Explore every episode of the podcast Successful AF Pod

Michelle Doan founded Emani in 1998, a clean, vegan beauty brand that now exports to 17 countries. She built it out of a problem nobody would solve for her: more than a decade of cystic acne, and no products that didn't make it worse. So she started phoning cosmetics companies to ask why they were making products that broke her out. Then 2020 hit. Her two biggest distributors were in China and Italy, and over two years she lost close to 80% of her business.

In this episode of Successful AF, Michelle shares what rebuilding after that looked like. It wasn't a new strategy. It was a new relationship with the thoughts in her own head. We talk about burnout, resilience, redefining success, and why so many high achievers find it easier to give help than to receive it. She also talks about how crossing the ocean on a fishing boat at nine years old shaped the resilience she's leaned on ever since.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How an esthetician's ring binder changed the course of Michelle's life, and what it taught her about the impact of so-called ordinary jobs
• What happened when Michelle told a chemist at Merck she didn't have the experience, and why saying yes anyway changed everything
• How Emani went clean before clean was a category and vegan before anyone knew what that meant on a label, plus the three Ps Michelle uses to judge any skincare product
• The book that got her through losing close to 80% of her business, and the "roommate" in your head it taught her to stop obeying
• The difference between happiness and joy, and what Michelle means by her zen garden
• Why we're taught to give but rarely taught to receive, and the free habit she stacks onto making her morning coffee that turns ordinary moments into extraordinary ones

If you're rebuilding after a setback, stuck in a loop of self-critical thoughts, or you're the person everyone leans on who never asks for help, this conversation is your reminder that your thoughts are not facts.

Connect with Michelle:
Emani: emani.com | Instagram: @emanicosmetics

Books mentioned:
The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer, The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh, Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and the work of Louise Hay

Before you go:
What's Actually Yours is a half-day retreat for women on Saturday 10 October at Ripley Village Hall, Surrey. It's one morning, with a maximum of 12 places, and includes movement, cacao and the Load Audit. Places are £111. Details at kalicoaching.co.uk.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

At 21, before she'd even graduated, Jo McGowan bought a dance school. Nine years later she'd roughly doubled the number of pupils. Since then she's built a children's party business that was fully booked within six months, run a small business hub, kept a charity going digitally through Covid, and worked in university events. Now she's CEO of Hello Dorking, the town's business improvement district. She calls it a wiggly career, and it's the best argument I've heard for why a non-linear path isn't a detour.

In this episode of Successful AF, Jo and I talk about career change, redefining success, and knowing when it's time to move on. She shares how she built and sold businesses, why integrity and joy matter most to her, and how every strand of her career ended up in one role. If you've ever worried about how a pivot looks from the outside, this one's for you.

Whether you're mid-career change, rebuilding after a hard season, or quietly wondering if it's too late to try something new, this conversation is your reminder that you can always start again.

Before you go:
What's Actually Yours is a half-day retreat for women on Saturday 10 October at Ripley Village Hall, Surrey. It's a one-morning retreat with a maximum of 12 places, and it includes movement, cacao, and the Load Audit. Places are £75 until 30 September, then £111. Details at kalicoaching.co.uk.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

How do you rebuild a career after depression takes the one you had?

Aron Jameson was fifteen years into corporate life — trainee to Head of Operations in London — when depression arrived and took roughly a fortnight to dismantle all of it. He quit. No notice period plan, no next role, no sick leave. What almost nobody talks about is the bit that came after: three to six months of not leaving the house, not answering messages, and no clear route back.

This episode is about that route. Aron rebuilt his career into a bodywork and wellness practice across Norwich and London, training in six countries across massage, breathwork, sound healing, Reiki, NLP and EFT — and he did it in a deliberate order that he explains properly here. Body first, mind second, and a strategic reason for both.

If you're burnt out, mid-career, and quietly wondering whether the thing you'd rather be doing is allowed — this is a practical, unglamorous look at what actually happens when someone does it.

What we cover:

• The early signs of Aron's depression that he only recognised in hindsight 
• Embarrassment as the real obstacle in career change: winning clients and still dreading bumping into an ex-colleague on the train
• What finally shifted it, and why it wasn't the business getting more impressive
• His case for regulating the wellness industry, and the modalities he refuses to teach
• The word his mentor banned him from using about his own corporate years — and what changed when he stopped
• What a successful day looks like now: half ten start, a book, a mocha

Find Aron: aronjamesonwellness.co.uk | Instagram: @aronjamesonwellness

Got your own version of this story? Email me at successfulafpod@gmail.com — I read every single one.

If this episode gave you something, please rate and review wherever you're listening, and send it to the friend who keeps saying "I wish I could do that."

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Readiness Is a Myth: Confidence, Comfort Zones and Doing It Scared — Kerry Harrison

Kerry Harrison's whole job is making people feel seen. She's a business brand photography specialist who's spent sixteen years helping founders show up in their businesses — which is funny, because when she started out, she was the classic photographer hiding behind her own lens: one photo of herself on the website and a firm belief that surely that was enough.

