Hi my loves! Today’s episode is a brief reflection and quick update that we will be returning with more beautiful interviews on April 16th. 

I have adored these transformational conversations so far, and I’m looking forward to many more. Please keep sending messages about the mindset shifts and new perspectives you’ve learned because I absolutely love hearing them.

I started Hindsight so we can learn from one another, look back at our own lives and find those lessons worth passing forward. Each conversation has been a wonderful exploration into what it means to be human and live our complicated lives.

I’ve been consuming every single book our guests have recommended (see their show notes for your new reading list!) and creating content around what lessons I’m learning:

What I’ve Been Thinking About

About My Instagram

So my boyfriend made the fatal mistake of betting me that I couldn't grow my Instagram from 120 followers on Jan. 1st to 50k in under a year. When I inevitably succeed, he's paying for my DREAM trip to Japan!! (Here's how it's going so far. 👀)

I'm documenting every single thing as I go so you can literally replicate it for whatever account you're trying to grow. And, as you can see from the list above, I’m not just posting a thousand reels on how to get followers. This is my life as I’m living it so there’s everything from my (insanely valuable) insights as a social media strategist to being a woman with a luteal phase.

No bullshit and no advice from someone who figured it out after they already went viral. Come follow along on Instagram @bylaurendudley and let's kick his ass together!

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at ⁠theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - ⁠Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

There’s a moment in life where everything looks right on paper—but something deeper is calling you elsewhere. Maya’s journey is the perfect example of what it looks like to follow that pull even when it makes absolutely no sense.

In this episode, I sit down with one of my closest friends for a chaotic and fun conversation about how she has transformed. From building a successful career in pharmaceutical advertising in New York to walking away from it all to travel the world, Maya shares what it means to choose expansion over comfort.

We talk about the tension between stability and freedom, what happens when you outgrow a life you once loved, and the courage it takes to start over because you are curious about what else life has to offer.

Her story takes us across continents, through the isolation and unexpected beauty of COVID in Cape Town, and into a deeply transformative period of self-discovery.

From navigating burnout and identity shifts to exploring meditation, yoga, and somatic practices, Maya opens up about the inner work that changed how she sees herself and what she wants from life. This episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most aligned path is the least predictable. 

New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too.

Maya is a lover of the ocean, one of Lauren’s best friends, a certified yoga teacher, former pharmaceutical copywriter, and writer who has completely  transformed on her path of creativity, self-discovery, and personal growth. After leaving a successful career in advertising to travel the world, she has lived in multiple countries and built a life rooted in exploration and intentional living. Now based in Cape Town, Maya is deepening her work in meditation, yoga, and breathwork, while also exploring creative projects including writing and AI-driven storytelling. Listen to this episode to discover what Maya has learned in Hindsight.

Maya’s Recommendations

Also Mentioned

Connect with Maya Faya Franco-Tayar

📱 Instagram - @mayafayaa

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley⁠

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at ⁠theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

In this episode, I sit down with Gabriela Flax to talk about why everyone should be proactively building flexibility, financial independence, and leverage well before they need to rely on it. We chat about career ownership, personal branding, and why more women should be thinking about what she calls “trimester zero.” 

In this episode, I sit down with Leen, a coach and yoga teacher whose powerful presence I first experienced at the Retreat Yourself wellness festival outside Cape Town. Before she even spoke a word, the entire room was captivated. During her pleasure manifestation ritual, a space filled with more than a hundred people transformed into a shared experience of joy, connection, and possibility.

Leen shares the deeply personal moments that led her to leave a conventional career, follow her intuition, and build a life centered around embodiment, pleasure, and spiritual practice. We learn more about tantric yoga and the daily rituals that keep Leen centered.

We also talk about a major struggle for high-achieving  women: the constant pressure to produce, achieve, and care for everyone else while our own pleasure and creativity fall to the bottom of the list. Leen encourages us to prioritize the time and space to connect with our own pleasure and learn to create safety in our bodies.

If you’ve ever felt the pull toward a more grounded life, but wondered what it actually takes to follow it, this conversation will leave you with plenty to think about.

New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too.

