Episode 112

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Published on:

18th Sep 2025

Scaling With Soul - Sarat Pediredla on Balancing Growth and Wellbeing

What does it take to grow a global tech consultancy without losing sight of the humans who make it all happen?

That’s exactly what Sarat Pediredla, co-founder and CEO of hedgehog lab, has managed to do.

From two friends in Newcastle to a business working with Microsoft and Deliveroo, Sarat’s story is impressive.

But what makes it powerful is how he’s put wellbeing at the heart of growth - even when it meant facing his own burnout.

In this episode, we talk about what it really looks like to scale with soul.

Highlights:

(07:15) Protecting a team while battling burnout

(14:40) The honesty of saying “I am burnt out”

(21:05) Vulnerability, shame, and finding support through therapy

(29:20) How hedgehog lab makes wellbeing a lived value

(36:50) Why culture is their real competitive advantage

Find out more:

https://hedgehoglab.com/

Connect with us here:

Website: https://aurorawellnessgroup.co.uk/

Ngozi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngozi-weller-aurora/

Obehi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obehi-alofoje-psychologist-aurora/

Aurora Company Profile 2025

Book a Call here: https://aurorawellnessgroup.co.uk/#book-meeting

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About the Podcast

The Wellbeing Rebellion

Welcome to The Wellbeing Rebellion, an award-winning podcast.

We’re Ngozi Weller and Obehi Alofoje, Directors at Aurora — a leadership and organisational effectiveness consultancy.

This podcast explores how the way organisations are led shapes performance, trust, wellbeing and culture over time.

The challenge with many approaches to wellbeing and culture is that they place responsibility on individuals to cope, rather than examining the leadership decisions, behaviours and systems that create the conditions people are working within.

This is where the conversation needs to shift.

On The Wellbeing Rebellion, we explore leadership behaviour, organisational systems and decision-making under pressure through honest conversations with senior leaders and advisors navigating real organisational complexity.

Some episodes are just us. Others bring in leaders and experts reflecting candidly on what works, what doesn’t, and what leadership requires in practice.

If you’re responsible for people, culture or organisational performance — and want to think more critically about how leadership shapes outcomes — this podcast is for you.

About your hosts

Obehi Alofoje

Obehi is a psychologist and culture change consultant who helps senior HR and business leaders reduce employee burnout, absenteeism & talent attrition through mental wellbeing strategy, training & coaching.

Ngozi Weller

Ngozi Weller is a culture change consultant and an ICF accredited coach who helps build resilience into your business by creating psychologically safe workplaces that enable employees to thrive.