Winning the fight within is what Hazel Gale's story is all about. As a former champion boxer and kick-boxer turned therapist, turned tech start-up founder, Hazel shares how she re-wrote her self-limiting narratives to overcome a deep-rooted fear of weakness and failure.

At the prime of her fighting career, Hazel's body unexpectedly shut down, forcing her to confront her deepest fears and childhood-ingrained beliefs about herself. Exploring cognitive hypnotherapy helped her reframe these inner demons and reconnect with her inner child, and eventually she returned to the ring, stronger than ever. Today, Hazel is a tech entrepreneur - inspired by her own therapy journey, she created Betwixt, a mental health app that uses the power of interactive storytelling and metaphor to help hundreds of thousands of users reframe their own self-narratives.

Our conversation touched on wider issues of societal conditioning, self-perception, and the complexities of purpose and achievements - a must-listen for anyone navigating the intersection of mental health, personal growth, and professional success.

@hazel.gale.therapy on insta

@betwixt.app on insta

@lifeworkingpod on insta - follow us for more episodes and bonus video content!

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Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt 

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Mixed by Talia Augustidis

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Video by Nada Smiljanic

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at www.clarfeltandco.com

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Chapters

(00:00) Introducing Hazel Gale

(01:03) Childhood Narratives

(05:45) Needing to Win and Prove Strength

(07:10) Struggles with Identity and Self-Worth

(11:30) Women and Social Conditioning

(16:39) Therapy and Cognitive Hypnotherapy

(20:58) Inner Child

(21:15) Mind Monster Solution

(24:22) Final Fight and Inner Peace

(27:26) Achieving Flow State

(30:38) Betwixt: A Mental Health Adventure

(37:42) Purpose and Making a Difference

(39:02) Conclusion

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonny Sweet is a screenwriter, novelist, and comedian - you might know him from his film Wicked Little Letters, starring Olivia Coleman, or from one of his many TV/radio performances, such as When Boris Met Dave, Chickens, and Together, or The Kellerby Code - his debut novel out now in paperback!

Jonny shared his journey from being in the Cambridge Footlights with Joe Thomas and Simon Bird, skiving off his job and winning Best Newcomer at Edinburgh, to now writing screenplays for national treasures like Jesse Buckley and Timothy Spall. We chatted about where his 'funniness' comes from and social anxiety, what makes work 'fulfilling', the creative process, perfectionism and defining success for yourself, as well as vomiting at live shows, having kids, and stress ulcers at Christmas.

Find Jonny's books here

@lifeworkingpod on insta, follow us for more episodes and bonus video!

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Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt 

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Mixed by Talia Augustidis

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Video by Nada Smiljanic

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at https://www.clarfeltandco.com 

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Jonny Sweet

(01:08) Cambridge Footlights

(06:34) First time skiving work

(08:19) Working with friends

(11:35) Where does the 'funny' come from?

(14:19) Changing course

(15:40) Healthy relationship with work

(18:54) Novel-writing and creative process

(20:31) The Kellerby Code

(21:45) Creativity as career

(24:35) Juggling family and work

(25:34) Wicked Little Letters

(28:37) Defining success

(29:56) Conclusion

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From side-hustling in her teens to bootstrapping a seven-figure beauty and Ed-Tech company in her twenties, Oyin Adebayo is an entrepreneurial force with an incredible backstory.

The founder and angel investor shared how her childhood in Nigeria, unusual upbringing and difficult transition to the UK, all gave her the resilience, resourcefulness, perspective, and inner steeliness that make her successful in the worlds of tech, business and social impact today. Oyin is the founder of Niyo Group, a global tech company that combines beauty and education whilst uplifting and up-skilling marginalised communities.

Find Oyin at her website here, on LinkedIN, and @oyinadebayo_ on insta

@lifeworkingpod on insta, follow us for more episodes and bonus video!

