Liberté - Free to Be

*Trigger warning- This episode discusses healing and recovering from disordered eating and poor body image

 I'll be honest after years of yoyo dieting and disordered food habits I've been avoiding this subject on the podcast because I still see so much pressure on women to be a certain size and body shape pushed by the media and advertising. I've been following this weeks guest for awhile now and I really like her approach to finding food freedom and breaking down those negative thought patterns so I knew I had to invite her on the show.

Mel Wakeman specialises in non-diet nutrition and counselling for eating disorders and disordered eating, chronic dieting, compulsive exercise, weight and body image concerns, all through a weight inclusive lens. She also runs the food freedom community and hosts the podcast Cake Over Keto.

Subjects covered-

• Mel's story


• How Mel faced her own food demons


• The manipulation of the diet industry


• Breaking down the negative narrative around food and our bodies


• There is more than one way to have a healthy happy body and it doesn't involve dieting


• Where do the 'food rules' come from?


• Learning to appreciate our bodies


• Why women in midlife are vulnerable to eating disorders


• What part do our hormones play in midlife and our changing bodies


• Stigma and discrimination of our bodies in todays society

To find out more from Mel visit-

www.wakemannutrition.com, 

instagram.com/mel_wakeman_rnutr,

www.instagram.com/cakeoverketo,

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 love sharing all these amazing and inspiring women and have learnt so much from all of them, If you enjoy listening to them as much as I do, then please feel free to Buy Me A Coffee I really appreciate your support. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RachelPeru1  

I have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group. A safe space to share and feel part of a community of women all finding their own way through midlife. Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way.

Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble. A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members. It's your time to shine!

Join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/stepoutofthebubble

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

Keep being fabulous Rachel x

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble 

(Music credited to Scott Holmes- By Big Adventure)

I first interviewed Carron Cummings in 2020 and was blown away by her drive and determination, she really is a woman with mission.

 Carron's personal story and life experiences have taken her on a journey that she could never have anticipated. She's the founder of SimplyLadies.com, which is one of the UK's fastest growing women's lifestyle networking group in the country and her passion for helping and supporting other women is amazing.  Carron is not settling here on her mission to support and empower women.She is now using all her skills and personal experience to help other women through her coaching work and next stop is tackling the fashion industry.

We share the same opinions on the lack of diversity in the fashion industry and rather than sit back and watch with frustration Carron has started her own modelling agency to help represent people that not ally get missed by standard agencies. This is a woman who has found her voice and is using it to her best ability to help create change and support others. She's a fabulous inspiration and I hugely admire the work she is doing and her dedication.

Subjects covered-

• Carrons traumatic life experiences that forced change


• Dealing with grief 


• Finding inspiration to connect with other women 


• Starting the SimplyLadies lifestyle group on a shoestring budget


• How Carron is using her own life experiences and skills to help lift other women up through her coaching work


• Women empowerment in fashion


• The next chapter - Code modelling -Why she's now tackling the lack of diversity in the fashion industry head on


• From a studio to billboards- Defining moments


• London Fashion Week- saying yes to new opportunities


• Drive and determination

How to find Carron-

Facebook - Coachedbycarron 

Facebook @codemodelling 

For more details about Simply Ladies-  https://www.facebook.com/Simply

Twitter & Instagram @simplyladiesinc

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 love sharing all these amazing and inspiring women and have learnt so much from all of them, If you enjoy listening to them as much as I do, then please feel free to Buy Me A Coffee I really appreciate your support. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RachelPeru1  

I have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group. A safe space to share and feel part of a community of women all finding their own way through midlife. Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way.

Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble. A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members. It's your time to shine!

Join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/stepoutofthebubble

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

Keep being fabulous Rachel x

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble 

(Music credited to Scott Holmes- By Big Adventure)

This weeks guest is someone I have followed on Twitter for a while now, we have a very similar approach to midlife and both love sharing and inspiring other women. 

