From humble beginnings in London, Richard Biedul rose through the ranks of a leading City law firm before unexpectedly becoming one of the world’s most recognisable male models.

Richard went from law firm boardrooms to the fashion capitals of the world, before turning his attention to creativity, design and entrepreneurship. Today, Richard runs a global creative studio and, in 2025, took on his most ambitious role yet: Creative Director of British fashion house Nicole Farhi. 

A man who has always been unapologetically his authentic self,  we talk about fighting the voice that says you are on the outside and you need to get inside at any cost and the moment everyone dearest to him intervened and changed the course of his life. 

Follow or subscribe to This Is Powerful now, and you’ll get the new episodes as soon as they are available.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Life might not always be rainbows and butterflies, but at least he no longer wakes up with a sense of impending doom

In this episode we welcome Matt Busbridge, the head of the men’s division at Premier model agency who's spent the past 15 years working in one of the world's most glamorous industries. Matt opens up about the life he built, the pressures that came with it, and the moment he realised something had to change.

Now more than three years sober, Matt reflects on how giving up drugs and alcohol transformed far more than just his social life. Speaking about the various pressures of the fashion industry, Matt and Paul also cover the importance of honest conversations around sobriety and that dreaded moment in the early morning hours when you realise the party is over.

Follow or subscribe to This Is Powerful now, and you’ll get the new episodes as soon as they are available.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Welcome back to the fresh new fashion season of This is Powerful with Paul Sculfor. Over the next six episodes, we are casting the spotlight on the fashion industry. Yes, that’s right - we are going to undress and reveal to you what it is actually like behind the scenes. For this first episode in the new season, we are joined by international celebrity stylist Holly, who has worked with the likes of Tine Tempa, Bill Nighy, actor Mr Christof Waltz and also Paul Sculfor himself. Holly’s career in fashion began with an internship at just 16 after which she worked her way through the ranks at GQ, ending up as Fashion Editor of a popular men’s magazine. 

Growing up in the idyllic English countryside, Holly reflects on early panic attacks, paints a powerful picture for young women who might worry what a social life looks like without alcohol and reveals what it is that a celebrity stylist actually does!

Follow or subscribe to This Is Powerful now, and you’ll get the new episodes as soon as they are available.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Welcome back to This is Powerful with Paul Sculfor. In our seventh season, we cast the spotlight on the fashion industry. We are going to undress and reveal what it is actually like behind the scenes.

Paul has spent most of his life working in fashion and although he has found it very glamorous and exciting, it can also be very lonely. There are struggles that people face, just like in any other industry. And just like in any other industry, there is tremendous pressure to put on an appearance as though everything is completely fine. Not only fine - that everything is AMAZING. 

We will hear from Models. Stylists. Magazine Editors. Agents. Paul will be opening up about some of his own experiences too.

Follow or subscribe to This Is Powerful now, and you’ll get the first episode as soon as it’s available.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

We have come to the end of our sixth season and we are taking a look back at some of the strongest, most intriguing and resonant clips from expert guests we have hosted on the show. We have been lucky enough to chat with neuropsychopharmacologists, doctors, scientists, therapists and professionals whose work digs into the deep-rooted sources of addiction, how it affects people and some proven paths to recovery. 

Most of these guests have their own personal stories but all have devoted their lives and work to understanding addiction and mental health and to helping those who are struggling to find freedom in recovery. 

This is the final episode in the season. We are taking a short break so that we can look after our own mental wellbeing, refill the tanks and come back into the studio fresh and to record an exciting new season featuring people in the fashion world. Please take this opportunity to check out our healthy back catalogue of episodes which can be found on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Take good care!

Featured Clips:

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

We have had a wonderful season so far as we explored addiction and mental health challenges on UK building sites.

For our final episode, we hosted a powerful guest whose honesty and humility is inspiring. A 38-year-old tiler by trade, our guest Chris now focuses his time on podcasting and radio broadcasting. A dedicated family man and committed gym-goer, he brings energy, authenticity, and real-life perspective to his work. Having been sober for over five and a half years, Chris is passionate about personal growth, resilience, and living life with purpose. Through his broadcasting and podcasting, he connects with people through honest conversations, humour, and his down-to-earth approach.

In this conversation, we talk about the staggering realisation that addiction is stronger than love, using drugs on the worksite and about and how being vulnerable around another man is actually the manliest thing you can do.

When we spoke, Chris was literally about to tie the knot with his missus so by now he must be a married man so we wish him all of our congratulations! 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

For nearly 17 years, John the Plasterer has been living clean and sober but his journey hasn't exactly been straightforward. It wasn’t until he admitted that he was powerless over gambling that he fully embraced the life of recovery he leads today.

In this chat, John recounts a gory accident he suffered while intoxicated at work…he also reflects on the chaos of obsession and the richness of a life outside of addiction. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Settle in for an amazing conversation that grabs you from the off and doesn’t let go. At 49 years old, Mike the Roofer is 14 years sober whose self-confessed ‘primaries’ were alcohol and cocaine. After having worked in the roofing industry since he was 18, Mike now owns his own commercial roofing company and is married with two children.

After a series of ominous warnings in his early life, a misguided stint at rehab and several years of three-day benders,  Mike finally devoted his life to a 12-Step programme. Mike’s vulnerability, honesty and conviction will no doubt prove to be an inspiration to anyone who has ever struggled with addiction or to anyone close to someone struggling with addiction.  

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Today we’re joined by Gary the Pipefitter. 45-years old and now nine years sober, Gary was born and raised just outside of London in Harold Hill. Gary grew up convinced he'd never try drugs. Yet once alcohol entered the picture and lowered his inhibitions, he'd ‘try anything’.

In this conversation, we talk about quieting then changing the inner narrative, becoming a person who embraces waking up each morning and the realisation that contrary to what he had been believing all his life, Gary's problems were actually 99% all down to him.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

After five years of dipping in and out of a recovery programme, Neil the Brickie finally got sober when he found himself homeless, drunk and a nuisance to everyone around him while living in Spain 20 years ago.

The youngest of three children all with different dads, Neil is now a brilliant and engaged father of two. Neil’s simple programme that he follows very regularly keeps him in a healthy, successful, sober lifestyle.  

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!