Adam Ashburn’s life changed in an instant when he was hit by a car travelling 100mph.

At just 19, he went from training as a professional golfer to being told he might never walk again. His injuries were extensive, multiple surgeries, years in recovery, and a complete rebuild of his physical body. But what followed was even tougher.

Hooked on prescription opioids, Adam found himself spiralling. Like so many others, he was following medical advice. Doing what he was told. But behind the scenes, the painkillers were slowly eroding his sense of self. Numbing everything, physically, emotionally, mentally.

And yet, this story is not about defeat.

It’s about radical responsibility. About making the decision, no one else is coming to save you, so what are you going to do about it?

In this episode, we dive into the real stuff. The messy stuff. From addiction and trauma to breaking free of victim mentality and reclaiming control. Adam opens up about the realities of recovery, the unspoken challenges of long-term medication, and what it takes to truly take your life back.

We also go wide. From media narratives to cancel culture, censorship to the importance of speaking your truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. Especially when it’s uncomfortable.

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Key moments include:

✔ Surviving a 100mph car accident and the brutal physical aftermath

This is a powerful episode with a message that will stay with you long after you finish listening.

Don’t forget to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode.

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Connect & Follow

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb 

Follow Adam Ashburn:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ad-ttm

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ad_ttm_?igsh=aWttNmYzdHEweGFp

Most people go to festivals. Andy O’Grady and Martin Semple built one from scratch. No big sponsors, no safety net, just two mates with a vision and the sheer determination to make it happen.

From the very start, they were at the heart of it all, two lads from Doncaster who wanted to create something special. The first event was held in a field with a couple of hundred people. No one knew if it would work. Nearly a decade later, Donny Fest has grown into something massive, with thousands of tickets flying out and big-name headliners joining the lineup.

It sounds like a dream, but behind the scenes, it’s been an absolute rollercoaster.

Sky-high financial risks, last-minute disasters, bands missing their sets, and moments where everything could have collapsed.

Yet, somehow, they’ve built something extraordinary.

This isn’t just about music. It’s about what happens when you bet on yourself. The resilience it takes to build something from the ground up when no one hands you the blueprint. The pressure of going bigger every year when the stakes keep rising. The sleepless nights, the screw-ups, the relentless belief that failure is never the final chapter.

Andy O’Grady and Martin Semple have been through it all, and they’re telling the full story on On a Mission.

Because whether it’s building a festival, launching a business, or making an impact, the truth is the same, the ones who make it are the ones who refuse to quit.

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Key Takeaways:

⸻

Connect & Follow

🔗 Get your tickets for Donny Fest – https://tickets.donnyfest.co.uk/amf/donny-music-festival-2025/

Follow Donny Fest –

🔗 Website: https://donnyfest.co.uk

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnymusicfest?igsh=MTllOHU0Yzh6bGp6bA==

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16GQioG3uS/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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Follow me on social media for more behind-the-scenes content and upcoming guests:

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb 

Success isn’t just about winning it’s about having the courage to start over when everything changes.

For years, Sophie Milliken was known as a successful entrepreneur, building a business from the ground up, helping founders raise their profiles, and even becoming a best-selling author. But behind the success was a reality few people saw. Selling a business isn’t always the dream exit it seems. Divorce isn’t just about splitting up it’s about rebuilding your entire life from scratch. Running a company while being a single parent adds another level of challenge most people never experience.

Sophie has been through it all, but instead of playing it safe, she doubled down on reinvention. She launched a thriving PR agency, built a successful podcast, and proved that starting over doesn’t mean starting from nothing. Reinvention is a choice, and it takes guts to take the leap.

This episode goes beyond business. It’s about resilience, risk-taking, and trusting yourself even when the odds are stacked against you. Sophie is brutally honest about the highs, the lows, and the moments she had to dig deep to keep going. She shares what she wishes she had known earlier, the power of personal branding, and why podcasting has been one of her biggest game-changers.

This is for anyone who has faced setbacks, felt the fear of starting over, or is ready to build something bigger than themselves.

Key moments include:

✔️ The untold truth about selling a business and why it isn’t always the smooth exit people expect

🎧 Listen now and get On a Mission with Sophie Milliken

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🔥 Chapter Breakdown & Timestamps:

[00:00] From Corporate to PR Agency & Podcasting Power Moves

[08:30] The Reality of Selling a Business

[16:20] Divorce, Money Struggles & Rebuilding a Life from Scratch

[24:45] Why Personal Branding & Podcasting Are the Ultimate Business Hacks

[34:10] The BS Women Face in Business & How to Overcome It

[41:30] Energy, Mindset & Surrounding Yourself with the Right People

[49:15] Final Thoughts & Where to Connect

⸻

🔥 Loved this episode? Here’s how to get involved:

✔️ Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb 

Follow Sophie Milliken:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moja_sophie/?hl=en

🔗 Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-milliken/

🔥Success isn't about never failing, it's about how you rise after every fall. Keep pushing. Keep evolving. Keep getting On a Mission.