Wendy Battles is a pro-age influencer, speaker and host of the "Rebellious Rebels" podcast which is all about sharing women's stories of reinvention later in life and on paper I would guess you'd say she's one of my podcast competitors.  

Wendy describes herself as a "curious soul who loves to talk to people and understand their experiences". Believing that reinvention is a natural part of life, something that many of us have done numerous times. Wendy has found her voice in her fifties and she is unapologetically  pursuing her biggest dreams and desires. 

"I created this podcast because I’m DONE with the limiting narrative about older women in our society. The narrative that’s focused on all things we lose as we age. I see it differently. I see this as an amazing time where wise women can find their true voice and step into a new sense of freedom – in an exciting and badass way" #wendybattles 

Subjects covered- 

• Where the inspiration came from to start the podcast


•  How society portrays older women in general 


• How we can shift the narrative and celebrate older women 


• Breaking down stereo typical barriers 


• What does pro-ageing mean for Women 


• Finding your voice and owning your story 


• Collaborating with your competitors 

To find out more about Wendy's work visit ReinventionRebels.com 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebelsreinvent 

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

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 love sharing all these amazing and inspiring women and have learnt so much from all of them, If you enjoy listening to them as much as I do, then please feel free to Buy Me A Coffee I really appreciate your support. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RachelPeru1  

 I have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group. A safe space to share and feel part of a community of women all finding their own way through midlife. Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way. 

Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble. A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members. It's your time to shine! 

Join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/stepoutofthebubble

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

Keep being fabulous Rachel x 

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble  

(Music credited to Scott Holmes- By Big Adventure)

I talk to lots of women over 40 who tell me they feel disconnected from their bodies as they reach midlife, especially when they enter the peri-menopause and menopause. I know from my own experience that I started to struggle with the changes my body is going through in the menopause and that body confidence is never a done deal so it was great to talk to Sophie Cleere who is as passionate about helping women feel sexy and confident as I do. 

Sophie Cleere is a women’s coach, yoga teacher and conscious sexuality educator. She is passionate about helping women feel sexy, fabulous and excited about the next chapter of their live and I’m all here for that! “Our sexuality has very little to do with being young and fertile and looking a certain way. In fact I feel the older we get, the more we know ourselves the sexier we are.” #Sophiecleere 

Subjects covered- 

• Sophies own conscious sexuality journey 


• Body confidence 


• Sex and the peri-menopause and menopause 


• Womens sexuality 


• Re-connecting with our bodies later in life 


• Midlife transitions 


• Why there is still a stigma attached to discussing sexuality openly 


• The UK’s attitude to nudity compared other countries 


• The freedom of knowing our bodies 


• Self love 

You can find out more about Sophies work www.sophiecleere.com and you will also follow on Instagram @sophie.cleere 

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 love sharing all these amazing and inspiring women and have learnt so much from all of them, If you enjoy listening to them as much as I do, then please feel free to Buy Me A Coffee I really appreciate your support. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RachelPeru1   

I have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group. A safe space to share and feel part of a community of women all finding their own way through midlife. Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way. Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble. 

A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members. It's your time to shine! Join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/stepoutofthebubble

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

Keep being fabulous Rachel x 

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble 

(Music credited to Scott Holmes- By Big Adventure)

To celebrate my 52nd birthday I thought it would be a good idea to go solo this week,  reflecting on the last year and sharing some of my own midlife journey.

I've learnt so much from the 103 women I've interviewed so far and each story brings me so much inspiration and reminds me how fabulous women are. 

• Here's the top 3 things I'm constantly reminded of

1. Women over 40 are bloody amazing, we are strong, resilient, brave and capable of living such amazing fulfilled lives. 

2. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be scary but it's also the place where real magic can happen. So many of my guests have stepped 'out of their bubble' entering unknown territory and gone on to have amazing adventures, started new careers and changed direction. It's time to put our big knickers on and trust the process.

