Liberté - Free to Be

I speak to lots of women who shy away from the camera and absolutley hate having their photograph taken. I spent lots of years feeling the same and look back with sadness that I was seldom seen on my children's photographs when they were younger. Hard to believe,considering that being in front of the camera is now a job I love!

This weeks guest Tigz Rice is an empowering fashion and boudoir photographer, whose work I've admired from a far so I'm delighted to share her with you this week.

Tigz is passionate about helping fearless humans re-connect with their bodies & feel empowered, confident & unapologetically present in both their personal and professional adventures. Combining luxury editorial photography with her own signature style of retouching, 

Tigz has been helping her clients level up their digital visibility since 2009, providing a portfolio of beautiful images that perfectly portray their unique personality, style and values. Working with clients from all backgrounds, Tigz's photography has supported her clients to reconnect and/or reclaim their bodies after life-changing events including cancer treatment, surgical procedures, trauma and abuse. She also actively works with her clients to promote self-worth and a positive body image.

Tigz has gainied a reputation as one of the world’s most sought after empowerment photographers. In 2019 she published her award-winning book STRIP/TEASE, documenting a decade of work within the burlesque community. In 2021, she was named as one of Digital Women's Top 40 Digital Women To Watch, making the shortlist for Digital Woman of the Year and in 2023, she was named as one of the UK’s most inspirational and dynamic female entrepreneurs by the f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ campaign, in partnership with Small Business Britain.

When she’s not behind the camera, Tigz enjoys spending time outdoors, travelling the world and learning as many languages as possible (currently Japanese).

Subjects covered-

• Who is Tigz Rice? Ambitious, Authentic, Transforming

• What led Tigz to empowering photography?

• Body confidence

• Vulnerability

• Shifting the stigma towards boudoir photography

• Confidence is beauty

• Reconnecting with your body

• Fear of success

• Embracing our imperfections

• Visibility- Tigz word of the year

• A love of travel and learning languages

• Japans adventure

• Whats next for Tigz and how you can work withe her in 2023

What does Free to Be mean to Tigz Rice?

It means having full permission to live your best unfiltered, authentic life, and I'm here for it!

What does Free to Be mean to you?

To find out more visit

Website: https://www.tigzrice.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tigzrice/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TigzRice

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boudoirbytigz

I'll be back next week but in the meantime 

Keep being fabulous 

Rachel x ⁠⁠

https://linktr.ee/libertefreetobe

• Meet the women who's shouting out loud for a self-worth revolution!
  Lis Cashin is a transformation specialist for the new wave of heart-led women leaders to transform self-doubt into unshakable self-worth.​
  ​Her award-winning and best-selling self-help memoir 'This is ME: My journey to mental wellbeing' gives a roadmap to living a life of happiness without suffering. She is also a passionate speaker and was voted 'Speaker of the year' in 2021 by a region of the Professional Speaking Association in the UK.
  I heard Lis talk at one of Lisa Cliffords brilliant immersive empowerment event and knew I had to get her on the podcast.
  
  Lis is also a global and TEDx speaker and her talk entitled 'Mental health awakening: suffering is optional' can be seen here.
  Lis has had a challenging path in her own life, having lived through complex trauma as a child. But through her journey to coming to know her own worth, she has learned so much about the strength of the human spirit, what really holds us back and how we can transform and become who we were really meant to be.
  She is now passionate about sharing all she has learned to help other women to become the vibrant aligned leaders they were meant to be!
  Born in the UK, she is a 'life adventurer' and loves to travel and explore different countries and cultures. She loves to create joyful moments - whether connecting with loved ones, dancing 'til she drops or spending time in nature.
  
  Subjects covered-


• Who is Lis Cashin?


• What is your superpower? How to own it


• Letting go of limiting beliefs


• The big awakening


• Reconnecting with your heart in midlife


• What is transformational work?


• "When you're climbing up a ladder make sure it's against the right wall!"


• It's ok to be selfish and put yourself first


• Becoming a public speaker and overcoming imposter syndrome


• Delivering a TedX talk
  
  Find Lis at-

Website: www.liscashin.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liscashin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lis.cashin/

​What does Free to Be mean to Lis?
''Free to be ME. without needing any permission from anyone to do that".
What does free to be mean to you?

I'll be back next week but in the meantime 

Keep being fabulous 
Rachel x
⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/libertefreetobe

Welcome back to a brand new series of Liberté- Free to Be , new name, new look and I've even got my own music too

What better way to kick things off than inviting the dynamic duo Rants and Big Pants, aka Neens and dB on the show.

These ladies are not only doing a great job at keepings things Realtor their midlife community but they are bundles of fun too so I knew we would have an interesting conversation. I wasn't disappointed!