In this episode of Successful AF, Kerry shares how she walked away from a well-paid senior design career to build a business from scratch, and everything she learned the uncomfortable way about confidence — including the two truths she now builds her work around: confidence is not an innate quality, and readiness is a myth. If you've ever caught yourself saying "I'll do it when I feel ready," this one's going to sting in the best possible way. And yes, there's a beginners' tap class at forty-seven in here that ends exactly where Kerry swore it never would.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why readiness is a myth — and the bit of basic brain science that explains why you'll never feel ready before you do the thing
• The three-step move Kerry uses on imposter syndrome thoughts the moment they show up: recognise, acknowledge, then compete with facts
• Why your business needs your face more than your portfolio — and what happened when the photographer had to get in front of the lens
• The loss at twenty that quietly rewrote Kerry's definition of success, and the perspective it took her a decade to name
• How "get comfortable being uncomfortable" actually works in practice — networking rooms, stages, and projects launched without an ending
• Kerry's new passion project for midlife women — and why she's giving the middle finger to anti-ageing culture, shrinking yourself, and waiting for permission

Whether you're hiding behind your own version of the lens, waiting to feel ready, or wondering if it's too late to try something completely new — Kerry's answer is the same: you can feel uncomfortable and still do really good things. You are imperfectly perfect, just as you are.

Connect with Kerry:
Website: kerryjphotography.co.uk
Instagram: @kerryjphoto
The Middle Finger Project: @the_middle_finger_project

Connect with Successful AF:
Got a thought on this episode? Email me at successfulafpod@gmail.com — I read every single one.
Follow the show on Instagram @successfulafpod
If this episode landed, leave a rating and review — it genuinely helps more people find the show.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Stop Saying No to Yourself: Imposter Syndrome, Career Change and Leading AI — Professor Shushma Patel

Shushma Patel built a world-class career — a PhD in dermatology, decades of research, leadership across computing, engineering and business schools. And the whole time, whenever the next big room opened up, she talked herself out of walking in. "I've only been here a year." "Someone else has been here longer." She's now Pro Vice-Chancellor for Artificial Intelligence at De Montfort University, in a role thought to be the first of its kind in the sector — and she'll tell you, completely straight-faced, that she still feels like an imposter.

In this episode of Successful AF, Shushma shares how a career that started in a dermatology lab became a leading role in AI — not through a five-year plan, but through a single golden thread: the belief that the skills you build transfer anywhere, and that no one should hem their life in at sixteen because they picked three A levels. First in her family into higher education, and one of very few women in tech in almost every room she's entered, Shushma has spent her career pulling women in behind her — and she's brilliantly clear on how the rest of us can do the same.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why a non-linear career is a strength, not a failure — and the "golden thread" that connects every role you've ever had
• The crucial difference between mentorship and sponsorship: one keeps the ladder down, the other pulls you up it
• What "keeping the seat warm" really means — and why time served is the worst reason anyone ever got promoted
• How imposter syndrome shows up even at the top, and what actually builds confidence over a career (spoiler: it isn't waiting to feel ready)
• What AI literacy really means for your job — plus the one thing you're doing every time your phone rings that could hand your voice to an AI
• What success looks like when you stop measuring it in money and start measuring it in impact

Whether you're contemplating a career change, battling self-doubt in rooms where no one looks like you, or wondering whether it's too late to pivot — this conversation is your permission slip. Stop saying no to yourself. Save your no for the things that drain you.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

“You don’t have to deserve rest.” — Camille Bieber on relentlessness, authenticity, and redefining success

My guest this week is Camille Bieber — photographer, videographer, and founder of Lila & Co, a creative business helping wellness brands tell their story through visuals. But for years, Camille didn’t think the word “success” applied to them at all. Their old Facebook bio literally read “starving artist.” They arrived in the UK at 25 with two suitcases, one acquaintance and no network — a second-generation migrant, entirely self-taught, who’s never had an office job in their life.

In this episode you’ll discover:

• What being “relentless” actually looks like day to day — and why there’s no such thing as an overnight success
• How Camille’s business took off at the exact moment they decided to give up on it
• Why rest is something you never have to earn (“if you’re not gonna rest for yourself, rest for your clients”)
• How running a business unearths exactly where you need healing
• The permission Camille wants to give you to stop masking and be your weird self publicly
• Why success, right now, looks like a walk on the beach in Hove

We talk redefining success on your own terms as a queer, second-generation migrant and self-taught entrepreneur — and what it takes to build something from nothing without losing yourself in the process.

Find Camille on Instagram @lilaand.co, at lilaand.co, and on their podcast The Winding Way.

Got a story about redefining success on your own terms? I’d love to hear it — email successfulafpod@gmail.com

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Another solo one, and this time I'm getting into something I talk about all the time in my coaching but haven't really unpacked on the pod: burnout isn't a bubble bath problem. It's a nervous system issue. It's a belief system issue. And no amount of journaling, breathwork or gong baths is going to fix it if the thing underneath — the constant performing, the chasing of a version of success you never actually chose — doesn't change.

I share my own story (hello, optimising-to-the-max era, habit trackers and all) and the moment lockdown forced me to stop and realise I had no idea how to climb back down the mountain.

Then a few questions I want to leave you with: When did you last feel peace? Joy? Free? And what were you doing?

Because how you live your days is how you live your life. Kudos if the fast cars and designer whatever is genuinely what you want — but if it isn't, consider this your invitation to reevaluate.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Lorraine Ansell spent 40 years in pain without knowing it. Waking up feeling like she'd been "hit by a plane," feet that hummed, a body that bruised at the slightest touch — she assumed everyone felt that way. It wasn't until lockdown, a TikTok algorithm and a very thorough letter to her GP that she was finally diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and four decades of unanswered questions suddenly made sense.

In this season three opener of Successful AF, host Jess West sits down with Lorraine — author of The Surrender Agenda, voiceover artist and dancer — for an honest, surprisingly funny conversation about what happens when there's no cure. Lorraine's radical idea isn't to fight her chronic pain, but to dance with it: to surrender, accept, learn and ultimately love the body she has.

