Being Heard

NOTE: These are strange times in which we find ourselves and I'm conscious that with so much going on "normal" life feels like a distant memory. This episode was recorded before the full impact of Covid-19 was clear so it isn't mentioned during our conversation. I know that, for me at least, listening to podcasts on normal life is a welcome respite from the rolling news conference we are currently living through. Hence why I am publishing this episode now, I hope it may help others to have a temporary escape at least. ----------------------- In this week's episode I'm delighted to chatting to Katie Robbins from KT Robbins Ceramics. Katie started out as a marketeer, working in a corporate role in PR, before taking a break to be at home with her kids. In search of a creative outlet she tried out a variety of classes before discovering a joy in pottery, specifically porcelain pottery. Now she fills her days doing something she loves - making beautiful vases, mugs and candle-holders from her home studio. "It's l

After a slightly longer than planned hiatus, Being Heard is back! And I'm thrilled to be talking to Jo Hooper from @madandsadclub. Following recovery from her own mental health breakdowns back in 2018, Jo describes her 'year of breakdowns' as a trigger which planted the seed to change her working life and do something differently. She left her corporate job and has subsequently used her own experiences to carve out a new role. Working with companies to support their mental health practices and with individuals to help them figure out a way to work that allows them to manage their mental health and to stay healthy. We don't have to give up on wanting to feel successful just because we have, or are, struggling with our mental health. What we talked about Having healthy boundaries Becoming over-efficient and over-focused as a coping mechanism Symptoms of an unhealthy relationship with work Thriving and not just surviving The importance of training managers to support their teams regarding mental health What t

Popping up in her trademark bright yellow coat this week is my guest Helen Wills. Formerly an Operations Director in the leisure industry, Helen left the corporate world to concentrate on creating her family. While at home with her first child she simultaneously discovered the world of blogging and a joy in writing that she never knew she had. Putting the two together she created Actually Mummy. A mummy blog with a twist that has evolved over the years into a place for conversations around issues for women over 50 and about parenting teens. With her bold colours on Instagram and her honest opinions,  Helen is an advocate for every woman over 50 who still feels she has so much more left to give. This is a woman who is definitely #50NotOut. "Yes my joints ache, my capacity for work after drinking alcohol has diminished and I'm damned if I can find a heel that will let me run around London as comfortably as I once did. But it's nothing that flat heels, Becks Blue and ibuprofen gel can't solve, and there is noth

This week my guest is creative business mentor and fellow podcaster, Charlie Swift. Back in 2016 Charlie was working in social media marketing when she was made redundant for the second time. Realising that employment did not equal job security, Charlie decided to try self-employment and see where it would take her. With no formal plans in place, it took a year of "muddling through" until she found her path. She discovered the sort of clients she wanted to help, then it was just a matter of how. Two years and a baby later, she has pivoted away from social media marketing into mentoring small business owners. By following her curiosity and allowing herself room to evolve, she is now finding fulfilment by helping her clients to figure out their goals and push their businesses forward. What We Talked About Blogging as a creative outlet Not having a niche - "Your niche has to be you" Whether career fulfilment matters and recognising not only it's importance, but it as a privilege Changing your idea of success de

For the last two years Helen Perry has steadily created her own colourful corner of the internet. Previously a BBC journalist, she started her instagram account (@notaboutthekids) to help transition from the role of full-time mum back into work after a break of eight years. This space began. as the name suggests, with a conscious decision that it would not be about her role as a mother. Instead she wanted to explore her love of photography and chatting to other like-minded women; all of which has enabled her to build an incredible community around her account. Now Helen teaches others about social media, works with small businesses, writes and organises social marketing events.  What we talked about: Lack of enough voices out there of women in the 40+ age bracket - "There seems to be this vanishing point that happens after you have kids." Still being ambitious in your 40s and having things you'd like to achieve The impact of time out of the workforce on your sense of self-worth Stepping away from things that

