⏰ Episode 10 with Bruce Hills

We are so delectably lucky to get quite the insight into Bruce’s life. His advice for parents, friends and colleagues on how to be the best ally and to be the change you want to see for our futures.

⚠️ WARNING: Bruce talks quite openly about some of the fear, abuse and violence felt and received by many our Trans community. This could be a trigger for some of our listeners, you may wish to skip past 27:05 min to 29:43 min.

⭐️ Growing up ini the 70’s & 80’s was certainly the challenge, especially when Bruce moved from England to Wales. With it, brought an extra layer of anxiety to an already socially awkward experience, leading him to become withdrawn and bullied at school

⭐️ Finding role models, visual representations of yourself was equally as difficult, as Bruce turned 16 in the 90’s. Finding them and using them to have family discussions brought about an awareness and not quite the pink satin pumps the family envisaged

⭐️ A candid chat about Bruce’s own very unique and individual transition experience, How do you even begin to share your news with others? He says, “It feels like your standing at the bottom of Everest in a raincoat and a pair of flip-flops with no resource to get you up and over, or even down the other side”

⭐️ Bruce had to put much of his desired experience to one side as he focused on forging himself a career in dentistry having studied hard at university. This was a priority for him before he could fully start the journey into his transition.

⭐️ What can we all do to become better ally’s in supporting and protecting our Trans communities, not just in the UK but globally?

⭐️ Where can we find resources to watch, listen to learn, understand and educate ourselves about our wonderful Trans people and communities?

⭐️ Bruce celebrates the ownership of his true gender passport. How does it feel to travel authentically? What advice has he got for others? Can you believe he even went to Russia! Wow

⭐️ What is he most excited about within the LGBTQIA+ communities right now?

Oh Wow, Plus - so so much more!!!!

📺 📚 Bruce recommends Transparent on Amazon Prime. Trans Radio and Trans Living Magazine.

Search on Netflix, Channel 4 and BBC for categories for the “T” in our LGBTQIA+ films and documentaries and watch the ones that make you feel uncomfortable, this supports our understanding and willingness to learn… so important !

🙌🏾🙌🏿🙌🏼 Thank you as always to the wonderful Bruce for giving up his time to chat! We wish you every success!

And to you, our wonderful listeners for hanging out with us on this quite exciting journey, but until next time…

⏰ Episode 9 with Jenny Kovacs

One of THE BEST business women we can give you

You are in for a treat as there are so many top tips and practical advice - it’s like having your own coaching session with Jenny, for FREE! GOLD DUST!!!

⚠️ WARNING: Jenny and I talk later on in the podcast about her experience of losing her twins and how Jenny now supports SANDS. If this is a trigger for you, you may wish to skip past. This happens at 1:00hr until 1:08:30hr

⭐️ Discover how you can improve your visibility

⭐️ How you can quadruple your salary 💰

⭐️ Why it’s important to have the right support network around you and what to do if you don’t have right now when you need support for your visions!

⭐️ What does she think holds us back from fulfilling our ambitions

⭐️ How she used the last 12 months to turn the tables on nearly losing 90% of her business overnight due to the pandemic and is now even more successful

⭐️ What exactly is imaginative writing and how can it help us?

⭐️ Having your own Board of Directors to help answer questions in your mind (somethings we’ve spoken about before at UnFunk Yourself on Insta!)

⭐️ What is the smallest thing we can do for the biggest impact?

⭐️ Why it's best to invest in yourself, your self development, practice self care and why it’s important and it’s not all about meditation 🧘🏽‍♀️ or a bath bomb

Oh Wow, Plus - so so much more!!!!

📺 📚 Jenny recommends Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill in book / audio form. Strengths Finder online for things like Imposter Syndrome.

Netflix categories for BAME/ LGBTQIA+ films and documentaries and watch the ones that make you feel uncomfortable, this supports our understanding and willingness to learn… so important !

🙌🏾🙌🏿🙌🏼 Thank you as always to the lovely Jenny for giving up her time to chat! We wish you every success!

