Mary always knew she would end up in Scotland. She and her future husband made that promise to each other back in the 1980s when work took them south of the border. Life, as it tends to, had other plans. Careers, community and a very happy life in the Forest of Dean and Wales meant the move never quite happened, until now.

In her 60s, Mary is halfway through the long-awaited transition north, leaving behind the people and places that shaped decades of her life. That includes her rowing club tribe and her much-loved volunteering with the Severn Area Rescue Association, a team affectionately described by their leader as a group of "resourceful misfits."

Mary has always been drawn to the sea, calling it a "wilderness of calm." It's a fitting metaphor for this stage of life: steady on the surface, but full of movement underneath. She speaks openly about the mix of excitement and trepidation that comes with such a big change, and why volunteering has always been central to her sense of purpose.

We also hear about her early love of reading and writing, the years she spent working with economists where prose wasn't quite the priority, and the possibility that a book or even a play might still be waiting to be written.

Mary may appear calm and measured, but she admits there's an "alley cat" inside her when the situation calls for it. And if her life were ever turned into a film? She'd choose Renée Zellweger to play her: quirky, fun, a little ditsy, and quietly smart.

It's a gentle, thoughtful conversation about long-held promises, the communities we build, and the truth that new beginnings can happen at any age.

In this episode:

· A promise to return to Scotland and the 35 years it took

· Leaving behind beloved communities and volunteer work

· The role of volunteering in shaping identity

· The sea as a place of calm and reflection

· Rediscovering a love of writing

· Embracing change later in life

Listen if you enjoy: Stories of reinvention, quiet strength, volunteering, and the courage to start again.

Contact and additional information at:

Your host:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcripps/

https://www.instagram.com/knowingyouwithsarah/

https://www.instagram.com/bigbalancetheory/

Our producer:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenpirie/

https://www.instagram.com/karen.pirie/

Emily is 38, a mum of four, a pastor, and someone whose love of the colour pink seems to match the brightness of her smile.

We first met over coffee in a busy Starbucks, cups clattering in the background, for a conversation originally meant to support her coaching qualification. What emerged was something much richer: a story of faith, calling, family and the quiet wisdom that comes from living life with intention.

After careers in teaching, Emily and her husband felt a strong pull to follow a different path. Together they responded to what they describe as a calling, planting a Freedom Church in Cheltenham. Today, their community numbers around 160 people. They don't have a traditional church building, instead gathering in schools and borrowed spaces, meeting people where they are.

Despite her young age, Emily speaks with clarity about the importance of caring for herself so she can better care for others, as a wife, mum, pastor and leader.

She reflects on her childhood on the family farm, early mornings at markets with her dad, and the simple joys that shaped her outlook. She also shares how she and her husband are complete opposites and why that difference is one of their greatest strengths.

Finally, Emily leaves us with four principles she hopes her children will carry through life:

• Be confident in who you are and own your path.
• Love people, even when they're hard to love.
• Find joy in the small things.
• Live a life full and die empty, give your all, until the cloth is wrung dry.

If her story were ever told on screen, she'd choose Anne Hathaway, Cameron Diaz or Kate Winslet to play her.

A conversation full of warmth, honesty and a zest for life that lingers long after the coffee cups stop clattering.

Contact and additional information at:

Your host:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcripps/

https://www.instagram.com/knowingyouwithsarah/

https://www.instagram.com/bigbalancetheory/

Our producer:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenpirie/

https://www.instagram.com/karen.pirie/

In this episode I talk with Sarah Carey, aka Kiwi, or rather 'party Kiwi'; a Kiwi native who settled in the UK almost 30 years ago. Despite her reservations to have a recorded conversation she revealed so much:

· From the outside she's confident, assured and sorted but the truth is confidence isn't innate in her

· How growing up in New Zealand shaped her values – an embedded culture of work-life balance, living for the moment, family and commitments first and of course the country's passion for rugby

· Why laughter is the best elixir and how burnout in 2025 crept in and she left a job she loved only to have a plot twist 6 months later.

· How fear can stop us making the right choice but how she's living proof it all turns out

Host note

Conversations like this - spending time to focus on someone we think we know or have only just met bring me such inspiration and I hope they do the same for you.