Some stories are difficult to hear, but they are even more dangerous to ignore.

In this powerful episode of On a Mission 2.0, I sit down with Nina Aoulik, a survivor, activist, and a woman on a mission to end honour-based abuse, forced marriage, and gender-based violence.

Nina’s story is harrowing. Born into a family that rejected her simply for being a girl, she endured years of extreme abuse, a forced marriage, and modern-day slavery right here in the UK. From being locked away as a child to surviving brutal violence at the hands of those meant to protect her, Nina shares her journey with raw honesty and unwavering strength.

But this episode isn’t just about trauma it’s about hope. It’s about turning pain into power and using her voice to help others escape the same fate. Today, Nina is a fierce advocate, fighting to challenge outdated cultural norms, push for policy change, and support survivors in reclaiming their lives.

⚠️ A Note to Listeners: This episode contains discussions of honour-based abuse, forced marriage, and sexual violence. While some moments are deeply challenging, Nina’s story is one of strength, resilience, and survival and it’s a conversation we all need to have.

EPISODE CHAPTERS & KEY MOMENTS:

[00:03:24] A Childhood of Isolation & Modern-Day Slavery

Locked away in a room, only allowed out to cook and clean

Her family saw her as a burden for being a girl

[00:07:58] The Night That Changed Everything

At 14, Nina was raped by her father the start of a horrific cycle

Eight men followed, leaving her battered, broken, and pregnant

[00:09:48] Traded Like Property: The Forced Marriage

Considered “spoiled” and sold into a violent marriage at 16

Forced to live without a door, so she could be accessed at any time

[00:25:04] Honour-Based Attempted Murder

Nina returns home seeking love, but instead is ambushed

Her father and brother break her arm, stamp on her, and try to strangle her

[00:31:19] Escaping Over the Fence to Freedom

With life-threatening injuries, she scales a fence to flee her family

Seeks help at a police station only to be turned away

[00:45:05] The Ultimate Heartbreak: Losing a Child

After years of domestic abuse, she loses a baby at eight months pregnant

The unimaginable grief that nearly broke her completely

[00:57:09] The Moment That Saved Her Life

Her teenage daughter calls just in time, waking her up to a house filled with gas

Her ex-partner had turned on all the gas appliances in an attempt to kill them both

[01:00:33] Homeless & Fighting the System

Despite being a successful businesswoman on paper, she was left with nothing

The legal system failed her again and again

[01:20:00] Turning Pain into Purpose: Nina’s Mission Today

Now a leading advocate, Nina is dedicated to helping survivors escape abuse

Fighting to change laws, raise awareness, and give victims a voice

WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS

This isn’t just Nina’s story. It’s the story of thousands of women and girls still trapped in the cycle of honour-based violence, forced marriage, and abuse. It’s about a system that still fails survivors, and the urgent need for change.

But more than anything, this episode is about hope. It’s about resilience. It’s about the power of one voice to change lives.

How You Can Help:

✔️ Listen.

✔️ Share this episode. The more people hear stories like Nina’s, the more awareness we create.

✔️ If you suspect someone is at risk, speak up. You might just save a life.

Listen now. Because some stories need to be told.

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb 

Follow Nina Aoulik:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/londonslifecoach/?hl=en

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nina_thebrit/?hl=en

Francesca Fattore had a loving childhood, a tight-knit Italian family, and a life that, on the surface, seemed worlds away from crime. But by her early teens, she was deep in a world of drugs, violence, and survival, running with dangerous people and making decisions that would ultimately land her behind bars.

In this real and raw episode, Francesca opens up about her descent from an innocent kid to a high-level drug dealer, the brutal realities of life on the streets, and the moment she had a gun to her head. She shares the shocking truth about addiction, prison, and the underworld that most people only ever see in films.

From the highs of fast money, first-class flights, and Rolexes to the crushing lows of addiction, overdoses, and the betrayal that landed her inside—this is as raw and unfiltered as it gets. And when she finally walked free, the real battle had only just begun.

Key moments and insights:

⏩ How childhood trauma shaped her choices – the family breakdown that sent her down a dangerous path.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Follow Francesca: https://www.instagram.com/ex_female_prisoner/

Follow Ellie: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official?igsh=bDV3YW4wZzlhcWhq

Follow On a Mission: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0?igsh=eDZkMWZ0ZzkwdGxv&utm_source=qr

This week on On a Mission, I’m joined by Dean Forbes, and his story is nothing short of incredible. From being homeless twice to leading multi-million-pound business exits, Dean opens up about the raw reality behind his success.

