The UpLift Podcast 1

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Becky a mum of two and a nurse who spent her whole life looking after everyone but herself until she couldn't name a single thing in her day that was actually hers. 

In this raw, honest conversation, she tells me how she walked into a gym looking for something she couldn't name, and walked out years later now a family business owner and an intermediate strongwoman competitor.

But this isn't a story about trophies. It's about the self-belief Becky built underneath the barbell the kind that has nothing to do with the mirror and how it changed her happiness at home, her work, her motherhood, and the way she carries the hard things. 

If you've ever felt like you've dissolved into being "the mum" and "the wife," this one is your permission slip. You're allowed to be more and it won't cost the people you love. It'll give them a whole person back.

In this episode we get into:

• The slow "disappearing act" how women dissolve into their roles without noticing
• Why wanting something for yourself feels selfish, and why that belief is a lie
• How the gym became a doorway to identity, not just fitness
• Building self-belief as a skill not a personality trait you're born with
• Why having something that's only yours makes you a better mum and partner, not a worse one

This episode is for you if you can't remember the last thing you did purely for yourself and you want real, unfiltered proof that it's possible to be more.

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Ready to build that self-belief for yourself? That's exactly what we do inside The Uplift Project.

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.

Send us Fan Mail

If you've started noticing that your body feels like it's playing by a different set of rules — the sleep that doesn't recover you the way it used to, the mood that swings for no obvious reason, the weight that shifts despite you doing everything 'right' — this episode is for you.

Perimenopause can begin a full decade before your periods stop. And the conversation around it is almost always framed as loss. But what if this phase isn't about what's ending what if it's about who you're becoming?

In this episode, Scarlett sits down with Jamie Granville — female health coach specialising in menopause, body recomposition and HRT coaching, based in Canada. Jamie is both personally navigating perimenopause and has walked dozens of women through it professionally. She brings the dual lens of lived experience and genuine clinical expertise and she's not here to commiserate. She's here to challenge the story you've been telling yourself about this phase.

This is a conversation about identity, strength, and refusing to disappear.

ABOUT JAMIE GRANVILLE

Jamie Granville is a female health coach based in Canada, specialising in menopause, body recomposition, and HRT coaching. A former J3U female coach and Women's Physique competitor, Jamie combines deep scientific knowledge with the credibility of being in the trenches herself — both as an athlete and as a woman navigating perimenopause in real time.

Her coaching goes beyond the physical. Jamie works with women who want to understand what's happening in their body, reclaim their identity through strength, and build a version of themselves that's stronger not in spite of this phase, but because of it.

Instagram: @jamiegranville_

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.

Send us Fan Mail

We're kicking off Season 2 with something that sits at the root of so much of what holds women back and it's not laziness, lack of motivation, or discipline. It's the quiet, cumulative damage of measuring too much, comparing too often, and waiting for perfect conditions that never actually arrive.

In this solo episode, Scarlett breaks down the tracking trap why obsessively can erode your ability to trust yourself and how that naturally leads to comparison. With other women. With who you used to be. And how those comparisons stop being feelings and start becoming the story you tell yourself about what you're capable of.

If you've ever said I'll never lose the weight, I'll never be as strong as I was, what's the point of starting this episode is for you.

In This Episode

• Why tracking stops being a tool and starts being a way of overriding your own body signals
• How a measuring mindset makes comparison almost inevitable and why comparing to your past self is especially dangerous
• The moment comparison stops being a feeling and becomes a story and what that story costs you
• Why perfectionism isn't about high standards, it's about protection and how it keeps you in a permanent holding pattern
• What actually shifts when you stop waiting to be ready and just show up in the form you're in

If This Episode Resonated

Screenshot this episode and share it to your stories tag @theupliftpodcast1 so Scarlett can see it. And if you've been listening for a while, leaving a review makes a huge difference in helping more women find the show.

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.

Send us Fan Mail

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your confidence had nothing to do with how you look?

This week's guest has spent years mastering her body — first as an IFBB Figure Pro, then as an Ironman triathlete crossing finish lines that have nothing to do with a stage. Erin Thompson is also one of the most open advocates for ADHD in women, and what it really means to be a high-achieving woman who thinks, trains, and pushes differently.

This conversation goes deep into something I feel strongly about: women are not pushed enough. We are not encouraged to discover what we are truly capable of. And that gap — between the woman you are now and the woman you'd be if you stopped playing it safe — is where this episode lives.

What started as a conversation about sport became something much bigger — about dopamine, about doing hard things, about the carry-over from a brutal training session into the way you walk into a room, parent your children, run your business, and see yourself.

If you've ever held yourself back from something because you didn't think you could do it, this episode is for you.

Follow Erins journey - Erint.femmevo on Instagram

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.

Send us Fan Mail

Why do so many women who know better still find themselves chasing smaller instead of stronger?

In this solo episode your host, Scarlett gets completely honest by sharing her own journey from overweight, insecure beginner to competitive powerlifter, bodybuilder, and now strongwoman — and breaks down exactly where the conditioning that keeps women small actually comes from, what it is costing them physically and mentally, and the specific action steps to start moving away from it for good.

This is not a motivational pep talk. This is an honest, science-backed, experience-led conversation about the belief system most fitness content never touches — and what becomes available when you finally do.

In this episode:

— Why Scarlett started training and the journey nobody saw behind the stage and the platform

— The real history of diet culture and how it became so deeply embedded in how women see their bodies and their worth

— How the wellness industry repackaged restriction and made it aspirational — and why so many intelligent women still fell for it

— What chronically undereating actually does to a woman's hormones, cortisol, muscle tissue and body composition

— Why women consistently underestimate their own strength — and the psychology behind lifting lighter than they're capable of

— Five specific action steps to begin shifting from chasing small to building strong starting this week

Key takeaways:

Captain Scarlift Coaching — global online coaching for women 30+ who want to feel and look physically and mentally strong

— The Uplift Project — 12 week transformation programme ending in a location shoot. UK Women only. Limited spaces opening WC27th April

— Free Sleep Guide — DM SLEEP to receive Scarlett's free guide to improving sleep quality for women who train

Connect with your host, Scarlett:

Instagram: @CaptainScarliftcoaching Apply for coaching

If this episode landed — please share it, leave a review, and send it to a woman who needs this conversation today. It genuinely helps more women find this show and this community.

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.

Send us Fan Mail

What started as a conversation about body language and posing turned into a deeper dive into mindset.

Katie is a coach, competitive bodybuilder, posing coach and mum of one. I thought we were going to talk about how to stand. How to walk into a room. The physical stuff.

And we did. But then something shifted.

Because you cannot talk about how a woman holds her body without talking about why she stopped holding it that way in the first place. 

This episode goes there.

What We Cover:

Katie's story, the real version. Life after having her baby, running a business with a newborn, leaving a stable job and the moment she started coming back to herself.

The art of posing, what it actually is and why it's not just for stage. From the gym to the boardroom to the school gate, what your body is communicating before you've said a single word.

The mindset shift nobody talks about — because confidence is not a body position. It's a belief system. And the two have to move together.

The lies women tell themselves post-baby — the ones that feel like facts. We named them and took them apart.

Try This Right Now:

Roll your shoulders back. Chin parallel to the floor. One slow breath out. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice how that feels. That's what this whole episode is about.

Connect With Katie: 📲 Instagram: @PosedbyKB 🌐

Loved this episode? Share it with someone who needs it. Leave Scarlett a review — it helps more women find this show. 🤍

✨ THE UPLIFT PROJECT — MAY INTAKE NOW OPEN ✨

Everything we talked about today — the posing, the presence, the mindset — this is the work Scarlett does inside The Uplift Project. 

A 12-week group experience culminating in a professional shoot. Women come in apologising for their bodies. They leave with images that make them cry — because they finally see what everyone else has always seen.

Spaces are limited. May intake is open now. Bigger and Better than ever before

👉 https://kahunas.io/form/cz9w54

You don't have to be ready. Just curious. Come and be uplifted. 🤍

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.

Send us Fan Mail

What does it actually mean to feel confident in your body — not just look confident, but genuinely feel it from the inside out?

In this episode, I sit down with Barbra Kiss — IFBB Pro figure competitor turned CrossFit and strength athlete — to talk about one of the most underrated shifts a woman can make: moving from training her body to look a certain way, to discovering what her body can actually do.

We get into the real cost of competing at a high level, what it feels like to walk away from something you've been defined by, and why starting over as a beginner past 30 might be the most freeing thing you ever do. This is a conversation about strength, self-trust, and the kind of confidence that doesn't disappear when the abs do.

If you're stepping away from a sport, trying something new, or rebuilding your relationship with your body — this one's for you.

What We Cover

• What life as an IFBB Pro figure competitor really felt like day to day
• The moment Barbra knew there was something beyond the stage
• Being a beginner again — the ego check of starting from scratch
• Confidence beyond aesthetics: what it means and why it matters
• Why women need to physically feel strong, not just be told they are
• What stops women over 30 from trying something new
• Building self-trust when the feedback isn't there yet
• How discipline evolves when there's no competition to train for
• What to say to the woman standing at the edge of something new and terrifying

If This Episode Resonated

Share it with someone who needs to hear it. If you know a woman who is stepping away from sport, trying something new past 30, or stuck in a loop of performing for everyone else — send her this episode. Sometimes the thing someone needs to hear is just that someone else already lived it and came out the other side.

Leave a review. Reviews help the show reach more women who are ready for this conversation. It takes 30 seconds and genuinely makes a difference.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when the thing that gave you identity stops serving you?

Former NPC & PCA bikini competitor Jenny Chisty gets raw about stepping away from the stage and navigating the identity crisis that followed. 

Her life revolved around prep cycles, stage weight, and how her body looked under lights—until she realised it wasn't making her happy anymore.

This conversation isn't just for competitors. It's for any woman who's built her worth around appearance and wants to find purpose beyond the mirror.

