Liberté - Free to Be – Details, episodes & analysis

This series is all about sharing women that inspire me and also bring me joy.

This week I'm joined by the brilliant Sophia Cook, creator, bringing midlife in colour. Mum at 40, movement, home, figuring it out as she goes.

 We talk honestly about confidence as something you work at, not something you either have or don’t. Sophia shares her story of loss, reinvention, motherhood, body image, creativity and why being seen — especially later in life — really matters.

We talk about how our clothes can become our armour, colour as expression, changing bodies, perimenopause uncertainty, and the responsibility (and freedom) of showing up for ourselves and for our children. This is a conversation about visibility, legacy, and giving yourself permission to take up space — exactly as you are.

Warm, funny and real.

01:49 Confidence, grief & rewiring self-belief
07:13 “If you can’t see yourself, be the thing you want to see”
09:20 Motherhood, legacy & being seen
13:02 Creativity, money & flexible careers
15:59 Love, intuition & trusting your gut
23:47 Body changes & perimenopause conversations
27:22 Clothes as armour & self-expression
31:12 Posting even when it feels uncomfortable
34:05 Raising children without body shame
37:05 Creativity, photography & reclaiming confidence

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Subscribe to Liberté – Free to Be

• Leave a rating or review

• Share it with a woman who might need to hear it today

The more women who find this podcast, the more confidence, courage, and permission we can spread.

✨ See you next week for another inspiring conversation.

Keep being fabulous

Rachel x

confidence • body image • being seen • motherhood • self-acceptance • creativity • perimenopause • fashion as expression • women’s stories

This week I'm joined by Katie Isles-award-winning wedding celebrant, model, content creator and the woman behind Unfinished Katie.

I first met Katie back in 2018, modelling together later in life, and this conversation feels like a long-overdue catch-up between two women who have said yes to change more than once.

Katie talks honestly about confidence, visibility, reinvention, and why feeling “unfinished” can be one of the greatest freedoms we have.

This is a grounded, real conversation about courage — not the loud, performative kind, but the quiet bravery it takes to try again, pivot careers, and keep showing up even when fear is present.

• Starting a modelling career later in life — and what’s changed (and what hasn’t) in the industry

• Visibility, age stereotypes, and why marketing still lags behind real women

• Social media confidence vs real-life confidence — and why both can exist at once

• Anxiety, imposter syndrome, and the myth that confidence is “fixed”

• How Katie retrained and became an award-winning wedding celebrant

• What celebrating other people’s love teaches you about your own relationship

• Adjusting to children leaving home and reclaiming time, freedom, and identity

• Why bravery doesn’t mean being fearless — it means doing it anyway

• The meaning behind Unfinished Katie and staying open to growth

• What “Free to Be” truly means in a world where choice and rights cannot be taken for granted

You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You don’t need permission.
And you are never “too late” to start again.

Katie Isles is an award-winning wedding celebrant, model, and storyteller.

She is the recipient of:

• West Midlands Wedding Celebrant of the Year

• National Wedding Industry Newcomer of the Year

Follow Katie on Instagram: @unfinishedkatie

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Subscribe to Liberté – Free to Be

• Leave a rating or review

• Share it with a woman who might need to hear it today

The more women who find this podcast, the more confidence, courage, and permission we can spread.

✨ See you next week for another inspiring conversation.

Keep being fabulous

Rachel x

Ever wondered how a melody can lift spirits or a chorus can heal hearts?

Join us as I welcome back the remarkable Sophie Garner, whose voice and vision are transforming lives through the power of singing. Sophie first joined the podcast in 2020 (Ep.57) and has been on a non-stop mission since we last spoke.

Sophie shares her journey since 2020, from empowering corporate executives with song to facilitating workshops that champion emotional healing. Her work with a diverse array of groups, including those navigating the aftermath of brain injuries and teenagers confronting trauma, is nothing short of transformative. Prepare to be inspired by Sophie's stories of levelling the playing field with a melody and the profound impact that music and singing can have on personal growth. 