Meet Neens and dB-

Big Pants’ Neens…A veteran of the singing and entertainment circuit with ‘SHOWBIZ’ running through her in big glittery letters with a personality to match,

She is passionate about bringing awareness and offering help/support and advice on Alzheimer’s after looking after her late, beloved Dad as he battled this terrible disease.  Neens also loves all things beauty and after nearly 20 years working in cosmetics, is always happy to share her knowledge.  Everything about our Neens sparkles from her love of disco to her warm/funny personality.  Neens isn't afraid to step outside her comfort zone and practices what she preaches.

‘Rants’ dB is the writer and wannabe cowgirl.  Give this girl jeans, trainers (or cowboy boots) and anything leopard print and watch her go.  

 Known by all as dB (yes, that’s a small d and a capital B). She loves recommending films/tv or just having a rant because yep, she’s the Rants to Neens’ Big Pants and honestly when she’s on one she just gets louder and louder.  dB is overcoming her own imposter syndrome as she proudly publishes her first novel this month. At heart she’s still just a girl who tucks her vest into her knickers.

They may seem like chalk and cheese but their shared values bond them together to create a dream team.

Subjects covered

• Where their friendship started, was it love at first sight?


• Keeping it real and showing up as your authentic self


• Overcoming imposter syndrome


• How their different personalities complement each other


• How to let go of the fear of other peoples judgements


• Caring for elderly parents suffering with Alzheimers- Neens shares her own experience of how she volunteered in her dads care home during lockdown so she could still see him


• Being brave and stepping out of your comfort zone- DBEs publishes her first novel this month


• The Rants & Big Pants Big Weekender- The weekend of Friday 20th May to Sunday 22nd May. And you're ALL invited.

What does Free to Be mean to Rants and Big Pants?

dB- "To show up for myself anyway I like"

Neens- "To be myself always"

To find out more about these fabulous ladies visit- https://www.rantsandbigpants.com/

I'll be back next week but in the meantime 

Keep being fabulous 

Rachel x

⁠ https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble

Going solo for a quick catch up and to tell you all why I'm saying goodbye to Out of the Bubble and hello to Liberté-Free to Be!

Don't panic, I'm not going anywhere but I am having a big rebrand and embracing change.

Since I first started the podcast in 2018 I've been on my own journey of growth alongside the 124 women I've interviewed.

I started Out of the Bubble because when I first started modelling at 46 I was often overwhelmed with imposter syndrome, had wobbles of insecurity and self doubt and I gained great strength and inspiration from other women's stories on social media. I wanted to create a platform for these women to create a positive ripple effect on other women in midlife.

The name came from my own life changes, such as divorce that took me to a new stage of life where I just had to step out of my own bubble and I've never looked back.

I'm 53 this May and I feel the most aligned and confident now than at any stage of my adult life and that's exciting. It's a liberating feeling to stop worrying about if you fail, to stop caring what others might be thinking of you and to embrace all of you, flaws and all.

Which is what's led me to the rebrand decision, I started feeling like I'd stepped out of the bubble and was ready to move on, I hope I've taken lots of you with me!

The podcast will now be called Liberté- Free To Be and It will be business as usual just with an extra sparkle of my new vava voom!

My new logo reflects where I'm at right now in life and it feels good to be showing up this way.

I will be launching the next series 6, on Tuesday 2nd May.

Don't worry I'll be back before then to keep you update with all the details!

What does Free to Be mean to you?

Back soon but in the meantime...

Keep being fabulous

Rachel x

Are you one of the many that ditched the alcohol for a dry January this year, only to go straight back on it February? 

One of the things I've noticed now I'm going through the menopause is the effect alcohol has on my mental wellbeing, it increases my anxiety levels and zaps my energy so I've cut right back. I still have the odd G & T but I can imagine ditching it all together at some point so I was very interested to talk with Claire Owen.

Meet Claire Owen , aka the Soberholic. Claire went from drinking 100 units a week (10 bottles of wine) to quitting and has never looked back! I know lots of women like myself that are going through the menopause or peri-menopause and alcohol is no longer working for them. So many of us continue to drink , partly out of habit and perhaps because it's so ingrained in our culture but what would it feel like to stop? 

After volunteering in a recovery clinic, Claire retrained as a life coach; after being inspired to question her own relationship with alcohol after watching her good friend's health decline. She now supports women worldwide to take back control without judgement, shame or fear. 

 Claire's mission is to rebrand sober as the goal-seeking choice for women who desire more than a bottle of wine after another stressful day. Her service inspires women to put down the glass and aim for the life of their dreams. 

 Claire is now 4 years alcohol free and her husband's joined her too with almost 2 years alcohol free and she had no idea life could be so good without wine! 

 Food for thought!