Jenny shares the grief of losing her "competitor body," the messy process of untangling worth from aesthetics, and what she's gained on the other side: freedom, sustainability, and training that actually fulfills her.

You'll discover:

• The identity crisis that comes with stepping away from aesthetic goals
• How to navigate body changes when you stop maintaining "stage condition"
• Finding challenge and purpose in training beyond how you look
• The difference between lifestyle training and competition mindset
• Practical steps to shift from appearance-focused to purpose-driven

This episode is for you if: You've built identity around how your body looks, you're achieving aesthetic goals but feel empty, you're tired of measuring worth by your reflection, or you're ready to find fulfillment beyond the mirror.

The Uplift Project is about building purpose away from just how you look. This is what that journey actually looks like. If you are interested in joining he next group you can enquire via our instagram link. 

Hosted by Scarlett Portues 

#TheUpliftPodcast #BeyondAesthetics #Whoareyou #IdentityShift #TheUpliftProject

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.

Send us Fan Mail

Navigating Your Hormones: Perimenopause, Identity & Thriving in Your Mid-30s and Beyond

Hosted by Scarlett | Guest: Adele Johnston MSc, The Menopause Coach

In this deeply personal and empowering conversation, Scarlett sits down with her now mentor Adele Johnston — one of the UKs leading menopause experts to explore what really happens to women's bodies and minds from their mid-30s and beyond.

Adele opens up about her own story: from corporate high-flyer and competitive bodybuilder to experiencing early perimenopause that nearly cost her everything — her marriage, her career, and her sense of self. It's a story of unravelling and rebuilding, and the spark that led her to create The Menopause Coach.

This episode is for every woman who has felt unlike herself and couldn't quite put her finger on why. Whether you're in your 30s noticing subtle shifts, or further along your hormonal journey, this conversation offers clarity, compassion and a fresh perspective on what it means to thrive.

In this episode we cover:

• Adele's personal journey through early perimenopause — and what she wishes she'd known
• The signs and symptoms that are often missed or misdiagnosed in women in their mid-30s
• How hormonal changes affect mood, identity, relationships and confidence
• Practical, evidence-based strategies to support your hormones through nutrition, mindset and lifestyle
• The powerful role of positive psychology and breathwork in hormonal transitions
• Why the conversation around menopause needs to go mainstream — in homes and workplaces alike
• How to turn this life stage into one of growth, vitality and renewed purpose

About Adele Johnston MSc

Adele Johnston is a world-leading, award-winning menopause expert and psychologist, certified in positive psychology and nutrition. Based in Scotland and operating globally, she specialises in supporting women through perimenopause and menopause — and has made it her mission to make menopause mainstream.

A former bodybuilder, busy mum to twin girls and corporate high-flyer, Adele experienced early perimenopause in her mid-30s that nearly destroyed her marriage and sense of self — ultimately leading her to walk away from a role paying over £100,000 in salary and benefits due to a complete lack of support. From that experience, The Menopause Coach was born.

Find out more at adelejohnstoncoaching.com

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear it.

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.

Send us Fan Mail

If you've been busy for months but feel like you're going nowhere — this episode is for you.

In this solo episode Im going deep on one of the most common patterns I see holding women back from their goals and it has nothing to do with strategy, consistency or not working hard enough.

It's people pleasing. And chances are you're doing it without even realising.

I'm talking about what people pleasing actually looks like for women over 30 — because it doesn't look like weakness. It looks like capability. It looks like being the most reliable, dependable, hardworking person in every room. And it is quietly costing you everything.

I'm sharing my own story in this one — the years I spent running my own business, training for bodybuilding / preps, moving houses and working full time, all at the same time. 

Not because I was thriving. Because I was terrified. Terrified of not being able to support myself, of not being enough, of letting go of a standard I had built entirely out of fear. My stress was through the roof. I felt numb. I couldn't think clearly. I stopped enjoying anything I had once loved.

It took an enough is enough moment to change it. And almost 12 months for my body to fully settle afterwards. That's how deep this runs.

In this episode we cover:

✔️ What people pleasing really looks like at 30+ and why it's so hard to spot 

✔️ Why it feels like the right thing to do — and the psychology behind why we keep choosing it 

✔️ The direct link between people pleasing, burnout and staying stuck 

✔️ Why your identity is wrapped up in it and what makes it so hard to stop 

✔️ 3 practical ways to start recognising and setting your own limits — exactly what I work through with my clients and inside The Uplift Project

This episode is honest, personal and practical. If you've ever felt invisible while giving everything to everyone else — this one is going to hit.

Mentioned In This Episode:

• The Uplift Project — https://6op2840ygef.typeform.com/to/OEEqivog

Connect With Me:

• Instagram — @Scarlett_portues / @Captainscarlift_Coaching
• TikTok — @Scarlettportues59 (Captain Scarlift Coaching

Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening,

You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram to join the waiting list for our next group cohort in 2027.

My personal page - Scarlett_portues on instagram where you can enquire regarding 1:1 coaching. 

I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change. Now moving into the womens health space.