Liberté - Free to Be

There's lots going on behind the scenes in my life and as this is the last episode of Series 6 I thought now would be a good time to invite my wingman and husband Mark on the show. I always wanted to show up as my authentic self on the podcast and share the reality of my life, it's not always as glamorous and easy as the instagram squares leave you to believe. Nobody's is remember! Sub...

Kay Binnersley is an award winning hairdresser and bridal hairstylist who has been in the industry for over 37 years. Working for herself from the age of 18, first as a freelancer then the last 26 years in her own salon. But Kay isn't here to talk about hair, she's here to help lift the stigma around open up the conversation around Lichen Sclerosus and Vulva cancer. If you're sat there...

I am always inspired and excited when I hear about women who pivot careers and take brave steps to changing their life direction after 40 and this weeks guest is another great example. Susan Esco is a vivacious and silverlicious midlife goddess raising the Vibe of Humanity, one smile at a time. Susan grew out her silver hair about ten years ago. She is also passionate about encouraging women to lo...

I first met this week’s guest ,  Miranda Arieh  as we both stood nervously outside BBC Radio Leeds station before we entered another round of the BBC Leeds radio “New Voices” presenter competition. I managed to make it to the final 5 but they were only taking 2 presenters, so it wasn’t meant to be. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the world of radio and presenting ⁠and whilst some ma...

I first heard  Alex Jay Lynam  speak at Dani Wallace’s Bee Inspired event in March and I was so struck by their Don’t Fear the Queer talk which left a powerful impression on me. Since then I started to question myself and the work I do on my podcast. Was I really showing up and creating a fully inclusive space for women on my platform, and if not why?  Looking over the 130 guests I’ve invited on t...

I first met Fay when we were both shooting with  Refinery29  for an Avon campaign and I adore her energy and attitude to life. Fay Reid is the founder of 9 to 5 Menopause - which she set up on Instagram after starting the menopause and finding there were no women she could relate to, when researching her symptoms. Fay launched 9to5menopause on social media, initially just to share tips and present...

Raising body-confident children. Anupa Roper shares practical advice on supporting positive body image and self-worth on Liberté – Free to Be. I spend a lot of time talking about body confidence in women over 40 — but what about the next generation? In this episode of Liberté – Free to Be, I’m joined by Anupa Roper , also known as Sparrowlegs — a former primary school teacher, children’s author, b...

I'm a great believer that people come in to your life when you need them and this weeks guest is one of those women. JoJo Smith has not only helped me hugely with my own self belief and sense of direction but she's also become an incredible friend. JoJo is the founder of CreativSas, along with being a best selling author , motivational speaker, radio show and podcast host. Jojo Smith empow...

*AD/ Sponsored by Osavi.com Welcome back to a new week of Liberte Free to Be and I am delighted that this week’s episode is sponsored by  Osavi Health Supplements. I know I’m not alone in becoming more health-conscious, particularly in midlife, and I want to be the best version of myself I can possibly be and part of that is looking after my health from the inside and out.  I’ve recently discovere...

I speak to lots of women who shy away from the camera and absolutley hate having their photograph taken. I spent lots of years feeling the same and look back with sadness that I was seldom seen on my children's photographs when they were younger. Hard to believe,considering that being in front of the camera is now a job I love! This weeks guest Tigz Rice is an empowering fashion and boudoir ph...

From Self-Doubt to Unshakable Confidence: Lis Cashin takes us on a personal transformation journey. Meet Lis Cashin , transformation specialist, award-winning speaker, and author of the bestselling memoir T his is ME: My Journey to Mental Wellbeing . Lis is on a mission to help women transform self-doubt into unshakable self-worth, become heart-led leaders, and live aligned, joyful lives. I first...

Friendship, confidence and authenticity. Rants & Big Pants share honest conversations on imposter syndrome, caregiving and being yourself. Welcome to a brand new series of Liberté – Free to Be — new name, new look, and yes… my own music too. What better way to kick things off than with the brilliant duo Rants & Big Pants , also known as Neens and dB . These two are loved for their honesty,...

