Knowing You with Sarah Cripps

What does it take to build a successful business, become a present father, a sought-after speaker, and a mentor to the next generation all while defying every expectation set by your earliest results? Gafyn Stiff is living proof that your starting point is never your finishing line. In our conversation Gafyn brings the kind of warmth, wit and wisdom that only comes from someone who has genuinely l...

This episode might just be the one that resets your entire perspective on life. Sharon Neville   - known to many as Mad Frog – is one of those rare humans who radiates such genuine warmth, positivity, and energy that you come away wondering if you've been doing life slightly wrong. I went into this conversation thinking of myself as a positive person. I came out the other side knowing I've got wor...

There are people who walk into your life and quietly make everything better. For me, Mick Green, affectionately known as "Beau Pere", thanks to our shared love of all things French, is exactly that person. My stepfather. My second dad, and one of the most positive, humble and genuinely inspiring human beings I know. At 80 years old, Mick is navigating three significant health challenges that have...

The Backdrop This one's a little different. We recorded this conversation whilst summiting Skirrid in Wales, so yes, you may hear walkers, dogs, and the odd plane in the background. That felt entirely right for a conversation about the outdoors. Rachel is on a personal mission to touch 50 trig points, and for Sarah, this was another step in becoming more of a Welsh tourist than a Welsh resident! R...

What better way to mark a milestone birthday than sitting down for a proper conversation? In this special episode, Sarah grabs the opportunity to record her mum, Dianne, on her 80th birthday and what a story she has to tell. Dianne's three words - mother, grandmother, great grandmother - say so much about a woman who has poured her life into the people she loves. She looks wonderful for her age an...

From personal loss to professional purpose, a deeply human conversation about time, leadership, and the power of seeing things differently. In this episode of  Knowing You , we begin with a light-hearted moment, exploring how even AI struggles to pronounce Welsh words correctly, before moving into a deeply human and powerful conversation. We discuss the importance of  face-to-face connection , par...

In this episode of Knowing You , Sarah Cripps speaks with Sarah McDowell, co-host of the SEO Mindset Podcast a show that fills an important gap in the SEO world by exploring mental health, career development and personal growth in the industry. Interestingly, digital marketing wasn't even a career path when Sarah was at school. With a background in performing arts and a degree in dance, she took a...

What happens when a lifelong traveller decides to step behind the curtain of the travel industry? In this episode of   Knowing You , I'm joined by   Susie Cottrell , a woman whose life has been shaped by curiosity, global adventure and a deep belief that experiences matter more than possessions. After more than 15 years as a loyal client of Travel Counsellors, Susie made the leap two years ago to...

In this episode of Knowing You, I sit down with Lisa Hicks - self-described "Marmite" person, accidental innovator, engineer-minded problem solver, and founding CEO of SNOAP. This conversation is alarmingly informative, passionate, enlightening and deeply warm. What began as a moment of stillness during the chaos of COVID became an epiphany. A family of five, suddenly home together, started notici...

A little over 20 years ago, Lisa Wells made a bold decision, stepping away from her career to retrain in an entirely new profession. With two toddler sons at home, she needed flexibility. What she couldn't have known then was that this leap of faith would lead to her running an award-winning waxing salon in Leicestershire, attracting loyal clients from as far afield as Durham. In this episode of K...

Mary always knew she would end up in Scotland. She and her future husband made that promise to each other back in the 1980s when work took them south of the border. Life, as it tends to, had other plans. Careers, community and a very happy life in the Forest of Dean and Wales meant the move never quite happened, until now. In her 60s, Mary is halfway through the long-awaited transition north, leav...

Emily is 38, a mum of four, a pastor, and someone whose love of the colour pink seems to match the brightness of her smile. We first met over coffee in a busy Starbucks, cups clattering in the background, for a conversation originally meant to support her coaching qualification. What emerged was something much richer: a story of faith, calling, family and the quiet wisdom that comes from living li...

