The Next Chapter by Ellie Barker

(Our first official American guest! Yee-haw!) Jenn Hanson de Paula grew up singing in a small town in Iowa, never imagining it would lead her to Nashville, where she worked in the music industry for Essential Records and EMI. Today, she helps authors and creatives get their work into the world, working with everyone from film producer Devon Franklin to Dr Ingrid Clayton, author of Fawning . Jenn h...

From Lawyer to Founder of Coffee Republic & Buy Women Built: Sahar Hashemi OBE Sahar thought she wanted to be a lawyer after watching LA Law, but soon realised, in her words she was very mediocre and it wasn't the right world for her. But she had no idea a trip to New York and a love for skinny latte's would take her to creating the UK's first US - style coffee chain with her broth...

Starting a new chapter at 58: Cornish crime novelist Julie Evans What happens when you have a successful career, a family and a life you love, but there’s still a little voice telling you there’s something else you want to do? Today I’m talking to Cornish crime novelist Julie Evans , who began writing fiction at the age of 58. Julie grew up in Cornwall surrounded by a huge family, listening to sto...

Lucy grew up surrounded by nature and always wanted to be a vet. When she was told she couldn’t, she was determined to prove them wrong — and she did. She went on to work as a farm vet for many years, but becoming a mum made her rethink what she wanted from her life. So, Lucy made the brave decision to change direction. Today she’s an award-winning nutritionist, combining her experience of farming...

From Simon Fuller & XIX Management to changing our children's CVs: Joe Woodward  Joe Woodward loved sport at school and thought he wanted to be a lawyer. But he soon learned what he thought he wanted wasn't right at all. Instead he started working with sporting stars at Simon Fuller's XIX Management company - learning from people like Sir David Beckham, Andy Murray and Sir Bradley Wiggins...

Thea Green MBE created Nails Inc at the age of wait for it...23 (!) after she spotted nail bars in New York and wanted to create the same here. She sold it in 2024 for a reported £30million but still remains very much involved with the company today.  I can't deny, I was a little nervous when I was due to interview Thea, but she was so down to earth, helpful and encouraging. It was a huge rem...

Marc Connor grew up in Doncaster and describes his upbringing as proudly working class. As a child, he loved architecture and was told he should become an engineer. But alongside that, he had a real passion for music. What Marc didn’t know then was that this love of music would not only take him all over the world, doing work he loves, but would also help other people make their dreams come true....

Jacqueline Beard says she grew up everywhere as a child. Perhaps all these different locations were planting the seeds of her curiosity to discover where she came from because later on she became a genealogist. It was when she discovered a murderess in her ancestry she realised there was a story she wanted to write. Today she writes fictitous Victorian murder mysteries, based on all her disco...

Imagine this - you have a brilliant idea, you're brave enough to make it happen then you overhear some mean school mums talking about you in the loos - saying who does she think she is?  This is what happened to Joanna Jensen. I'll let her tell you what happened next but this is a story all about resilience. She created a cream for her baby daughter who suffered from eczema and went on to cre...

Stuart Goldsmith is an award-winning Climate Comedian who entertains audiences all around the world. He's been on huge shows like Live at the Apollo, Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central and Conan over in the US and his Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows are among the best-reviewed.  He’s also the creator and host of the Comedian’s Comedian podcast which has had more than 25 million downloads....

Now for those of you who don't know, not only is Robert Murphy one of my colleagues where I work as a journalist at ITV West Country, he is also my husband too.  And I'm not going to lie - this was a step out of our comfort zone - putting him (and a little bit me) under the interviewee spotlight.  But I've known the story behind Rob's book and I wanted him to share it with you....

Now, today’s guest is someone I’m delighted to welcome back. The wonderful Bill Ward. Bill started his career in advertising with Saatchi & Saatchi before following his passion for acting. You’ll know him as Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street and James Barton in Emmerdale , and he’s currently touring in The Shawshank Redemption . But there’s another side to Bill we didn’t fully explore last t...

