GillHB & Friends

Farming is hard enough when you speak the language let alone buying one in France! Gill finds out from Zoe the reason she and her husband decided to buy a farm in France when neither of them really spoke French. What have been the challenges and the rewards they have faced running the farm alongside raising a family? And how does Zoe find time to do so much more like be a celebrant and write!

Tony has had a varied career from training to be a stunt man to running several businesses and now a coach. He's been wealthy and in huge debt. He explains to Gill how he now has the life that really makes him happy and why the thinks 'having stuff' is the booby prize in life. They chat about: the impact that worrying about what people think has on your life, how you can change thoughts and belief...

Ele didn't set out to be a sports massage therapist when she left university. She explains how she came to be interested and train in massaging. She then went onto specialise in deep tissue and sport massage. Gill and Ele chat about what people can expect when they go for a massage and what questions to ask before they book in to make sure they get the massage they are expecting.

A lot of work goes into being at the top of your sport with a team of people to support you. Rob is a physical performance coach who works with some of the top golfers. He shares what his role involves, how he supports a golfer on tour and the importance of the dynamics of the team. Gill and Rob talk about how everyday stress tends to creep up on you and how important it is to recognise it, not on...

When Martyn was made redundant he didn't sit back and wait for the money to run out but took the opportunity to do what he wanted and start his own training and development company. Gill chats to Martyn about being a 'rebel' and what that looks like in a company. She also finds out that Martyn has taken being a rebel a step further, following a childhood dream to become an actor.

Kendall worked hard to become a forensic scientist and initially enjoyed her work so what lead her to start her own business? She now runs her own business and workshops helping people to appreciate the joy that gardening can bring and how to do it mindfully. Gill wants to know how she managed to transition into being a 'horticultural therapist' and what they means.

Louise is London / Essex born and bred. She worked in London but was suffering from stress and crippling anxiety. She chats openly to Gill about what life was like, how lockdown and a supportive boss actually helped her and her partner, now husband, make some serious changes. Her mental health improved enormously when she stopped doing what she thought she 'should' do and followed her own path. Sh...

ulie's love of dancing lead her from her home town in Grimsby to study in London. As a result of an injury she then concentrated more on the acting side of her course and discovered she loved it. She has appeared on stage and in programmes like Brookside and Emmerdale. Over the years her career has evolved to include being a: TV presenter, voice over artist, author, magazine columnist, crafter and...

John is the CEO and Founder of CoGent Executive who are leaders in transitional management and work with companies in a very different way to help them get the tangible results they want. With 30 years of corporate experience and being asked the same questions again and again he decided it was quicker to write a book for people to read. 

Jamie left school with a CSE Grade 1 in woodwork and went out to work. He tells Gill his story of how he became a highly skilled, self employed craftsman running his own business. Not only does he make cabinets but everything from church fonts and crocodiles to briquettes from the sawdust off his workshop floor - one of his most watched videos on YouTube! Jamie explains why he doesn't have a websi...

Gill first met Dora when she came to her as a client, unhappy in her sales role and and wanting to explore possible options. Her passion was in nutrition, health and wellbeing and she knew she wanted to help people but wasn't entirely what to do. Roll forward a few years and after a miscarriage Dora knew exactly what she wanted to specialise in, she is now a fertility coach helping and educating w...

Tessa knew nothing about plant pests when after having twins she decided she needed a different career and bought an organic / biological pest control business. She applied her existing skill set to the new business. Gill finds out what a nematode is, how to get rid of those pesky little flies on her indoor plants and that there is a lot you can do in the autumn / early spring to control any pest...

Gill and Alex explore the various connections between a person's gut health, mental health and taking the role of personal responsibility. Alex shares a lot of information, research and personal experience of working with clients in this area. They also discuss the research and use of 'psychedelics / magic mushrooms' (illegal in the UK) used in various places around the world as a controlled thera...

Pete explains how trying to replace a broken bowl ended up with him and his wife Di starting a new business selling ceramic fish, bought from Sicily, alongside their current careers. Gill and Pete chat about the challenges of starting a new business as well as the benefits and how it is possible to change careers mid-life especially when you develop a 'portfolio' career mindset in today's world. 

Gill chats to songwriting royalty, Roger Greenaway (of Cook and Greenaway fame) about how he became a singer and songwriter of so many global hits in the 60's and 70's. Writing hits for The Drifters, Blue Mink, The Fortunes, to name a few and for adverts including the Coca-Cola ad that became the huge hit "I'd like to teach the world to sing". He's been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame a...

Lucy felt she had to speak out on LinkedIn about what she sees as the unacceptable behaviour of journalists after reading an article in a popular newspaper. Gill and Lucy discuss what has become acceptable and normalised both in the way things are reported and the way in which people react to it. Is it bullying or is this the modern form of a base human instinct we need to satisfy? 

Sheila grew up in a large family and only every wanted to be a Mum, unfortunately, for some undiagnosed reason, she and her husband were unable to have children. Sheila talks openly about the dark times she experienced emotionally before embarking on the adoption process to become a Mum of 3. And how that personal journey also lead to her training as counsellor specialising in bereavement for a wh...

Katie admits she seems to like to do things the hard way! She had always wondered about running her own business but never believed it was possible.  Like many people along came covid and redundancy which gave her the push to think more seriously about it and take the leap. Having taken the leap she then discovered that she pregnant. Gill finds out the challenges she faced growing a new business a...

Gill chats to Sam about how she has time to prepare and cook a different meal everyday on social media especially as she has a very different full time job! They work out, whilst chatting, how the skills and discipline needed for Sam's career is actually very much part of her cooking and who she is. Plenty of laughs in this podcast but how did they go from chatting about cooking to having a wee?!

Gill first chatted to Zoe Lane in episode 2 about how as a result of a major health issue she was told she needed a stoma permanently and how she coped with it. Later she was told it could possibly be reversed and it was. Zoe, 18 months on, talks about how she went from surviving to thriving both in her personal life and career. 

Maggie had been an open water or wild swimmer before she was made redundant. Realising the benefits of being in cold water and out in nature she wanted other people to be able to share a similar experience, particularly marginalised communities. Hence her idea of building an inclusive and outdoor community became a reality when she started Open Minds Active.

With the addiction to our phones and social media usage on the increase and small business owners chasing 'the pot of gold at the end of the algorithm rainbow' Gill and Janey decided enough was enough! They're launching a new project called 'The Escape Route' looking at different ways to live your life and run your business enabling you to take back control. They will be exploring all aspects of m...

Dawn had always been interested in alternative medicine with her Mum being a homeopath. At the age of 40 Dawn decided to completely change careers and become a naturopath and nutritionist. It took 4 years of juggling her studies alongside working and looking after her young family. Gill finds out exactly what a naturopath is and what type of client it can help. 

Following a sudden change in his family when he was younger Chris developed an emotional relationship with food which nearly killed him. He talks openly about his life and the challenges he has faced to overcome his addiction to food and be in recovery. He realised that as an addict diets were not the solution so he had to make some big decisions and choices about his life. He now helps others wit...

Busy Mum of 3 and business owner, Anna Logue shares how she came to start her online clothing business. Having previously been an estate agent she had no formal business training, experience in retail or creative type of qualification. She talks of the benefits of running her own business but also the challenges she faced and had to overcome which nearly made her gave up.