Balanced Ambition

What happens when your voice, your career, your identity, is suddenly under threat? In this episode, Chris shares how a throat cancer diagnosis forced a creative reckoning and a complete professional reinvention. From navigating fatigue and financial fear to reframing ambition and rediscovering joy, this is a deeply honest conversation about creativity, resilience, and learning how to keep yoursel...

Rich opens up about the darkest chapter of his life: from battling alcoholism, anxiety, and depression to enduring a terrifying incident in Las Vegas, entering rehab, and then—just 24 hours after leaving—watching his house go up in flames. This is a raw, honest, and inspiring conversation about hitting rock bottom and choosing to fight back. Rich shares how he rebuilt himself from the ground up, f...

In this raw and powerful episode, Ria opens up about her journey through cancer, alcohol addiction, ADHD, and the struggle to survive the holiday season. With honesty, humour and heart, she shares what helped her finally enjoy Christmas—sober, self-aware and stronger than ever. If you’ve ever found Christmas overwhelming, or felt like you were just surviving not celebrating, this episode will reso...

What if everything that triggers you… is actually about you? In this deep and eye-opening conversation, Anita breaks down how the Enneagram can help us understand our true personality – not the one we've adapted to survive. We unpack how childhood shapes our identity, why we mould ourselves to be liked, and how to break free from patterns that no longer serve us. We explore how self-awareness...

What does it really take to grow a business — or prepare to exit one? In this episode, we sit down with consultant Maddie Walker, who helps business owners scale sustainably without burning out. From mindset blindspots to strategic misfires, Maddie shares hard-earned insights and analogies (so many good ones!) that will shift how you think about building your business. If you’re growing, strugglin...

Travis joins us to share his raw and powerful journey — from nearly losing everything to alcohol, to becoming a voice for men’s mental health in Hastings with The Men’s Room . We get into why men struggle to talk openly, how sobriety reshaped his life, the importance of community, and why gratitude might just be free therapy. If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying it all alone, this conversation...

In this episode, ADHD coach and hypnotherapist Italia Moro shares the real story behind ADHD – and why calling it a “superpower” might be doing more harm than good. We unpack emotional dysregulation, time blindness, the myth of laziness, and how you can actually rewire your brain with tools like journaling, mindfulness and self-talk. Whether you're late-diagnosed, feeling overwhelmed or just t...

Is your personal brand holding you back without you even realising? In this episode, personal branding coach Ben Stickland explains why trying to please everyone is one of the biggest mistakes you can make — and how being more you is the ultimate growth strategy. We unpack his “Be More YOU” framework, how to attract the right clients without the sales calls, and why your quirks might just be your...

In this deeply honest and powerful episode, Tash shares her journey from addiction to sobriety. From hiding bottles around the house to smuggling drugs in clubs, and believing she was a “good mum” while passed out drunk — she holds nothing back. Now 7.5 years sober, Tash opens up about what helped her turn her life around, the stigma around addiction, and how she uses her story to help others do t...

Liam Anderson | Operations Consultant | Balanced Ambition Podcast In this episode, we dive into the real reason so many business owners feel overwhelmed, stuck, or just plain burnt out. And no — it's not about working harder. Liam Anderson has seen inside dozens of businesses, and the pattern is clear: the ones that scale all have something in common — solid, boring, reliable operations. We ta...

This one’s a special episode. I sat down with my daughter Serena, just before she started secondary school, to chat through how she’s feeling about the big change — from nerves and new uniforms to favourite teachers and Tiny Tim the turtle. A real coming-of-age moment. 👀 If you're a parent, a teacher, or just someone who remembers that moment of growing up... this one will hit home. Let us kn...

In this episode I speak with Glynis Sheppard , founder of Swim with Style , who has spent nearly three decades teaching children and adults not just how to swim — but how to stay safe in water. We talk about her journey from teaching her first five-metre swimmers to building a nationwide franchise, why water safety matters more than ever, and the surprising lessons she’s learned along the way (inc...

