Perfectly Flawed Podcast

What does it take to reclaim your life after abuse? In this episode of  Perfectly Flawed , I talk with  Larissa Astara Gray , who escaped an abusive partner in the middle of the night with her young son, flying out of Egypt to safety. From surviving toxic relationships, heroin addiction, and sexual trauma, Larissa’s greatest challenge has been learning to trust and love herself. Now a dynamic spea...

What if the key to success isn’t just talent—but learning to be your own best friend? In this episode of  Perfectly Flawed , I sat down with  Elliot Kay , CEO of the Speaker Awards and Summit, author and entrepreneur. Growing up with an alcoholic father and facing bullying and isolation at school, Elliot learned early what it felt like to be alone and friendless. Those experiences could have held...

What if the real measure of resilience isn’t avoiding disaster—but learning how to play the hand you’re dealt? In this episode of  Perfectly Flawed , I sat down with  Steven Dowd , whose life changed in an instant. Cycling to work in London, preparing for a local race, Steven hit a barrier and was javelined into the ground, breaking his neck and leaving him instantly paralysed from the neck down....

What if the courage to succeed starts with the courage to embrace who you truly are? In this episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I sat down with **Lewis Crompton** to talk about the bravery it’s taken him to reclaim his truth. As a young man, he grew up in north London with well-meaning parents and a church community that led him to believe he was deeply flawed for being gay. So much so that he agreed...

How do you rebuild after hitting rock bottom? In this episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I talk with **Charlie Cannon**—an engaging, energetic speaker and coach who lights up every room he enters. But Charlie’s journey to resilience and self-respect began in darkness. At just 21, after a night of partying, Charlie fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his car on the M4 motorway. The accident left his s...

What happens when a strength and conditioning coach at the very top of professional rugby has his worldview turned upside down? In this episode of  Perfectly Flawed , I sit down with  Craig White —award-winning leadership coach and mentor who’s spent over 25 years working with elite athletes, including the  British & Irish Lions ,  Wales Rugby , and the  Leicester Tigers . At the height of his...

What does it mean to be authentic when we contain multitudes? In this episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I sit down with **Oliver Gregory**—multidisciplinary artist, writer, and creative director from Sheffield, England. By day he’s Oliver, reserved and understated. By night, he transforms into **Miss Titty Kaka**—a drag queen persona that is bold, unhinged, and unapologetically alive. Oliver first re...

How do you rebuild a life after surviving the unimaginable? In this moving episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I speak with **Madeleine Black**—author, professional speaker, sexual violence activist, and host of the acclaimed podcast *Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling*. As a teenager, Madeleine was gang raped and left fearing for her life. For decades, she carried her trauma in silence. Then, in 2...

In this episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I sit down with **Paul Avins**—a transformational coach, entrepreneur mentor. Paul’s remarkable career includes a 20-year track record of helping entrepreneurs and CEOs achieve extraordinary results, with over 550 companies, many scaling to £5–10 million, he leads world-class masterminds, retreats, and events through **Massive Action Coaching** and the UK’s N...

He calls himself  “just a drummer” —but Tom Morley is far from  just  anything. As the original drummer for 80s band  Scritti Politti , Tom went on to play with legends like  David Bowie  and  Madness . Today, he blends old-school rock ’n’ roll eccentricity with new-school technology, including generative AI, to unleash creativity in the most unexpected places—like corporate boardrooms. Through dr...

What does it take to break free from your past and create a life of purpose, peace, and impact? In this inspiring episode of  Perfectly Flawed , I’m joined by  Gethin Jones —a man whose journey from childhood in care, addiction, and repeated prison sentences to becoming a leader, speaker, and changemaker will leave you in awe. Today, he is the Founder and CEO of  Unlocking Potential , a transforma...

What if the real key to success isn’t chasing perfection—but learning to tell the truth about who you are, flaws and all? In this episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I’m joined by **Beth Sherman**—comedian, keynote speaker, and seven-time Emmy Award-winning writer for some of television’s biggest shows, including *The Late Show with David Letterman*, *The Tonight Show with Jay Leno*, *Ellen*, and even...

