Perfectly Flawed Podcast

What does it take to reclaim your life after abuse?

In this episode of Perfectly Flawed, I talk with Larissa Astara Gray, who escaped an abusive partner in the middle of the night with her young son, flying out of Egypt to safety. From surviving toxic relationships, heroin addiction, and sexual trauma, Larissa’s greatest challenge has been learning to trust and love herself.

Now a dynamic speaker and advocate, she sparks transformative conversations about sexual health, consent and the impact of pornography, guiding people toward healthy, empowered choices.

We explore:
💡 How to survive trauma and rebuild trust in yourself.
💡 Why honest conversations about sexuality are vital.
💡 Turning personal hardship into empowerment and change.

🎧 Tune in for a raw, inspiring, and life-affirming conversation.

Introducing Larissa Astara Gray, a dynamic speaker committed to revolutionizing sex education and sparking transformative conversations about sexual communication. In a world struggling with outdated views on sexuality, Larissa is a beacon of change. She has spent years researching with educators, survivors, and young people, combining their insights with her own powerful story. 

Having overcome rape, sexual shame, toxic relationships, and substance abuse, Larissa is dedicated to healing and empowerment. Her talks cover building healthy sexual relationships, preventing sexual assault, non-consensual experiences, and STIs. Her biggest passion is revealing the truth about pornography's impact on young people. 

Larissa guides people toward healthy, respectful, and empowering sexual choices. She’s not just a speaker; she’s a movement. 

What if the key to success isn’t just talent—but learning to be your own best friend?

In this episode of Perfectly Flawed, I sat down with Elliot Kay, CEO of the Speaker Awards and Summit, author and entrepreneur. Growing up with an alcoholic father and facing bullying and isolation at school, Elliot learned early what it felt like to be alone and friendless. Those experiences could have held him back—but instead, they became the foundation for resilience, self-acceptance, and an extraordinary career.

Today, Elliot helps leaders and speakers amplify their influence, using the power of authentic, purposeful communication to create impact, trust, and lasting change. He believes that speaking with heart isn’t just about being heard—it’s about inspiring, leading, and leaving a legacy.

Together, we explore:
💡 How to transform loneliness and self-doubt into confidence and self-compassion.
💡 Why authenticity is the most powerful tool in leadership communication.
💡 How speaking with purpose can create influence, trust and real change.

🎧 Tune in for insight, inspiration, and a reminder that the most important voice to listen to… is your own.

CEO of the Speaker Awards and Summit | Expert in Impactful Leadership Communications 

Elliot Kay is the CEO of the Speaker Awards and Summit and a leading voice in leadership communication. With years of experience helping speakers and leaders amplify their influence, he focuses on using the spoken word to connect, lead, and inspire change. Elliot champions authenticity, clarity, and purpose—believing that speaking is one of the most powerful leadership tools when used with heart. Through his work, he supports professionals in mastering communication that creates real impact, legacy, and trust. His mission: to raise the standard of excellence in the world of speaking. 

Links: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-kay/  

What if the real measure of resilience isn’t avoiding disaster—but learning how to play the hand you’re dealt?

In this episode of Perfectly Flawed, I sat down with Steven Dowd, whose life changed in an instant. Cycling to work in London, preparing for a local race, Steven hit a barrier and was javelined into the ground, breaking his neck and leaving him instantly paralysed from the neck down. The prognosis was bleak, the choices limited—but that same day, an experimental clinical research trial gave him hope.

Starting with a promise to his wife while lying motionless in intensive care, Steven embarked on a journey that would not only see him walk again but also complete extraordinary charity challenges raising awareness and funds for spinal cord injury research.

As a former professional poker teacher, Steven brings a fascinating lens to life’s challenges: the stakes may be high or low, but the key is always the same—reset the cards, play your hand, and never give up.

Together, we explore:
💡 How mindset and persistence can rewrite what seems impossible.
💡 The power of resilience when the hand you’re dealt feels unplayable.
💡 Why small shifts in perspective—like seeing life as a poker game—can transform recovery and life itself.

🎧 Tune in for inspiration, insight, and a reminder that even in the most unlikely circumstances, courage, determination, and a little strategy can help you rise again.

A promising career in corporate financial services took a dramatic turn as a result of a freak cycling accident in which Steven was instantly paralysed from the neck down. His prognosis was bleak and his choices limited but that same day Steven was 

given hope through an experimental clinical research trial. 

Starting with a promise to his wife, made whilst laying motionless in intensive care, he set about a journey that would not only see him stand and walk again but create and complete several remarkable charity challenges raising funds and awareness for spinal cord injury research. 

stevendowd.com 

[email protected] 

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

What if the courage to succeed starts with the courage to embrace who you truly are?

In this episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I sat down with **Lewis Crompton** to talk about the bravery it’s taken him to reclaim his truth. As a young man, he grew up in north London with well-meaning parents and a church community that led him to believe he was deeply flawed for being gay. So much so that he agreed to undergo “treatment and interventions” before eventually making his peace—and learning to fully embrace what he once saw as a flaw.

Lewis’ journey didn’t stop there. From training as a therapist at 19, to burning out in retail, to discovering investing and trading, he has carved a path that blends personal transformation with financial empowerment. Today, he helps others escape the rat race, build sustainable income, and live life on their own terms.

Together, we explore:

💡 The courage it takes to confront deeply held beliefs about yourself.

💡 How setbacks and challenges can be reframed as opportunities for growth.

💡 Why embracing your perceived flaws is the foundation for authentic success.

🎧 Tune in for a conversation full of honesty, resilience, and inspiration—and hear how Lewis turned what once felt like a limitation into his greatest strength.

Lewis grew up in north London to teacher parents. He went to the local church where he discovered a skill and desire to help other which led to him training as a therapist at the age of 19. When he burned out in his early 20’s, he found himself working in retail. At this point, he decided retail and corporate was not the life for him. That’s when he discovered investing and trading. He went into debt to get access to mentorship with Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad team. After 7 months, he left his job and started travelling the world. Feeling dissatisfied with not fulfilling his core mission, Lewis started teaching others how to trade, helping them to escape the rat race and develop an income generating skill.  

www.startradingnow.com
https://www.instagram.com/withlewiscrompton 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSi6FAzyo-utA0rUVe5mIrQ 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewiscrompton/ 

How do you rebuild after hitting rock bottom?

In this episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I talk with **Charlie Cannon**—an engaging, energetic speaker and coach who lights up every room he enters. But Charlie’s journey to resilience and self-respect began in darkness.

At just 21, after a night of partying, Charlie fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his car on the M4 motorway. The accident left his sister in a life-threatening coma, and the self-blame consumed him for years. In that time, he also uncovered the impact of childhood sexual abuse, sending him further into a spiral of numbing and escape.

What followed was a long journey of self-understanding, healing, and transformation. Today, Charlie uses his story to spread messages of resilience, energy, and compassion—for self and others.

As a **speaker and coach**, Charlie has worked at the intersection of leadership, performance, and wellbeing for almost two decades. His clients include global brands such as **Deloitte, Tesco, HSBC, Barclays, Mars, and Unilever**. His philosophy is simple but profound: resilience matters, but so does the often-overlooked asset of *energy*.

In this conversation, we explore:

✨ Why setbacks can become our biggest opportunities for growth.

✨ How self-respect and compassion transform resilience.

✨ The vital role of energy in sustained performance.

✨ Why leaders need to balance high achievement with humanity.

Charlie’s story is a powerful reminder that even in our deepest struggles, light and growth are possible.

🎧 Tune in for a raw, uplifting, and energising conversation on resilience, leadership, and the art of being human.

What happens when a strength and conditioning coach at the very top of professional rugby has his worldview turned upside down?

In this episode of Perfectly Flawed, I sit down with Craig White—award-winning leadership coach and mentor who’s spent over 25 years working with elite athletes, including the British & Irish Lions, Wales Rugby, and the Leicester Tigers. At the height of his career, a trip to Thailand changed everything. Immersed in meditation and mindfulness, Craig began a journey of deep personal transformation that would eventually lead him to guiding men’s retreats in the UK and Peru and back to the rugby grounds - bringing an entirely renewed approach to performance and what it means to be a leader and a man in today’s world.

Our conversation explores:
💡 Craig’s response to the phrase toxic masculinity—and why it’s more complex than we think.
💡 How rugby’s “macho” culture can be integrated with compassion, sensitivity, and insight.
💡 Why men need to access their full emotional range to lead authentically.
💡 The unifying thread between sport, leadership, and self-awareness.

Craig is now committed to helping men redefine success—not just in sport or business, but in life. Through his work and his podcast, Dare To Be Different, he’s challenging outdated norms and inspiring a new, more expansive model of masculinity: strong and sensitive, competitive and compassionate.

🎧 Tune in for an honest, challenging, and uplifting conversation on what it really means to be a man.

Craig White is an award-winning leadership coach and mentor who has spent over 25 years coaching elite athletes, including British & Irish Lions, Wales Rugby and other international teams. Now, he helps men access their full emotional range, lead with authenticity, and live more meaningful lives. His work blends sport, leadership and personal transformation. Craig is also the host of Dare To Be Different, a podcast exploring the personal transformations of influential male leaders.

https://craigwhitecoaching.com  

https://craigwhitementoring.com/podcast/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-white-performance-coach/

https://www.instagram.com/craigwhitementoring/

https://www.youtube.com/@daretobedifferentcraigwhite 

What does it mean to be authentic when we contain multitudes?

In this episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I sit down with **Oliver Gregory**—multidisciplinary artist, writer, and creative director from Sheffield, England. By day he’s Oliver, reserved and understated. By night, he transforms into **Miss Titty Kaka**—a drag queen persona that is bold, unhinged, and unapologetically alive.

Oliver first revealed this side of himself while working on **Virgin Voyages** as *The Diva*, stunning audiences with a presence that was every bit as real as his off-stage self. His drag career began at *Funny Girls* in 2014, before dazzling in Paris at *MANKO Cabaret* and the *Vogue Paris Foundation Gala*. He’s since created original productions with **Princess Cruises** and **Virgin Voyages**, blending theatre, costume, and spectacle in ways that continually push creative boundaries.

In our conversation, we explore:

💡 How drag can be as authentic as everyday identity.

💡 The liberation of embodying different facets of self.

💡 What it means to create performance that is unhinged, spectacular, and deeply human.

💡 Why embracing duality can free us to live more fully.

Oliver reminds us that identity isn’t about choosing one mask over another—it’s about allowing all of our selves to be seen, celebrated, and expressed.

🎧 Tune in for a dazzling, honest, and liberating conversation about art, authenticity, and the many ways of being human.

Oliver Gregory is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and creative director from Sheffield England, with expertise in live theatre, visual media, and costume fabrication.

Starting at Funny Girls (2014-2017), he debuted his drag persona, Miss Titty Kaka, and later performed in Paris at MANKO Cabaret and the Vogue Paris Foundation Gala 2018. He has worked with Princess Cruises, Virgin Voyages, and renowned creatives, developing original productions and immersive entertainment. Oliver continues to push theatrical boundaries,creating unhinged, spectacular, and stimulating performance experiences.

Links: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-gregory-creative/

https://www.olivergregory.co.uk

/https://www.tittykaka.com/ 

How do you rebuild a life after surviving the unimaginable?

In this moving episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I speak with **Madeleine Black**—author, professional speaker, sexual violence activist, and host of the acclaimed podcast *Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling*. As a teenager, Madeleine was gang raped and left fearing for her life. For decades, she carried her trauma in silence. Then, in 2014, she stepped onto a TEDx stage to share her story—and the response changed everything.

Today, Madeleine is a powerful voice against sexual violence, advocating for survivors to reclaim their courage, trust their bodies, and set boundaries without apology. Her journey from silence to strength is one of profound resilience, joy, and advocacy.

In our conversation, we explore:

💡 Why victims of sexual violence are never “asking for it.”

💡 How shame and silence can be broken through courage and community.

💡 The long road of healing—and the power of reconnecting with life.

💡 How Madeleine helps others find their voice and step into their own strength.

Madeleine reminds us that even in the darkest experiences, it is possible to heal, to speak, and to inspire others with courage.

🎧 Tune in for a conversation that is raw, hopeful, and deeply human.

Madeleine Black is an author, professional speaker, sexual violence activist, former psychotherapist and has a podcast show called “Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling” 

After decades of silence, Madeleine decided to share her own story publicly online in September 2014 and she completely underestimated what the response would be. 

She is passionate about speaking out to end the shame, stigma and silence surrounding sexual violence and to help others find their courage and voice too 

www.linkedin.com/in/madeleineblackspeaker444 

www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken 

www.madeleineblack.co.uk

In this episode of *Perfectly Flawed*, I sit down with **Paul Avins**—a transformational coach, entrepreneur mentor. Paul’s remarkable career includes a 20-year track record of helping entrepreneurs and CEOs achieve extraordinary results, with over 550 companies, many scaling to £5–10 million, he leads world-class masterminds, retreats, and events through **Massive Action Coaching** and the UK’s No.1 Scale-Up Mastermind, **F12**.

Paul’s life took a dramatic turn when a severe asthma attack nearly ended it. Minutes later, he returned, transformed by the experience. He believes that this near-death experience (NDE) prepared him to navigate the challenges of his wife’s subsequent disabling illness, teaching him resilience, perspective, and the deeper meaning of wealth and life.

In this conversation, we explore:

💡 The intersection of business success, personal wealth, and spiritual insight.

💡 How a life-threatening event can redefine purpose and perspective.

💡 Lessons from guiding hundreds of entrepreneurs to scale their businesses beyond imagination.

💡 The importance of resilience and presence when life throws unexpected challenges your way.

🎧 Tune in for a conversation that blends business, life, and spirituality, and discover how extraordinary success and personal transformation can go hand in hand.

With a remarkable 20-year track record coaching entrepreneurs and CEOs, Paul knows how to deliver real results. He's successfully guided over 550 companies to surpass £1 million in revenue, with many scaling to an impressive £5 million and £10 million heights, dominating their industries. 

Paul's journey has been marked by resilience, having survived a life-threatening asthma attack nine years ago, a testament to his unwavering commitment to helping others overcome adversity. 

As the CEO of Massive Action Coaching, he leads 'Team Purple,' renowned for delivering world-class events, masterminds, and retreats that inspire and empower entrepreneurs on their scale-up journeys. Paul is also the driving force behind the No1 Scale-Up Mastermind in the UK, F12, boasting a remarkable 10-year history of creating millionaire business owners. 

Links:  

https://www.instagram.com/paulavins/  

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

https://www.facebook.com/PaulAvinsCoach 

https://www.youtube.com/@paulavins  

He calls himself “just a drummer”—but Tom Morley is far from just anything.

As the original drummer for 80s band Scritti Politti, Tom went on to play with legends like David Bowie and Madness. Today, he blends old-school rock ’n’ roll eccentricity with new-school technology, including generative AI, to unleash creativity in the most unexpected places—like corporate boardrooms.

Through drumming, chanting, and his trademark humour, Tom has a rare gift: he gets even the most straight-laced delegates clapping, singing, and drumming in harmony. As one client said: “We didn’t believe we could do it, but we could see that you believed we could do it. So we went for it—and it worked!”

In this free-spirited conversation, we explore:
🥁 How group energy transforms when people are given permission to play.
🥁 Why stepping out of our comfort zones leads to breakthroughs.
🥁 The art of creating in the moment—and why that’s at the heart of being human.
🥁 Tom’s reflections on music, technology, and unifying people through rhythm.

Tom is living proof that when we risk a little vulnerability, magic happens. As one HR leader put it: “How do you get 150 delegates from 50 territories to sing in harmony in half an hour? Ask Tom Morley.”

🎧 Tune in for an episode that’s part rock history, part magical masterclass, and all about the extraordinary power of being perfectly flawed.