Contact and additional information at:

Your host:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcripps/

https://www.instagram.com/knowingyouwithsarah/

https://www.instagram.com/bigbalancetheory/

Our producer:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenpirie/

https://www.instagram.com/karen.pirie/

In this episode I talk with Esther - a connector, coach, entrepreneur and founder of the Sparkle Squad - about resilience, reinvention and the lasting power of human connection.

Esther tells the moving story of having a terrible stutter as a child, years of speech therapy that gave her a voice, and how the simple act of reading aloud to her three children was a turning point. She reflects on life in three eras: the first 30 growing up, the next 30 raising her family, and now, at 60, the next 30 focused on her - the balance she wants, meaningful work, and a life that isn't about retirement but about purpose.

Just 12 months before this conversation, Esther's employed role ended unexpectedly. Instead of slowing down, she doubled down: by 2026 she's earning a full-time income through her own business, delivering LinkedIn training, coaching as a qualified business coach, and running the Sparkle Squad - a community of SME owners who crave connection more than ever. She names Michelle Obama as a role model and with a wink would pick Emma Thompson to play her in a film.

This is a conversation about saying yes to reinvention, the tiny practices that change us (like reading out loud), and why connection matters especially for small business owners.

Host note

Conversations like this - spending time to focus on someone we think we know or have only just met bring me such inspiration and I hope they do the same for you.

Contact and additional information at:

Your host:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcripps/

https://www.instagram.com/knowingyouwithsarah/

https://www.instagram.com/bigbalancetheory/

Our guest:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherpartridge/

https://www.instagram.com/esther_linkedin_coach/

Our producer:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenpirie/

https://www.instagram.com/karen.pirie/

I was lucky enough to get a table at Hari Kitchen in Franschhoek, South Africa - a restaurant consistently rated among the best in the region, with a 4.9 Google score and features as far afield as The New York Times. Even luckier was getting an hour-long conversation with the man behind it all, chef and entrepreneur Manashe (Nash) - my first international guest.

In this episode of Knowing You with Sarah Cripps, Nash shares his journey from humble beginnings to international recognition, and why success has never meant distancing himself from where he comes from. We talk openly about township pride, chasing opportunities, and the mindset of giving everything you have when you feel you have nothing to lose.

Nash explains how his now-famous pumpkin and peanut butter soup - inspired by his Zimbabwean roots and his granny's recipe - became a symbol of his philosophy: honest food, honest stories, and staying unpretentious in a world that often rewards the opposite. We also explore the culture behind Hari Kitchen, from choosing a daily "man of the match", to why Nash keeps four journals, including one dedicated purely to conversations.

Throughout the episode, one theme keeps returning: conversations build connections, and connection is at the heart of everything he's built.

This is a warm, grounded and deeply inspiring conversation about effort, integrity, community, and the long game of success.

In this episode, Vanessa joins me for a thoughtful and unexpectedly moving conversation about what it's like to be the person everyone talks to, but rarely talks about. As the owner of a beauty business, Vanessa is used to listening, holding space, offering comfort, and often feeling more like a counsellor than a therapist when offering pedicure and manicure treatments in Monmouth.

She shares how meaningful it felt to be asked about her own life, especially at a time when her father's recent cancer diagnosis has prompted deeper reflection and soul-searching. Alongside the heavier moments, we drift back to simpler times - penny sweets, high-sugar school tuck shops, holiday brochures, and hours lost in the Argos catalogue and how she ended up in running her own business.

This conversation is a gentle reminder that those who help us feel better through the work they do often need time, care, and attention themselves.

In this episode we explore:

• The unseen emotional labour behind running a beauty business
• What it's like always being the listener — and rarely being asked
• Nostalgia and the comfort of small, shared memories
• How a family health scare can quietly reshape priorities

A reflective, human conversation about being seen, heard, and held, especially when you're usually the one doing that for everyone else.

To kick off the year we flipped the mic and put KP in the hot seat as host. We take a candid look back at last year - what worked, what I lost and reintroduced (I brought journalling and running back into my life), and the mental framing that helped: opportunity cost. Saying "no" isn't just closure, it creates space to say "yes" to something more meaningful.