Going solo for a quick catch up and to tell you all why I'm saying goodbye to Out of the Bubble and hello to Liberté-Free to Be! Don't panic, I'm not going anywhere but I am having a big rebrand and embracing change. Since I first started the podcast in 2018 I've been on my own journey of growth alongside the 124 women I've interviewed. I started Out of the Bubble because when...

Are you one of the many that ditched the alcohol for a dry January this year, only to go straight back on it February?  One of the things I've noticed now I'm going through the menopause is the effect alcohol has on my mental wellbeing, it increases my anxiety levels and zaps my energy so I've cut right back. I still have the odd G & T but I can imagine ditching it all together at...

What better way for me to celebrate Mother's Day this year than to invite my own mum along for a chat. I started this podcast because I wanted women over 40 to have a platform to share their stories , to be heard and feel seen so I couldn't think of a better way to show my mum some love than to include her in this conversation.  How often do we really sit down and listen to older members of o...

Money talk! Why do so many women still find it difficult to talk openly about money? I know from my own personal experience of going through a divorce at 40 , how important it is to have a financial plan in place. I found myself practically invisible when it came to my financial status and have spent the last decade building my credit rating and financial stability back up. If only I'd met this we...

Those that have followed me for awhile will already know how passionate I am about representation of older women in the fashion and beauty industry. We all need to see women that we can relate to, no matter what age, shape or size and it matters for our mental wellbeing. So I already knew that this weeks guest and I would have a LOT to talk about! When Stephanie O Dell started her ' Celebrate the...

Have you ever been told you're the shy one? Or felt like you've been written off as the quiet one? I was always labelled as being ‘shy’ when I was younger and not in a positive way. The more you hear it the more you retreat but those that knew me well enough would always see the real me. For years I struggled to show my inner confidence but I could feel it in there waiting to burst out. I like my...

So many women over 40 are left feeling invisible on the high street which showed in the results in my Midlife Body Confidence survey last year when 70% of the 200 women reported feeling invisible. I will be focusing more on those small independent brands that are showing up for women of all ages, shapes and sizes this year on the podcast as we need to shine a light and support them.  Rebecca...

Happy New Year!  Jenni Retourné has worked in beauty for nearly 20 years, as a beauty editor and marketing manager before launching Willowberry skincare in 2017.   Championing Age Without Apology, Willowberry was born from Jenni’s desire to provide natural skincare designed especially for the needs of grown-up skin, without telling women to 'reverse' their faces.    Jenni...

The last show of 2022 and this week I'm wrapping up with Part 2 of the Midlife Body Confidence survey. This survey was carried out to gauge how women over 40 really feel about their bodies and what impacts, positive or negative, may alter their body confidence, as this age group so often get left out of the equation. Q8. Have you ever cut the label out of your clothes to hide the size?  70% s...

I decided to carry out this Midlife Body Confidence survey to gauge how women over 40 really feel about their bodies and what impacts, positive or negative, may alter their body confidence, as this age group so often get left out of the equation. I'll be sharing my thoughts on the results over 2 podcast episodes , as you know it's a subject I am very passionate about so I had a lot to say!  W...

Meet Dawn-Maria France who is an accomplished award-winning journalist and the Editor-in-chief of a news-led women’s magazine Yorkshire Women’s Life. She is a also travel writer, children's author and broadcaster. A fellow Yorkshire lass, Dawn-Maria is not only passionate about her Caribbean Asian roots but also on important issues including women’s rights, equality, diversity and mental health. D...

I am so excited about this weeks guest as I am huge fan of her poetry. Donna Ashworth is the Sunday Times Bestselling author of several poetry books. Collections to provide inspiration and comfort for absolutely every bump in life’s road. From marriage, parenting, self-love, ageing, body image, grief, loss and much more, no stone is left unturned and no trouble unheard within these covers. I Wish...

Amy Bates is the Founder of the Beauty Rebellion , a positive body image activist and beauty industry educator. The Beauty Rebellion is a multi-layered coaching business that teaches beauty professionals how to run an ethical, inclusive and body positive beauty business that helps their clients learn to be confident in their bodies and improve their self-esteem aswell as coaching individuals...