Happy Smiling People

Anna Simonsson-Søndenå is a 20 year old Ultra Runner who lives year round in her van across Europe. Anna began her ultra running journey aged 15, and over the past 5 years has ticked off 150km weeks, regular Ultra races, finished off school, makes a living through social media, and also lives in her van full time.  In this episode we discuss: the reality and pros and cons of living in a van - espe...

Happy Smiling People Podcast is 12 months old! In this episode I look back over key lessons from the past year - both from personal life and this podcasting journey, discuss how long each episode takes, why we moved abroad, my view on resilience and not taking things personally, figuring out what success means, why consistency is important, whether quantity is more important than quality, and much...

Hannah Gibson is an Australian Triathlete. In this episode we discuss: how and why Hannah balances triathlon training around a full time job, what an average week of training looks like, what she eats in a normal training day, how expensive an ironman is, the optimum transition zone process, why Hannah prioritises strength training, how she broke her bike while riding the turbo, future goals and a...

Kira Hartwigsen is a professional scuba diving instructor. In this episode we discuss: how a terrible break up spurred Kira on to try new things - resulting in her finding her passion for diving, how living in a ‘dream’ place actually isn’t always what it is cracked up to be, the importance of being surrounded by like-minded people, the practicalities of diving - breath work, overcoming fear and t...

Albany Burton is a keen triathlete who is training for her first 70.3 Ironman later this year, after fostering a passion for the sport during her youth. In this episode we discuss: how Albany manages to train in central London for three sports, the power of community in sport, the struggles of training with men, balancing training around working full time, what keeps her motivated, her future goal...

Eva Buzo is an Ultra Endurance Swimmer from Australia, who having grown up in Elite swimming, is re-visiting her childhood passion and fulfilling her athletic potential. In this episode we discuss: the practicalities of an ultra swim - what can you do, what can't you do during it, what motivates Eva for such a hard sport, her history of elite swimming and how this fuels her passion, just how c...

Dr Stacy Sims is a leading expert in women's health and fitness and is an author, scientist, researcher and the main voice in the fitness industry explaining that women are not small men. In this episode we discuss: how to actually lose weight, how to create a sustainable fitness routine, why ice baths are detrimental for women - and what to do instead, why sleep is the most important thing for go...

Caley Svensson lives in New Jersey and has a deep passion for English Interiors, antiques, and her home farm. In this episode we discuss: why Caley decided to design her American home in English style interiors, the process behind the incredible hand painted mural in her dining room that took 3 weeks to complete! How and why she discovered her passion for English Interior Design, and how to find y...

Amy Carter is founder of Le Bezy cycling, yoga and running retreats in the Pyrenees Mountains in France. In this episode We discuss: what Amy aims to create through her retreats, why she chose the Pyrenees, why she started cycling in Abu Dhabi, tips on building self worth and confidence, her marketing plan for Le Bezy, her favourite breakfast to make for yoga retreats, and why you should all make...

Sophie Whitelaw is a London based fine jeweller. In this episode We discuss: busting engagement ring urban myths: the significance of it and how much should he spend on it, Sophie’s opinion on lab diamonds vs mined diamonds, the process to bespoke jewellery, the average price of an engagement ring, the downfall of traditional marketing streams and how her business has grown through TikTok , and mu...

Kim Gingras is a professional dancer who has worked with the big pop starts of the world, including Beyoncé, Arianna Grande, Justin Timberlake and Nicole Scherzinger. In this episode We discuss: the reality of dancing with Beyoncé and what she is actually like, the truth about moving to LA to follow your dream, the power of backing yourself and dealing with criticism, how she crashed an audition a...

Today you join me for a re-cap of the past few months and we delve into some hot topics and concepts I have been pondering recently. Expect to learn: Why building consistency is the number 1 thing that can lead to success, the importance of being aware where you get your self-worth from, defining success - what is it and who decides who deserves it, some methods to keep your screen time in check,...

