The Emma Guns Show

In this episode of the podcast, Emma chats with Vicky Tsai, the founder of Tatcha skincare.

Vicky’s story is a fascinating one; from Wall Street trader to the founder of the one of the most successful skincare brands around, inspired by Geisha skincare rituals and with a devoted fan base that has seen Tatcha recognised as one of ‘The 45 Most Powerful Beauty Brands in the World’. 

How Vicky went from trading floor to skincare is an incredible and unexpected journey and it’s unlike any story ever told before on this podcast.

As you’ll hear, Vicky’s insights aren’t just about business or indeed the business of beauty, but life lessons that we can all learn from. Her wisdom left an indelible mark on me and I hope it’s one you feel too.

Listen ad-free now on Patreon

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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

In this episode, Emma chats with Meik Wiking, founder and CEO of The Happiness Institute. Meik makes a welcome return to the podcast, having appeared as a guest in 2019, to talk about how to find happiness in our homes.

For many of us, our homes became a new type of sanctuary during the Covid19 pandemic and Meik shares his insights on the ways in which a home can be joyful and welcoming.

In this conversation, Meik shares why it's not just about decor and aesthetics that can make a home feel special.

Meik's latest book My Hygge Home is available now.

Listen ad-free now on Patreon

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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

Trigger warning! This episode makes reference to rape and sexual assault.

In this episode, Emma chats to Soma Sara, the multi-award-winning activist, author, speaker and CEO of the charity Everyone's Invited.

Everyone's Invited began in 2020 when Soma started to share her experiences of rape culture on Instagram. The space was opened up for everyone to contribute and the response was overwhelming.

In this conversation, Emma and Soma discuss their different perspectives on the subject, which vary wildly given that there is a twenty-year age gap between the two (Soma is 24 and Emma is 44 at the time of recording). They discuss how rape culture has become so prevalent, the impact easily accessible porn has had on impressionable children, how behaviour in the playground has become sexualised and what parents can do to help.

Emma certainly felt as though her eyes were opened and understood Soma's urgency in needing to make changes so the situation doesn't get any worse.

Soma's book Everyone's Invited is available now.

Listen ad-free now on Patreon

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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

In this episode, Emma chats with entrepreneur and brand founder Susan Yara.

Susan recently launched her brand Naturium into Space NK here in the UK yet becoming a brand founder wasn't ever part of 'the plan' as Susan shares during this conversation

As it turns out, Emma and Susan have had similar starts in the beauty industry; both starting out in hard news before finding their niche in beauty and Emma wanted to find out how Susan navigated the transition from mainstream news to digital media and how that journey ended up launching one of the most exciting new beauty brands to hit shelves in recent years

During their conversation, Susan shares where she learned her business instinct, where she learned what not to do, why some of her most popular videos on Mixed Makeup happened by chance, why she wanted to create skincare that people loved and also saw results from using and the common beauty mistakes we all make

Naturium is available at Space NK now

Listen ad-free now on Patreon

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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

In this episode, Emma chats to author, broadcaster and journalist Raphael Rowe.

Raphael's story is unlike any other shared on The Emma Guns Show before. He spent 12 years in prison for crimes he didn't commit, sentenced to a life behind bars by a jury even though evidence proved he couldn't be the perpetrator.

Emma wanted to find out from Raphael how he was able to find the focus to plead his case and overturn his conviction when it would have been so easy to become consumed by rage at the injustice of which he was a victim.

During their conversation, Raphael shares what happened to him during those 12 years in prison, how he finally won his freedom and came out into a world that was completely different from the one he left behind, why he's now committed to ending the mistreatment of people within prison systems and why everybody deserves a second chance.

Raphael hosts Inside the World's Toughest Prisons on Netflix.

Raphael's book Notorious: Life with No Parole for a Crime I Didn't Commit is available now.

Raphael's podcast Second Chance is streaming now.

Listen ad-free now on Patreon

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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

In this episode, Emma chats to author, entrepreneur and fitness expert James Smith.

Emma started following James on Instagram because she found his diet and fitness content helpful, clear and easy-to-follow. Much like previous guest Emma Storey-Gordon, James bangs the drum for calorie deficit and energy balance and skilfully dismantles arguments made by people peddling alternatives that have no evidence or science to support them.

In all honesty, this conversation didn't go the way Emma was expecting - and thank goodness it didn't!

