How to Be a Hero in Real Life

Welcome to the next episode of How to be a Hero in Real Life. I was out on a walk in nature and found myself thinking about a story I’ve never really told properly. Back in 2014, life looked very different. I’d made a lot of money, I wanted to invest it, and one of the things I’d always dreamed of doing was opening a restaurant. What followed was a journey involving love, heartbreak, betrayal, reb...

In this episode, I want to talk about something that has followed me in different forms throughout my life- bullying, criticism and the opinions of other people. As a kid, I was small, ginger-haired and constantly the new boy at school. My mum had left my biological father because of his gambling, we moved around a lot, and for a period of time she was couch surfing while trying to create a better...

In this episode, I sit down with my client and good friend Jennifer Bates , whose story is one of resilience, reinvention, adventure and having the courage to start again when life doesn’t go to plan. Born in New Zealand, Jennifer moved to Australia as a young woman and began building a life for herself from an early age. After meeting her partner in Sydney, the two of them drove across the countr...

In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Margaritas to discuss a subject that is finally beginning to receive the attention it deserves: perimenopause. Lauren grew up in Melbourne, Australia, in a proud Greek family. Like many of us, she absorbed the beliefs, values and expectations of the people around her. She was naturally loud, expressive and full of life, but was often told to quieten down. Th...

In this episode, I sit down with the wonderful Amanda, someone I first met through the Start Over Movement. From the moment we connected, I knew her story would inspire others. Amanda grew up in a family of eleven, where life was filled with adversity. She shares the challenges her family faced, from siblings being taken into care to witnessing addiction, illness, and loss. Through it all, her fai...

In this deeply honest and inspiring episode, we sit down with Melanie Gilchrist to explore a lifetime of adversity, healing and transformation. Growing up, Melanie experienced significant family trauma, including her father's schizophrenia, her sister's bipolar disorder and the emotional weight of taking on responsibility from a young age. As the years went on, she found herself battling relentles...

A couple of years ago, I met Barry- and his story has stuck with me ever since. Barry Carey, a number one bestselling author in the Start Over Series (Volume 4) , is originally from Northern Ireland and moved to Australia in 2008, planning to stay for just a year. Like many, that year turned into something much bigger- but not without its challenges. What started as a lifestyle of partying in his...

In this episode, I’m joined by Kersten Stengel, whose journey is nothing short of powerful. Kersten was born in Blackpool and studied in Manchester, where she completed a science degree before going on to train as a teacher. She started her career back in Blackpool, driven by a genuine passion to become the best teacher she could be. Around that time, she met her now-husband-who’s originally from...

In this episode, I’m joined by Adam Douglas, who shares how he discovered the Start Over movement after coming across my podcast and connecting with me on Instagram. After learning about the opportunity to co-author and share powerful life stories, Adam felt inspired to step forward and tell his own. Adam talks openly about the challenges he faced during COVID when he lost his job and the sense of...

In this episode, I’m joined by Louise Culyer, who shares her powerful journey of transformation and becoming part of the Start Over movement . Louise explains how, despite already helping people through her work, she felt something was missing. Her business felt stagnant and she knew she was meant for more - she wanted to write a book, travel, and reach even more people. After connecting on Zoom,...

In this episode, I’m joined by Sia De La Cruz, who shares her journey and what being part of the Start Over movement means to her. We talk about the power of connection, storytelling, and how people are using their experiences to bring healing not only to themselves, but to others. Sia has spent the last six years writing a book- a collection of poems and creative pieces inspired by trauma and hea...

In this special 36-minute episode, I am interviewed by my children, Paige and Saul, for a candid, future-focused conversation on what will actually win in 2026-on social media and in business. Stripping away trends, tactics, and algorithm-chasing, I share why the next era belongs to those who understand the Story Economy, where authenticity, leadership, and lived experience outperform automation,...