In this conversation, you'll hear:

• How decades of symptoms got dismissed as "growing pains" — and why women so often aren't believed by the medical system
• What it took to finally get a diagnosis after 40 years, and how to advocate for yourself with your GP
• Why "surrender" is a position of strength, not weakness or failure
• How Lorraine reframes chronic pain as a dance partner rather than an enemy to defeat
• Why rest is "revolution time," and how stripping life back changed her relationship with success
• The case for bringing pain "out of the shadows" the way we've started to with mental health

This one is for anyone living with chronic pain, invisible illness or an undiagnosed condition — and for anyone exhausted by the battle of trying to outrun something that lives inside them.

The Surrender Agenda by Lorraine Ansell is available online, on Kindle, and as an audiobook in Lorraine's own voice.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

In the first ever solo episode of Successful AF, host Jess West kicks off season three with a reset on what this whole show is really about. After 21 conversations with guests redefining success on their own terms, Jess pulls together the threads — and gets honest about her own story: circling the drain on burnout more than once, chasing a version of success she'd never actually authored for herself.

This is a short, unfiltered reflection on why we spend so long chasing the big house, the title and the fancy watch — a version of success that, as Jess puts it, was designed for none of us — and what changes when you stop borrowing someone else's scorecard and start defining success for yourself.

In this episode, Jess explores:

• Why success is self-authored, not inherited — and how to stop chasing someone else's definition
• The gap between knowing you're successful and actually feeling it
• Unlearning the conditioning: why your first thought is programming and your second thought is choice
• The power of walking away, and why grit and relentless optimisation aren't the whole story
• Her own burnout story — chasing a promotion, ignoring the warning signs, and what she found on the other side
• Why how you live your days is how you live your life

Whether you're navigating burnout recovery, a career change, or just the quiet sense that you've ticked every box and still feel like something's missing, this episode is an invitation to live differently — and to give yourself permission to define success on your own terms.

New episodes all season. If the show resonates, follow, rate and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

What if the reason you feel bad about money has nothing to do with how much you have?

Jessie Leong is a marketing manager by day and the founder of How I Fund This by night — a personal finance community of over 80,000 people built on one simple but radical idea: that financial confidence isn't about perfection, deprivation, or having it all figured out. It's about understanding your relationship with money well enough to make it work for the life you actually want.

In this episode, Jess and Jessie get into the real stuff — the anxiety, the shame, the seasons where money feels impossible — and why being honest about all of it is the first step to feeling better.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why money is an emotional topic first and a practical one second — and why that changes everything
• How to work out what you actually value (and spend accordingly, without guilt)
• The case for building an emergency fund — and how to start even when the end goal feels out of reach
• Why small, consistent habits will always outperform a one-off financial overhaul
• How to be multi-passionate and build something meaningful alongside a full-time job
• What Jessie would tell her younger self about mistakes, permission, and peace of mind

Connect with Jessie: Instagram: How I Fund This | Substack: For What It's Worth

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Riah Patel has the career, the drive, and the results to prove it. A senior leader and surveyor in the real estate industry, she's spent a decade building an impressive career through sheer intentionality — moving from graduate scheme to business development, team leadership and strategy, while becoming one of the most respected networkers in her field. But the most interesting part of her story isn't the promotions or the business development wins. It's what she discovered when she finally gave herself permission to slow down — and realised her results actually got better.

In this episode of Successful AF, Riah gets refreshingly honest about the cost of always being full throttle, what sustainable ambition really looks like in practice, and why she still does power poses in work bathrooms before big presentations.

In this conversation, you'll hear:

• Why career networking doesn't have to feel transactional — and how to build genuine human connection in professional spaces
• What Riah learned when she stopped working at full speed (spoiler: she didn't fall behind)
• How she finds and works with mentors — including why her longest-standing mentor wasn't who she expected
• The confidence-building habits that actually work, from coaching to body language
• What burnout prevention really looks like when you're wired to be competitive
• Why her definition of success has shifted — and what "complicated" really means

This one is for anyone who's ever wondered whether ambition and sustainability can actually coexist. Turns out, they can. You just have to be intentional about it.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

What if you spent seven years knowing something was wrong with your body — and every doctor told you nothing was?

Risa August is a two-time Ironman athlete, cyclist, author, and one of the most quietly compelling people I've ever spoken to. For seven years, her body was changing in ways she couldn't explain. She was dismissed, minimised, and told to drink more water — while completing Ironman triathlons. It was only when Risa demanded her own MRI that doctors discovered a large tumour on her pituitary gland and a rare condition called acromegaly that had been reshaping her body for years.

What followed was brain surgery, radiation, lifelong medication — and six months later, Risa had signed up to cycle from Meixco to Canada, cycling 1,845 miles down the Pacific Coast Highway to Mexico. She had injections shipped to remote locations along the route. Because that's just who she is.

But this isn't really a story about physical feats. It's about what happens to your identity when the version of yourself you've built everything around is no longer available to you — and who you find when you stop trying to get her back.

In this episode, you'll discover:

✨ How to advocate for your own health when medical professionals aren't listening (and why women are disproportionately dismissed) 

✨ What identity collapse really feels like — and the surprising first step Risa took toward recovery (spoiler: it wasn't getting back on the bike) 

✨ Why receiving help used to feel like weakness — and the mindset shift that changed everything 

✨ How to find forward motion when you can barely get to the front door 

✨ What success feels like when you stop measuring it in achievements and start measuring it in days that just flow 

This episode is for you if:

• You've been dismissed by doctors and are looking for validation that you know your own body
• You're a high-achiever going through a health crisis, burnout, or major life disruption
• Your identity is deeply tied to what you do — and that's starting to feel fragile
• You're rebuilding after loss and wondering what the first step looks like
• You want to redefine success on your own terms, not someone else's

About Risa August:

Risa August is an athlete, author, and speaker who has competed in two Ironman triathlons, completed a 1,845-mile Pacific Coast cycle six months after brain surgery, and channelled her experience of acromegaly and pituitary tumour diagnosis into her debut book, The Road Unpaved: Border to Border with a Brain Tumour and a Bike. You can find Risa at risaaugust.com.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Marcela spent years feeling invisible—so she built a business where everyone is seen, heard, and valued.
Marcela's story is one you'll want to listen to twice.