We chat about the magic that happens when we sing—how the release of endorphins and serotonin can alleviate pain and create a sense of connection that's as palpable as the harmonies in a choir. We tackle the myth of 'tone-deafness' and share uplifting stories of individuals who've found their voice beyond the shadows of childhood singing snags. I witnessed the power of Sophie’s community choir workshops at last year’s Womanifest, where she brought together a group of strangers and within an hour had created a harmonious choir that performed live that day, it was magical to watch.

Sophie is also on a mission to unlock people’s creativity with her new book "Reawakening the Creative Playmaker," which will be out this month and I am very proud to have contributed , sharing my own reconnection with creativity later in life. 

I am so excited about our upcoming workshop , Sophie and I invite you to join us, on Saturday 20th April, In Leeds for an event that's more than just a choir session—it's a gathering of empowerment, creativity, and community.

The day is going to be an incredible experience of empowerment through singing and creative self expression and  built body confidence. Sophie is a professional  singer and the UKs Choir to Confidence coach,  through her expert knowledge, she will support and guide you, connecting you to your own unique voice and power, unleashing your creativity. We will learn three songs and perform them live on social media at the end of the day. It's going to be magical.

You can find out more here- https://www.tickettailor.com/events/sophiegarner/1184339 

So, tune in, harmonize with us, and rediscover the joy of creative living.

To find out more about Sophie's work visit-⁠Sophie Garner⁠

You can also follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sophie.garner/

Key points-

00:00) - Reconnecting with Singer and Choir

(08:18) - The Healing Power of Singing

(18:24) - Reawakening Creative Playmaker

(28:31) - Women Empowering Through Music and Community

(35:23) – The Empowerment Workshop- The Choir workshop

 Keywords-

#Choir #Empowerment #CreativePlaymaker #midlifewomen #Selfexpression #Confidence #Community #EmpowermentWorkshop #Singing, #Selfdiscovery #libertefreetobe #womenspodcast

Keep being fabulous   

Rachel ⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/libertefreetobe⁠⁠

Hands up if you've lost a few hours on Righmove looking at French properties after watching Dick and Angel on Escape to the Chateau. I'm sure I'm not the only one to share those dreams! 

Todays episode is with Debbie Bell , owner of Chateau Gioux in the rural Limousin region of France, who along with her partner Nigel Lawson, turned their dreams in to reality.  I loved talking with Debbie and came away wanting to meander around a French market buying olives ,fresh French bread and a nice dollop of cheese!  Little did they know that their life changing move and renovation project would see them becoming part of the Escape to the Chateau DIY television programme.  

Subjects covered- 

Deciding to move and the impact on family

 Turning dreams in to reality

 Dealing with the practicalities

 Becoming part of a French community and emerging themselves in to the French way of life 

The physical demands of a renovation project 

Open the doors to visitors 

Becoming part of the Escape to the Chateau DIY programme. 

For more details on their beautiful chateau visit the website www.chateaugioux.com You can also follow Debbie and Nigel on Instagram @chateaugiouxlimousin. 

Don't forget to subscribe to the new Out of the Bubble podcast website to keep updated www.outofthebubblepodcast.com and find me on Instagram @rachelperu1 and Facebook @stepoutofthebubble 

Have you joined the Stepping out of the Bubble Facebook group yet?

 I'll be back next week to share some more inspiration In the meantime....

 Keep being fabulous! Rachel x

(Background music credited to Scott Holmes - Our Big Adventure.)

I had the pleasure of meeting Rita Hraiz in 2018 modelling for her beautiful ethical fashion clothing collection, Mudra.com and when I found out more about her life journey I knew she was someone I wanted to share with you. 

Rita is a ceremony holder, ageless wisdom teacher, visionary artist and founder of the sustainable ethical fashion brand Mudra clothing.

Rita travels around the world holding retreats for women to help them refine themselves and ground themselves to help them become the person they know they need to be. Her own journey to finding her true. passion and purpose in life has been a rollercoaster and it really feels like she has lived several different lives to get to where she is now.