And to you, our wonderful listeners for hanging out with us on this quite exciting journey, but until next time…

⏰ Episode 8 with Sophie Fayle

☕️ Grab a brew and listen in for a deep dive to her “why?” She talks very openly & honestly on a whole range of topics which have impacted her life and how she’s self regulated to stay on track

🌟 How trying to fit in, being liked and trying to get her parents attention impacted her years growing up

🌟 How people pleasing led to discovering healthy boundaries

🌟 How the near death of her father changed the relationship with her mother

🌟 Social Media pressure on being the perfect parent

🌟 Sophie’s reason for giving her own mental health a complete overhaul - her “why”

🌟 Why did she launch Living Soulfull ?

🌟 How did Reiki change her physiology

🌟 Having everything you’ve ever wanted but still feeling lost

🌟Moving on, giving yourself permission to do so to find purpose and meaning

📚 🎙 Sophie recommends a Netflix documentary, The Minimalists.

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, book and audio..

Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver, book and Instagram Be more with less

⏰ Episode 7 with Basia Kolosinska

☕️ Grab a brew and listen in for an epic journey into her life;

⚠️ WARNING: There is a conversation around body dysmorphia. If this is a trigger for you, you may want to skip past. This happens at 1hr 1min to 1hr 5 min.

🇵🇱 Discover the unique journey that her parents had to go on to arrive into the UK

🙋🏼‍♀️ Growing up being the youngest of 4, how did this impact her life? The special relationship she had with her wonderful Mother, did some things come at a cost?

🍺 What was the impact on other people when she gave up alcohol? Her top tips to others if you’re sober curious and want to give up the booze and worry about what others may think

🗣 Normalising those conversations round choosing NOT to have children, it’s ok to travel a different path and choose a different life

🙅🏾‍♀️A very successful career, was there any glimmer of imposter syndrome? What are her top tips for handling this?

🕰 The last 12 months have given the gift of TIME.! But..

🧘🏾 Being away from home for 90% of her life, to then experience quite the opposite! She found a deep appreciation and gratitude for many things.

🤸🏻‍♀️ What’s this new side hustle that's going on? What is SPR?

📚 🎙 Basia recommends Elizabeth Day, How to Fail available on podcast or book and David Goggins again available on both podcast and book format.

🙌🏿🙌🏽🙌🏼 Our gratitude as always to you, our lovely listeners and to Basia for opening up to us all, we wish her every success with her plans for the future, but, until next time ...

⏰ Episode 6 with Personal Trainer, professional nutritionist and natural body builder and model- Henry Barlow

This man has impeccable standards!! Did he go to a Swiss finishing school?

🏋🏼‍♀️ Growing up on a farm in Devon to become a PT in London!

🏋🏼‍♀️ What happened when the gyms closed - did he carry on doing PT or switch on Netflix and chill?

🏋🏼‍♀️ Henry’s top tips on how to get started or started again if you’ve hit a wall with fitness & nutrition

🏋🏼‍♀️ Why it’s good to have a relaxing bedtime routine

🏋🏼‍♀️ What can be done more for men’s mental health

📚 🎙 Henry recommends to follow Monty Don on Instagram for a boost of flora & nature that can help you to feel good in an instant!

You can reach Henry on Insta @Henrybarlowfituk

🙌🏿🙌🏽🙌🏼 Our gratitude as always to you, our lovely listeners and to the wonderful Henry, we wish him every success with his future plans- until next time ...

⏰ Episode 5 with The Resilient Hairdresser - Hayley Jepson

Not your usual conversation! expect the unexpected in this episode!

✂️ How did Hayley become The Resilient Hairdresser, what inspired her?

✂️ How can we support our talented hair teams as they return to our salons?

✂️ How Hayley has managed to revolutionise the hairdressing industry with a blend of her Psychotherapist qualification and her time spent behind the chair

✂️ Hayley’s top tips for well-being and self care

✂️ Her hopes for the industry as we move forward with mental health taking prime centre stage in recover after the Pandemic

📚 🎙 Hayley recommends a Podcast by Dax Shepherd - Armchair Expert and a book called Chillpreneur byDenise Duffiled-Thomas, millionaire mindset advice, the permission slip you’ve been waiting for to run a business smarter, authenticity guaranteed!

