In this powerful episode of How to Belong, Naomi Lloyd sits down with Lea Turner—a trailblazer who’s redefined what it means to belong by building a community where “square pegs fit perfectly.”

From shaking up LinkedIn with her unapologetic honesty to founding The HoLT, an inclusive space for small business owners, Lea shares what it really means to show up as your full self—especially when you don’t fit the mould.

Lea opens up about losing her father at a young age, and how that grief—and the legacy of strength he left behind—has shaped her path. It’s a story of turning pain into purpose, difference into power, and visibility into a tool for lifting others up.

Together, Naomi and Lea explore self-belief behind the scenes, creating true community, and what it takes to stop editing yourself to fit in.

If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t belong or that it’s “too late” to start again, this is your invitation to stop proofreading who you are—and start owning it.

Key Topics Covered:

• Lea’s journey from outsider to community leader
• Grief and legacy: how losing her father shaped her mission
• Building The HoLT: a no-BS, burnout-free space for entrepreneurs
• Facing stereotypes, criticism, and loneliness with authenticity
• The messy reality of self-belief and resilience
• Practical advice for showing up as your true self

Connect with Lea Turner:

Website: leaturner.co.uk

Subscribe to How to Belong for more stories about finding, losing, and rediscovering belonging in every chapter of life.

Alongside hosting this podcast, I help people explore belonging through photography—whether that’s powerful headshots, personal rebranding, dating profile images, or family lifestyle shoots.

Find out more at: www.naomilloyd.co.uk

Friendship, Chosen Family & the Grief of Letting Go — with Alex Alexander

What does it really mean to belong? In this powerful episode of How to Belong, I’m joined by Alex Alexander — connection advocate, speaker, and host of the Friendship IRL podcast — for an honest conversation about the role friendship plays in our survival, identity, and healing.

Alex knows, deeply, that we aren’t meant to do life alone. Through her own story — shaped by childhood loneliness and a longing for support — she built the kind of chosen family she always needed. And now, she helps others do the same.

Together, we explore the real heart of friendship: not just the joy of being seen, but the pain of letting go. Not just the celebration of connection, but the grief when friendships shift, fade, or end.

This is a conversation about creating your village — and holding space for the seasons when it unravels.

In This Episode:

• Why friendship is a form of survival
• How chosen family helps us feel grounded, safe, and like we belong
• The quiet heartbreak of friendship breakups and slow fades
• Navigating static seasons — when friendships stop growing but still matter
• How to move through the grief of changing relationships without blame or shame
• What it means to build connection with intention, and why it’s never too late to begin again
• 
  

Why It Matters:

We often talk about romantic love or family as our main support systems. But friendship — deep, intentional friendship — can be just as life-giving. And when those friendships change or end, we feel it in our bones.

Alex reminds us that connection is not a luxury. It’s what gets us through. And belonging isn’t about being surrounded by people all the time — it’s about knowing who will show up, and who we are when we’re with them.

About Alex:

Alex Alexander is the host of Friendship IRL, a podcast and platform that explores the messiness and magic of adult friendship. She helps people build and sustain meaningful relationships, offering tools for connection rooted in compassion, realism, and deep care.

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Alex’s work → https://alexalexander.com

Reflection Prompt:

Whose absence are you grieving? Whose presence still anchors you? Let this episode be a gentle reminder: yo

u’re allowed to release, rebuild, and belong — all at once.

Follow Naomi Lloyd, host of How to Belong, for more conversations, insights, and reflections on the messy, beautiful business of finding your place in the world.

• Visit www.naomielloyd.com for more on belonging
• Explore Naomi’s photography work at www.naomilloyd.co.uk

This is my very first solo episode of How to Belong—a short one, but I hope it resonates.

After years of dreaming and planning, my husband and I finally took our magical music road trip through the American South: New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, and Dollywood. But the moment that stayed with me the most? It wasn’t on the itinerary.

It was a coat—a bold, 1970s Joe Browns jacket that reminded me of Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colours. Strangers stopped me to talk about it. It sparked little moments of connection everywhere we went. And somehow, it brought me full circle back to a childhood story I shared in the very first episode of this podcast.

In this episode, I reflect on what it means to be bold, be visible, and how sometimes, the things we wear (and the way we show up) open doors to belonging we never expected.

