Stories From Behind the Mask - The parts we edit out

Nerissa has spent much of her life hiding behind strength, competence, and perfection. As a manager, a friend, and a leader, she smiled through exhaustion, fear, and self-doubt, believing that being “the strong one” was the only way to be seen, respected, and safe. Her mask projected confidence, resilience, and control - yet beneath it, fear of rejection, invisibility, and not belonging ran deep....

Jane has spent her life hiding behind her art. Her paintings, delicate wildlife, and soft edges have always been her shield - the part of her she lets the world see. But behind the brushstrokes lies a woman who has carried grief, fear, and self-doubt for decades. Losing her mother at 13, a partner to cancer on her 21st birthday, and navigating postnatal depression and mental health challenges, Jan...

Katie spent much of her life hiding behind pleasing others, quietly dimming her own voice to make those around her proud. Her mask was subtle but telling - her bangles, a symbol of the persona she showed to the world while her true self stayed in the shadows. The turning point came when she realised she could step out of pleaser mode and allow herself to be fully seen. In that moment, she chose he...

Nina has spent her life dimming the brilliance and magnetism she was born with, afraid it might overwhelm others or make them uncomfortable. Behind the humour, boldness, and “zero FCKS” persona lies a woman who actually cares deeply - whose heart has closed at times, but who has always longed to belong and be loved. Her journey wasn’t easy. She struggled at school, leaving without qualifications a...

Gina spent years hiding behind the “good girl” persona, the one who kept the peace, never rocked the boat, and avoided conflict at all costs. Growing up in a household with a verbally abusive, controlling, and gaslighting father, she learned to stay quiet, never express her opinion, and work tirelessly to meet impossible expectations. She did everything to avoid confrontation, always trying to be...

For more than two decades, Hela has been the heartbeat of Sister Snog, the bold, bodacious, tribal brand that has connected extraordinary women across industries. To the outside world, she’s The Connectress : magnetic, stylish, and endlessly generous in the way she celebrates others. But behind the sparkle of the brand and the stage lights of her alter ego, there’s a woman learning to be seen not...

Tracey-Jane has spent much of her life putting others first - her children, her clients, her family, even the storms and dramas of people around her. From early setbacks, like being in a wheelchair as a teenager, through the grief of losing her mum, to financial struggles, business challenges, and the breakdown of her marriage, she often hid behind external circumstances. They became both a reason...

For years, Rachel hid behind a navy logo - safe, professional, but silent about who she really was. The moment her brand finally reflected her colour, passion and love for her work, everything shifted. She began to show up as herself. Bright, bold, visible. But appearances can be deceiving. Known for her confidence and sociability, Rachel often battles with social anxiety behind the scenes. Networ...

Jenny has spent much of her life hiding pain, loss, and betrayal behind a brave, sunshiny face. Behind that optimism lies the story of a broken marriage, a lost home, and the slow erosion of her true self while trying to please others. She learned to shine despite the darkness, seeking the light in difficult times and finding glimmers of hope every day. Her journey has been one of owning both shad...

Precious Zumbika, a business owner and founder of Karis Advisory Services, shares her journey from Zimbabwe to the UK, where she became a prominent figure in construction despite initial challenges as one of the few female professionals on site. She discusses her transition from a corporate role to entrepreneurship, focusing on two main pillars of her business: built environment advisory and leade...

Rachel has long hidden behind polishedness, strength, and independence - the mask of the “expert,” the emotionally regulated coach who seems calm and composed even when quietly winging it. Behind that exterior lies a life of raw grief, trauma, and invisibility: a cancer journey that stole parts of her identity, the pain of separation and heartbreak, and the daily choices of mothering through it al...

Sarah spent years climbing into boxes with neat little labels - Mother, Wife, Creative Director, Designer, Mentor. Each role gave her a mask, a way of being seen. But inside, she knew they were restrictions, disguises that diluted her truth and her power. The chapters she rarely shared are the ones that shaped her most: walking home at 19 and being raped; the devastating loss of her second daughte...

For most of her life, Gwenne didn’t know she had ADHD. At 57, sitting at a women’s ADHD conference, everything finally clicked. Words like rejection sensitivity , time blindness , and now & not now weren’t abstract concepts; they were her life. What she had always been accused of being late, disorganised, emotional, messy  suddenly had context. The shame and self-doubt she had carried for deca...

Mel has spent much of her life behind the scenes, quietly keeping everything running smoothly while remaining largely invisible. Calm, competent, and polished, she mastered the art of making life work for everyone else, often at the expense of not being seen herself. The invisibility that once fueled self-doubt became a quiet armour - a way to stay safe while still making things happen. For years,...

Sheila has spent much of her life behind a mask of polish and control, showing up as confident, competent, and in command - even when inside she wrestled with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Fear of judgment and the need to appear flawless often weighed on her, but she refused to let it stop her from stepping into her purpose. A pivotal moment came in 2002, when she travelled solo through Burma...

Rebellion, Breath & Becoming Fully Visible For much of her life, Charlotte Saunders wore the “good girl” mask - compliant, over-giving, striving to be palatable and approved of. On the surface, she was a successful bookkeeper and business owner. Underneath, she was quietly suffocating a deeper truth: that she was here to heal, guide, and walk others home to themselves. In this episode of UNMAS...

 Hi, I'm Joanna and this is Stories from Behind the Mask, the parts we edit out. Every week I'll be sitting down with entrepreneurs who've built businesses, created legacies and dare to show up in the world and we talk about the stories they usually keep to themselves.  The doubts, the wins, the personal challenges, the moments that changed everything. This is about being seen, unpo...