Seasoned Professional

Today I’m chatting to you from my childhood playhouse, which felt like the perfect backdrop for a more casual conversation. In today’s episode, I spend 30 minutes sharing some of my worries about the future, from children and adulthood to wondering how people possibly manage to do it all. I also talk about the personal growth I’ve experienced over the past few months while teaching, my complicated...

Today on the podcast, I speak with the lovely Maggie Hildebrand, founder of Connection Collective Toronto, and something tells me one day it will be much bigger than just Toronto! Maggie founded the social club in June 2025 after spending over a year in the city struggling to find her community. By openly sharing her own experiences with loneliness, she quickly realized there were so many others s...

Today on the podcast, it’s just me, Hannah Octavia. The Seasoned Professional community has reached an incredible milestone: 500 downloads in 30 days! That means we’re already halfway to being able to monetize the podcast, something that once felt impossible. So this week, I wanted to take a moment to reflect, say thank you to this amazing community, and chat your ear off for about 15 minutes. I h...

Today on the podcast, I speak with Charlie Follows, a YouTube yogi who has built a community of over one million people. She began her career teaching in studios, but quickly realized that creating a balanced, sustainable life wasn’t possible by simply adding more in-person classes. At one point, she was teaching up to 20 classes a week, driving between studios, and trying to make ends meet, it wa...

Today on the podcast, I speak with filmmaker, artist, environmental activist, and founder of Trailbound Sketches, Max Romey. I first came across Max at the Banff Film Festival, where his short film My Grandmother’s Sketchbook premiered. The film follows Max as he travels the world recreating sketches his grandmother drew more than 30 years ago. With over 6,000 sketches to revisit, he estimates the...

⚠️ Content warning: This episode includes discussions around medical assistance in dying (MAID), voluntary assisted dying (VAD), suicide, cancer, and the loss of loved ones. If this episode raises anything for you, support is available. In Canada, you can contact the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 988 via telephone or text 24/7. Today on Seasoned Professional, I sit down with wedding and funeral celeb...

Today on Seasoned Professional, I sit down with registered dietitian and nutritionist Nicole Addison, the creator behind Nourished by Nic and a thriving online community of over one million followers. Known for her approachable, delicious, and nutrient-dense recipes, Nicole is on a mission to make healthy eating feel realistic, enjoyable, and sustainable. In this episode, we explore Nicole’s journ...

⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion of sexual assault, the loss of a parent and moments of not wanting to wake up. I sat down with Kelly Childs, the other half of Kelly’s Bake Shoppe, for a conversation that felt deeply personal and reflective. Kelly shares stories from her childhood, growing up with an incredibly creative and loving father who shaped so much of the way she sees t...

⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion around mental health and moments of not wanting to wake up. I sat down with Erinn Weatherbie, one half of Kelly’s Bake Shoppe, for a conversation that stayed with me long after we finished recording. We talk about Erinn’s childhood and how “healthy food” was never labeled that way in her home, it was just food. She shares the story of starting a...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Emma Forbes, an OCD therapist based in the south of England. Emma shares her inspiring career journey, which began in nursing and evolved into opening her own private practice dedicated to supporting individuals living with OCD. We explore her childhood as an only child, which she describes as idyllic before her parents separated. Emma reflects candidly on her mot...

We’re back with another heartfelt conversation, and this week I’m joined by Fraser Fitzgerald, AKA Fraser Cooks. Fraser grew up in Toronto with three siblings, he’s part of a set of triplets and has a younger brother. Fraser opens up about his deep dislike for school and being diagnosed with a learning disability and dyslexia, without receiving support that made sense to him. That lack of clarity...

⚠️ Content warning: In this episode, we talk openly about abuse, alcoholism, and death. Please take care while listening. We’re back with our first guest of 2026, and it is none other than Lynn Johnston, the Canadian comic strip artist behind For Better or For Worse . At its peak, For Better or For Worse was read by more than 230 million people worldwide and became beloved for its groundbreaking c...

Welcome back to Seasoned Professional, I am so glad you are here! This podcast explores the lives, lessons, and growth of people navigating their personal and professional journeys. In this solo episode, host Hannah Octavia reflects on her path as a podcaster and shares meaningful updates from her life, including her recent move back to Canada and the realities of maintaining a long-distance relat...