3. Keeping an open mind is the key to embracing this next chapter. Saying yes to new opportunities and trying new things, for no other reason than to explore what brings you real joy. It should be part of our self love routine.

• The menopause and my own body confidence journey

On this weeks episode I also share how this last year has been a rollercoaster when it came to the menopause and my own body confidence. It will always be work in progress but I can manage the negative feelings so much better than I used to so it's about recognising those triggers and focussing on the positives.

The surge of anxiety threw me as well , although I've been on HRT since 2018- which helps, I'm now increasing my daily active levels, with a mixture of wild swimming, yoga, running and EMS (Electric Muscle Stimulation) training and I'm starting to feel a lot calmer and more in control which is a relief. #keepingitreal

• How I feel in my 50's compared to my 40's


• Reflections of my own self development and growth


• Just getting started- sharing my dreams, aspirations and goals for the next year

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 love sharing all these amazing and inspiring women and have learnt so much from all of them, If you enjoy listening to them as much as I do, then please feel free to Buy Me A Coffee

I really appreciate your support.

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RachelPeru1        

 I have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group. A safe space to share and feel part of a community of women all finding their own way through midlife. Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way.

Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble. A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members. It's your time to shine! Join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/stepoutofthebubble

I'll be back next week, but in the meantime 

Keep being fabulous

Rachel x

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble

(Music credited to Scott Holmes- By Big Adventure)

It's time we talked more openly about money and began being more honest about our financial goals, dreams and aspirations. When it comes to money women still find it difficult to talk about, I know it's not something my friends and I don't regularly talk about.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that grew up in the 70's hearing phrases like " money doesn't grow on trees" or "money should be saved for a rainy day". My parents drummed it in to me that talking about money was vulgar and we should never brag about it. I've spent lots of time working on my money mindset and learning to shed those limiting money beliefs that have held me back. 

Helen Louise Adams is the Global Leader of the Female Business Revolution. She helps female entrepreneurs all around the globe to create the unlimited income they desire and deserve so they can spend more time living the first class lives they really want. And she helps them do it in the fastest and most powerful way…..using their intuition! After spending too many years living according to other people’s expectations , and suffering financially as a result, she decided to follow her soul, and teach other women to open up and do the same. Her mission within the next 10 years is to empower one million women all around the world to create the income THEY desire….with no limits.

My conversation with Helen has really made me think about my own financial goals and expectations and I've spent time writing a 5 year plan. I definitely recommend it. 

With this in mind I have looked at ways that I can create some income from producing the Out of the Bubble podcast as up until now it has been a pure passion project with no financial reward. I love sharing all these amazing and inspiring women and have learnt so much from all of them, If you enjoy listening to them as much as I do, then please feel free to Buy Me A Coffee, I really appreciate your support.

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RachelPeru1

We all have a money story, what's yours?

You can find more about Helens work here-

linktr.ee/helenlouiseadams

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 have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group. A safe space to share and feel part of a community of women all finding their own way through midlife. Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way.

Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble. A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members. It's your time to shine! Join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/stepoutofthebubble

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

Keep being fabulous

Rachel x

https://linktr.ee/outofthebubble

(Music credited to Scott Holmes- By Big Adventure)

I'm going to let you in to a little secret! I love the art behind Burlesque dancing and learning to burlesque dance and perform live once in my life is at the top of my bucket list. So you can imagine how excited I was when I recently came across Judith Vandepeer otherwise known as "Pupin Devert". 

Judith started burlesque 3 years ago at the age of 55, and absolutely loved it.  She really wanted to capture something about herself that she'd not shown before and to show a glamour which fully embraced her age, size and her newly grown out natural grey hair. The fact that she's a fellow silver and very sassy woman was the icing on the cake. 

Judith is burlesque performer based in Hastings, and has been performing burlesque for over 3 years, as well as producing her own shows - both live and online. Travelling with her acts all over the UK and abroad, and has collected national and international titles in burlesque and cabaret.    Judith is also a ‘Grey Model’ and loves creating body/age/sex positive images, as well as working on commercial shoots for companies such as Snag Tights and The Bias Cut Boutique. 