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Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt 

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Mixed by George Powell

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Video by Nada Smiljanic

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at https://www.clarfeltandco.com 

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Oyin Adebayo: Tech Entrepreneur and Angel Investor

(00:49) Entrepreneurial Childhood

(03:33) Cultural Shifts: From Nigeria to the UK

(07:40) Identity and Activism in a New Environment

(13:02) Immigration Battles

(14:59) Overcoming Funding Challenges

(15:22) Entrepreneurial Beginnings

(15:42) Niyo Group Origin Story

(16:22) Celebrity Hair

(17:32) Hair to Tech: The Evolution of Niyo

(19:16) Up-skilling and Empowering Women in Tech

(22:38) Philanthropy and Business

(24:43) Balancing Personal and Business Goals

(26:06) Future Political Aspirations

(26:33) Intuition

(27:45) Scaling Niyo Group

(28:39) Conclusion and find out more

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh off his award-winning debut feature, 'Last Swim', film director Sasha Nathwani reflects on what it takes to make your creative dreams come true - the answer: a lot of personal sacrifice, intentionality, purpose, and extraordinary perseverance.

Sasha shares his journey from his Persian grandma introducing him to Italian-American cinema, to going to same film school as Spike Lee and Scorcese in New York, to eventually finding his authentic creative voice back at home in London. He talks about the reality of finances as a creative, how comparing yourself to others holds you back, and the challenges of staying true to artistic integrity while navigating commercial projects. A relatable conversation for any creative!

@sashanathwani on insta and find out more about Last Swim

@lifeworkingpod on insta - follow us for more episodes and bonus video content!

-------------------------------------

Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt 

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Mixed by Talia Augustidis

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Video by Nada Smiljanic

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at https://www.clarfeltandco.com 

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Sasha

(01:03) Sasha's film 'Last Swim'

(02:33) A-level results day

(03:40) Falling in love with film

(06:05) Italian-American cinema

(06:45) New York film school

(09:10) Identity and perspective

(10:21) Creative collaboration

(11:50) A difficult start

(13:00) Comparing with others

(13:49) Perseverance

(14:49) Moving home at 30

(17:15) Pitching

(19:50) Authenticity

(22:27) Sudden success

(23:49) Festivals and BFI premiere

(26:13) Family and healthy relationships

(28:05) Conclusion

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A near death experience led Dwayne on the adventure of a lifetime - an expedition to the North Pole. Today he is a professional explorer, TV presenter and the Chief Scout.

Dwayne moved from Jamaica to North London aged six, after experiencing childhood depression and a violent, life-threatening experience in adulthood, Dwayne decided to walk to the North Pole - becoming the first black Briton to do so. His adventures inspired him to support a new generation of young and underprivileged kids to connect with the outdoors.

We spoke about resilience, defying others' expectations, developing self-confidence, courage and imposter syndrome, male role-models and parental influence, and how to avoid getting eaten by a polar bear!

@dwaynefields on insta

@lifeworkingpod on insta - follow us for more episodes and bonus video content!

-------------------------------------

Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt 

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Edited and Mixed by Talia Augustidis

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Video by Nada Smiljanic

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at https://www.clarfeltandco.com 

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Dwayne Fields: Adventurer and TV Presenter

(01:48) Life in Jamaica

(04:42) Adjusting to London

(05:57) Childhood Depression

(06:40) Relentless Violence

(07:22) Life-Threatening Encounter

(10:39) Defying Others' Expectations

(12:30) Rediscovering Nature

(13:52) Turning Point

(15:08) The North Pole

(15:27) Financial Barriers

(17:05) Matthew Henson

(17:37) Defying Expectations

(18:41) Journey of a Lifetime

(20:16) Another World

(21:45) Escaping a Polar Bear

(24:26) Mental and Physical Journey

(26:43) Balancing Family and Working Abroad

(27:54) Chief Scout

(29:08) Kids and Self-confidence

(32:08) Find Dwayne Online

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From a micro-bakery and a newborn in her tiny flat, to make-shift bakeries catching fire and getting rejected by potential investors, to an iconic chain of unforgettably pink bakeries across London with queues down the street - Sourdough Sophia is an unusual story of family legacy and traditional craft intersecting with business acumen, entrepreneurial grit, and working professionally with family.