My guest this week on the podcast is the wonderful Becky Avery, owner of Hazel & Blue - a Wiltshire based company making soy based candles and candle making kits that smell absolutely divine. Becky is someone who has always dreamed of having her own business. Before Hazel & Blue there were several other ideas but none that made it to fruition. But a perfect storm of falling in love with the candle-making process, hitting a milestone birthday and having time off for a major operation all combined to give her the push to launch her business and she hasn’t looked back since. What we talked about: How she always dreamed of running a business Hitting a milestone birthday and realising she didn't want to reach retirement age and never haven't tried to start a business Despite enjoying her job in healthcare, there was something about following through with a business that she had built herself and which she was proud of Gaining confidence in speaking when you know your business inside-out Being thorough rat

Welcome back to Season 2 of Being Heard! This is a very quick solo episode from me to explain why I’m switching up the format a little.   This season I'll be interviewing creative women who have left behind their previous careers to navigate a more creative, fulfilling path. Each week a new guest explores their personal stepping stones to a fulfilling career and what career change has taught them about themselves.  I do hope you enjoy this season. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject, you can find me over on instagram @thehappysideof40 and if you’re interesting in finding out more about my research, you can sign up for a monthly letter from me over on my website at www.thehappysideof40.com/newsletter/.

"I always say to clients, don't share anything publicly that you haven't already processed yourself. And you'll know that you've processed it because you will be unattached to how it's received by people. Whatever anyone says won't really bother you, or whoever reads it won't bother you -- then that's a good sign that it's safe for you to share it." This week is the last episode of Season 1 and my guest is a researcher, coach and podcaster who helps humans transcend self-doubt. Sas Petherick has a degree in Educational Psychology, is qualified with the Coaches Training Institute and has a Masters in Coaching & Mentoring alongside a multitude of other academic qualifications. Sas developed an interest in researching self-doubt and now through her work, she helps women like you and me understand how to stop our self-doubt holding us back and instead cultivate self-belief, self-acceptance, self-trust and self-worth. For links and resources, including Sas' podcast recommendations, see the full show notes. You

"We often look for permission outside of ourselves. If I say to my friend 'I'm so tired' and I'm hoping she'll say 'well you don't have to come to the party, it's alright'. But that's not her job. It's not her responsibility to give me permission to take care of myself. It's my responsibility." My guest this week describes herself as an Overthinkers' coach, helping others through her writing, teaching and podcasting to "spend less time overthinking and more time enjoying your life". Gabrielle Treanor understands what it means to be an Overthinker. Several years ago she recognised the need to quieten her own mind and free herself from the weight of constant worrying. Her curiosity on how to do this took her along a path into researching positive psychology, mindfulness and brain science. Gabrielle's podcast, Pressing Pause, is like a weekly ten minutes of mindfulness that we could all do with in our lives. She offers techniques, strategies and reflection points for Overthinkers like me to deal with fear, devel

"Failure isn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. But it is inevitable, you're going to fail. You're going to mess up. You're going to upset people. Not everyone is going to agree with you. You're going to have feel like you're in a bit of a spotlight, which is incredibly uncomfortable for an introvert. But do you know what? It passes. That feeling of discomfort passes. And from that I actually feel like a stronger, more confident person." This week on Being Heard, I'm joined by Jessica Rose Williams. Jessica is a talented writer, photographer and podcaster. After years of feeling deeply unfulfilled in job at the NHS, she took the monumental decision to simplify her life. Decluttering her wardrobe was just the beginning. Jessica now lives a more intentional life in the countryside, saying no to the things that don't add value and as she says on her blog -- "It changed everything for the better, and I wouldn't go back". Jessica has written for 91 magazine, Project Calm and Cosmopolitan as well as her ow

"When I first had the idea [to create a podcast], I saw it as an idea that I had that I would never, ever do. So the fact that I've done it, and am doing it, it's shown me that I can be scared and still do it anyway." My guest this week is a woman who, like me, describes herself as "one of the quiet ones". She is a freelance writer, online business owner, creative business mentor and host of the Creatively Human podcast. Ruth Poundwhite started her business after leaving university but, as an introvert, she consciously avoided sharing anything of herself with that community. Fast forward ten years and in 2018 she felt "an itch to do something more of myself, my face and my voice." And I for one, am so glad that she did. Listening to Ruth's podcast conversations with other creatives and the deeper side of business, along with her solo episodes, has opened my eyes to the reality that sharing more of ourselves doesn't make us weak. Just because it's scary doesn't mean we should hide away and be afraid for anyone