Gabriela Flax is a career coach and creator of Pivot School. She is a powerhouse of information and inspiration for people who want to change their career path, whether that’s with “micro-squiggles” or a full 180 degree revamp. Gabriela is active on Substack, LinkedIn and TikTok where she shares actionable tips on how to prepare in your “trimester zero” and what it means to build a life around your zones of genius. Listen to this episode to discover what Gabriela has learned in Hindsight.

Connect with Gabriela

📱 TikTok - @gabriela_flax

📱 Instagram - @gabrielaflax

📄 Substack - gabrielaflax.substack.com

🖥️ Website - stan.store/GabrielaFlax

🤯 Product Recommendation 

📖 Book Recommendations

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - ⁠

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - ⁠Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

In this episode, I sit down with Leen, a coach and yoga teacher whose powerful presence I first experienced at the Retreat Yourself wellness festival outside Cape Town. Before she even spoke a word, the entire room was captivated. During her pleasure manifestation ritual, a space filled with more than a hundred people transformed into a shared experience of joy, connection, and possibility.

Leen shares the deeply personal moments that led her to leave a conventional career, follow her intuition, and build a life centered around embodiment, pleasure, and spiritual practice. We learn more about tantric yoga and the daily rituals that keep Leen centered.

We also talk about a major struggle for high-achieving  women: the constant pressure to produce, achieve, and care for everyone else while our own pleasure and creativity fall to the bottom of the list. Leen encourages us to prioritize the time and space to connect with our own pleasure and learn to create safety in our bodies.

If you’ve ever felt the pull toward a more grounded life, but wondered what it actually takes to follow it, this conversation will leave you with plenty to think about.

New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too.

Leen is an certified tantric Hatha Yoga teacher and a certified Sex, Love, and Relationship VITA coach who has been helping people connect with their pleasure for last 10 years. She was born in Belgium but lives as a citizen of the world, traveling to learn and facilitate sessions for pleasure and embodiment. Listen to this episode to discover what Leen has learned in Hindsight.

Connect with Leen

📱 Instagram - @leen.s.coaching

🖥️ Website - leen-s.com

🎙️Podcast - Sex & Soul on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

📖 Book Recommendations - 

Beyond is a high-level immersion program for successful women that starts in April. 

For couples, Unstoppable Lovers opens in May 2026. 

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - ⁠Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

Hi, just me today! I woke up with a lot on my mind and challenged myself by hitting record. Today’s episode is my hindsight about relationships, intuition, discomfort, and patterns worth unlearning. 

In this solo episode, I’m sharing four reflections that have been top of mind for me lately. This one is personal, a little woo-woo in places, and very much a stream-of-consciousness (but cleaned up by my editor) download. If you’ve been feeling stuck or like the universe is trying to tell you something more, then this conversation is for you.

New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too.

Resources from Today’s Episode

🎙️“Out of Your Mind: Essential Listening from the Alan Watts Audio Archives” on Spotify

📖Tao Ta Ching: The Essential Translation of the Ancient Chinese Book of the Tao by Lao Tzu

📱Amanda Fowler on Instagram - ⁠@justmandss

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at ⁠theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

What happens when you stop building your life by default… and start designing it on purpose? In this episode of Hindsight, Lauren sits down with Annica — former restaurant critic turned menu psychology expert — for an honest conversation about curiosity, independence, and what it really means to build a life that fits your joy.

From growing up on a tiny Swedish island to travelling young to building a highly specialized business in hospitality, Annica shares how following her natural interests led her to unexpected success and freedom.

We talk about menu psychology, building a business that fits your life instead of what’s expected, choosing to be childfree, and why your 40s and 50s might actually be your best years yet. This conversation is thoughtful, practical, and empowering — especially if you’ve ever questioned the “default” path.

New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too.

Annica Wainwright is the “Menu Geek” and she lives out her love of food by helping restaurants refine their guest experience and connect with the people eating at their table. She is passionate about travel, pickleball and enjoying life to the fullest. Listen to this episode to discover what Annica has learned in Hindsight.

Connect with Annica

📱 Instagram - @2_forks

🖥️ Website - 2forks.co.uk

🖥️ LinkedIn -  Annica Wainwright: Biggest Menu Geek in the World

📖 Book Recommendation - Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - ⁠

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at ⁠theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

What changes when you become a parent and suddenly everything that used to feel urgent…doesn’t?