She grew up speaking only Spanish after moving from Columbia to the UK at the age of 2, struggling to find her voice in a system that didn't see her. Picked on by classmates, dismissed by teachers who accused her of cheating when she excelled. Fast forward to motherhood—postnatal depression, isolation, mistaken for a nanny by other mums who wouldn't give her the time of day.

But instead of staying small, Marcela taught herself to sew. And then she built On A Sew—a sewing school where adults and children don't just learn a craft, they find their voice, their confidence, and their community.

In this episode, you'll discover:
✨ How to build a business from lived experience (not credentials or formal education)
✨ Why taking it slow actually accelerated Marcela's growth (she went from one class a week to a thriving school without burning out)
✨ The real difference between teaching a skill and creating transformation
✨ How Marcela uses her past pain to heal others—including apologising to children on behalf of adults who failed to listen
✨ Why surrounding yourself with people who see you is non-negotiable for success
✨ The non-negotiable boundary that protects her from burnout (and why saying no became her superpower)

This conversation is for you if:

You've built something meaningful, but still feel invisible
You're starting a business without traditional qualifications and wonder if you're "enough"
You've experienced loneliness, isolation, or postnatal depression and want to channel it into purpose
You're a creative entrepreneur looking to build community, not just customers
You want to see what sustainable, slow-but-steady business growth actually looks like

About Marcela:
Marcela is the founder of On A Sew, a sewing school in London where she teaches adults and children the art of sewing—but more importantly, helps them find confidence, community, and creative expression. A self-taught sewist with no formal education past age 16, Marcela has built her thriving business purely from lived experience, patience, and an unshakeable belief that everyone deserves to be seen and heard.

Connect with Marcela:
Instagram: @on.a.sew
Website: onasew.co.uk

Connect with Jess:
Instagram: @successfulafpod
Website: kalicoaching.co.uk

Love this episode?
If Marcela's story resonated with you, screenshot your favourite moment and tag us on Instagram @successfulafpod and @on.a.sew. I'd love to hear what landed for you.
And if you're ready to build something meaningful without burning out, subscribe to Successful AF so you never miss a conversation that might just change everything.

How to build a business without a degree
Creative business ideas
Self-taught entrepreneur success story
Postnatal depression and entrepreneurship
Building community in business

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Clara Ho crossed international borders with a passport every day just to get to school. Six hours round trip on the worst days. She was raised on the "Singapore Dream"—five C's that defined success: cash, credit card, condo, country club, and car.

This episode of Successful AF is about what happens when you stop asking for permission.

Host Jess West sits down with Clara, now a strategy consultant at Roland Berger in Dubai, for a conversation about breaking cultural expectations and career transitions. From selling Louis Vuitton whilst studying pre-law, to becoming head of operations in Bangkok at 27, to taking a career sabbatical in Cambodia and Central America that horrified her grandmother—Clara's journey is about doing the hard things.

Clara's unflinching honesty about toxic conditioning hits hard. Being taught to suppress every feeling. The favouritism towards boys. The narrow success markers that left no room for being human. But she also shares how she unlearned it all through solo backpacking, therapy, and building the muscle of being different.

She redefined success entirely: breaking through self-imposed limitations whilst maintaining integrity. No permission needed.

Perfect for listeners navigating career pivots, cultural expectations, or anyone tired of asking permission to live their own life.

About Clara Ho

Clara Ho is a strategy consultant at Roland Berger in Dubai. Born in Malaysia, raised between Malaysia and Singapore, she studied law in Wales before pivoting into education and eventually strategy consulting. She spent a transformative year teaching at the Harpswell Foundation in Cambodia and learning Spanish in Central America before her career change into consulting, whilst her family questioned why she wasn't earning money.

Key Takeaways

1. Your body is wiser than your brain - Listen to every signal you've been taught to suppress
2. Success needs two pillars - Breaking self-imposed limitations AND doing it with integrity
3. You don't need permission - If you feel you do, ask whose voice is in your head
4. Do hard things constantly - Comfort breeds complacency; discomfort drives success
5. Face your fear gremlins daily - Even small, uncomfortable things count
6. Being different is a muscle - You build tolerance for being the odd one out

Reflection Questions

• Whose voice is in your head when you think you need permission?
• What cultural expectations are you carrying that don't belong to you?
• Are you honouring how far you've come, or only measuring where you think you should be?

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Maria Caballero moved to London in 2013 with a thousand euros in cash, one friend, and a vision. She walked down Regent Street handing out CVs to every shop until someone gave her a chance. Fast forward to 2025, and she's built one of the most vibrant yoga communities in London—retreats that sell out in days, students who laugh so hard they get stomach aches, and a teaching method centred entirely on accessible yoga for every body type.

This episode of Successful AF is about what happens when you stop hiding who you are and start building the life you actually want to live. Host Jess West sits down with Maria for a conversation about body positive yoga, career transitions from fashion to teaching, and why making yoga available for all bodies—regardless of size, age, or ability—became her mission.

