question in a car started a 20-year journey for an airline CEO.Sandra Viljoen and Margot Vannelet sit down with Andre Viljoen, CEO of Air Mauritius, former CEO of Fiji Airways and South African Airways, and Sandra's husband. He is refreshingly honest about his blind spots: the Type 8 need for control, the "tormentorship" h
The Vertical Climb 1.3 | Enneagram & Shadow Work | Waiman Ip Min Wan
You can't see the frame of your own glasses while you'rewearing them. That's what a blind spot is, and it's exactly where the Enneagramhelps. 📄 Free resources from this episode: Personal Inquiry Programme: https://newb.mu/personal-inquiry In episode 3 of The Vertical Climb, Sandra Viljoen and MargotVannelet open the fourth portal, Shadows, with Waiman Ip Min Wan, NewBeginnings'
The Vertical Climb 1.2 | The 7 Portals of Personal Growth | Sandra Viljoen & Margot Vannelet
We don't need more knowledge. AI already has that. What leaders need now is more awareness, and there are 7 doors to it.🎁 Free download: the 7 Portals of Growth map → https://theverticalclimb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Herosjourney.pdf"I'm perfectly fine. Everything's fine in my life. Why should I evolve?"It's the question coaches hear most from successful leaders. In
The Vertical Climb 1.1 | Who Are You Without the Title? | Sandra Viljoen
Leadership is not simply about what we do. It is about who we become.In the first episode of The Vertical Climb, Sandra Viljoen, Managing Director of New Beginnings Coaching, shares the story behind the podcast: the hardest decision of her life, losing the title she thought was her identity, and the long climb back to herself that became New Beginnings.She opens up about the "good girl"
