Meet Your Inspiration Podcast

What does it actually cost to achieve extraordinary things at an extraordinary age? In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich welcome back Matthew Bridger — entrepreneur, community leader, Conservative activist, and now the first ever mayor of Kennington, Kent for his second appearance on the show. His first episode hit 10,000 views. This one picks up where it left off. A...

What does it take to build something truly your own when every step of the journey threw up a roadblock you never expected? In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Tobias Donahoe, Director of TPD Creative — a multi-disciplinary creative agency based in Manston, Kent, offering branding, graphic design, 3D modelling, CGI, web design and marketing under one r...

What do you do when your career has taken you from a hospital ward to Zambia to a farm garage — and none of it was planned? In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Nina Balachander, healthcare insurance specialist and WPA partner. Nina's story is a masterclass in following curiosity, adapting to life's surprises, and finding purpose in the most une...

What do you do when you've spent years doing everything right and still feel completely lost? In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Sonia Pace : ICF-accredited life coach, personal trainer, radio host, and passionate advocate for athlete wellbeing. Sonia's story is layered, honest, and ultimately uplifting. From a sports diploma that went nowhere...

What if everything you struggled with your whole life suddenly had an explanation? In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Lucy Jessey, founder of Crescent Digital Marketing — a marketing agency that specialises in working with neurodivergent-led businesses. Lucy's story is one of reinvention, resilience, and the remarkable clarity that comes when you...

What happens when you lose everything that made you and then rebuild yourself from scratch? In this powerful episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Graham Baker, commercial photographer, mental health advocate, and all-round extraordinary human being. What starts as a story about photography quickly reveals itself to be something far deeper — a raw, honest journe...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration podcast, Rich and Meri sit down with Christian Eckert, the CEO of Regloplas, a Swiss manufacturer of Water and Oil Temperature Controllers for the Plastics, Die Casting and Food industries. Christian shares his remarkable journey from being a son of a butcher to leading an innovative manufacturing company with over 100 employees. The conversation explor...

Unlock the secrets to transforming your curly hair and your confidence. Heather Kennett’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, innovation, and creating a business that challenges industry norms. Discover how one woman turned her frustration with ineffective products into a game-changing, science-backed haircare brand now poised to conquer global supermarkets. Imagine ditching daily washes, lear...

In this episode of the podcast, Rich and Meri engage with Bill and Christy, the owners of the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway. They discuss the journey of transforming a childhood dream into a thriving community project, the importance of volunteers, and the passion for engineering and education. The conversation highlights the entrepreneurial spirit, the significance of community involvemen...

... Pursue What Truly MattersWhat does it take to completely reinvent yourself? For Patrick it wasn't one moment, it was a lifetime of experiences that shaped who he is today. From a career in automotive to the world of entrepreneurship. Owning a pub. Navigating personal loss. Discovering ADHD and finally understanding himself on a deeper level. In our latest podcast episode, Patrick shares op...

In this episode of Meet Your Inspiration podcast, hosts Meri and Rich explore the fascinating journey of Chris, a former academic turned full-time photographer. Discover how his diverse experiences in politics, philosophy, and Japan have shaped his unique approach to photography and business success. Key topics✅ Career transition from academia to photography✅ The role of mindset and emotional co...

SummaryIn this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration podcast, hosts Meri and Rich welcome back Kathy Hayman, who shares her journey of launching her new business, Better Minds, Better Business. Kathy discusses the importance of mental health in the workplace, particularly for small businesses, and the need for effective workplace stress policies. She highlights the impact of stress on productivity...

n this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Rich and Meri sit down with Sara Ottley, founder of Camper Van Retreats UK, who shares her extraordinary journey from adventurous bartender in Crete to pioneering firefighter to wellness entrepreneur. Sara's story begins with a one-way ticket to Greece at 19, where what was meant to be one summer turned into a decade of running a successful...

In this episode of Meet Your Inspiration, hosts Rich and Meri sit down with Karen Stanley, who transformed her journey from hairdresser to teacher to becoming a successful author and founder of Mabel Stanley Publishing. Karen shares her remarkable path through life's unexpected turns, including becoming a single mother at 23, retraining at university, and spending 20 years in education before...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, hosts Rich and Meri deliver their annual review, reflecting on an extraordinary year of growth, connection, and transformation. From starting with 16 episodes to recording over 40, they share the remarkable journey of building a community around ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The conversation celebrates the diverse tapestry of gues...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Rich and Meri sit down with Dr. Ant, a serial entrepreneur turned motivational speaker who shares his remarkable journey from multimillionaire business success to near-suicide and back to purpose-driven fulfilment. Dr. Ant opens up about building multiple successful ventures including becoming the UK's top mortgage broker, launching one of...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration podcast, Rich and Meri sit down with John Rafferty, co-founder of the exclusive estate agency Rafferty & Pickard, who shares his remarkable journey from aspiring paratrooper to pioneering luxury property entrepreneur. The conversation explores how John transformed a childhood military ambition into business resilience, navigating the 2008 financial...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, hosts Rich and Meri sit down with Matthew J Bridger, a 25-year-old dynamo who defied traditional education to become a serial entrepreneur, political leader, and community champion. Matthew shares his extraordinary journey from leaving school at 16 to founding successful businesses, becoming one of the UK's youngest parish councillors, and...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, hosts Rich and Meri welcome Beth Turner, communication coach and founder of Conversations Unlimited, who shares her remarkable journey from being the first in her family to attend university to becoming an international keynote speaker. Her unconventional path takes her from becoming vice-captain of her university's all-male boxing club thr...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Rich and Meri sit down with Dr. Tim Aker, a remarkable figure whose journey spans from struggling student to MEP, author, and communications expert. Tim shares his transformation from underperforming at GCSEs to becoming top of his sixth form, his rejection from Oxbridge on Christmas Eve, and how a passionate history teacher ignited his love fo...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, hosts Rich and Meri connect with Lois Bates-Stubbs, founder of LBS Virtual Services and passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs. From teenage dreams of pop stardom to building a thriving virtual assistant agency, Lois shares her remarkable journey of resilience, reinvention, and authentic leadership. The conversation explores Lois's ear...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration podcast, Rich and Meri sit down with Malcolm Palmer, owner and founder of A4G Accounting, who shares his remarkable 30-year journey from a maths-loving teenager to building one of Kent's most innovative accountancy practices. Malcolm reveals how a chance article about sports promoter Barry Hearn at age 15 sparked his decision to become a chartered a...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Rich and Meri sit down with Katie Powsey, a life and mindset coach who specialises in helping mothers overcome guilt. Katie shares her remarkable journey from leaving Slovakia with just £60 to building a successful coaching business in the UK. Her story encompasses working as an au pair, rising through charity management roles, achieving award-...

In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Rich and Meri sit down with James Gardner, a serial entrepreneur and managing director of six businesses, who shares his remarkable journey from washing cars at age 14 to building and selling an international manufacturing company. James reveals how leaving university early to pursue practical experience shaped his entrepreneurial path, leading...

In this episode of Meet Your Inspiration, Rich and Meri sit down with Paul Andrews, a legendary serial entrepreneur from Kent whose remarkable journey spans from teenage paper mill worker to senior technology executive at global banks. Paul shares his unconventional path from leaving school at 14 to becoming VP of Technology at Citibank by age 25, pioneering electronic banking and one of the world...