She is passionate about wanting to create a space which is positive and judgement free, and wants to spread the message that ‘Burlesque is for Everyone’   We had so much to talk about and I love Judith's new found body confidence and how she's smashing down those midlife stereo-typical barriers, showing other women in their 50's that we are definitely not invisible.  

Subjects covered- 

• The history of burlesque


•  Dita Von Teese  


• Costume design and creativity 


• Ageism in the burlesque world 


• Body confidence 


• Other peoples reaction 


• Overcoming her fears in her first performance 


• How she chose her stage name 


• Why burlesque is so empowering 


• The Solid Gold Silver show 


• Teaching classes 


• What's next! 

I recommend you start following Judith on her instagram @pupindevert for heaps of body confidence inspiration and some fabulous outfits! 

If you're in the Hastings area you can also find out about her burlesque classes.

What would your burlesque name be? 

I'm thinking of Lucy Lark or Glenda Ganda ( something with a bit of Yorkshire in it.... work in progress!!). 

If you're enjoying the interviews and I leave you felling inspired please feel free to Buy Me A Coffee! Your support is much appreciated -

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RachelPeru1

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! 

I have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group. A safe space to share and feel part of a community of women all finding their own way through midlife. Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way. 

Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble. A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members. It's your time to shine! Join here 

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

Keep being fabulous 

Rachel x 

(Music credited to Scott Holmes- By Big Adventure)

It's good to be back after the Easter break and I have a bumper season of women to share with you. 

If you are enjoying listening to my interviews and I leave you feeling inspired then please feel free to Buy Me A Coffee. Your support is much appreciated.

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RachelPeru1

Starting with this weeks guest, Stephanie Raffelock. Stephanie is an award winning, Amazon best selling Author of "A Delightful Little Book on Aging", as well as a Podcaster and Speaker. She didn't start her writing career until she retired at 60 so she's the perfect example of how our age doesn't have to define us. Stephanie helps self-aware, educated women who are interested in shirking the toxic myths and stereotypes of aging, something that out of the Bubble is very much about too. 

She proves that women aren’t finished living their best lives at 50, 60 and beyond, but instead, how they become the wise elders of our culture. Stephanie celebrates age and shows how it’s a privilege to grow old - how every single day is a gift.  “Peter Pan’s mantra was that he was never going to grow up. My mantra is that we never stop growing” 

Subjects covered- 

Overcoming ageism in ourselves and in America. 

Why women especially are afraid of getting older. 

Creating joy in the maturer years Encore careers 

The positive ageing movement 

Grief-ageing begins in grief

Reclamation Vision- wiser, deeper soul, wonder for life 

Reframe and change the narrative Your age doesn’t define you 

To find out more- www.Byline-Stephanie.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-raffelock-01b53936/ 

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

 Instagram: www.Instagram.com/byline.stephanie 

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! 

I have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group. A safe space to share and feel part of a community of women all finding their own way through midlife. Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way. Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble. 

A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members.

 It's your time to shine! Join here https://www.facebook.com/groups/stepoutofthebubble

I'll be back next week, but in the meantime ....  Keep being fabulous Rachel x 

(Music credited to Scott Holmes- By Big Adventure)

* Adult content of a sexual nature discussed 

What better way to celebrate my 100th episode than with humorous erotic fiction author Stephanie Oram. 

Self published author of the Amazon best selling Wax Whips and my Hairy Bits series of books. A midlife, menopausal northerner with a propensity for using rude words. It's time to find out why this 51 year old, menopausal Mother of three picked changed direction in a way that she could never have imagined pre-lockdown! 

The first lockdown caused Stephanie to undergo the most unusual of career changes...from recruitment to writing erotic comedy. 