In this episode of Hindsight, Lauren chats with Adam Faulkner only a few months after he became a father for the first time. Adam shares what the early months of fatherhood have really looked like, from the mental load, the guilt of working versus being present, and how it’s forced him to radically reassess what actually matters. This deeply honest conversation explores identity shifts, creative courage, and how so many of us are optimizing the joy out of our lives.

We talk about Adam’s evolving philosophy on content, creativity, and human connection in what he calls a growing “trust recession.” Adam makes a compelling case that in a world drowning in content, the real advantage now belongs to people willing to have real conversations and create from a place of genuine fun.

New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too.

Adam Faulkner is a creative in many forms: musician, stand-up comedian, professional marketer and human who lives a life centered on fun. He recently became a father to an adorable daughter and finds great joy in his family. Listen to this episode to discover what Adam has learned in Hindsight.

Connect with Adam

📱 TikTok & Instagram - @comedyadamf

🖥️ Website - adamfaulkner.co.uk 

🖥️ LinkedIn -  Adam Faulkner: Make Marketing Fun AF

📖 Book Recommendations 

Fiction = 1984 by George Orwell

Non-Fiction = The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

Lauren’s Suggestion = Before & After: The Hilarious Guide to Changing Your Life by Jimmy Carr

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - ⁠Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

What happens when you stop chasing the “sensible” career path… and start building something that actually feels like you?

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Sean — lifelong creative, former London resident and now co-owner of a thriving community café in Hastings. What started as a monthly pop-up serving homemade bacon rolls has grown into a full-time café that provides a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, and a powerful example of what happens when you listen to the city residents and follow what works.

We talk about creative careers, dyslexia, ADHD, small-town living, and what it really means to build something that belongs to the community. This conversation is honest, funny, grounded, and surprisingly moving.

New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too.

Sean is a freelance creative turned café co-owner, originally from the North of England and now based in Hastings. Alongside his husband Daniel, he runs a community-focused “gastro caf” known for homemade bacon rolls, specialty coffee and high-quality events.

“I spent too long wishing I was someone else. Eventually you realise — you just are who you are.” - Sean

Connect with Sean

☕ Visit the Caf - Grey Skull Coffee at St Andrew's Square, Waldegrave St, Hastings TN34 1SJ, United Kingdom

📱 Instagram - @greyskullcoffee

📱 TikTok- @greyskullcoffee

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

Lauren sits down with Elyssa Darling for an honest conversation about reinvention, resilience, and learning to build a life on your own terms. Elyssa shares her journey from growing up in the United States to moving abroad with young children—first to Bangkok, then to the UK—and how living across cultures reshaped her worldview.

Elyssa talks about what it’s really like to raise children as cultural hybrids, the quiet grief and courage of rebuilding life after divorce in a foreign country, and the nonlinear process of asking: Who am I now and what do I actually want? She also talks about her shift outside of traditional marketing to AI consultancy and training teams to work more efficiently. Listen to this episode for answers to your AI questions and to learn how an automated assistant can remove friction from work and personal life. This is a conversation about choice and self-trust in any country, career, or seasons of life.

New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too.

Connect with Elyssa Darling

📱 LinkedIn - Elyssa Darling | AI Marketing Strategist 

🖥️ Website - darlingaisolutions.com

📖 Book Recommendation - The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley⁠

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

This episode is an unfiltered, deeply human conversation about survival, pain, and the journey to reclaiming your body and your life. Lauren sits down with Sylvia Brune, who was born into a fundamentalist Christian doomsday cult and escaped at 15. She navigated the international world without formal schooling and with a nervous system shaped by constant threat. 

Sylvia shares what growing up in a cult actually looked like: end-of-days fear, isolation, punishment, forced labor, and learning very early that love had to be earned. Her upbringing manifested as urgency, relationships built around managing other people’s emotions, burnout and complete disconnection from herself. Sylvia explains how body-based healing, psychedelics, breathwork, dance, and learning to feel rather than fix allowed her to release decades of stored pain and what life looks like on the other side.

New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too.

Connect with Sylvia Brune

📱 Instagram - ⁠@sylviabrune | @sylvia.writes.a.book

✍🏻Upcoming Book - The Great Unsettling (Follow along with her writing journey on Instagram @sylvia.writes.a.book!)

📖 Book Recommendation - The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

Connect with Lauren Dudley

📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley⁠

🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠

📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley