Strategic Pauses for Faster Progress with Sophie Devonshire

In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams sits down with Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Marketing Society and bestselling author of Superfast: Lead at Speed, to talk about why strategic pauses are the fastest way to better decisions, clearer direction, and more sustainable momentum. Sophie shares her “squiggly career” from P&G and Coca-Cola to founding and selling an e-commerce company, moving overseas, and writing Superfast. You’ll hear how she builds micro-pauses into projects (pre-mortem, midpoint check, fast feedback), uses the “soak period” when navigating a transition, and why community and coffee chats are non-negotiable when you land somewhere new. You’ll learn: How to slow down to speed up (and avoid headless-chicken mode) A simple cadence for year / mid-year / monthly reflection that actually sticks The “100 coffees” playbook to build a real network (friends, not just contacts) How to frame a break as a “strategic pause” so ambitious teams buy in