As a former ballet dancer who never looked like anyone else in the room, Maria knows what it feels like to be the biggest, curviest person in a space that wasn't designed for you. Now she's rewriting the rules. Her inclusive yoga method works backwards from complicated poses to create pathways everyone can walk, not just modifications for people who "can't keep up."

Maria's definition of success? Freedom. Freedom in your body, freedom in your relationships, freedom in your work. And the freedom to show up as your authentic self—purple Crocs and all.

Perfect for listeners interested in yoga business, female entrepreneurship, career change stories, or anyone tired of fitness spaces that weren't built with them in mind.

About Maria 

Maria Caballero is the founder of Maria Peace Yoga and creator of an accessible yoga method that makes every pose available for all body types. Born in South America, raised in Spain, she moved to London in 2013 and built a career in fashion before transitioning to teaching yoga full-time during the pandemic. She runs sold-out retreats, teaches at East of Eden and More Yoga in London, and mentors new yoga teachers through her six-month Evolve programme. Maria's approach to yoga is rooted in her experience as a ballet dancer with curves in a room full of people who looked nothing like her—and her determination to create something different.

Connect with Maria:

• Instagram: @mariapeaceyoga
• Classes: East of Eden (Walthamstow) & More Yoga

Key Takeaways

1. Accessibility over perfection - Working backwards from complicated poses to create pathways everyone can walk
2. Your body is not the problem - Yoga spaces should adapt to bodies, not the other way round
3. If you can see it, it will happen - Closing your eyes and truly visualising yourself doing something is the first step to making it real
4. Create the life you want to live - Give yourself permission to build something different, even if it means walking away from what looks good on paper
5. Authenticity builds community - Showing up as your rawest self is what makes people gravitate towards you
6. Confidence comes from knowing yourself - You can't be truly confident whilst wearing a mask or pretending to be someone else
7. Success is freedom - The ability to be fully yourself across all areas of your life

Reflection Questions

• What would change if the spaces you entered were designed with your body in mind?
• Are you building the life you want to live, or the life you think you should want?
• Who would you be if you stopped hiding parts of yourself?

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! Nominate someone redefining success at successfulafpod@gmail.com.

Ready to redefine success? Work with Jess one-on-one or join her workshops on sustainable success and leadership

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

What does success really mean when you've climbed the ladder but still feel unfulfilled? In this raw and honest conversation, Jess West sits down with her friend of 15 years, Abi Schoenheimer, to explore the messy reality of redefining success in midlife.

Abi's career has been anything but linear—from Big Four consulting to investment banking, across continents from Sydney to London to South Africa. But her journey reveals a deeper truth: sometimes the hardest thing isn't moving forward, it's staying still and figuring things out.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why being the "outsider" became Abi's comfort zone across continents and careers
• The two competing definitions of success and why letting go of conditioning is so hard
• How your manager impacts your wellbeing as much as your therapist
• Why Abi owns her failures but struggles to claim her wins
• The "infinity fun loop" philosophy: having fun, taking a break, then returning to fun
• Why bath time with her daughter is her current success metric—and why that's not "naff"
• The difference between knowing you're successful and actually feeling it
• First thought is conditioning, second thought is choice

Key quote: "Success is being in the driver's seat of life's trade-offs—making sure what's important to you at any given stage is reflected in how you've set up your life."

This episode is for anyone wrestling with imposter syndrome, struggling to own their achievements, or questioning whether the traditional definition of success is actually what they want.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Trigger Warning: This episode contains mentions of suicide and self-harm. If you're struggling with these issues, please reach out to a trusted professional or contact a crisis support service in your area.

In this episode, host Jess West sits down with Ifey Ihonor, founder of 8 Within, who walked away from one of the most coveted medical positions in the UK to embark on a fifteen-year journey of self-discovery. From four degrees to plant medicine work across India, Bali, and Costa Rica, Ifey's story is a masterclass in refusing to accept walking a path that doesn't feel true to you and trusting your inner knowing.

They explore what it really means to be your own guru, why failure only exists when you give up, and how plants like cacao can help quiet the external noise enough to hear yourself think. Ifey shares a powerful "Australia analogy" about finding direction in life, why waiting is the secret sauce of life, and how she's turned "I'm magical" into a genuine philosophy.

This conversation will challenge listeners to examine whose definition of success they're chasing, remind them that literally no one is thinking about them (which is liberating), and give them permission to do whatever the hell they want. If you're exhausted from proving yourself and ready to redefine success on your own terms, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• Why knowing where you want to go matters more than how you'll get there
• The difference between self-exploration and "working on yourself"
• How to stop reacting to life and start directing it
• Why you're fine exactly as you are (and who benefits from telling you otherwise)

Connect with Ifey: Instagram: @8within Website: https://8within.com/

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

What happens when you realise success isn't about climbing the ladder, but about aligning your life with your values? 

In this Season 2 premiere, host Jess West sits down with Lyndsey Gormley, a therapist whose career transformation from burnt-out senior teacher to psychologist showcases resilience and professional reinvention.

As a first-generation university student from Yorkshire, Lyndsey moved to Hong Kong at 23, eventually becoming head of department before experiencing burnout. Her story of earning two master's degrees whilst working full-time and ultimately leaving teaching for psychology is a masterclass in career courage.

Perfect for listeners experiencing career burnout, seeking career change inspiration, or learning to prioritise mental health over external validation.

About Lyndsey Gormley

Lyndsey is a therapist at Mind n Life Psychology practice in Hong Kong, specialising in teenagers and families. Her journey from senior leadership to stepping down to pursue her calling demonstrates radical career change courage. 