Subjects covered-

-Claires former relationship with alcohol

-Deciding to ditch the bottle

-What differences Claire noticed alcohol free

-How the alcohol industry have targeting women with their marketing

-Saying yes to new opportunities

If you'd like to know visit- www.thesoberholic.com

Join Claire's free Facebook group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesoberholic

I'll be back in a fortnight but in the meantime 

Keep being fabulous 

Rachel x

⁠ https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble

What better way for me to celebrate Mother's Day this year than to invite my own mum along for a chat. I started this podcast because I wanted women over 40 to have a platform to share their stories , to be heard and feel seen so I couldn't think of a better way to show my mum some love than to include her in this conversation. 

How often do we really sit down and listen to older members of our family and friends , It's easy to forget they had a life before being a parent and I loved this weeks chat with my mum. To say that my mum has had her share of battles along the way is an under statement yet her attitude to life has always remained positive and she has shown my sister Deborah and I such strength of character. 

My mum has suffered with Multiple Sclerosis since I was 2 years old and has had a rollercoaster life with remissions and long periods of illness but her upbeat attitude has helped carry her through. Unfortunately she now has a rare blood cancer to cope with and as we expected she is tackling this with her usual tenacious and pragmatic attitude. Glenda will be 78 this year and there's been many times when she was told she wouldn't make it so every moment spent together is even more precious.  

Subjects covered- 

- Adoption

 - Leaving home at 16 an moving to another place solo 

- Music & Life in the 60's 

 - Being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 27

- the impact that had her life and our the family  

- Multiple Sclerosis Society charity It is estimated that more than 130,000 people live with multiple sclerosis in the UK. MS damages nerves in your body and makes it harder to do everyday things like walking, talking, eating and thinking. It can be relentless, painful and disabling. Across the UK more than 240 local MS Society groups provide support and information to anyone living with MS. The groups, all run by volunteers, offer a brilliant way to meet others affected by the condition and help reduce isolation. A wide range of services and support are available, from social activities and exercise classes, to therapies like physio and massage. The free MS Helpline receives thousands of calls every year from people with MS or their friends, family and carers. Specially trained staff and volunteers provide confidential and free emotional support and information on anything to do with MS, including symptoms, treatments, disability benefits and exercise. MS nurses are on hand to answer medical related queries and a befriending service is available too.The MS Helpline can be contacted on 0808 800 8000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm except bank holidays. You can also email [email protected]

 - Finding courage to start again after divorce at 40 

- Community work and confidence building

 - Travel 

- Lockdown life 

- Finding joy through her Grandchildren 

- Ancestry- Discovering family history and finding closure 

- Living with cancer

 I hope you enjoy this episode and more importantly I hope it encourages you to stop and take time out to spend with your loved ones too. 

Happy Mothers Day! 

I'll be back in a fortnight but in the meantime 

Keep being fabulous 

Rachel x

 https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble

Money talk!

Why do so many women still find it difficult to talk openly about money?

I know from my own personal experience of going through a divorce at 40 , how important it is to have a financial plan in place. I found myself practically invisible when it came to my financial status and have spent the last decade building my credit rating and financial stability back up.

If only I'd met this weeks guest earlier life might have been a little bit less stressful!

Sarah Siddons set up her practice, Siddons & Co Financial Planning, from scratch in 2008 after a major career change. Providing bespoke goals-based advice helping clients with practical solutions to their financial issues. Sarah's aim is to ensure her clients have financial security and enough money to enjoy their retirement.

It is about the importance of financial planning for women.

Subjects covered-

* How Sarah's own experience sparked a real passion about this area and how important it is for women to take control of their finances.

* Why women often find it difficult to talk about money openly?*  After having gone through the divorce process herself Sarah shares lessons learnt from her own experiences.

* If you are instigating the divorce, what do you need to do?

*What is the ideal process to follow to ensure that you are making the best possible decisions about your finances from an informed position and help you achieve the financial outcome you need for you and your children.

* If a divorce has been thrust upon you, how do you take control when you suddenly feel like all control is gone and you're firefighting. There are ways to take back control, you just need to know what to do and the key things you need to have in place.

For more information - www.siddonsand.co

You can also find Sarah on social media-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiddonsandCoFP 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siddonsandcofinancialplanning/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddonsandcofp/ 

Don't miss any of the inspiring Out of the Bubble women, you can go and subscribe at www.rachelperu.co.uk and come and say hello on Instagram! @rachelperu1

I'll be back in a fortnight but in the meantime

Keep being fabulous

Rachel x

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble

Those that have followed me for awhile will already know how passionate I am about representation of older women in the fashion and beauty industry. We all need to see women that we can relate to, no matter what age, shape or size and it matters for our mental wellbeing.So I already knew that this weeks guest and I would have a LOT to talk about!

When Stephanie O Dell started her 'Celebrate the Gray' blog little did you know she know what she was creating. Stephanie is the founder of Celebrate the grey agency, representing grey models, influencers and women over 50 to help change the ageist narrative in the fashion industry.