"It's important for me to have more inclusion, more diversity [on my podcast] because my listeners - they are being influenced by the people that I interview and I don't want to reflect a world that doesn't include them." My guest this week on Being Heard is a writer, blogger, podcaster and advocate for low impact lifestyle choices such as veganism and low waste. Lucy Lucraft is a woman unafraid to take on an activist role for what she believes in but does so in a judgement-free way, recognising that we are all doing "the best we can with what we have and what we know". Lucy joined me for a chat about the magical feeling of earning her first byline, the challenges of a patriarchal work structure for working women and why it's important to question privilege, no matter how uncomfortable it may make us feel. I really enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do too. For links and resources, including Lucy's podcast recommendations, see the full show notes. You can join myself and Lucy on Instagram @thehappysideof

"When it comes to PR-ing ourselves [women] seem to lack confidence in talking about our businesses, talking about money and really giving ourselves the space to say 'yeah, we're really bloody good at what we do'". On this week's episode I chat to Sam Burgess, the brains and owner behind Small & Mighty Co, previously known as Social Mouth. Sam is a marketing mentor and consultant working with small product-based businesses to give them the tools they need to succeed. She started her podcast, Small and Mighty Conversations, way back in 2017. Initially it began as a means of shining a light on other small businesses doing amazing things and whose journeys she felt should be heard by more people. We talked about how a childhood passion for radio was reignited as a result of life-changing events, the importance of women having the confidence to promote themselves, and above all the value of women being each other's PR spokesperson. In this episode we talk about: Teaching rather than doing Needing to understan

“Something magical happens when we come together and talk about what is relevant to us.” This week I’m chatting to Anna Dunleavy, the host of the podcast Fearless Hustle Collective. Working as a wedding photographer in Nottingham in 2018, she found herself searching for support locally from other women working in the creative industry. When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, she set up a group herself! From these early local meet-ups evolved an online membership group, a Facebook group and then a podcast, all aimed at providing a supportive community for creative female entrepreneurs. In This Episode We Talk About: Feeling alone when running a business Looking for business besties Creating a community Multi-hyphen careers Fulfilling your career passions Importance of finding people to support you Stepping through self-doubt What ‘hustle’ means to her Overcoming nerves and doing it anyway Process she follows to record a podcast Links Mentioned: The Elephant and The Flea by Charles Handy Jenna Kutch

“Living that life that we’re told to live is totally right for some people, maybe most people, but it’s not right for everyone.” In this episode of Being Heard I chat to Fiona Barrows, the host of the There Are Other Ways podcast. Until recently Fiona has been a website copywriter and content creator for small businesses and is now undergoing a transition to offer creative business mentoring as well. Her podcast started from a desire for conversations with other like-minded souls who don’t subscribe to the view that there is only one path in life. Through these conversations she wanted to not only reassure herself, but also others, that it’s ok to want to do things a little differently. In This Episode We Talk About: The mindset difference between freelancing and running a business Building a business that works with your mental health rather than against it The importance of taking action and trying other things to help understand what you actually want Changing attitudes towards university education and it

"We all struggle with the same stuff and if we can share those stories a bit more, we can make it easier for everyone." In the first episode of this new Being Heard podcast, I chat to Josephine Brooks -- a planning and productivity mentor for side-hustlers. Josephine helps people who are creating a business on the side of other commitments to build the creative business they dream of. She also hosts On The Make, a podcast where she shares her planning and productivity knowledge alongside guests who share their own experience of growing a side-hustle. In this episode we talk about: Being more efficient when you only have small windows of time in which to build your business Josephine's philosophy around doing less and focusing on the stuff that really matters Pivoting your business when you realise it's not what you truly love How we sometimes fail to recognise our own strengths because they come easily to us Why she adopts a practical, solutions-based approach to her podcast content Why she chose podcasting