Key Episode Themes

• Teacher burnout whilst pursuing graduate education and advocating for yourself when exhausted
• Redefining success from salary and titles to values-based goals
• Psychological flexibility: Learning to bend without breaking through career setbacks
• Why "good enough is good enough" and resilience comes from failing safely
• Navigating imposter syndrome as a first-generation student

Workshop Announcement

Lyndsey and Jess are hosting a FREE workshop: Find Your Balance Blueprint

• October 23rd: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM GMT / 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Hong Kong Time
• Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/find-your-balance-blueprint-tickets-1769636543539?aff=oddtdtcreator

Connect with Lyndsey

Instagram: @lyndseygormleypsych Website: http://mindnlife.com/lyndsey-gormley/

Key Takeaways

You cannot hate yourself into success. Lyndsey's journey from perfectionist burnout to embracing "good enough" shows that career fulfilment comes from aligning behaviours with values, not chasing validation. Career paths don't have to be linear - stepping down can be stepping forward.

Values worksheet from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: https://farms.extension.wisc.edu/files/2020/11/Core-Values-Exercise.pdf 

https://youtu.be/cCCSpOtDPV0?si=7POZQRlK0NvjV3eR

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

What does it really mean to walk away from everything you've worked for to chase a dream that others don't understand?

In this episode, Jess is joined by Charlotte de Wouters, who made the courageous career transition from a high-stress legal career to becoming a full-time yoga teacher and breathwork facilitator in Indonesia. Charlotte's story perfectly embodies what it means to choose alignment over approval and redefine career success.

For six years, Charlotte was trapped in perfectionist burnout - working weekends and nights, constantly stressed, and despite helping others as a family lawyer, never feeling truly successful. The turning point came at 30 during a "complete freakout moment," realizing she could see exactly how her life would unfold if she stayed on that path.

Perfect for listeners experiencing career burnout, seeking career change inspiration, considering a wellness career, or learning to prioritize authentic living over external expectations.

About Charlotte de Wouters

Charlotte is a yoga and breathwork teacher based in Lombok, Indonesia, who transformed from stressed-out lawyer to aligned wellness entrepreneur. Her journey represents career courage and the power of choosing work-life alignment over traditional success markers. She now helps others find peace through yoga and breathwork, embodying the change she wished to create.

In This Conversation, We Explore

Career Transformation

• How Charlotte redefined success from climbing the corporate ladder to waking up excited every day
• Overcoming career burnout in a demanding legal profession
• The courage to make a career pivot at 30

Authentic Living and Family Dynamics

• The fear of disappointing family and the moment her dad understood after three years
• Choosing personal fulfillment over external approval
• Work-life alignment versus work-life balance

Wellness Career Insights

• Why energy management is more valuable than time management
• The difference between helping through fighting versus helping find peace
• Trusting your intuition when the world offers external answers

Following Your Heart

• The magic that happens when you trust yourself and follow your passion
• How career alignment creates unexpected opportunities
• Living authentically despite others' expectations

Key Takeaways

Charlotte's advice? Trust. When you're aligned and doing something you love, things unfold almost magically. Her story proves that sometimes the universe conspires to help you when you're living from your heart.

If you've ever felt successful on paper but empty inside, or if you're wrestling with the courage to disappoint others to honor yourself, this episode offers career change courage and authentic success inspiration.

Connect with Charlotte

Teaching yoga and breathwork in Lombok, Indonesia, with online sessions available. Instagram: @chachadewou

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicidal ideation, chronic illness, and sexual assault. Please take care of yourself while listening.

What happens when you've climbed all the ladders, ticked all the boxes, and still feel like success is miles away? This week, we dive deep with life coach and hypnotherapist Katrina Burke, whose mental health recovery journey from heartbreak to healing offers profound insights into redefining success.

After leaving a long-term relationship at 24, Katrina found herself in a situationship for nearly a decade, developing chronic illness that left doctors baffled, and eventually hitting rock bottom with suicidal ideation. Rather than staying stuck, she turned her pain into purpose through personal transformation and healing work.

Perfect for listeners seeking mental health recovery strategies, chronic illness management, life coaching inspiration, and guidance on healing from trauma.

About Katrina Burke

Katrina is a coach and hypnotherapist specializing in helping people transform chaos into wisdom. Her personal development journey from rock bottom to thriving demonstrates resilience strategies and the power of radical personal responsibility. She combines coaching with hypnotherapy to help clients move from survival mode to authentic living.

In This Episode, We Explore

Mental Wellness and Success

• The myth of perfectionism - why waiting for everything to be perfect prevents happiness now
• Finding emotional stability - creating calm without eliminating life's inevitable storms
• Work-life balance between masculine survival mode and feminine flow

Healing and Personal Growth

• Why "heal yourself first" advice might not be as helpful as we think
• Radical personal responsibility - examining your role in every situation for personal transformation
• Redefining wealth as wellbeing rather than just financial accumulation

Success Redefined

• The power of specificity in defining what authentic success actually means to you
• Career fulfillment through turning pain into purpose
• Building a coaching business while prioritizing mental health

Key Takeaways

Katrina's story is a masterclass in resilience and mental health recovery, showing us how to transform chaos into wisdom while still having fun. Her honest take on healing, business building, and modern dating offers hope for anyone feeling stuck between where they are and where they want to be. Her journey proves that overcoming mental health challenges can lead to profound personal growth and meaningful work.

Connect with Katrina

Instagram: @katrinaburke__ Facebook: Katrina Burke

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! Nominate someone redefining success at successfulafpod@gmail.com.