One of James' books is called Not a Life Coach, and right from the off James called Emma out, in a way that any good life coach would, on why she doesn't feel confident sharing her opinions online. Don't worry, they did get to diet and exercise, but James very generously offered a perspective on how to avoid falling into the trap of worrying whether people like or agree with you or not - and much more!

This conversation also includes discussion of confirmation bias, deciding what your metrics of success are, emotional issues with food, short term vs long term wants, why life is for living and why the ultimate currency we should be dealing in is happiness.

This conversation might not be what you'd expect from The Emma Guns Show, which is why you should definitely listen to it.

Links to James:

James Smith on Instagram 

James Smith Academy 

James Smith's books on Amazon 

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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

In this episode, Emma chats to Dr Tracy Dennis-Tiwary who returns to the podcast to explore how we can use those feelings of anxiety for our benefit.

Tracy was on the podcast back in May 2022 to discuss her book Future Tense, and saying that Emma and Tracy hit it off is an understatement. So, when Tracy travelled to London from the US recently, a face-to-face podcast was on the agenda.

Tracy shares with Emma the techniques we can all use actually to benefit from feelings of anxiety and see what they are trying to tell us and how they are steering us away from danger and towards great things. She also shares how important it is to reframe those feelings as things to embrace not something to eliminate.

They also unpick past traumas (Emma's time in school as someone who barely scraped by) and how the anxiety that caused at the time actually steered her towards her career now.

There's also an unhealthy amount of fantasising about Keanu Reeves, but you'll have to listen to the episode to understand why...

Listen ad-free now on Patreon

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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

In this podcast episode, Emma chats to television presenter and author Gabby Logan about the life lessons, big and small, she's learned.

Gabby's book, The First Half, chronicles her life up to the age of 50 and documents the challenges, heartbreak, grief and adversity she has dealt with.

It could be tempting to look back at one's life through rose-tinted glasses, but Gabby paints a fair picture of her highs and lows, admitting when she was at fault or could have made better choices. In fact, she was determined to tell her story which meant doing so with utmost honesty and it's one of the reasons she makes such a fabulous guest in this episode.

We discuss the value of looking back with as clear and as honest a perspective as possible, how important it is to dig into the ugly stuff so you can learn from it and how to make peace with the things you simply cannot change. She also offers a lesson on how to take criticism.

Gabby's book, The First Half, is available now.

Listen ad-free now on Patreon

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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

In this podcast episode, Emma chats to Radically Honest Psychologist Whitney Goodman (@sitwithwhit) about Toxic Positivity.

If you haven't heard the phrase toxic positivity before, it refers to saying things like 'good vibes only' and 'look on the bright side'. It's a positive platitude someone might offer when you tell them about something you're struggling with or sayings such as 'everything happens for a reason'.

It might feel like being helpful, it may even seem like kindness to offer a hopeful perspective but, Whitney argues, that it actually invalidates your feelings and can leave you feeling dissatisfied and confused.

During our conversation, Whitney and I discuss our thoughts on The Secret and the idea you can manifest your perfect life, we realise how insidious toxic positivity is and how it affects us all. We discuss the type of people who have 'be kind' in their social media bios and how [spoiler alert] they are usually trolls.

Whitney also offers valuable tools on how to eradicate toxic positivity and the ways in which you can be helpful and constructive and why, actually, a little negativity is now bad thing...

Whitney's book Toxic Positivity: Keeping It Real in a World Obsessed with Being Happy is available now.

Listen ad-free now on Patreon

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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

In this episode, Emma chats to celebrity hairdresser Sam McKnight about his career creating some of the most iconic looks in fashion history and why, as he launches an extension to his haircare range Hair by Sam McKnight, he's pausing to reflect on what he has learned from decades working with visionaries and trailblazers.

During our conversation we discuss the age of the Supermodel, watching punk emerge on the King's Road in the 1970s from the top deck of the number 22 bus, why lockdown offered an opportunity to pause and reconsider, which he didn't know he needed, and much more...

Sam's products are available Space NK now and direct from Sam's website sammcknight.com

To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.

To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.

Sign up for my newsletter here >> Newsletter.

Hey! Why not share your thoughts and insights to make your listening experience even better. Complete this listener survey to tell me what you want to hear: http://bit.ly/theemmagunsshow-survey

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