🎥 This is a visual episode, don’t miss the full experience on YouTube, linked below! For the final episode of 2025, I step out of the studio for a special on-site conversation with Simon Webster. A few months ago, I felt the pull to donate my hair again, but this time, I wanted the cut to have a deeper impact. That led me to The Little Princess Trust, a charity providing free, real-hair wigs to c...

In this episode, I chat with Laura Coleman, author of The Puma Years , about growing up with two psychologists as parents, struggling with self-confidence, and finding her path in unexpected ways. In her early twenties, she quit her job and backpacked to Bolivia, where she met Wayra, a rescued puma who would change her life. Living in a jungle sanctuary surrounded by quirky animals and unforgettab...

Today I sit down with Ashley Winston, founder and owner of Palmdale Car Finders , ex-marketing specialist, and arguably the biggest car fanatic you’ll ever meet. Ashley shares how he turned a lifelong obsession with cars into a thriving, purpose-driven career, and what it truly takes to build a business around what you love. What began as a conversation about entrepreneurship quickly unfolded into...

Today's episode, I am joined by the wonderful Pippa Moyle, founder and CEO of the City Girl Network, a mission-led organisation helping women, non-binary people and trans femmes feel more connected, confident and empowered in their local communities. What began as a small idea has grown into 27 communities across the UK, largely through the organic ripple effect of women experiencing the power of...

Brian Capron is back! Our last conversation, The Brian Capron Story: Before and Beyond Coronation Street, explored his full life, from childhood and early acting roles to run-ins with Sting, his rise to fame, and what he’s doing today. In this episode, we bring Brian back to really break down his rise to fame and how his life changed almost overnight. From a run-of-the-mill actor to becoming a mai...

Born and raised with a spirit of curiosity and determination, Lou Hill is the founder and owner of Humankind, a yoga and pilates studio primarily based in Kemptown, Brighton. From humble beginnings in a storage mart locker, Lou has expanded her business to four studios, each delivering the same welcoming and accepting community feel. In this candid and uplifting conversation, Lou reflects on her j...

Born in Nigeria to an English father and a Nigerian mother, Joel Chidi Sydenham grew up on a farm surrounded by nature, creativity, and complexity. From a young age, he was a spirited child who questioned everything, driven by a desire to understand why . In this deeply personal conversation, Joel reflects on his early love of storytelling, from having one of his short stories turned into a school...

On today’s episode of Seasoned Professional , I sit down with the lovely Tessa Holladay! I first came across Tessa through an article in The Times that shared the story of her young family’s bold decision to uproot their lives and move to Barbados. During our first introduction, I discovered that she’s also the founder of Saint Luke, a men’s clothing brand inspired by the spirit and style of the C...

In this heartfelt solo episode, Hannah reflects on her first year of podcasting, a year filled with courage, connection, and growth. From interviewing over forty incredible guests to finding her own voice, she opens up about what she’s learned about success, self-reflection, and overcoming fear along the way. This episode also features a special appearance from Clay, Hannah’s partner and self-proc...

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Andy Freeman, a creative powerhouse whose career has spanned some of the world’s top ad agencies and iconic brands. Andy played a key role in the revolutionary Burberry rebrand, hailed by The Economist as one of t he best rebrands of the 21st century. From leading in-house creative teams to now running his own agency, Urbane, Andy has worn just about every hat i...

⚠️ Content warning: In this episode, we talk openly about domestic violence, death, and addiction. Did you know the loneliest age group is 19–29? Loneliness doesn’t just affect older people, and tackling this hidden crisis is at the heart of the work of Together Co, a Brighton and Hove, based charity that has just celebrated its 25th anniversary. In this episode, I speak with the inspiring April B...

⚠️ Content warning: In this episode, we talk openly about cancer, illness, and death. In this episode, I speak with the inspiring Toby Freeman, founder and CEO of The Robin Cancer Trust. Toby set up the charity, alongside his family, in 2012 after losing his brother, Robin, to a rare germ cell cancer at just 24. What began as a tribute has since grown into the UK’s leading germ cell cancer awarene...