Subjects  covered-

Finding calm through lockdown

Walking away from a successful fashion business at it's peak

Seriously Scrumptious success and unexpected outcomes

Dealing with loss and grief

Finding her true self

How Rita helps other women refine themselves through her retreats

If you would like to know more about Rita please visit her website www.ritahraiz.com.

You can also follow Rita on Instagram @rita_hraiz and Facebook @mudracollection 

Don't forget to subscribe to the new Out of the Bubble podcast website to keep updated www.outofthebubblepodcast.com and find me on Instagram @rachelperu1 and Facebook @stepoutofthebubble

Have you joined the Stepping out of the Bubble Facebook group yet?

I'll be back next week to share some more inspiration

In the meantime.... Keep being fabulous! 

Rachel x

What better way to celebrate my 50th birthday year than to go solo on the 50th episode of the Out of the Bubble podcast.

I am well aware that I should have started the entire podcast series with a little bit more about me and it's often the case that we can be great at sharing other peoples stories and often forget to tell our own. So what better way to celebrate the 50th podcast episode with a getting me to more about me podcast. 

My name is Rachel Peru and I am a silver haired curve model, body confidence activist, influencer and the host of the Out of the Bubble podcast.

I began my new career as a model at the age of 46 and if you had asked me if I would be doing this in my twenties and thirties, I would be running down the street shouting no thanks! I struggled with a lack of self-belief and body confidence and it wasn’t until I hit my forties that things changed.

I am extremely scared of heights, but for my 40th birthday I did a tandem sky dive for charity hoping it would cure me. It didn’t cure the vertigo, but it gave me a badge of courage and I started the decade with a new sense of confidence and excitement as to what I could achieve next. I’ve spent the last ten years saying "Yes" a lot more than "No" with some surprising outcomes.

I love being able to represent older women in the fashion industry and have worked with some amazing people and brands including JDWilliams, F&F Clothing with Davina McCall and alongside my body confidence icon Ashley Graham for Swimsuits for All. My favourite shoots are always swimwear and lingerie and now I’m 50 I feel like I’m just getting started.

Through Social Media, I have connected with and been inspired by so many fabulous older women that are really embracing the next chapter of their lives, finding new passions and purpose later in life; I knew I wanted to share their stories on my podcast and blog.

Out of the Bubble was created to spread some positivity around midlife and share inspiration to others who may be feeling a bit lost as they hit their forties. I know from my own experience that stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things in life can lead to all sorts of opportunities and bring a new lease of life to this next chapter.

Subjects covered-

How I started a new career in modelling aged 46

Stepping out of my comfort zone

Body confidence

Finding new confidence later in life

Finding passion and purpose

What inspired me to start the podcast

Embracing grey hair

Encouraging women to support one another and ditch the judgement

You can also subscribe to the new Out of the Bubble podcast website to keep updated www.outofthebubblepodcast.com and find me on Instagram @rachelperu1 and Facebook @stepoutofthebubble

Have you joined the Stepping out of the Bubble Facebook group yet?

I'll be back next week to share some more inspiration

In the meantime.... Keep being fabulous! Rachel x

I have a triple dose of inspiration for you this week and I had so much fun talking with the three women behind The Enterprise Collective, Caroline Smith, Louise Kemp and Bee Clayton.  I first attended one of the Enterprise Collective networking events in 2019 and although nervous about walking in to a room full of strangers and suffering with imposter syndrome I quickly relaxed and have made greta friends and collaborations through it. Not only is it a great way of getting your creative business known to more people, build possible connections for work and collaborations but it's that sense of ownership of what you are doing that sends a really strong message to me. 

It's something that I have struggled with in the past, it's that imposter syndrome feeling. However there has definitely been a shift in my mind and I am now owning my model/podcaster/blogger titles and attending events like this definitely helps too.  

Caroline, Louise and Bee are so often seen championing other women through their network so I though it was time to place the spotlight firmly back on them. 

Subjects covered- 

What is the Enterprise Collective? 

Where the inspiration came from to start it?

 How the three women work as a team 

Adapting to change during lockdown 

Women supporting women

 Recognising our strengths? 