In this episode I talk with Sarah Carey, aka Kiwi, or rather 'party Kiwi'; a Kiwi native who settled in the UK almost 30 years ago. Despite her reservations to have a recorded conversation she revealed so much: ·        From the outside she's confident, assured and sorted but the truth is confidence isn't innate in her ·        How growing up in New Zealand shaped her values – an embedded culture...

In this episode I talk with Esther - a connector, coach, entrepreneur and founder of the Sparkle Squad - about resilience, reinvention and the lasting power of human connection. Esther tells the moving story of having a terrible stutter as a child, years of speech therapy that gave her a voice, and how the simple act of reading aloud to her three children was a turning point. She reflects on life...

I was lucky enough to get a table at Hari Kitchen in Franschhoek, South Africa - a restaurant consistently rated among the best in the region, with a 4.9 Google score and features as far afield as The New York Times. Even luckier was getting an hour-long conversation with the man behind it all, chef and entrepreneur Manashe (Nash) - my first international guest. In this episode of Knowing You with...

In this episode, Vanessa joins me for a thoughtful and unexpectedly moving conversation about what it's like to be the person everyone talks  to , but rarely talks  about . As the owner of a beauty business, Vanessa is used to listening, holding space, offering comfort, and often feeling more like a counsellor than a therapist when offering pedicure and manicure treatments in Monmouth. She shares...

To kick off the year we flipped the mic and put KP in the hot seat as host. We take a candid look back at last year - what worked, what I lost and reintroduced (I brought journalling and running back into my life), and the mental framing that helped: opportunity cost . Saying "no" isn't just closure, it creates space to say "yes" to something more meaningful. We also unpack the harmful habit of co...

In this episode, I sit down with  Tegan , the 25-year-old founder of  No Filter , a thriving beauty business that now proudly runs with a  one-month waiting list . What I loved most about this conversation is how deeply human it is. Tegan shares her journey from feeling embarrassed to say she worked in beauty, to stepping fully into pride as a young business owner with four years of success behind...

This episode was a little experiment in format and what a brilliant one it turned out to be. I sat down with my youngest ever guest, Grace who, at just 16 years old, brings a clarity of purpose, a deep sense of values, and a grounded wisdom far beyond what anyone might expect from her age. Grace joined my day job Salad Skills after completing work experience with us at just 15. From day one, she's...

In this deeply personal and refreshingly honest conversation, I sit down with my lifelong friend Claire, a friendship that has spanned  almost five decades . For the first time publicly, Claire opens up about her decision to give up alcohol, not because she was an alcoholic, but because she realised she had  never met the version of herself that didn't drink . This episode explores the surprising...

Join me as I sit down with a remarkable guest - the wife of talented photographer Ben, who captured our corporate photos. In this episode, she shares her journey as a senior leader at a global beauty brand, exploring the power of energy, risk-taking, and passion in building a successful business. We dive into her personal values of empathy, kindness, listening, and teamwork, and how aligning peopl...

In this first episode, I sit down with someone who's known me longer than almost anyone, our producer and my friend of 43 years, Karen Pirie. Fitting episode to start my 60 at 60 - 60 conversations to mark my 60 th birthday next year What starts as a chat between old friends turns into a conversation full of quiet wisdom about the value of slowing down, listening, and the lessons we only learn whe...

This month marks four incredible years since the launch of The Big Balance Theory! What started as a way to capture the experiences and emotions of the COVID lockdown years through the voices of authentic, inspiring guests has become so much more. Over time, we've reflected on every episode — uncovering insights, learnings, and stories that remind us that Big Balance Theory isn't really a theory…...

As a glass half full person, I've always been keen to explore people's strengths not weaknesses. Within my apprenticeship consultancy and coaching practices I use a range of strength based assessments and recently added the At My Best strength cards to my toolkit. This month's guest is co-founder of At My Best and Work Positive, an organisation committed to helping organisations like M&S and the N...

I'm joined by Graham Field, Thinking Focus coach and trainer, where we talk all things priority; the big life choices and day to day habits that can lead us down a rabbit hole of lost time. If you're anything like me, you set the day or week with best intentions but then life happens and everything goes to pot. I first met Graham by chance at a business exhibition. Fast forward a few years and we...