BA Brew - A Business Analysis Podcast

Helen Holder developed an idea to help her children talk about their fears during lockdown – and it proved to be highly effective. Now Helen is using the same powerful visualisation technique to help business change professionals name, and tame, their self-limiting beliefs.
In this mindset-challenging BA Brew, Helen and the Brew Crew discuss common 'Mental Monsters’ and share some practical strategies for challenging them.
See the resource list below for a link to Fiona Kiss’s ‘Problem Solving Duck’ article.
Helen Holder is Head of Business Analysis at RICS. She is also a volunteer with IIBA and YBA.
FURTHER RESOURCES 
BA BREWS
BA Brew 20: Resilience (feat. Corrine Thomas)
BA Brew 30: Confidence (feat. Philippa Thomas)
BA Brew 45: Developing Positive Habits and Behaviours
ARTICLES
Mental Monsters: Name and Tame Your Limiting Beliefs
Resilience Resources
Strengths Spotting - Achieve your goals by leveraging your strengths
StrengthsFinder 2.0
Foster a Growth Mindset with Mindset Advantage
The Problem Solving Duck
COURSES
Introduction to NLP Workshop

If you have relevant transferable skills, it is possible to change careers at any time of life. In this thought-provoking episode, Lisa Croft of Herd Consulting and AssistKD’s Amanda Christianson talk about transferable skills with host Jonathan Hunsley.
Relevant skills discussed include: stakeholder engagement; customer service; teamwork; data analysis; problem-solving; taking a holistic view; and documentation.
RESOURCES
CAREER PLANNING
AssistKD Career Planing Tools
COURSES
One Day Careers Workshop
ARTICLES
What I Wish I had Known When I Started my Business Analyst Career
10 Top Tips for Entering the Business Analysis Profession
BA BREWS
BA Brew 77: How to start your BA Career (Feat. Timothy Clark & Michelle Shakesheff)
Updating your skills toolkit? AssistKD offers a wide choice of business training courses.
Assist’s Learning Zone is packed with free learning resources, with new and topical content added regularly. Discover the latest BA Brew podcasts, articles, blogs, short learning videos and more.

If you’ve ever considered applying for the Business Analyst of the Year Award, this BA Brew special is for you. Current BA of the Year Mark Cross and 2024 winner Kay Hardy discuss what inspired them to apply, and some of the unexpected benefits of taking part.

FURTHER RESOURCES
Visit our BA of the Year page
Assist’s Learning Zone is packed with free learning resources, with new and topical content added regularly. Discover the latest BA Brew podcasts, articles, blogs, short learning videos and more.
AssistKD BA Career Planner Tool
Webinar: What it Takes to be BA of the Year
ARTICLES
BA of the Year: 10 Top Tips for Applying
Mark Cross Winner’s Interview
Kay Hardy Winner’s Interview
Pip Hall Winner’s Interview
BA BREWS
BA Brew 20: Resilience
BA Brew 68: Stepping Beyond the BA Toolbox
BA Brew 80: Bravery in Business Analysis

In this stressbusting BA Brew, special guest and yoga teacher Jennie Macdonald talks to the Brew Crew about how yoga, mindfulness, and something as simple as a breathing technique can foster balance, calm and resilience in your work and home life.
Jennie and Ruth recommend the following online Yoga and Mindfulness resources:
Yoga with Adriene is a particularly good entry point – well worth subscribing to on YouTube. This includes movement and breathing exercises, and she has multiple 30 day courses where the daily sessions are about 20 minutes long: Yoga With Adriene - YouTube
The Mindful app is a great one for walking meditations – it isn’t free but it’s well worth the subscription: A Guided Walking Meditation for Daily Life - Mindful
Nalanie Chellaram is a great teacher if people want to get into yoga in its broader sense: Nalanie Chellaram - YouTube
FURTHER RESOURCES
BA BREWS
BA Brew 20: Resilience (feat. Corrine Thomas)
BA Brew 30: Confidence (feat. Philippa Thomas)
BA Brew 45: Developing Positive Habits and Behaviours
ARTICLES
Resilience Resources
Strengths Spotting - Achieve your goals by leveraging your strengths
BOOK REVIEW: Begin with You by Petra Velzeboer
Wellbeing in Times of Change By Petra Velzeboer

Bad service appears to be on the increase… why? Could it be because organisations are forgetting about the needs of the customer or are not sufficiently involving BAs, Service Designers or Business Architects?
Debra Paul, Jonathan Hunsley and Mike Williams share a few ‘tales of woe’ and discuss some of their favourite trouble-shooting tools and techniques.
Techniques discussed include scenario analysis; business continuity; the ‘Zone of Tolerance’; exploring the voice of the customer; and the POPIT™ technique.
FURTHER RESOURCES
BOOKS
‘Business Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide’ by Jonathan Hunsley and Debra Paul, is available from the BCS Bookshop.
Business Analysis: 123 Essential Tools for Success by James Cadle, Debra Paul, Jonathan Hunsley, Adrian Reed, David Beckham and Paul Turner.
Coming in 2026 and available for preorder: Service Design: A practical guide to creating customer centric services by Debra Paul and Jonathan Hunsley
ARTICLES
The Rise of the CX Professional | Assist Knowledge Development  
Putting the Service into Service Design | Assist Knowledge Development
COURSES
Visit the Free Learning section of Assist’s Learning Zone for a choice of free short courses – with a course dedicated to POPIT™️. 
AssistKD offers a wide choice of business training.
BA BREWS
Customer Experience Analysis
Business Service Architecture
Business Service Design
The BA Tools and Techniques Launch Chat