Shelley suggests we think not fist about why but of who we really are. She talks about changing gender 40 years ago. What it was like then and what it is like now. What struck me was the sheer bravery of finally recognising who you truly are and then getting out into the world and living and being it. A real call to action for us all to recognise our own dreams and ambitions and then take courageo...

Steve had a terrible car accident that crushed his legs, but he learnt, not just to walk again, but become a World Champion Para-triathlete. We talk about how life doesn’t always, if ever, go to plan. We all need to course correct. So rather than expecting perfection, if we accept the flaws as we go, we can use them to adapt the plan along the way. Here we talk about how only 4% of the original mo...

When Julie took a jeer from a workman, when out training for the London Marathon, she embraced it and turned it into a global enterprise called “Too Fat to Run”. A huge advocate of taking “Imperfect Action” Julie has founded both this and multiple other businesses, she’s run 6 marathons, published 15 books and helped thousands of people take their own imperfect action and just get on and bring the...

In this episode we talk about how a terrible accident at school sports day with a javelin led to the death of her friend. Receiving no counselling or support, Lis blamed herself and thought she was a monster. She had to learn to forgive herself and find a true compassion for the human condition.     Bio: Where leadership, performance, and wellbeing meet, Lis Cashin is passionate about creating wor...

Paul is a mindfulness coach and founder of Dharmalicious - a community to practice self- awareness . He has a wisdom and sacredness for life that makes for an enjoyable conversation – particularly when we explore how he has learnt to manage his on perfect flaws in the shape of anxiety. A natural fight or flight response which we so oftent prefer to fight or flee from. He, instead, has learned to t...

Vicki talks about going from being a girl who was not adventurous nor sporty to taking on some of the toughest physical pursuits around the world from cycling across America to the Great Ocean Row from Los Angeles to Hawaii – and how she reclaimed her sovereignty to make her own life decisions rather than waiting for others to give her permission to lead her own life. Bio: A leading well-being exp...

On holiday in Sri Lanka on Boxing Day and Michelle and her husband went down to breakfast before returning to sleep off the hangover. They had planned to go diving but were awoken by all kinds of noise. They found themselves amid the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. She talks about how a group of survivors clubbed together to survive for one week, amidst all the devastation and chaos and how it has given...

Deeply entrenched in the demands of SW London motherhood and work – Lise felt overweight and undervalued until she decided to no longer let it stop her.    She took up triathlons, adventures and even welcomed a family of refugees into her home. She has since bought a refuge house for women and children and is a passionate advocate for women embracing their wealth. She bares her soul and her body o...

Alex Williams talks about how he made sense of the traumatic experience of his mother’s murder in the next-door bedroom to him as an 8-year-old - and why the self-help and personal development industry can be so toxic to a real recovery in which we embrace or perceived flaws and know that we are OK. That none of us is deeply flawed. Bio: Alex is a Speaker and Mental Health Practitioner who helps p...

As well as being a phenomenal athlete – most capped England blind footballer and also a Paralympian in Judo, Darren Harris is undaunted by anything and any situation that he has to handle in life. He may not have his sight, but he can see what it takes to be a happy, successful human being – and he shows us how to unblind our minds.   Diagnosed with cancer in both eyes at age 1, Darren Harris face...

Deborah is the host of  Perfectly Flawed , a podcast celebrating stories of extraordinary success through struggle and imperfection. It is about ‘the Art of Being Human’ and the insights they can share. An inspiring speaker and facilitator, with over 20 years in business and clinical psychology, she helps leaders and speakers transform their life experiences into powerful stories that inspire. Fro...

Ailsa and Aidan – the Ai Bots created by Big Tom Mortimer at HeartShaped. AI through Google’s Gemini.   They discuss each of the episodes in Season One of  Perfectly Flawed  in which Deborah Henley interviews ten extraordinary guests and is also interviewed herself by her friend.  The Ai bots discuss how being Perfectly Flawed is the key to Being Human. They offer up some suggestions for the liste...

Conversations with amazing individuals who’ve faced up to their own perfectly flawed selves - and transformed their lives because of them. Discover how to be extraordinarily successful through embracing struggles and imperfection. By turning towards, not away from, their greatest fears, failures and flaws our guests have discovered their own path to fulfilment and that it’s sometimes in the darkes...