We also unpack the harmful habit of comparing ourselves to others and commit to stopping it. After an energising trip to South Africa over Christmas I came back reset, re-evaluated and refocused - intentionally honest rather than performatively authentic, because authenticity has become an overused buzzword on socials. KP brought a powerful reflective question to the table: "How do I think others see me and what are they missing?" and we explore what that means for communication, presence and purposeful living.

Episode Highlights

• Producer KP flips the mic and leads the episode.
• Reintroducing good habits: journalling and running - why they matter.
• Opportunity cost: why saying no = creates room for better yeses.
• The comparison trap: how and why to stop it.
• Travel reset: reflections from a holiday in South Africa.
• "Honest, not authentic": what we mean and why it matters.
• KP's reflective question about perception and missed pieces.

If this episode resonated: subscribe, leave a rating, and tell one friend who needs to hear this.

In this episode, I sit down with Tegan, the 25-year-old founder of No Filter, a thriving beauty business that now proudly runs with a one-month waiting list.

What I loved most about this conversation is how deeply human it is. Tegan shares her journey from feeling embarrassed to say she worked in beauty, to stepping fully into pride as a young business owner with four years of success behind her.

What we cover in this episode:

✨ Self-acceptance & identity in your 20s Tegan opens up about finally embracing her role in the beauty industry and letting go of others' opinions.

✨ The myth of constant business growth After years of pushing for "more, more, more," she now chooses happiness today over relentless expansion.

✨ Work–life balance, but realistically Her downtime often looks like… DIY. (If you know, you know!)

✨ Career detours From wanting to be a vet nurse to becoming known for great eyebrows - literally voted "Best Eyebrows" in her school yearbook.

✨ A childhood story you'll never forget The moment she cut her own eyebrows to impress a boy. (Yes… with scissors.)

✨ Lessons from four years of clients

• Not everyone gives instant feedback, and that's okay.
• Bad days don't define you, another good one will come.
• Pride grows with experience and self-trust.

✨ Looking ahead Tegan sees teaching or coaching in her future, and by the time she's 60? Children, travel, joy - simple and beautiful.

This episode was a little experiment in format and what a brilliant one it turned out to be. I sat down with my youngest ever guest, Grace who, at just 16 years old, brings a clarity of purpose, a deep sense of values, and a grounded wisdom far beyond what anyone might expect from her age.

Grace joined my day job Salad Skills after completing work experience with us at just 15. From day one, she's shown all the signs of a future high achiever committed, curious, hardworking. But what truly sets her apart is her moral compass. Slice her in half like a stick of seaside rock and you'll find values running right the way through. She has an innate desire to do good, be good, and make choices that feel right.

In this conversation, Grace reflects on the people who shaped her - proof that one good adult can change everything.✨ Her reception teacher, who visited her nursery to introduce herself, making that early transition feel safe, calm, and exciting.✨ Her inspiring English teacher, Mr Rose, whose quiet encouragement helped her build self-belief, the skill she says has been her biggest learning curve so far.

Grace also shares insights on growing up, learning to trust herself, and embracing the person she's becoming. And just in case you're imagining the world's most flawless teenager… don't worry. She's totally relatable too - her one big wish is for her parents to stop nagging her about the state of her bedroom!

This warm, thoughtful, and uplifting chat is a reminder that young people have so much to offer; wisdom, perspective, resilience, and hope. And sometimes, they teach us more than we teach them.

In this deeply personal and refreshingly honest conversation, I sit down with my lifelong friend Claire, a friendship that has spanned almost five decades.

For the first time publicly, Claire opens up about her decision to give up alcohol, not because she was an alcoholic, but because she realised she had never met the version of herself that didn't drink. This episode explores the surprising emotions behind that choice, the identity shifts that come with it, and the discovery that there is a fun, vibrant Clare without the glass in her hand.

We dig into the unspoken truth of friendship:

We think we know people so well, yet we rarely stop to ask why they believe what they believe or behave how they do. Why does Claire identify as an atheist? What shaped her views? What risks has she taken in her life and what has she learned from them?

This episode gently reminds us that the people closest to us still have untold stories, unseen moments of courage, and unexplored layers.

As always, we end with a fun, fast-paced "7 Questions Before You Go" a light-hearted quick-fire round that reveals even more quirks, preferences, and truths we've somehow never asked each other over the years.

If you love conversations that feel real, raw, and rooted in decades of friendship, you'll feel right at home in this episode.