Connect with Jess: Instagram: @compasscoaching.co Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

In this episode of Successful AF, host Jess West interviews Lauren Brighton, a London-based change manager whose non-linear career journey embraces being a generalist over a specialist. From creating legacy films to navigating the male-dominated property world, Lauren's story showcases career confidence building and authentic leadership.

Lauren's career evolution transformed from prioritising appearance over intellect in early corporate environments to showing up authentically confident. She redefines success as "perma happiness" - where family, friends, career fulfilment, and work-life balance exist in harmony. With candid honesty, she discusses overcoming self-doubt, working in unsupportive environments, and making space for fun in adult life.

Perfect for listeners seeking career change inspiration, professional confidence strategies, and guidance on building a portfolio career outside traditional paths.
About Lauren Brighton

Lauren started her career at Bucket List Film, creating documentary films about people's legacies, before moving through various roles in marketing, communications, and property. She's passionate about women's networks in corporate environments and brings her creative background to change management, applying her "jazz hands" approach to transformation projects. Based in London, she prioritises relationships, wellbeing, and joy alongside professional growth.

Connect with Lauren
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-brighton-49a00257/ Instagram: @llbrighton
Key Episode Themes

Career Confidence and Self-Advocacy

• Moving from self-doubt to authentic professional confidence
• Authentic leadership in male-dominated industries
• Building career self-advocacy skills

Non-Linear Career Success

• Embracing a generalist career path over specialization
• Career pivots from creative fields to corporate roles
• The value of diverse career experience

Redefining Professional Success

• Work-life harmony as the ultimate success metric
• Career happiness beyond salary and job titles
• Creating sustainable career success with joy and relationships

• Where are you experiencing unnecessary career self-doubt?
• How do you define success beyond traditional markers?
• What would it look like to prioritize fun alongside professional development?
• How can you embrace being a career generalist in a specialist-focused world?

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

In this episode of Successful AF, host Jess West sits down with Dr. Sonia Tsukagoshi, a London GP and holistic health coach practising sustainable wellness. Born in the UK to Japanese parents, Sonia has lived an incredibly international life - from surgical training to working in Uganda, Paris, and teaching resilience strategies to young people in Japan.

What makes this conversation refreshing is Sonia's revolutionary approach to preventive health in a world obsessed with biohacking trends. Sonia cuts through wellness myths and helps people trust their body's wisdom. Her philosophy? Health optimisation shouldn't be punishing, and success isn't about external validation - it's about living meaningfully and staying aligned with your values.

Perfect for listeners seeking evidence-based wellness, sustainable health practices, and holistic health advice without the wellness industry hype.

About Dr Sonia Tsukagoshi

Sonia has headed committees for internationally-minded GPs, represented UK doctors on European boards, and splits her time between London practice and annual teaching trips to Japan, where she helps high-achieving teenagers understand that failure is okay. She's launching a health optimisation practice focusing on longevity through ethical, sustainable, and natural approaches.

When she's not debunking wellness trends or helping patients trust their bodies, you'll find Sonia on her yoga mat (she's a qualified teacher), travelling the world, or asking herself: "What's going to give me the bigger life?"

Connect with Sonia

Instagram: @_drsonia_t Substack: The Midlife Health Coach

Key Takeaways

1. Trust your body signals - Your body tells you what it needs if you listen
2. Joyful health practices - Add joy and connection rather than restricting everything
3. Internal success metrics - True success means living meaningfully and aligned with values
4. Question wellness trends - Not every supplement or biohack is necessary

Reflection Questions

• Where are you seeking external validation instead of trusting your body wisdom?
• How can you add more joy, friendship, and movement rather than restricting?
• What wellness trends are you following that might not serve you?

Episode Insight

This conversation is a masterclass in pragmatic wellness and authentic success. Sonia reminds us that the most revolutionary thing we can do is trust ourselves - whether that's trusting our body signals, gut instincts, or our own definition of success.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! Nominate someone redefining success at successfulafpod@gmail.com.

Connect with Jess: Instagram: @compasscoaching.co Website: www.compasscoachingandyoga.com

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

In this episode of Successful AF, host Jess West reconnects with Lidia Teasca, an architect whose story of career resilience and starting over will leave you speechless. When corruption in Romania left Lidia working seven days a week for little reward, and her best friend literally emptied their shared office while she was at a meeting, Lidia made a radical choice: pack 19 kilograms into a suitcase, buy a one-way ticket to London (a city she'd never visited), and rebuild her entire life from scratch.

This powerful conversation explores Lidia's remarkable career transformation from survival mode to choosing joy, the courage it takes to keep saying "I'm not dead yet" when life keeps knocking you down, and why she keeps a colour-coded Excel spreadsheet of her dreams. Lidia shares how she learned that true career success isn't about conforming to society's expectations—it's about listening to your inner voice and prioritising daily joy over external validation.

Perfect for listeners seeking career change inspiration, relocation success stories, resilience strategies, and motivation for life reinvention.

About Lidia Teasca

Lidia is an architect and entrepreneur who embodies career resilience and the power of starting over abroad. After experiencing workplace corruption and betrayal in Romania, she made the courageous decision to relocate to London with just 19 kilograms and zero connections. Her journey from survival mode to thriving showcases resilience, professional reinvention, and the courage to redefine success on her own terms.

Today, Lidia is building her life and career in London, proving that career recovery and life transformation are possible at any stage when you bet on yourself and refuse to give up.