He talks about losing his football dream, drowning in debt at 17, and working in a Motorola call centre while crying in the toilets between shifts. But instead of staying stuck, he used that rock-bottom moment to fuel a career that’s seen him rise to the top of the business world.

Dean doesn’t hold back he shares the sacrifices, the mistakes, and the resilience it took to keep going, plus why he’s now focused on helping others through the Forbes Family Group.

This isn’t your typical success story. It’s honest, inspiring, and packed with lessons for anyone chasing their own breakthrough.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official?igsh=bDV3YW4wZzlhcWhq

https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0?igsh=eDZkMWZ0ZzkwdGxv&utm_source=qr

In this episode of the On a Mission podcast, I sit down with Andrew Jenkins, one of the standout finalists from BBC’s The Traitors. But there’s so much more to Andrew than what we saw on our screens. His story is one of resilience, transformation, and sheer determination.

At just 21, Andrew’s life took a drastic turn when he survived a horrific car accident that left him in a coma for four weeks. Doctors didn’t expect him to survive, let alone walk or talk again. But Andrew defied the odds, rebuilding his life piece by piece. That experience not only shaped who he is today but also fueled his passion for mental health advocacy, particularly among men a topic that still doesn’t get enough attention.

In our conversation, Andrew opens up about the real person behind the reality TV persona. We talk about life before The Traitors, how the show challenged him both mentally and emotionally, and how he’s using his platform now to spark meaningful conversations about mental health and resilience.

This isn’t just a chat about reality TV it’s a raw, honest conversation about overcoming life’s toughest moments and finding purpose on the other side. Andrew’s perspective is both humbling and inspiring, and I’m so grateful he’s shared his story with us.

Tune in you don’t want to miss this one.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official?igsh=bDV3YW4wZzlhcWhq

https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0?igsh=eDZkMWZ0ZzkwdGxv&utm_source=qr

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official?igsh=bDV3YW4wZzlhcWhq

https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0?igsh=eDZkMWZ0ZzkwdGxv&utm_source=qr

We’re welcoming back Jessen James to the On A Mission podcast and trust me, this one’s unfiltered, unapologetic, and packed with real talk.

Jessen isn’t just another entrepreneur talking mindset he’s a trained psychiatric nurse who’s taken his deep understanding of human behaviour and turned it into a blueprint for success. From battling financial hardship to becoming a self-made millionaire, Jessen has walked the walk.

In this episode, we get into:

Jessen doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and this conversation might just challenge everything you thought you knew. If you’re ready for some hard-hitting truths and game-changing insights, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Tune in now and let us know what’s your biggest takeaway from Jessen’s wisdom?

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official?igsh=bDV3YW4wZzlhcWhq

https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0?igsh=eDZkMWZ0ZzkwdGxv&utm_source=qr

There’s something about Special Forces operators that fascinates us. Maybe it’s the sheer grit, the mental resilience, or the stories of extreme hardship that push the human body and mind to its limits. We picture them as warriors hardened by battle, unshaken in the face of danger. But what if the reality is something very different?

In this episode, I sat down once again with one of my most popular guests, Ollie Ollerton former Special Boat Service (SBS) soldier, TV personality, and all-around force of nature. And this time, he’s pulling back the curtain like never before.

We dive deep into what it really takes to serve in one of the world’s most elite military units but this isn’t your typical war story. Ollie gets brutally honest about the conflicts that aren’t fought on the battlefield but within ourselves.

We talk about the rigid discipline of military life how it can build resilience, but also how it can break a person if taken too far. He shares how his own rebellious streak often put him at odds with authority, and why true growth comes from learning to master your own mind, not just following orders.

But what might surprise you most is our conversation around spirituality. In a world that often dismisses the unseen, Ollie makes a compelling case for why science and spirituality should go hand in hand. He talks about the power of visualisation, the need to break free from societal conditioning, and why stepping outside of your own programming is the key to real success.

This isn’t just an episode about the SBS it’s an episode about life, resilience, and what it really means to take control of your own path.

Key Takeaways:

✔ Spirituality and science are more connected than we think. It’s not about blind faith, but understanding the mechanisms behind belief.

✔ Discipline is crucial but too much of it can be a prison. Learning balance is key.

✔ If you have a rebellious nature, the military might not be for you. But personal growth is always possible if you shift your mindset.

✔ Your thoughts create your reality. Visualisation and self-mastery are powerful tools for transformation.

✔ We are all programmed by society. The real challenge is learning how to rewrite your own script.

This is Ollie Ollerton, unfiltered, raw, and real and trust me this conversation will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about discipline, resilience, and what it means to be truly free.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official?igsh=bDV3YW4wZzlhcWhq