Stepping out of your comfort zone 

To find out please visit their website https://theenterprisecollective.co.uk/home/meet-the-team/

 You can also follow them on social media - Instagram  @theenterprisecollective and Facebook The Enterprise Collective 

You can also subscribe to the new Out of the Bubble podcast website to keep updated and find me on Instagram @rachelperu1and Facebook @stepoutofthebubble

 I'll be back next week to share some more inspiration

. In the meantime.... Keep being fabulous! Rachel x

Todays episode comes with a trigger warning as we will be discussing suicide and the impact it has on those left behind.

Helen Garlick is a writer from Yorkshire who now lives in Sussex. She has just completed a memoir on family secrets and suicide, 'No Place to Lie' which will be published next February. Her story featured on Woman's' Hour earlier this year. Helen now spends time highlighting the tragic loss of life through suicide and how we can all connect and communicate better.

In 2022 she will be walking with her husband Tim from Lands End to John O’Groats to raise money for Samaritans.
I'm truly grateful to have Helen talk with me on the podcast about such an important subject.

Subjects covered-

Suicide and the impact on those left behind

How we need to lift the stigma around suicide

Mental health

Family secrets 

The importance of connecting and communicating better

You can find Helen on Instagram @helenpgarlick and Twitter @Helenpgarlick 

To keep updated on the up and coming book Instagram @noplacetolie

For anyone who needs to talk to someone please remember you can call the Samaritans in confidence and that you are not alone.
Call - 16 123

You can also subscribe to the new Out of the Bubble podcast website to keep updated and find me on Instagram @rachelperu1

I'll be back next week to share some more inspiration.

In the meantime.... Keep being fabulous!

Rachel x

As someone who has battled grey hair since my teenager years and finally embraced my grey at 45 I'm always keen to champion fellow grey-haired women. Jayne Mayled has been on my guest wish list since I started the podcast so I was delighted to finally get the chance to talk with her. Jayne is the founder of the hair care brand White Hot Hair.

White Hot Hair is an independent, UK based hair care brand created specifically for the needs (and wants) of white and grey hair. Jayne launched White Hot in 2013 after growing out her grey. She wanted luxurious products that would really make her new hair look and feel great, that smelled delicious and celebrated silver style in a positive way. So she decided to create her own and has gone on to build an encouraging social community of people who are loving life with their silver hair.

Subjects covered-

Jaynes own experience of growing grey hair out

Why is there such a stigma still attached to women with grey hair?

Fears of Ageing and grey hair 

How we can support women who choose to ditch the dye

Starting a new business in her fifties

Representation of grey haired women in media and advertising

Tips and advice on how to embrace the grey

The White Hot Hair range

To find out more about the White Hot Hair products please visit https://www.whitehothair.co.uk/about-us

You can also follow them on social media-

Instagram @Whitehothair

Twitter @Whitehothair

Facebook @Whitehothair

You can also subscribe to the new Out of the Bubble podcast website to keep updated and find me on Instagram @rachelperu1

I'll be back next week to share some more inspiration.

In the meantime.... keep being fabulous!

Rachel x

It's guests like this weeks episode that offer so much inspiration for women of all ages. I joined Siobhan Daniels during lockdown, over on Zoom, from her camper van.

Siobhan retired last year and at 60 she is determined to knock down some of those stereotypical portrayals of the retired woman. She sold her home and invested in a motorhome to travel around the UK.

I had so much to talk about with Siobhan and her attitude to life is wonderful. 

Subjects we covered-

Travelling solo at 60

Ageism and sexism in the work place

Overcoming fears of being lonely as a solo traveller

Why it's so important to keep breaking down barriers and fight the stereotypes that are so often seen in the media

Connecting with your surroundings and the freedom Siobhan's found on her electric bike

Siobhan is documenting her travels over on the blog and it's well worth a read.

https://shuvonshuvoff.blogspot.com/

You can also follow Siobhan on social media-

Instagram @shuvonshuvoff    

Twitter @shuvonshuvoff

You can also subscribe to the new Out of the Bubble podcast website to keep updated and find me on Instagram @rachelperu1

I'll be back next week to share some more inspiration.

In the meantime.... keep being fabulous!

Rachel x