Jade Jordan-James is an interior designer and stylist. In this episode we discuss: why she moved from the city to restore a run down Victoria Villa, the impact painting your ceiling a dark colour has on the entire room, the romanticisation of living in the English countryside vs the reality, the impact of social media creating false expectations, moving from a corporate creative role to pursuing h...

Amy Hudson is a cyclist and mental health advocate. In this episode we discussed: how Amy found and developed her love for cycling, why she left her job as a mental health nurse, the power of sport to get us through tough times es, Johann Hari's book Lost Connections, balancing authenticity online and being kind to ourselves, how Amy uses her mental health journey to help others, and much more...

Dr Lisa Mitro is a physical therapist for runners helping them recover from injury and continue with the sport they love. In this episode we discussed: why so many people get running injuries, why there are so many different types of running shoes - and how to pick the right ones for you - the impact of social media and online gurus vs theoretical and practical physiology education, whether some p...

Sabine Schipflinger is a ski and mountain bike guide based in Innsbruck in Austria. In this episode we discuss: how she maintained her passion for the outdoors while pursuing it as a career, whether she prefers summer or winter, why you must add Georgia to your travel list for skiing in the winter AND biking in the summer, the responsibilities of a ski guide with clients in the mountains, how to d...

Deby Brunold is a cyclist and content creator from Switzerland. In this episode we discussed: how and why she quit her job as a nurse to work full time in social media, the pros and cons of being a content creator, how she stays authentic online, what inspires her, her favourite place to ride her bike in the world, how she edits her photos, and much more... Do make sure you are following the show,...

Shannon is a fitness and skiing coach from Range Fitness, based in British Columbia in Canada. In this episode we discuss: the 3 key skills to improve your skiing - no matter your ability, why strength is important for all round fitness, the purpose of Shannon's coaching business - to say yes to adventure, why she is a female only coach, the benefits of training with the seasons, and much more...

Kim Gintrand is a former professional tennis player turned gravel rider living in Annecy in France. In this episode we discuss: how Kim's life changed from transitioning from professional tennis to recreational gravel riding, how she found her passion for cycling and turned her Instagram into her job, what happens behind the scenes of social media, the importance of community and tips on build...

Amanda Brooks is a run coach, personal trainer, and long time distance runner. In this episode we discuss: why running isn't actually bad for your knees, the effect that cold weather has on your performance, why exercising fasted is a myth, the effects menopause actually has on female exercise, why we should care about our bone density, how to optimise our hydration, and much more! Follow me o...

Orla Chennaoui is a Sports Broadcaster for Eurosport and Discovery, working across cycling, rugby, and the Olympic Games, and founder of Ten Times Braver. In this episode we discuss: tactics for discovering self fulfilment rather than seeking constant external validation, what happiness actually is, things that can help us feel less overwhelmed, learning to care about our own opinion of ourselves...

Anne Riseling is a digital strategist from Vancouver, who after quitting her career in finance, has chosen to pursue her dreams, even if they scare her. In this episode we discuss: why Anne quit her finance career to pursue digital marketing strategy, just what a digital marketing strategist does, what mistakes people are making with their content creation, why having a daily routine will help you...

Celeste Pomerantz is a Black Crows backcountry skier in winter, and a mountain biker in summer. In this episode we discuss: her experience of the project WAVY 2 - sailing and skiing for 2 weeks in the Arctic Circle, how to ski steep couloirs and not crash down them, the concept of 1.5 type fun, her progression from competitive skier to backcountry professional skier, and much more! Celeste provide...

Adriana Moser is an ultra runner, content creator, and coach. We discuss: How to train through winter in the Austrian Alps, the value of long distance running, the pitfalls of Strava, the non-obvious merits and downfalls of building a large online audience, an exciting race announcement for Adriana’s 2024 season, and much more! Make sure you are subscribed to the show, and rate it 5 stars if you e...

Henna Palosaari is a cyclist, split-boarder, adventure enthusiast, and Haglofs ambassador. We discuss: why she quit her job as an auditor to become a "ski bum", the reality of cycling the 438km Arctic Post Road, how she tries to stay present amongst the chaos of everyday life, the importance of implementing good routines, how she gets funding for her adventure films, and how she rode through the D...