The Phoenix Conversations

I’m joined by Jeannie McGillivray, co-founder and CEO of Remote and co-founder of Autumn, an AI-powered operational intelligence platform.

Jeannie shares how a working-class childhood, an art degree, a pottery apprenticeship and a record label all became part of an extraordinary route into technology and entrepreneurship.

We also talk about building a business with her husband, turning a website project into a software company and developing Autumn after spotting a gap in how businesses use AI.

Jeannie’s story is a brilliant reminder that reinvention is rarely linear. Sometimes the next chapter appears when you follow your curiosity, trust your skills and begin before you feel completely ready.

Highlights:

(03:08) - How Jeannie’s childhood shaped her resilience and ambition

(08:52) - Leaving Brighton to begin a pottery apprenticeship in Shropshire

(15:19) - How a record label unexpectedly became a website business

(20:30) - The project that transformed them into a software company

(28:08) - Building AI tools to solve their own business problems

(40:53) - Why boldness begins with simply starting

Connect with Jeannie:

https://autm.ai/

https://jeannie.online/

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

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

In this episode, I’m joined by Chris Daems, Chartered Financial Planner, Fellow of the Personal Financial Society and director of Cervello Financial Planning.

Chris believes financial planning should have one simple purpose: helping people achieve their goals so they can live the life they want.

We talk about his journey from nearly being sacked at the bank to building a successful, values-led business, publishing two books and hosting a podcast with his daughter.

Chris also shares why money is only part of the picture when planning your next chapter, and how kindness, purpose, lifelong learning and tiny experiments can help us create a life that feels meaningful as well as financially secure.

Highlights:

(05:33) - The day Chris expected the sack and received a promotion instead

(10:40) - Leaving corporate life to build a business around his values

(15:55) - The self-doubt behind the first two and a half years

(18:32) - How one uncomfortable encounter sparked a kindness project

(23:35) - Why having enough money is not the same as having a life plan

(29:52) - Using tiny experiments to shape your next chapter

Connect with Chris:

https://www.cervellofp.co.uk/who-we-are/chris-daems/

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chris-daems-19130517

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

In this episode, I speak with Sharon Eden, the Spiritual Psychotherapist Coach who helps midlife businesswomen and leaders move from ‘There has to be more to life than this’ to knowing who they are now, where they are going and what truly lights them up.

Sharon shares how a traumatic childhood, early motherhood and years of feeling like a misfit became the foundation for more than 40 years of professional wisdom.

We also explore her journey through education, psychotherapy, entrepreneurship and repeated reinvention. Sharon is the founder of The Wild Elder’s Soulful Boardroom, author of the bestseller Re-Discovered, creator of the Wild Elder’s Code and a powerful voice on elderhood and eldership.

With her gift for seeing what others miss and naming what has gone unspoken, she reminds us that reinvention is not something we need to explain. We need to embody it.

Highlights:

(02:49) - The bright young girl trying to survive an abusive childhood

(08:12) - How becoming a mother gave Sharon a reason to rebuild

(14:56) - Returning to education when she knew there had to be more

(23:18) - Watching a successful business slowly fall away

(27:40) - The words from her mother that created a new life mission

(34:00) - Stop explaining your reinvention and start embodying it

Connect with Sharon:

https://thewildelder.com

https://www.thewildelder.com/the-soulful-boardroom

https://www.re-discovered.life

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharoneden1/

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

Paul Cameron’s grand life plan is simple: to become gloriously eccentric by retirement, and he is already way ahead of schedule.

Once a session drummer, professor of music and performer with the Royal Opera House, London Symphony Orchestra and Royal National Theatre, he now spends his days creating treehouses, rope bridges, treetop walkways and tree nets around the world.

In this episode, I’m talking to Paul about the imagination, courage and business thinking behind Treehouse Life International.

We explore how he turned creativity into a company, what music taught him about entrepreneurship and how he came to build childhood dreams for grown-ups, luxury resorts, visitor attractions and clients including Elton John and Gary Barlow.

