Thriving & Surviving

**Trigger Warning - Baby Loss**

In this episode, we sit down with Kirstie, an IFBB bikini pro, former dancer, and online fitness coach, to explore the journey behind the athlete.

Kirstie shares how she transitioned from the world of dance and pageantry into professional bodybuilding, built a successful online coaching business, and found discipline, identity, and confidence through fitness.

But this conversation goes far beyond competition prep.

Kirstie opens up about one of the most traumatic periods of her life: an emergency delivery, time spent in NICU, and the heartbreaking loss of one of her twins. She speaks candidly about grief, postpartum recovery, and the mental and physical toll of rebuilding herself after trauma.

We talk about returning to the stage after motherhood, redefining strength, and how community, purpose, and movement became anchors during her healing. This is an honest, emotional conversation about resilience, identity, and what it really means to come back stronger when life changes everything.

A powerful listen for anyone navigating loss, motherhood, body confidence, or rebuilding after a life-altering chapter.

We chat candidly about bedtime battles, co-sleeping and the bittersweet reality of watching our children grow up — from dummies and bottles to first beds and potty training.

We also open up about ageing, self-care and aesthetics, dating after children, health anxieties, and the constant tug between wanting time to slow down while knowing we’re always rushing ahead.

This episode is a reminder to pause, take a breath, and savour the stage you’re in right now. We close with the touching poem “Love Letter to Right Now”, because sometimes the magic is in the moment we’re living — even when it feels messy.

In this episode of Thriving & Surviving, we’re having an honest, unfiltered conversation about the realities of motherhood, routines, and letting go of impossible expectations.

We talk about what mornings really look like behind the scenes, from strict routines that keep neurodivergent children regulated, to the chaos that comes when plans change. We dive into nursery mornings vs school mornings, working around childcare, and why routine can be both a lifeline and a source of pressure.

This episode also explores the emotional weight mums carry, especially when children hit milestones at different times. We share lived experiences around developmental delays, speech challenges, comparisons, and why raising children “the same” doesn’t mean they’ll grow the same. If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re doing enough, this conversation is for you.

We also touch on

This is a grounded, reassuring listen for mums who are juggling work, kids, routines, emotions, and everything in between. No judgement. No perfection. Just real life.

🎧 Grab a cup of tea, pop this on, and remember you’re doing better than you think.

Dont forget to download this episode & follow us on instagram @thrivingandsurviving.pod

We share honest, open conversations about women’s health, including the reality of being dismissed by healthcare professionals, living with endometriosis and adenomyosis, and the impact these conditions can have on fertility, postpartum care and everyday life.

We read listener stories and discuss diagnosis delays, navigating the NHS, smear tests, treatment options, and the ongoing need for better awareness, education and support around women’s health, highlighting why listening to women and taking their symptoms seriously matters more than ever.

Find us on instagram at @thrivingandsurviving.pod

In this episode we explore the modern “village” — the friends, family and groups who support parents. We share how we met at baby group, the value of mum-friends, and the realities of single parenting, grandparents’ help, and finding support when it’s missing.

This episode covers the challenges of planning life around children, juggling social life and guilt, and why non‑biological family and trusted role models matter just as much as blood relatives.

Dont forget to leave us a rating & follow us on instagra @thrivingandsurviving.pod

In this episode of Thriving and Surviving we sit down with Vicky, the powerhouse behind Edit Clinics. Vicky became a mum at just 20 years old and built her freelance makeup business from home while caring for a newborn. No childcare, no perfect plan, just pure grit and passion.

We talk about what it really looks like to juggle motherhood and entrepreneurship in the early days. The identity shifts, the loneliness, the pressure to show up for clients and your child at the same time and how she pushed through every setback.

Vicky shares her journey from freelancing to owning a salon with a team and now preparing to move into a bigger premises. We explore the highs and lows she faced along the way and the mindset she had to build to keep going.

We also dive into the importance of self care, protecting your time and finding the space to be a woman outside of your business and children. Vicky is the perfect example of someone who embodies both thriving and surviving and this episode is full of honesty, inspiration and permission to slow down when you need to.

Whether you are a mum in business, a beauty professional or just someone building a life you love this episode will speak to you. Grab a cuppa and join us for a real conversation about growth, resilience and the reality behind success.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast, give us a rating and follow us on instagram @thirivingandsurviving.pod

Follow Vicky here: @editclinics & @makeup.at.edit

In this episode we dive into the growing pressure parents feel around Christmas and the expectations that social media adds to the mix. From Christmas Eve boxes to Elf on the Shelf to perfectly curated festive traditions, it can feel like everyone is doing more and you’re somehow doing less. We talk honestly about what actually matters, how to release the guilt and how to create a Christmas that feels calm, aligned and meaningful for your family.

We explore which traditions are worth keeping, which ones can be softened or let go of and how to build a festive season that supports you rather than overwhelms you. This conversation is all about presence over perfection and reminding mums that their children remember the love, not the Pinterest moments.

If you’re craving a slower, simpler Christmas without the pressure to perform, this episode is for you.

Listen now and join us for a calmer December.

Don't forget to download this episode, rate our podcast & follow our instagram @thrivingandsurviving.pod 

In our very first episode, we’re diving straight into the truth about what it really looks like to juggle life as single mums — the messy bits, the emotional bits, the moments no one sees, and the strength it takes to keep going.

This episode is raw, honest, and exactly why we created Thriving & Surviving — to remind you that you’re not alone, and you don’t have to pretend everything is perfect.

If you’ve ever felt stretched too thin, overwhelmed, or like you’re doing your best but still dropping the ball… this one’s for you.

Hit play, have a little laugh (and maybe a cry), and settle in — this is your space to feel seen.

Follow us on instagram at @thrivingandsurviving.pod

Welcome to Thriving & Surviving — the unapologetically honest podcast about juggling business, motherhood, and life, without losing yourself along the way.

Join Ella & Grace, two best friends, single mums, and business owners, as we dive into the real, unfiltered side of running a beauty empire, raising kids, keeping the social life alive, and trying to stay sane (and maybe a little bit glam) while doing it all.

Expect laughter, chaos, late-night honesty, and conversations that make you feel seen. We’re here to remind you that you can be ambitious and exhausted, thriving and surviving — sometimes all in the same day.

Hit follow and join us every week for the raw, real, and ridiculously relatable chats you didn’t know you needed.