We had an honest, relatable chat about the challenges and rewards of running a family business, sacrifice, resilience, validation and coming back from failure, managing stress, the value of community, and Sophia's German heritage and mission to bring real bread to the UK.

Sophia Handschuh - @sourdoughsophia on insta

@lifeworkingpod on insta - follow us for more episodes and bonus video content!

-------------------------------------

Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt 

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Video by Nada Smiljanic

Mixed by George Powell

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at https://www.clarfeltandco.com 

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Sophia: Founder of Sourdough Sophia

(01:31) A Rustic Childhood and Family Traditions

(03:52) Escaping to the UK

(05:24) The Bread Crisis in the UK

(07:48) The Origin Story of Sourdough Sophia

(10:24) Closing the Business in Covid

(14:11) Balancing Work and Personal Life

(14:33) Marriage and Work Stress

(15:55) Fire!

(17:37) A Rough Start

(19:40) Success, Resilience, Validation

(23:18) Doing Business as a Couple

(26:24) Expanding the Business

(27:04) Rejected by Investors

(27:37) Community Funding and Investment

(28:07) Family Legacy

(29:38) Future Plans and Conclusion

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back!! Starting off S2 with Becky Barnicoat, acclaimed cartoonist for The New Yorker, Guardian, BuzzFeed, The New Statesman and more.

Becky shares her long journey to cartooning professionally —from facing discouragement as a child, feeling isolated in formal institutions, and chronic insomnia, to her success as a cartoonist and the launch of her new book 'Cry When the Baby Cries.'

We chat about the struggles of creative expression, being true to yourself at work, flow state and finding your unique creative voice, and the challenges of new parenthood!

Becky Barnicoat - @beckybarnicomics on insta

Get Becky's book - Cry When The Baby Cries

@lifeworkingpod on insta - follow us for more episodes and bonus video content!

-------------------------------------

Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt 

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Video by Nada Smiljanic

Mixed by George Powell

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at https://www.clarfeltandco.com 

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction and Guest Introduction

(01:25) Becky's Childhood Interest in Cartooning

(03:00) Unspoken Rules

(04:19) Not Being Naturally Talented at Drawing

(05:45) Fighting to Pursue Art at School

(09:38) Identity Struggles and Creative Voice

(12:40) Not Being True to Yourself at Work

(13:50) Insomnia and Rediscovering Drawing

(17:00) Waking Dreaming and Flow States

(18:34) Professional Cartooning

(19:05) Pressure, Self-Doubt and Creative Process

(23:20) Infantilised at Work, Fear of Being Fired

(25:20) Cry When The Baby Cries

(25:40) Struggling at Work

(27:12) Wardrobe Woes and Ballet Flats

(28:55) Parenting and Cartooning

(29:48) Loneliness

(30:47) Consumerism and Parenting

(32:37) Conclusion

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An extra special season finale - we're joined by Harriet Minter, the award-winning broadcaster, writer, coach, sex therapist-in-training and workplace revolutionary... this episode truly has it all!

Harriet has spent decades writing about and changing the future of work. She famously launched the Guardian's Women in Work section, has appeared on the BBC, Sky News, and sparring with Piers Morgan on the GMB sofa. She hosted a top ten business podcast, has two TED talks and two books on leadership and hybrid work.

Harriet and I went behind the scenes of her illustrious career, exploring how her childhood shapes her views about women and work, her mid-life-crisis, and how she overcame childhood traumas and fears about money. She shared how her diabetes diagnosis shifted her approach to work and how looking at our personal relationship styles can actually tell us a lot about improving our work relationships.