Would you risk your career, your child’s schooling, and your stability to go live the life you really want? Oli Luck-Baker is doing exactly that. In this episode, he shares how he and his wife made the decision to leave their careers, rent out their home, and take their son on a two-year global adventure. They don’t have a perfectly polished plan. But what they do have is a clear reason for doing...

Small business owners get real about money in this episode. We break down profit margins, the true cost to deliver, cash flow forecasting and late-paying clients, plus simple steps to protect your cash. We also cover HMRC basics like “duality of purpose” and the claims that trip people up, in plain English. Ellis shares his journey from almost getting sacked to building a 380–400 client firm, the...

What if confidence wasn’t about faking it until you make it – but building genuine self-belief that keeps you going when life falls apart? In this deeply personal conversation, Charlotte Fowles shares the tools, mindset shifts, and daily choices that have literally kept her alive through depression, cancer, and life’s toughest moments. We talk about breaking the myths around confidence, creating t...

Most people avoid talking about death — until it's too late. Greg Barnsdale has seen the emotional and financial chaos that comes from not being prepared. After a long career in both funeral services and financial planning, Greg published a book to help people take control of end-of-life planning… only to be diagnosed with a brain tumour two months later. In this episode, we explore: Why talki...

Ed Lofts is a 7x World Kickboxing Champion, Team GB coach, and tournament organiser, but his mission today goes beyond the ring. In this episode, Ed breaks down what trauma really is, why so many of us misunderstand it, and how it's often hiding in plain sight. We explore the difference between “Big T” and “Small T” trauma, how our childhood conditioning shapes adult behaviour, and why resilie...

Diagnosed with a rare and severe form of leukaemia at age 11, Ed Jones was told he might not survive. In this powerful episode, he shares how that moment shaped his faith, life purpose, and the work he does today as a Baptist minister. From spiritual wrestling to running marathons and supporting mental health in his community — this is a story of resilience, reflection, and redemption. Timestamps...

Could living neurons make our AI smarter, faster and a million times more energy efficient? In this episode, I sit down with Dr Ewelina Kurtys to explore how biocomputing is about to transform the future of technology—and potentially change everything we know about intelligence. We dive into the science behind biological neural networks, the ethical questions no one has answered yet, and why our b...

Join us for an honest and profound conversation with James Gibson, a therapeutic coach, on what it truly means to be human in modern times. We explore how the midlife ‘crisis’ is often a rite of passage, why many men feel lost, and how embracing our hidden selves is the path to real wholeness. If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s more to life than chasing goals, this episode is for you. 0:00 –...

Steve Pickering is the CEO of Sussex Beds — a family business with 14 stores across Sussex, Kent and Surrey. But he doesn’t run it like most CEOs. In this episode, Steve opens up about the messy, rewarding reality of running a growing family business. From navigating financial turmoil and coaching challenges to installing company-wide KPIs and learning how not to micromanage — Steve shares what ma...

How do you build a fitness routine that actually sticks? Glenn Turner has the answer. In this episode, we explore what it really takes to stay healthy while juggling work, stress and real life. From bodyweight workouts in hotel rooms to mastering nutrition without guilt, Glenn’s practical advice is a lifeline for anyone who’s tired of starting over. Whether you’re just getting started or trying ag...

Episode 100! To mark the occasion, we recorded this one in person — and it’s a big one. Are we trading real relationships for something that just feels easier? In this milestone episode, human behaviour expert Anita Tomecki shares how AI is already reshaping our social lives... and why we might not even realise it's happening. We talk about robot boyfriends, AI coaches, and the uncomfortable t...

Self-doubt, imposter syndrome, burnout, and the pressure to have it all together. In this deeply honest conversation, transformative coach Katherine Ashmore shares why so many high-achievers still feel like they’re not good enough, even when the evidence says otherwise. From battling perfectionism and decision fatigue to escaping people-pleasing and learning how to set boundaries, Katherine brings...

Why are men still suffering in silence? In this episode, George from The Tin Men unpacks the hidden crisis around male suicide, identity, and the cultural silence that surrounds it. We explore why traditional support systems aren’t working, how boys are falling behind, and what needs to shift, from therapy to education. Whether you're a parent, leader, teacher or just someone who wants to unde...