Featuring:

– A magical music road trip from New Orleans to Dollywood

– What my vintage coat taught me about confidence and connection

– Why showing up fully as yourself matters

– And a little Dolly wisdom, of course

Want to try out some Joe Browns stand-out clothing for yourself? Here's a link to their online store :

https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=1120&awinaffid=1912342&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joebrowns.co.uk%2F

Enjoyed this episode? For more insights on blogging, storytelling, and finding your voice, visit naomielloyd.com, follow me on Instagram @naomielloyd or @howtobelongpodcast

Today’s guest is the incomparable Kathy Lette—bestselling author, cultural firecracker, autism advocate, and queen of the witty one-liner. From co-writing the iconic Puberty Blues as a teenager to penning sharp, empowering novels like The Revenge Club and HRT: Husband Replacement Therapy, Kathy has built a career on saying the unsayable—and making us laugh while she does it.

In this candid and joyfully irreverent conversation, Kathy opens up about:

• Navigating the heartbreak and resilience of raising her autistic son, Jules, who went on to become one of the first autistic actors on prime-time TV in Holby City
• The complexities of belonging as both a mother and a woman reinventing herself later in life
• How humour has been her secret superpower through grief, exclusion, and reinvention
• Her passion for storytelling as a way to foster empathy, connection, and belonging
• What it means to thrive in your “second act”—with sass, sparkle, and zero apologies

Kathy's latest book, The Revenge Club, is now available in paperback. Click here to get your copy : https://amzn.to/3RsgCAI

This week’s guest is one of the most down-to-earth, open, and vulnerable people I’ve ever had the pleasure to interview. Luke Beastall isn’t afraid to be raw and honest about how his path didn’t turn out the way he’d planned.

From dreaming of a pro football career to being scammed by a fake agent and losing all confidence, Luke hit rock bottom. But through embracing vulnerability, leaning on his loved ones, and rebuilding his life from scratch, he discovered something even more powerful than his original dream—a deeper sense of belonging within himself and his purpose.

Today, Luke is the founder of Musclecoach UK and Master Your Life, leading a thriving coaching business where he helps others find confidence and fulfilment. His journey is proof that sometimes, the setbacks are what set us free.

In this episode, Luke opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome, the power of community, and why saying yes to the unknown can change everything.

Luke's courage to share his story is powerful, and his insights are a reminder that true belonging often comes from our most challenging experiences.

Connect with Luke Beastall:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-beastall-720a2591/
• MuscleCoach Uk : https://www.musclecoach.org
• Instagram: @beyondboardroompodcast  and @masteryourlife.coach

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and leave a review! And join the conversation on social media using #HowToBelong.

Follow me, your host, Naomi E Lloyd on:

• Naomi E Lloyd Author Website: www.naomielloyd.com
• Photography: www.naomilloyd.co.uk
• Instagram: @howtobelongpodcast and @naomielloyd

It Only Takes One Person to Change a Relationship

This episode didn’t just stay with me—it embedded itself in my core. I didn’t realise how much I needed some of these truth bombs, but I really did, and I have a feeling most of us do. Naomi has a way of explaining things that opens doors to a much more peaceful life, one where relationships don’t just survive—they thrive.

Today, we’re diving into one of the most important aspects of belonging: our relationships. My guest, Naomi Stonier, is a Relationship Coach who helps people build deep, fulfilling connections by teaching the emotional skills many of us were never taught. Because when we feel truly seen and understood in our closest relationships, we create a powerful sense of belonging.

Naomi’s own journey—from feeling disconnected in relationships to thriving in them—proves that it only takes one person to change a relationship. In this conversation, we explore:

• Why the deepest relationships bring the greatest rewards and how to navigate their challenges
• How to balance the need for both certainty and excitement in relationships
• Why meeting your own needs first creates deeper, more authentic connections
• The powerful truth that we create our own emotions and how to shift them
• What belonging means in the context of relationships and how we can cultivate it

You can connect with Naomi Stonier Coaching here:

http://naomistonier.com

To connect with me, your host (another Naomi ) you can reach me here:

www.naomielloyd.com (for my podcast episodes and dystopian fantasy books)

Insta : @howtobelongpodcast

@naomielloyd

In this episode of How to Belong, I sit down with Suzy Reading, a psychologist, yoga teacher, and self-care expert who has helped thousands navigate change, grief, and stress with more kindness and resilience.