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at https://www.clarfeltandco.com 

Harriet Minter - http://harrietminter.com/ and @harrietminter on Instagram and LinkedIn

Harriet's Book - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57302763-wfh-working-from-home

Harriet's TED talks on women and work and what yoga taught her about failure

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Harriet Minter

(02:04) Harriet's Childhood and Struggles with Asthma

(05:32) Impact of Parents' Business on Harriet's Career Views

(11:54) Launching Women in Leadership at The Guardian

(14:50) Realisations and Milestones

(21:41) The Courage to Quit

(23:50) Reframing Financial Fears

(26:00) Overcoming Childhood Traumas

(28:43) Sickness and Work

(39:28) Rethinking Work Structures

(42:29) Personal and Workplace Relationships

(44:12) The Gottman Institute and Toxic Work Relationships

(49:15) Leadership Styles

(51:24) Final Thoughts

Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Socials and Content by Zina Wilkins

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Blue Monday we're speaking with Happiness Consultant, Samantha Clarke. Sam is on a mission to change our thinking around wellbeing and work as the author of 'Love It or Leave It, How to be Happy at Work', a lecturer at the School of Life and Simon Sinek's InspireU, a neuroaesthetician and global change-maker.

Sam and I chat about what it means to be happy at work, her personal journey balancing her health and career, and how 'purpose' doesn't have to be as elusive and challenging as it often seems.

A wise, insightful, and timely conversation about stress, conflict and compromise at work, job titles and self-worth, different generational and cultural perspectives on work, and how our environments shape us.

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at www.clarfeltandco.com

Samantha Clarke - https://www.samanthaand.co/ and @samanthaand_ on Instagram

'Love It or Leave It, How to be Happy at Work' by Samantha Clarke

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Samantha Clarke

(00:55) Journey to Happiness Consultancy

(05:53) Defining Happiness and Fulfilment at Work

(06:56) Job Titles, Purpose Umbrella and Self Worth

(09:27) Cultural Perspectives on Work and Identity

(12:19) Generational Differences

(14:30) Finding Your Values

(17:08) Stress, Conflict and Compromise

(19:50) Happiness on the Spectrum of Emotions

(20:40) Historical Emotion, Purpose and Choice

(22:22) Locating Pain

(23:05) Monetising Hobbies

(24:40) Illness and Realisations

(28:40) Neuroaesthetics, Grief and Personal Growth

(32:03) Does Work Define You?

(33:39) Our Environments Shape Us

(34:30) Final Thoughts

Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Socials and Content by Zina Wilkins

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're kicking off 2025 with Sarah Hesz, an advertising director turned tech startup entrepreneur and advocate for supporting parents with loneliness, childcare, and going back to work.

Struggling with the unexpected isolation and loneliness of being a new mother led Sarah and a fellow mum to create Mush, a social app for parents with over a million downloads. Being a female founder is tech isn't always easy, but Sarah is fuelled by her mission to support parents everywhere, she explains how parental loneliness and childcare are issues that have huge economic and societal impact on all of us.

An honest, open and practical conversation about solutions to the challenges of work and parenting.

Brought to you by Clarfelt + Co, a people consultancy. Find out more and say hello at www.clarfeltandco.com

Chapters

(00:00) Introducing Sarah Hesz

(02:02) An Introvert in Advertising

(03:10) Loneliness and Early Motherhood

(05:45) Returning to Work After Maternity Leave

(08:05) Identity as a Working Parent

(11:14) Founding Mush: A Social App for Parents

(17:33) Being a Female Tech Start-up Founder

(21:37) Societal Impact of Parental Loneliness

(24:00) Mothers in Work and Building a Better Society

(26:45) The Economy, Businesses and Supporting Parents

(33:25) Compartmentalising and The Mental Load

(34:45) Sarah's Top Tip for Parents

Hosted by Vicky Clarfelt

Produced by Taqwa Sadiq

Artwork by Poppy Newman

Socials Content by Zina Wilkins

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.