Highlights:

(03:03) - The childhood treehouse and piano lessons that shaped Paul’s future

(08:14) - From the Royal College of Music to an extraordinary performance career

(13:42) - What being a session drummer taught Paul about business

(20:51) - How building treehouses for his sons sparked a complete reinvention

(23:17) - The Ideal Home Show moment that launched Treehouse Life International

(37:07) - Why belief, play and blue-sky thinking matter when starting again

Connect with Paul:

Website - https://www.treehouse-life-international.com/

YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@treehouselifehq

LinkedIn Profile - www.linkedin.com/in/paulcameron1

Instagram - @treehouse_life_treehouses

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

In this episode, I talk to Penny Power OBE, one of the UK’s most experienced voices on human connection in business and the co‑founder of Ecademy, the world’s first online business network.

Penny shares her journey from a lively, unconventional childhood and early corporate success in tech, through the rise and painful fall of Ecademy, to rebuilding her life and work after losing both her business and her home.

We explore how “friendship first, commerce second” shaped a community of 650,000 members across 52 countries, and why she now believes that small, intentional groups like her current community, BIP 100, are where true significance is found.

Penny also introduces her keynote, “Significance in the Age of AI,” arguing that emotional intelligence and making people feel they matter is now the most powerful commercial strategy leaders can adopt.

This is a conversation about reinvention, identity, and why defining success on our own terms may be the bravest business decision we ever make.

Highlights:

Penny Power's Early Life and Education (2:44)

Penny's Career Journey and Early Reinventions (4:52)

Penny's Corporate Career and Family Life (7:07)

The Creation and Growth of Academy (13:18)

The Decline and End of Academy (22:15)

Penny's Reinvention and New Ventures (27:25)

Connect with Penny:

Email: [[email protected]] |

LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennypower/]

Website: [www.pennypower.co.uk] |

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

Nick Ayton has reinvented himself more times than most of us could imagine.

From professional tennis and technology to property, fintech, Bitcoin, writing and public speaking, his story is a masterclass in resilience, adaptability and getting back up when life changes without warning.

We talk about the business collapses that wiped him out, the cost of becoming a whistleblower, and the opportunities that appeared when he stayed open to what came next.

Nick also shares the thinking behind his book, The Slow Bleed, and why ego can be one of the biggest barriers to rebuilding.

Highlights:

(05:13) - The tennis dream that became Nick’s first reinvention

(10:15) - Building a business that took off, then stopped overnight

(17:14) - Why ego can block the path back after failure

(19:12) - Reinventing again after becoming a whistleblower

(24:18) - How Bitcoin, writing and public speaking opened a new chapter

(35:20) - Nick’s advice for anyone facing an unexpected change

Connect with Nick:

www.nickayton.com

www.theslowbleed.com

Substack https://substack.com/@nickayton

Medium https://nickayton.medium.com

You Tube https://www.youtube.com/@FuturistInShorts/shorts

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

In this episode, I’m joined by Helen Bligh, a former NHS dietitian, life sciences professional, coach, and now author, to talk about reinvention, women’s health, and the changing conversation around obesity and GLP-1 medications.

Helen shares how redundancy, motherhood, coaching, and a lifelong interest in science all shaped the work she is doing today.

We also talk honestly about shame, willpower, menopause, weight cycling, side effects, and why the advice around weight loss has not always kept pace with the science.

This is a thoughtful, personal conversation about health, self-belief, and what can happen when you finally stop blaming yourself and start understanding your body.

Highlights:

(05:16) - From NHS dietetics to spotting the gaps in patient support

(12:21) - Motherhood, redundancy, and becoming the family breadwinner

(17:19) - The leap from employment into running her own business

(22:21) - Why Helen pivoted towards GLP-1s and women’s health

(27:25) - Lucy’s own experience of life-changing weight loss

(36:47) - The question to ask before beginning your own health reinvention

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

In this episode, I’m talking to Paul Dykes, a man who has reinvented himself so many times he has turned it into a way of life.

From employed school-leaver to IT engineer, live music entrepreneur, corporate leader, business founder, coach, trustee, app creator and drummer, Paul’s story is not a neat career plan. It is a gradual unfolding of curiosity, courage and asking, “who am I now?” when life changes shape.

Paul has built a business to just under £1m, closed it, started again, and kept phoenixing.

Today, he helps founders and executives lead from the inside out through Curious Minds Coaching, while building a live music tech platform, supporting an empowerment programme in West Kenya, playing drums in a function band and, quite literally, feeding people. Recent BBQ for 22 included.

Highlights:

(02:30) - A curious child, a village fair, and the tiny traction engine moment

(08:46) - When IT became less about tech and more about asking better questions

(13:40) - Building a business from a hunch that potential was being left on the table

(22:33) - The Covid curveball that forced a sharp turn and a fresh start

(27:12) - Self-leadership, or how to stop leading your business from the outside in

(32:35) - The parts of you that feel scared are not the whole of you

Connect with Paul:

Curious Minds Coaching, bringing Self Leadership to founders, executives and businesses - www.curiousmindscoaching.co.uk

Gigbrite, making live music performances shine- www.gigbrite.app

Urenga Empowerment Programme, transforming young lives - https://invest.urenga.org

Not Quite Saints, event band for corporate & private functions - https://www.instagram.com/notquitesaintsmusic

ConnectHOW, leadership development & coaching - www.connecthow.com

Curious Brainfarts - https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/curiousbrainfarts/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dykes/

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

In this episode, I’m joined by Dani Wallace, founder of IATQB Ltd and fearless leader of the I Am The Queen Bee movement.

Dani’s story moves from growing up on the council estates of Preston, through domestic violence, homelessness and single parenthood, to becoming one of the UK’s most powerful voices in empowerment, speaking and visibility.

We talk about reinvention, survival patterns, self-sabotage, entrepreneurship, asking for help, and what it really means to build a life that feels rooted rather than frantic.

Dani brings honesty, humour and a seriously practical dose of wisdom, reminding us that no matter what we’ve lived through, we can still choose to fly anyway.

Highlights:

(03:08) - Dani looks back at growing up in Preston and the coping mechanisms that shaped her voice

(07:52) - Leaving home at 16, chasing singing work and quietly choosing a different life

(17:17) - The crash point: toxic relationships, single parenthood and becoming homeless

(20:12) - The car park moment where Dani realised she could stop letting life happen to her

(30:09) - The quote that sparked the Queen Bee movement: fly anyway

(42:53) - Dani’s advice for anyone facing change: stop running, make space and listen

Connect with Dani:

www.iatqb.com

www.instagram.com/thequeenbeedani

www.facebook.com/thequeenbeedani

www.facebook.com/groups/386708721935406

www.linkedin.com/in/iamthequeenbee

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

In this episode of The Phoenix Conversations, I’m talking to Kevin Mark-Watts, a business coach and author of The 10-Minute Rules. Kevin’s story begins with a childhood love of football, a knock to his confidence at school, and an unexpected discovery that he was very good with people, sales and human connection.

We talk about retail, redundancy, Crystal Palace Football Club, community sports education, imposter syndrome, mindset, and how all those different chapters eventually fed into the work Kevin does now.

His story is a brilliant reminder that the detours are not always mistakes. Sometimes they are quietly collecting the skills, perspective and resilience we need for the next version of our lives.

Highlights:

(02:38) - Kevin shares how football shaped his childhood and confidence

(05:42) - The early retail job that helped him discover his people skills

(09:04) - How imposter syndrome showed up when leadership moved beyond arm’s reach

(14:00) - The unexpected interview that led Kevin into Crystal Palace Football Club

(18:06) - Building a community sports business that supported children’s wellbeing

(25:03) - How setbacks, psychology and lived experience became The 10-Minute Rules

Kevin’s links:

Website: https://book.the10-10minuterules.com/home

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-mark-watts-13123822/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.markwatts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevin.markwatts1010minuterules/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the10-10minuterules

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinthe1010minut?_r=1&_t=ZN-96BPXYutOxa

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra 

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/