A Gentle Life

Nick Shelton, known as the connected introvert, is the author of An Introvert's Guide to World Domination. It's the story of how Nick, a dyed in the wool introvert, learned to harness his unique personal style and make it work for him. I was 47 when I truly understood what it meant to be an introvert and I could have done with this book earlier in my life. I loved this conversation and the journey Nick has taken to create his own network and do some extraordinary things. Our conversation...

Alison Blackler is a Transformational Mind Coach. The author of A Path Travelled, published earlier this year, Alison took the plunge 10 years ago to leave her role at the NHS and set up in business on her own. We talk about the early days of self-employment, the transition from working full time, and what Alison learned along the way about growing a business. Alison also shares the process of writing her first book, on and off, over 8 years. We discuss the purpose of challenges in our...

My conversation with Melo Calarco starts with a solo mountain bike ride around the world and ends in Rwanda with silverback gorillas. Melo shares how he met his wife on the back of an orange truck during his travels. Melo is a High Performance Coach who advocates meditation and mindfulness. We discussed what he learned on his journey, cycling and trekking, and how he combines the best of both East and West traditions in his teaching. Melo talks about his eBook, Mindfulness Put Simply, and...

Harry Uddoh is a Relationship and Dating Coach whose own life experience was the catalyst for pursuing the path he follows now. We talk about his early life in Nigeria, the impact on him of the dynamics of his parents' marriage, and how this led him to become curious about relationships, and tune in to other people. A relationship breakup when Harry was in his early twenties became a pivotal moment in his own transformation and personal development. Harry also shares the trauma of sexual...

Dieter Randolph is a writer, coach, teacher, podcaster and also a third generation minister. For a while he walked away from his ministry to sell cars and work in IT. In this episode, Dieter and I talk about travelling the journey of life, what defines us and, of course, we mention the hero's journey! We discuss what happened when Dieter found the pastoral following him in his secular jobs, and how he realised what was calling to him. I really enjoyed this conversation because we explored...

Sam Dossa is a Coach who specialises in working with individuals and leaders to help them develop their Emotional Intelligence. Starting out as a Coach in the Youth Sector, Sam branched out into business transformation. In today's episode, Sam talks about his move to the UK from Pakistan, the process of adjustment, as well as the impact of language issues on his self-confidence. Sam shares his approach to mindfulness and how important it is for us to connect to ourselves. Right at the very...

Brenden Kumarasamy is a coach and the founder of MasterTalk, a YouTube channel to help others master the art of public speaking. We chat about how to present effectively, the importance of building a foundation first, making your story relatable, and creating repeatable presentations. Brenden also shares his thoughts on a topic close to his heart, the water crisis, and his focus on helping solve this through his association with charity: water. As well as covering that perennial challenge,...

Nir Bashan is a world-renowned creativity expert. He has taught thousands of leaders and individuals around the globe how to harness the power of creativity to improve profitability, increase sales, improve customer service and ultimately create more meaning in their work. Nir has spent the last two decades working on a formula to codify creativity which is contained in his recent book The Creator Mindset. In this episode, we talk about Nir's book, the evolution from the industrial economy...

My guest on the podcast this week is Scott Aaron. This was a hugely inspirational conversation and, for me, like being at a masterclass. Scott has had an interesting life with a 23 year background in health and wellness, personal training and personal coaching. For anyone wanting to build their business on LinkedIn, Scott offers online consulting and coaching for entrepreneurs. In this episode, he shares some pointers on how to grow your LinkedIn profile. Scott had to overcome challenges...

Born into a family of carnival owners in Texas, USA, Maxwell Ivey lost his sight at the age of 12. He worked in the family business with his brothers until their father succumbed to lung cancer. Faced with his own mortality, Max then made some life-altering changes. He underwent gastric surgery and lost over 250 pounds. He started his own business, buying and selling amusement rides, and learned how to blog using software for the visually impaired. Overcoming many obstacles, Max made a name...

Wendi Freeman is a Virtual Event Strategist who decided to set up her own business following her divorce. She had her own 'what's missing' moment and began working with a mindset coach as part of her investment in her self-development. Founder and CEO of Be Bright Events, Wendi, like many business owners this year has had to evolve rapidly, diversifying into the virtual event sector. We talk about how Wendi has extended her philosophy of creating connections during in person events to...

Michelle Myrick is an Artist, Author, Coach and Singer Songwriter with an incredible story to tell. She has experienced many pivotal moments in her life including many losses. At the age of 43 she asked herself, 'is this it?', which was to be the trigger to explore her own third act and to make it count. Born and raised at Cape Pine Lighthouse in Newfoundland, Canada and currently living in Norway, Michelle works with others to tap into their own creativity and understand how powerful we...

Welcome to the second series of Follow Your Bliss. Every Monday for the next 12 weeks I'll be sharing a new episode featuring guests talking about their journeys through life, the pivotal moments that have been catalysts for change, and how these have led, in many cases, to a change of direction or finding their sense of purpose. I hope you'll find inspiration in these conversations to follow your own bliss and curiosity.

Mark Matousek is an award winning and bestselling author, teacher and speaker whose work focuses on transformative writing and self-enquiry. In this episode, we talk about Mark's own pivotal moments navigating change; his writing collaboration with Ram Dass and his book about Mother Meera. Mark shares his writing routine and his current project, a book about Ralph Waldo Emerson. We discuss essence and how our greatest catalysts for change can come from our losses. You can find Mark online...

Jane Dyer works with business owners and individuals helping them bridge the gap between health and work. In this episode, we talk about how Jane views her lifelong disability and her can do attitude that inspires others to face their own health challenges; how she has grown her business and the importance of having a team around you; the legacy she would like to leave; and her travels with her lorry driver partner. You can find Jane online here: Website:...

Teresa Renton writes for women who are seeking a more intentional, self-fulfilling, and creative lifestyle. In this episode, we talk about how Teresa came to search for her authentic self and do the things that light her up; her passion for writing and stories; the catalyst for embracing her truth; what she has learned along the way; what she values; and her quest to share her findings with other women and to spread the message that it's never too later. You can find Teresa online...

Chris Fisher is the UK’s only completely blind professional woodturner, and the first blind turner to be accepted on to the Register of Professional Turners. He is also my husband. In this episode, we talk about why Chris doesn't want his eyesight back, dealing with failure, finding purpose and inspiring others, using technology as a blind man, the good and bad of sight loss; Bamber, Chris' Guide Dog, and why being blind is who Chris was meant to be. You can find Chris online...

Nicky Pattinson is a huge inspiration to me. A straight talker, Nicky is a maverick who shares the story of how she navigated decimation and came out the other side, and who now elevates individuals and businesses so that they reconnect to their genius. In this episode, we talk about what drives Nicky, how we are all someone and how to embrace who we truly are, and why the pivotal moments in our lives teach us what we're good at. We discuss Nicky's need for validation and its roots in her...

Alexandra Cuncev is a storyteller telling inspiring life stories to showcase beautiful and little known projects in the charitable world. In this episode, we talk about Planet Project, a multimedia project celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day. Alex is inviting people around the world to take part on 22nd April 2020 by joining hands, virtually, around the world with their creativity. We discuss storytelling and narrative, why stories are so important for us to find meaning...

Karen Staniland-Platt is a photographer who is passionate about inspiring women and girls to do what they love and to be seen. In this episode, we talk about Karen's career evolution and her desire to find her own creative outlet; how she found this in photography; the importance for Karen of visibility and being seen, especially for women; the evolution of finding purpose and the lessons learned from growing a business. Damian Lewis even gets a mention! You can find Karen online...