Like me, Stephanie is passionate about updating the age of models used in marketing and giving women their power back in their ageing journey. She has built a strong following and community of like-minded women who want to change the face of aging.

Celebrate The Gray Collective represents over 200 gray/silver haired “real” models. It has access to 100s of ambassadors 50+ and offers age inclusion consulting for brands and companies. Women want to be seen as they age in marketing and want their faces, bodies, voices and opinions valued and authentically represented.

“We are a strong, engaged collective of women who are passionate about updating the way women are viewed as we age,” O’Dell says. “We want our facies, bodies, voices, and opinions valued and authentically represented. I believe that being a woman today means not letting anyone define you. You define you!”

Stephanie is a national speaker and thought leader on age inclusion.

You can find out more-https://www.celebratethegray.com

Follow on instagram-@celebratethegray

Don't miss any of the inspiring Out of the Bubble women, you can go and subscribe at www.rachelperu.co.uk and come and say hello on Instagram! @rachelperu1

I'll be back in a fortnight but in the meantime

Keep being fabulous

Rachel x

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble

Have you ever been told you're the shy one? Or felt like you've been written off as the quiet one?

I was always labelled as being ‘shy’ when I was younger and not in a positive way. The more you hear it the more you retreat but those that knew me well enough would always see the real me. For years I struggled to show my inner confidence but I could feel it in there waiting to burst out.



I like my own space and I’m quietly confident but it doesn’t mean I can’t roar like a lion when needed!



Confidence comes in all different shapes and sizes, loud, quiet, big, small and it’s never too late to find yours! #staytruetoyourself 

Sarah Bryer worked for a well-known Insurer, looking after a team of introverts. Clever, capable women, who were being held back because they didn't shout about their achievements, they didn't network or small talk by the coffee machine.

As Sarah started one of the women had just returned from stress leave. Visibly shaking as she met her.

Sarah worked with these women on internal bureaucracy and navigating the company politics, manager ego's, networking and how to manage upwards. Sarah protected them until they were strong enough to do it all themselves.

They managed difficult people, hosted project meetings like a boss. Picked up the phone to call people they'd only ever emailed as she watched on, knowing the research that had gone into them and the work they had done was paying off.

Sarah saw first hand how their confidence was rebuilt and then her role was made redundant.

This was the point where she found her purpose, to build these women up.

Show Girl Coaching has been created for Introverted Women. To increase their confidence and self-awareness.

Show Girl is a non-judgemental coaching practice that is 100% focused on increasing confidence and enhancing a positive mindset in smart Introverted Women.

To find out more-

https://www.showgirlcoaching.com

How would you describe your confidence? 

I'll be back in a fortnight

but in the meantime

Keep being fabulous 

Rachel x

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble 

So many women over 40 are left feeling invisible on the high street which showed in the results in my Midlife Body Confidence survey last year when 70% of the 200 women reported feeling invisible. I will be focusing more on those small independent brands that are showing up for women of all ages, shapes and sizes this year on the podcast as we need to shine a light and support them. 

Rebecca Rodden is the founder of Eluroom, offering a beautiful collection of key wardrobe pieces that you return to time and time again as you look and feel amazing in them.  Chic yet comfortable, versatile enough to travel easily with you for those 'life on the go' moments. Rebecca is on a mission to inspire women to radiate JOY through effortless style & mindset to live a full spirited life with confidence. 

Rebecca grew up in Australia and has spent all of her adult life in London, enjoying a career in fashion, starting out as a receptionist at Ted Baker & progressing through the ranks to Buying Director, which she loved. Rebecca love creating things,  seeing the pleasure people get in dressing. Working with partners around the world such as Harrods, Selfridges, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom. She has an extensive knowledge about creating collections and how to guide people in adapting their style and move it forward. 

Gaining insight into how you dress & what you wear can set your mood or mindset for the day. Rebecca's other favourite thing (aside from my husband and children) is yoga and meditation. After a life time of practice she became a teacher and gets such a buzz sharing in an uplifting experience. Rebecca took the plunge and left her role in March 2020 - talk about timing to reinvent her life! 

She has learnt so much and met so many beautiful souls in the creation of Eluroom. Rebecca believes that how your dress, your mood and mindset are interwoven and is committed to inspiring women to radiate joy through effortless style and mindset to live a full spirited life with confidence. 

"I love drama in my clothes not in my life!"  #rebeccarodden 

Visit Eluroom- https://www.eluroom.com

 Follow on social media- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eluroom_/ 

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/eluroom1/ 

Don't miss any of the inspiring Out of the Bubble women, you can go and subscribe at www.rachelperu.co.uk and come and say hello on Instagram! @rachelperu1  

I'll be back in a fortnight, but in the meantime 

Keep being fabulous 

Rachel x 

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble