In this episode, I sit down with Karla Osborne, founder of KO Hair, to explore her journey through burnout, body dysmorphia and single parenthood - and how those experiences ultimately led her to build a business on her own terms.

Karla shares what it was really like to lose her sense of identity, struggle with body image, and juggle ambition with parenting, while trying to stay afloat emotionally and financially. We talk openly about career reinvention, rebuilding confidence, and the uncomfortable reality of starting again when life doesn’t go to plan.

This conversation is about more than business. It’s about resilience, self-belief, and learning to let go of who you were so you can become who you actually want to be.

Whether you’re navigating burnout, questioning your career, or feeling stuck in a version of life that no longer fits, this episode will remind you that reinvention isn’t just possible - it’s often the beginning of something better.

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I’ve always been known as “Lisa miles an hour”. The chatterbox. The over-thinker. The one who’s told to quieten down, slow down, be less.

But what if none of that is actually a problem?

In this episode, I question everything I thought I knew about myself - from neurodiversity and ADHD to why I left the corporate world and stopped caring what people think.

This isn’t about getting a diagnosis. It’s about realising that the very traits I tried to suppress for years might actually be my biggest strength.

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Wendy “wo0” Gannon is an award-winning personal photographer, speaker and founder of the Female Five Million movement - and she’s proudly a chaotic ADHD head.

In this deeply honest conversation, Wendy opens up about being diagnosed with ADHD at 45 and what it truly felt like to go decades without a name for her experience.

She talks about the exhaustion of masking - constantly performing, softening herself, and trying to fit the expectations of the world while silently struggling inside. From childhood and early career to building her business and speaking on stages, she reflects on how masking shaped her life and the relief (and fear) that came with finally dropping the act.

This episode explores the emotional cost of masking, the power of showing up as your genuine self, and how embracing neurodiversity has influenced Wendy’s work helping founders show up authentically online.

If you’ve ever felt worn out by simply being you, this conversation will resonate.

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In this bonus episode, Toni Eastwood shares her full story: from being bullied at school and leaving without confidence, to building an impressive career in government, corporate leadership, and business - all while quietly struggling with self-doubt and a sense that something wasn’t right.

We talk about the pressure to “do the right things”, why external success doesn’t automatically bring confidence, and the moment Toni realised she had built a life that looked successful on paper but didn’t feel like her own.

This episode replaces our usual coaching format this week. Instead, it offers something just as valuable - a lived experience that many women will recognise, but rarely hear spoken about honestly.

If you’ve ever followed the rules, worked hard, and still wondered “why don’t I feel successful?” - this conversation is for you.

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In this unedited interview for Real Women’s Stories, Lisa Quait is joined by Deirdre O’Neill, co-founder of Hertility, to expose how women’s health conversations are being restricted, suppressed, and silenced online.

From banned terminology and platforms deciding that words like endometriosis, menopause, and hormones are “too explicit” or “too political”, this conversation unpacks how Big Tech is shaping - and limiting - what women are allowed to say about their own bodies.

Deirdre explains why women’s health content is treated differently to sexualised imagery, how misinformation and fear have replaced education, and the real-world consequences of censoring vital health information - from delayed diagnoses to women being dismissed, gaslit, and left without answers.

This is a raw discussion about power, control, and why understanding your hormones and reproductive health shouldn’t depend on what an algorithm allows.

If you’ve ever felt ignored by the healthcare system, confused by your symptoms, or frustrated by how hard it is to find clear, trustworthy information about women’s health - this episode is for you.

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Meta said, Meta’s terms and policies have always prohibited advertisers from sharing sensitive information, including health data, and we have measures in place designed to help prevent advertisers from sharing such information. These measures did not block these organisations from running ads; they limited the ability to share potentially sensitive information with Meta. Advertisers can request a review if they believe their data source category is not appropriate, and we are working directly with these organisations to provide further guidance.

Google said: We have long allowed ads for fertility treatments and services in most countries. To ensure advertisers don’t target people based on sensitive health information, including women’s health advertising, we do implement certain protections.

After being approached for comment, TikTok contacted Hertility to provide clarification on the policy, and the ads team reinstated four of Hertility’s videos following a review.

The Independant, November 2025

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You don’t need a crisis, loss, or life-changing moment to start living differently - awareness is enough.

In this episode, Lisa explains why waiting for “the moment” keeps you stuck, and how real change begins with small, intentional steps you can take right now. So many of us sit with ideas, dreams, and quiet nudges - waiting for something big to happen before we act.

In this coaching episode, Lisa explores why we delay the changes we know we want to make, why living on autopilot feels so draining, and how meaningful change actually starts. Not with dramatic decisions or overnight transformations, but with awareness, honesty, and small daily actions.

This episode isn’t about grief or trauma. It’s an encouraging reminder that you don’t need permission, perfection, or the “right time” to begin living differently.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why waiting for a big moment keeps you stuck
• How awareness creates momentum without overwhelm
• Why change feels uncomfortable (and how to work with that)
• How small, realistic steps build confidence over time
• A simple daily practice to help you move forward

Lisa also shares a practical takeaway you can use immediately - helping you identify what’s been sitting in the back of your mind, and the one small step that could move you closer to it.

If you’ve been thinking “I’ll start tomorrow” or “I’ll do it when things settle”, this episode is for you.

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This episode launches a new series of Real Women's Stories about the moments that quietly redefine how we live - and the unexpected choices that follow.

Jenny shares the turning point that caused her to pause, reassess, and ultimately start living with far more intention than before. What came next wasn’t a single bold decision, but a sequence of surprising shifts that changed how she approached work, wellbeing, ambition, and time itself.

From stepping away from a career that no longer fit, to building a life shaped by values rather than habit, Jenny reflects on how one moment led to a completely different way of living - and why the changes she made still catch her off guard today.

This conversation isn’t about loss; it’s about awareness. About what happens when you stop assuming there will always be “later”, and start choosing how you want your life to feel now.

A powerful opening episode for anyone who senses they’re on the edge of change - or quietly knows they want more from the life they’re already living.

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Additional audio supplied by Louis Marlowe, Lewis Robling and WhyWeRun

Watch the documentary - Ordinary People, Extraordinary Things - on YouTube

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In this bonus episode, Lisa Hopper reflects on how being labelled - and later labelling herself - as “shy” slowly became an identity, shaping her confidence, choices, and sense of self without her even realising it. What began as a single childhood experience quietly influenced how she showed up in relationships, work, money, and life.

This honest conversation explores how easily confidence can be misunderstood, how victim thinking can keep us stuck, and why true confidence often begins with questioning the stories we’ve carried for years.

Lisa also shares a deeply personal experience around mental health and medication, highlighting the importance of separating who we are from what we’re experiencing - and why awareness can be the turning point.

This is a shorter, reflective bonus episode, but one that will resonate if you’ve ever thought:

“I’m just shy,” and wondered where your confidence went.

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Work with Lisa Hopper & receive 25% off, use discount code: JSZ23D8

Full details & claim your offer here

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As we step out of 2025 and into a brand-new year, we asked you one simple question: what are you really taking with you into 2026?

In this New Year special of Real Women’s Stories, you share your hopes, intentions and truths for the year ahead - speaking honestly about growth, courage, boundaries, family, ambition, gratitude and learning to trust yourself again.

There’s no pressure to reinvent your life here.

No perfect plans. No performative positivity.

Just real reflections from real women, offering perspective, reassurance and the reminder that change doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.

If you’re stepping into 2026 feeling hopeful, uncertain, reflective - or quietly ready for something different - this episode is for you.

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This Christmas, we’re asking a simple but powerful question: what does Christmas really mean to you?

In this special festive episode of Real Women’s Stories, voices from our global community come together to share their most personal Christmas memories - from laughter-filled moments and family traditions, to loss, nostalgia, kindness, and the quiet reflections that surface at this time of year.

Recorded across different countries and life stages, these stories capture the full emotional spectrum of Christmas: chaotic dinners, childhood magic, missing loved ones, chosen family, and the moments that stay with us long after the decorations come down.

Lisa also shares a heartfelt message for anyone who finds Christmas difficult, reminding us that there is no single “right” way to experience the season - and that connection, community, and small moments of light still matter.

Whether Christmas feels joyful, complicated, or somewhere in between, this episode is a gentle pause in a busy season - and a reminder that you’re not alone.

From all of us at Real Women’s Stories, we wish you a peaceful Christmas and a hopeful New Year.

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