The Rise and Hive

This week we’re talking about the magic that happens when you put yourself out there and find your people. Melissa is still riding the high from a weekend at Manifest, where she experienced the surreal joy of being recognised from the podcast and was reminded that your vibe really does attract your tribe. We also unpack our first experience of being trolled and what it means when not everyone is your cup of tea. Meanwhile, Liane returns from Mallorca with a fresh new rating system for restaurants and hotels (TripAdvisor, we’re available). We celebrate some brilliant humans in Braggers Corner, share the Glory of the Ordinary and, as always, finish with gratitude. Connection, courage, community and questionable hotel reviews… just another week at The Rise and Hive.

This week we revisit last week’s holiday unpacking debate and are pleased to report that most people are firmly in the unpack-on-arrival camp, albeit with varying levels of organisation.

Liane also discovers that she and Ed share an almost identical approach to holiday protocol, leading to the conclusion that they could quite happily become travel buddies.

Then onto this week’s important question…

What’s your supermarket personality?

Are you calmly browsing the aisles, comparing prices and calculating the cost per sheet of toilet roll?

Or are you treating the supermarket like an episode of Supermarket Sweep, flying through the aisles with the energy of a Tasmanian devil and absolutely no intention of stopping to compare anything?

Liane admits she’s the person holding everyone up while she works out which option represents the best value, much to the frustration of anyone shopping with her.

Meanwhile, Melissa’s approach can best be described as “grab first, think later.”

As always, what starts as a simple question reveals far more about us than we’d like.

Short, snappy and likely to expose your shopping habits.

This week, Liane and Melissa have their first official tiff.

The cause? Instagram captions.

Don’t worry, we work through it on the podcast, and we’re pleased to report that our friendship remains intact.

We also dive into a conversation about your invisible reputation and how easy it is to underestimate the impact you can have on another person.

A kind word.

An encouraging message.

A conversation you barely remember.

You never really know what someone is carrying, what they’ll take from that interaction, or how far the effect of it might travel.

Because when you positively impact one person, that impact rarely stops there. It ripples outwards. They show up differently for their family, friends, colleagues and communities. The effect reaches people you’ll never meet and places you’ll never see.

It’s a reminder that the smallest actions can often have the biggest consequences, and that we all have far more influence than we realise.

Elsewhere, in Glory of the Ordinary, the bin saga continues.

Melissa is still waiting for her food waste bin, while reports are emerging of bin wagons attempting to collect bins that hadn’t even been delivered yet. 

We celebrate some brilliant people in Braggers Corner, and finish as always with gratitude.

Friendship. Ripples. Reputation. And a developing bin scandal.

Just another week at The Rise and Hive. 💛

This week we revisit last week’s Yorkshire pudding debate and can confirm what we suspected all along…

Everyone loves a Yorkshire pudding.

There was plenty of appreciation for the frozen variety, but let’s be honest, they’re no substitute for the real thing. Crispy, homemade and taking up far too much room on the plate.

Then onto this week’s important question…

What’s your approach to unpacking when you arrive on holiday?

Are you straight into the wardrobe, organising your outfits by day and settling in immediately? Or are you living out of a suitcase until the very last minute?

Both Liane and Melissa are firm believers in unpacking as soon as they arrive. Why spend a week rummaging through a suitcase?

And if you’re not unpacking at all, we have one pressing question…

Where are you putting your dirty knickers?

As always, what starts as a simple question quickly spirals into a full investigation.

Short, snappy and surprisingly revealing.

This week we’re riding the high from an incredible in-person event that left us reflecting on why we started this journey in the first place.

We talk about the power of connection, the magic that happens when people come together, and what it means to create spaces where people feel seen, heard and encouraged to take a step towards the things they really want.

Which is quite fitting, because in a moment of being big, bold and brave, we spotted an opportunity and asked Paul Merson if he’d come on the podcast.

And he said yes.

Cue a mad dash as we scrambled to look professional, set up an official email address, and convince ourselves we absolutely belong in these conversations.

One of this week’s biggest takeaways?

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Ask for what you want. The worst someone can say is no. Sometimes they surprise you and say yes.

Elsewhere, there are further developments in the ongoing bin saga. The new food waste collections have officially begun and, in a dramatic turn of events, Liane’s bin went missing on day one. The role of Bin Ambassador has never been more demanding.

We celebrate some brilliant wins in Braggers Corner, share the Glory of the Ordinary, and finish as always with gratitude.

Connection. Courage. Community. And a missing bin.

Just another week at The Rise and Hive. 💛

This week we’re tackling a very important question…

What’s your stance on Yorkshire puddings?

Are they reserved exclusively for a traditional roast beef dinner, or are they welcome alongside any roast? Do they belong on a Christmas dinner? How many are you having? And perhaps most importantly… are you team crispy bottom or team stodgy?

As expected, we have strong opinions.

We also revisit last week’s potato debate, where the people have spoken and roast potatoes have emerged as the clear winner. Quite right too.

And in a surprising subplot, we hear how broadcaster Liz Kershaw became unexpectedly invested in Liam’s salt consumption during a recent holiday, leading to some serious questions about acceptable seasoning levels.

Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and unsolicited salt commentary.

Just another normal week at The Rise and Hive.

Short, snappy and guaranteed to make you hungry.

This week we’re riding the high that comes from being around people who are doing brave things.

You know the feeling. Hearing someone’s exciting plans, celebrating their wins, watching them take a leap, and somehow finding yourself feeling a little braver too.

We talk about the positive ripple effect of connection and why courage can be contagious.

We also share the story behind the name The Rise and Hive Podcast and where it all began. Bringing together Northern Rise and The Hive Within, our mission has always been simple:

Creating a hive built on connection that gives people the courage to rise into their true selves.

Elsewhere, there is an urgent update on the food waste bins. Some residents have become a little overexcited and started putting them out ahead of schedule, forcing the council to intervene on social media. Naturally, Liane has accepted her unofficial role as Bin Ambassador and self-proclaimed Champion of the Bins.

Braggers Corner shines a spotlight on Cam and the launch of her new business, including the badass photoshoot she’s booked as she steps boldly into this next chapter.

Connection. Courage. Community. Compost caddies.

And as always, we finish with gratitude.

This week we revisit last week’s ear cleaning debate and can confirm… despite all official advice, absolutely everyone is still using cotton buds. Mostly on a wet ear.

Then onto this week’s important question…

What’s your favourite type of potato?

Because for us, potatoes are an elite food group. Roasties, mash, chips, waffles, dauphinoise… we support all potato activity in this house.

The only issue?

Liane would like you to keep your butter to yourself.

We get into our potato rankings, the versatility of the humble spud, and why no one can really be trusted if they “don’t like potatoes.”

Short, carby and deeply important listening.

This week we’re talking about comparison and how easy it is to look at where someone else is in their chapter while completely forgetting the blood, sweat, tears, failures and setbacks it probably took to get there.

Because most of the time, we’re comparing ourselves to someone else’s highlight reel… not the full story.

We also have some big news, we’re applying for the Independent Podcast Awards 👀

A very real example of taking our own advice and going for it before we feel “big enough” or established enough. Big, brave, bold moves and all that.

Elsewhere, there’s exciting bin chat as the new food waste bins finally arrive, because we know this is the sort of update our listeners have come to expect from us now.

Real life, mindset shifts, courage, compost caddies and as always… gratitude.

This week we revisit last week’s shoes on or off debate and somehow end up on an important side quest… should dogs be allowed on beds?

For us, it’s a hard yes.

Then onto this week’s Question of the Week…

How are you actually cleaning your ears?

Because if you’re not using cotton buds for ears… what exactly are you using them for?

We unpack the great cotton bud confusion, our questionable habits, and somehow end up taking a sharp turn into a completely unverified history lesson involving a man, a feather, and making himself vomit through his ears.

Do not quote us on any of this.

Short, chaotic, lightly educational and absolutely not medically endorsed.