In this deeply honest and hopeful episode, I’m joined by Cheryl Stott , a woman whose story is not defined by trauma...but by resilience, growth, and the decision to keep going when everything felt lost. Cheryl opens up about her early life, growing up in an unsafe home where violence and fear were part of her daily reality. As a child, she struggled to regulate her emotions and later received dia...

In this deeply reflective and inspiring episode, I’m joined by Olga Wlodarska , a woman who truly believes she found this conversation at the exact right moment...through alignment, readiness, and the courage to finally share her story. Born and raised in Poland, Olga describes a childhood with very little joy, growing up in a home affected by alcohol abuse, instability, and emotional neglect. Fro...

In this deeply moving and courageous episode, I sit down with Andrea Ducker , a woman whose life story is one of survival, strength, and ultimately, transformation. Andrea opens up about growing up in a deeply unstable and unsafe environment — from her parents separating at a young age, being moved between family homes, and enduring years of sexual abuse , alongside domestic violence and neglect....

For our next episode of How to be a Hero in real life, I’m joined by Radomira Sunacova, a female health and fitness coach who shares a deeply honest and courageous story about self-worth, identity, and learning to listen to yourself. Radomira talks openly about one of the lowest moments of her life-returning her engagement ring , and how that moment forced her to question everything she thought wo...

This week’s episode is a truly powerful one. I sit down with Monica Daly, a mum of two, professional chef, and aspiring motivational speaker, who opens up about her life-changing journey through the family court system- and how she found her voice after being silenced by false allegations and emotional abuse. Monica had built a life she loved- raising her children, following her passion for cookin...

In this powerful and heart-opening episode, I sit down with  Esther Heese , a soul-based resilience mentor from Las Palma who has dedicated more than  30 years  to helping people navigate life’s greatest uncertainties. Esther’s mission is to inspire others to find peace, clarity, and strength — even when life feels like it’s falling apart. She guides people through what she calls&nb...

In this episode, I sit down with Michelle Eldin, someone I connected with online after she saw my Start Over book co-author post on Facebook. From the moment we spoke, her story really struck a chord with me — not only because of what she’s endured, but because of how she’s transformed her experience into something empowering. Michelle opens up about her two-year battle through the family court sy...

Growing up on a council estate in the North,  Shirley Ann Haig  didn’t have an easy start. Raised by a single mum on benefits, she knew she wanted more out of life — even if the odds were stacked against her. From lying about detention just to do her homework, Shirley’s early years were far from glamorous. But that didn’t stop her. She turned her life around, joined the  Prince’s Tr...

In this episode, I’m setting the record straight about a feature film I helped fund and produce, which went on to reach number 2 on Netflix USA and number 4 on Netflix UK. I want to share how it really came together-not through luck, but through connections, timing, and an unshakable belief in what I was doing. This film was born out of persistence, countless failures, and the refusal to give up w...

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode, we ist down with  Jerome Zoran- a musician, healer, and specialist energy coach with an extraordinary story to tell. Born and raised in Essex as one of eleven siblings, Jerome grew up surrounded by creativity, rhythm, and sound. Music became his first language, and his gift as a  lead cellist shaped much of his early life. But when a seriou...

One night. One city. One moment that changed everything. In this moving episode, Camille Wordsworth shares her remarkable journey from following a carefully plotted life plan to finding her own voice and purpose. Once a finance analyst raised to do everything “by the book,” Camille opens up about how losing her job, navigating a toxic relationship, and facing real danger in her neighbourhood becam...

In this episode, I open up about one of the most challenging times in my life...a period where I felt completely lost and trapped. I share how my journey took me from building businesses and breaking sales records in Malaysia, to fighting for my marriage years ago, and ultimately to discovering a deeper connection with myself and the universe. Along the way, I learned how to spot the signs and opp...

In this episode, we explore one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to be the hero of their own story... and how it can leave them broke, lost, or defeated. Drawing inspiration from Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces and the timeless journey of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars , we dive deep into the meaning of Campbell’s powerful quote: “The cave you fear to enter holds the t...