Chloë Luxton loved to collect flowers as a child, she’d press them then turn them into perfumes and sell them. But she had no idea then this was the first signs of the business she’d one day grow. Later when she was looking for products for her husband’s new pub The Beckford Arms Chloë created Bramley – bath and body products are made up of essential oils and natural ingredients which capture...

Tom loved rearranging his bedroom as a child. At the time, he had no idea that these small moments were the first hints of a career he would one day fall in love with. For years Tom worked in marketing on huge accounts like McDonalds. But then an afternoon talk and a little/big nudge from Fate and for the last nine years Tom's been running his very own  Tom Hughes Interior Design . ...

If you live in the West Country, I’m pretty sure you already know Alex. She’s been a presenter on our regional news – first for the BBC and now ITV West Country – for many years. Before that, she was an actress. She loved performing at school, but it was a chance conversation with a careers adviser that changed everything. Alex has done it all: stage acting, Playhouse Disney, Channel 5’s Brainteas...

Roger Saul created Mulberry - you know the one - from a £500 loan from his parents. By the 1990s, Mulberry was exporting to 30 countries, winning the Queen’s Award for Export three times, and attracting fans like Kate Moss, Kate Winslet, and Bob Geldof. Roger, his wife Monty and their team at Mulberry, also went on to open the Michelin-starred Charlton House Hotel and restauran...

What happens when you reach a point in life where the path you’re on no longer feels like the right one? In this powerful and uplifting episode of The Next Chapter , TV Journalist Ellie Barker talks to Clare Mackintosh — former police officer turned internationally bestselling author, whose novels have sold more than three million copies worldwide. Clare shares her extraordinary journey from polic...

Dan Simpson always loved acting and performing as a child — and this love took him to Fun Kids , the UK’s children’s radio station. But he’s always been just as curious about what goes on behind the scenes. So when he started thinking about writing his own novel, he decided to create a podcast — one that looks at the real routines and habits of our favourite authors called Writer's Routine Eight y...

Gemma Haigh says she was a little distracted at school – but later discovered she was neurodivergent. Her love of diving deeply into subjects led her to a fascinating career as an art curator, working in extraordinary places like Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle. But when Gemma began experiencing anxiety, she found unexpected comfort in plants. What started as a simple hobby soon grew – qui...

In this episode of The Next Chapter podcast, Ellie Barker speaks with brand expert and former social worker Chris Endersby, whose journey from child protection to corporate leadership is as unexpected as it is inspiring. Together, they explore the power of compassion, the impact of early life experiences, and how we can all find meaning—even in the most challenging moments. Chris shares stories of...

In this episode of The Next Chapter, Ellie Barker chats with life and career coach Abi Unwin, who shares how a simple piece of advice from a friend helped her reshape her career—and her life. Abi now supports everyone from CEOs to young adults in finding work and purpose that truly fits. She believes next chapters don’t have to be dramatic, but they do need the right people beside you. Abi’s story...

John Marrs is the bestselling author who has sold millions and millions of copies of his psychological thriller novels and speculative fiction. His third book The One  which he originally self published went on to become a no.1 Netflix series and has sold more than a million copies. But before John became an author he was a journalist interviewing celebrities for the News of the Wor...

Most of you will know Bill Ward as Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street or James Barton in Emmerdale . With over 30 TV shows , 50 stage plays , and multiple British Soap Awards to his name, Bill has become one of the UK’s most familiar actors. But what you might not know is that before stepping onto the cobbles, Bill worked in advertising for companies like Saatchi & Saatchi. And not only...

John Scott started out, he says as the class clown. But he is the one smiling now. He's had a working life many could only dream of. He loved making costumes and ended up working on iconic films like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Tomb Raider. He went on to be a regular face on national television with Lorraine and This Morning - and if this wasn't enough he created his own sewing c...

Cathy Moseley grew up in Bethnal Green in London. She describes it as a true working-class upbringing with a proper, honest work ethic. As a teenager, Cathy was the only girl working on a big city trading floor with no experience. But she rose all the way to becoming the Senior Director of Trading, a job which took her all over the world. But she wasn’t happy, so one day she left. Cathy has since...