Stephanie was all set to go with her new recruitment agency which would have been aimed at the over 50 market when the pandemic started, putting a sudden halt to all those plans. During this time like most she needed a creative outlet, lots of people I know learnt skills or rekindled new hobbies like baking, sewing and crafting. But after reading an extract from one of The Fifty Shades of Grey books Stephanie got to thinking how unrelatable erotic fiction is to most women and how it might be fun to write her own more realistic story just for fun. 

By her own admission Steph describes herself as slightly prudish prior to all of this so after lots of reading up, and chatting to friends she started. What started as a project for her own amusement has now led to a four book series which has landed in the top best selling Amazon list in the humorous erotic category. 

 I've read the first book Wax, Whips and My Hairy Bits and found it hilarious and loved the northern humour coming through. 

Subjects covered- 

• Pre-lockdown plans to start her own recruitment agency 


• Where the inspiration came from to start writing 


• Friends and Family response 


• Where do you begin to research a book like this 


• Readers response 


• Literary agents dismissal of this category of writing 


• Starting something new and all the new possibilities it might bring 


• What's next? 

Stephanie books are available from Amazon for Kindle and in paperback https://amzn.to/2Y1C2cC 

You can also connect with Stephanie via LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-oram 

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!

 I have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group. A safe space to share and feel part of a community of women all finding their own way through midlife. Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way.

 Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble. A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members. It's your time to shine! 

Join here I'll be back next week, so in the meantime, .... Keep being fabulous Rachel x 

(Music credited to Scott Holmes- By Big Adventure

 *trigger warning, this episode contains conversation about loss and grieving. 

The conversation around death and losing loved ones is still something we find difficult to talk about.  Karen Sutton, is the UK’s first grief and loss coach to specialise in supporting those widowed early in life. Karen provides emotional and practical support to anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one, wherever you are in your grieving journey. 

Through her own experience with loss, she understands how difficult it is trying to navigate your way through these traumatic life events. That's why she is so passionate about helping you to look after yourself, feel more positive, take back control, and build the life you desire.  We can’t control what happens to us in life, but we can control how we choose to respond, the choices me make following loss have a huge impact on how we move forward. Karen doesn't profess to have a magic wand or a secret to ‘getting over it’, because she doesn't believe it’s about that. Sadly we have to go through the grieving process, but there are things we can do to help us navigate our way through it more positively and learn to carry our grief far more lightly. Karen wants to help as many people as she can take responsibility for their healing, discover their strength, resilience and capabilities, and become the person they want to be, therefore creating a life in which they can flourish. 

She truly believes life after loss can still be beautiful. I love following Karens social media posts as she balances the reality of life after loss with the beauty in being able to grow and learn and thrive again leaving a really strong positive message to others who may be at the beginning of their difficult journey. 

"I just love to offer people hope and an understanding that nothing is permanent. I like to educate around grief and help people feel more empowered in their grieving journey." #karensutton 

Subjects covered- 

• How her world fell apart in 2016 when she lost her husband Simon, and her children lost their dad. 


•  How she knew she didn't want Simons death to define the rest of hers and her children lives 


• The importance of reaching out and connecting with others who can relate to your experiences T


• Therapy and talking 


• What happens next, where do you turn when you've done all the therapy and reached out to all the groups 


• Rebuilding your life after loss 


• Making new choices 


• Discovering who you are and being kind to yourself along the way Learning, growing and dropping the guilt to live a happy fulfilled life again 


• Why Karen decided to become the UK's first grief and loss coach  

How you can work with Karen www.karensutton.co.uk 

 Instagram @karensuttonwidowcoach 

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!

I have now created a FREE "Step Out of the Bubble" private group.

Where you get to hear from amazing women who are embracing life and leaving a trail of inspiration along the way.

Encouraging women after 40 to try something new and step out of their own bubble.

A group to share, celebrate wins, encourage and support other members.

It's your time to shine! Join here

I'll be back next week, so in the meantime... Keep being fabulous

Rachel x