Suzy is an Instagram superstar in the wellbeing space, known for her gentle wisdom and practical tools that make self-care accessible to everyone. But her journey hasn’t been without challenges. She shares her experience of moving from Australia to the UK, becoming a mother, and facing profound loss. Through it all, she discovered that self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential.

We talk about the power of small daily rituals that help us feel grounded in times of uncertainty, how to nurture ourselves through grief, and the deep connection we can still have with our loved ones even after they’ve gone. Suzy’s insights remind us that self-care is essential because it's how we come home to ourselves, no matter what life throws our way.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt lost in transition, struggled to put themselves first, or wondered how to find belonging after loss.

Find Suzy Reading:

Instagram: @suzyreading

Website: www.suzyreading.co.uk

If this episode resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a review, share with a friend.

Belonging is something we navigate throughout our entire lives, but two of the most profound experiences that shape our sense of connection are birth and grief. These moments—at opposite ends of life—challenge and transform how we relate to ourselves and those around us.

In this episode, I’m joined by Hannah Youell, a hypnotherapist, coach, and diversity advocate who has spent the last 15 years helping individuals, families, and organisations create environments where everyone feels they belong. But today, we step into a deeply personal space as Hannah shares her own story of navigating loss, birth, and transformation.

Together, we explore:

• How grief and birth shape our sense of belonging and identity
• The concept of grief as a transformation rather than just an ending
• The lasting connections we hold with loved ones who have passed
• The alchemical experience of giving birth alone at home during the pandemic
• Identity and belonging as someone of mixed heritage
• How we find our way back to ourselves during life’s biggest transitions

Hannah’s story is one of resilience, reflection, and deep connection. Whether you’re navigating loss, new beginnings, or simply exploring your own sense of belonging, this conversation offers insight, hope, and a reminder that we are never alone in these experiences.

Connect with Hannah: https://www.hannahjy.com

Follow Naomi on Instagram: @naomielloyd and @howtobelongpodcast

Naomi’s Website: www.naomielloyd.com

Explore Naomi’s dystopian fantasy books, where characters must face their demons—the classic hero’s journey—to ultimately find their belonging.

Our second episode in Season 2 - and what an extraordinary episode. My guest, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, MBE—peace strategist, CEO of the International Civil Society Action Network, one of the few trained female UN peace negotiators, and host of the If You Were in Charge Podcast—had to reschedule this very recording due to a last-minute invitation to attend President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Her connection to one of history’s great peace builders adds a poignant and inspiring dimension to this conversation.

In this episode, Sanam introduces the concept of “quantum identities”—how our sense of self evolves with our environment—and explains why embracing this fluidity is key to fostering belonging. Drawing on nearly 30 years of peace building experience and her insights as a mother of identical twins, she explores how the dynamics of conflict and connection resonate in both personal and global contexts.

Through captivating stories and transformative insights, Sanam shares practical strategies to navigate division, embrace complexity, and cultivate belonging in an increasingly fractured world.

A powerful conversation that will leave you inspired to connect more deeply with yourself and others.

In this captivating episode of How to Belong, Naomi sits down with the multi-talented Rob Bell—broadcast journalist, engineer, adventurer, and co-host of the Sketchplanations podcast. Rob’s passion for seeking meaningful connection takes centre stage as they explore the profound impact of friendships on our sense of belonging.

Together, Naomi and Rob dive into:

Navigating Friendships: The unique ways men and women approach building and maintaining friendships, and why these differences matter.

The Role of Banter: Is it just lighthearted fun, or can it mask deeper dynamics in relationships?

Big Life Events: How friendships evolve through milestones, challenges, and the passage of time.

The Power of Growth: How changing as we grow older reshapes our connections and how we find our "tribe."

Mechanisms for Friendship: Practical strategies for fostering strong, lasting bonds, especially in a world where busyness and isolation often get in the way.

With honesty, humour, and plenty of relatable moments, Naomi and Rob unpack the human experience of friendship—why it’s so crucial and how we can make it work better for us all.

Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation about the ties that bind us and how we can create the friendships we truly need to thrive.

Links & Resources:

Find Rob Bell : www.robbell.tv

Sketchplanations Podcast: www.podcast.sketchplanations.com

Naomi E Lloyd website: www.naomielloyd.com