🙌🏿🙌🏽🙌🏼 Our gratitude as always to you, our lovely listeners and to the wonderful Resilient Hairdresser, Hayley Jepson, we wish you every success - until next time ...

⏰ Episode 4 with Ben and Jamie, The Power behind Benji’s Shop.com

🌟 Turning their hobby and love for homeware into a full time venture and launching a brand new, startup company during lockdown in a global pandemic.

🌟 Listen to Ben & Jamie’s unique journey that has seen them leave their previous roles in hospitality to become entrepreneurs, supporting other small business in return.

🌟 This is the story of their resilience, community,, wellbeing & self reflection

🌟 Listen to how they’ve used each others strengths to support each other and how they make time for each other when starting a new business and why this is important

🌟 Their advice to anyone who is thinking about starting up their own businesses and those valuable lessons learned in the process

🌟 How did they end up in Stacy Solomon’s Tap to Tidy Book? And what Kathy Burke managed to do for their brand!

🌟 And what exciting plans they have coming up which will see them take their business to the next level

📚Jamie & Ben recommend Stacy Solomon, Tap to Tidy Book (of course!)

The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Get your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight

Humber_cbt on Instagram

🙌🏿🙌🏾🙌🏼 Our gratitude as always, to you, our lovely listeners and to the wonderful Ben & Jamie for being our guests this episode - until next time ...

Thank you for tuning in & listening to our Podcast with UnFunk Yourself

⏰ Episode 3 with Lisa Henning

✨ A wonderful mum, wife, friend an award winning ambassador for empowering women, championing equality and more recently has been appointed, Managing Director

✨ Lisa’s journey tells of how she adored being surrounded by such strong role models whilst growing up and how this gave her the solid foundation on which she built her glittering career and become the woman she is now.

✨ How the power of words can affect young and impressionable minds

✨ How she approached and overcame “mum guilt” when she had her daughter. Lisa gives her own advice to mums who may be at the crossroads of going back to work after having children or have been raising a family

✨ Having to adopt a different mindset to overcome boardroom politics which were dominated by male counterparts and how she managed to change her dynamic when faced with some of the damaging language which can be sometimes used

✨ That the last 12 months has been a complete gift, find out why

✨ And what Lisa recommends to support yourself as we emerge from the last year into a waking world once more

📚 Lisa recommends to read the poem The Man in the Glass by Dale Wimbrow and My Story by Jo Malone - We will pop these onto the grid on Instagram @UnFunk_Yourself let’s us know what you think

Our gratitude as always to you, our listener and to Lisa for being such a fabulous guest - until next time ...

⏰ Episode 2 UnFunk Yourself

Johnathan (with a “h”) Benson lives in Reading with his wonderful husband and their dog, Freddie.

On this fast moving and in depth episode, Johnathan shares with us his own experiences in his mental health which was affected at the start of the pandemic, how he was impacted, what he was able to do and how he got to that stronger place that he now enjoys.

Throughout his life, Johnathan has been a huge supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community and encourages everyone to become a better ally and share compassion and understanding - especially from those within the community itself. Shares tips on how you can support LGBTQIA+ colleagues & friends and what you can do at work to be visible, educate on LGBTQIA+ issues and challenges and how to put things in place so that people can be themselves and feel safe at work.

Around 2012, they both moved to Bangkok, Thailand, one of the most busiest cities in the world, how did the move impact them, what challenges did they face, would they recommend it to others? And did they “get into the culture” .

Johnathan's faves & recommended listens:

Podcast: The Modern Mann - Olly Mann

Instagram: Blair Imani

Sunday night blues taking over? Feeling overwhelmed about the week ahead? With a little planning and prep you can take back your Sunday, be really present and feel like you can slide into Monday empowered and on top of your game.. Discover more in this episode of chit chat from Lindsay. Thank you for tuning in.