Connecting with Lidia

Instagram: @lidiasviews, @hotgritandgrace, @hellbluebell

Reflection Questions for Career Transformation

• What would change if you stopped conforming to society's definition of career success and listened to your own voice?
• How can you transition from "survival mode" to actively choosing joy in your daily life?
• What dreams are you keeping as wishes instead of turning into actionable plans?
• Where in your life do you need to say "I'm not dead yet" and choose career reinvention over resignation?

Key Takeaways

Lidia's story reminds us that no matter how many times life knocks us down, we have the resilience to rebuild—and that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is pack a suitcase and bet on yourself. True career success isn't about ticking society's boxes; it's about having the courage to define and pursue your own version of a joyful life. Her journey proves that starting over can be the beginning of your greatest chapter.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess: Instagram: @compasscoaching.co Website: www.compasscoachingandyoga.com

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

In this episode of Successful AF, host Jess West interviews Clare Muncey, a former Metropolitan Police officer who made a dramatic career transition from the Riot Squad to becoming a yoga teacher and social entrepreneur.

Clare's career transformation journey from a high-stress police career to finding peace and purpose through yoga business is profoundly inspiring. She shares intimate stories of overcoming burnout, navigating dark moments, and discovering the healing power of yoga practice. Clare emphasises the importance of authentic self-care, consistent practice, and creating safe, inclusive spaces where people can heal, connect, and reignite their inner flame.

Perfect for listeners seeking career change inspiration, wellness career paths, stress management strategies, and entrepreneurship motivation for building a purpose-driven business.

About Clare Muncey

Clare spent 17 years as a Metropolitan Police officer, working in demanding roles including domestic violence and the riot squad. She first stepped onto a yoga mat seeking stress relief from her consuming police career, though her practice remained inconsistent for years. What began as a tiny, barely watered seed slowly grew and flourished as Clare pursued yoga teacher training in Greece and India, evolving into a winding, life-changing career pivot.

Today, Clare runs "I am the Storm Yoga" from a beautiful watermill in North Norfolk, UK, where she facilitates heartfelt, intuitive classes as a yoga entrepreneur. She believes accessible yoga is for everyone, regardless of mental or physical starting points, and that it can bring joy, passion, connection, and the chance to trust and love who we really are. As a social entrepreneur, Clare supports various charities, including domestic violence organisations and dog rescue charities, embodying purpose-driven business principles.

Connect with Clare:

Instagram: @Iamthestormyoga Website: https://www.iamthestormyoga.com

Reflection Questions for Career Change

• What would it look like to redefine success as an "inward journey"?
• How can you create more space in your life for authentic connections and self-care practices?
• What wellness practices help you navigate the "duality of life"?
• Where in your life are you chasing rather than attracting career fulfillment?

Key Takeaways

This conversation reminds us that no matter where we're starting from, we have the power to completely reimagine our lives through career transformation. Clare's story is proof that our greatest challenges often become our greatest teachers, and that healing through career change - while not easy - is always possible. Her journey from police officer to yoga entrepreneur shows that authentic career success comes from alignment with your true purpose.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess: Instagram: @compasscoaching.co Website: www.compasscoachingandyoga.com

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

What if everything you've been told about business success is wrong?

This week, host Jess West sits down with her longtime friend Santina Philips, female entrepreneur and founder of URSUS Fitness in Hong Kong, for a raw conversation about redefining success, building fitness business community, and the grit it takes to thrive as a woman in business in a male-dominated industry.

Perfect for fitness entrepreneurs, female business owners, and anyone seeking entrepreneurship motivation and business resilience strategies.

About Santina Philips

Female fitness entrepreneur and Founder & Director of URSUS Fitness in Hong Kong, Santina has spent the last 10 years building a fitness community around strength, grit, and growth. A passionate fitness business owner, personal trainer, and programming expert, she's dedicated to helping others fall in love with training and themselves.

A champion of women's fitness, Santina has led a women's strength & conditioning program for over 4 years, advocating for education, empowerment, and fitness confidence. From strongman athlete to successful business owner, her entrepreneurship journey is raw, real, and packed with lessons in business resilience, leadership, and showing up with purpose.

Episode Highlights

🎯 Career Pivot Success: From Languages to Lifting

• How Santina transitioned from studying Russian and German (and nearly dying from peritonitis in Siberia!) to founding one of Hong Kong's most beloved fitness businesses
• Career change inspiration: Why she stepped away from translation to follow her passion for strength training business
• The early days of driving 5-ton trucks around Hong Kong, dragging 300kg tires for functional fitness classes

💪 Female Athlete Entrepreneur: Competing at World's Strongest Man

• What drove her to become a strongman athlete and compete on the world stage
• How proving herself physically helped establish business credibility in a male-dominated industry
• The moment she pulled a truck on camera (that wasn't even meant for her!)

🏋️‍♀️ Women in Business: Breaking Barriers as a Female Gym Owner

• Navigating the fitness industry as a young female entrepreneur in a male-dominated space
• Female leadership challenges: Why she felt she had to work twice as hard to earn respect
• Business confidence strategies for being taken seriously

🌪️ Business Resilience: Weathering the Entrepreneurial Storms

• The breaking point: sitting in hotel quarantine, watching sewage flood her fitness business
• How the pandemic and health scares (including developing celiac disease from stress) forced her to redefine business success
• Entrepreneurship resilience: Why she almost walked away—and what kept her going

🔄 Sustainable Business Growth: Redefining Success

• Her evolution from chasing revenue and expansion to prioritizing sustainable business practices
• Business strategy pivot: Why she closed a second location and chose depth over breadth
• Entrepreneurship intuition: How she learned to trust her gut instincts in business decisions

👥 Fitness Community Building: From Competition to Connection

• The transformation from "scary strongman gym" to inclusive strength training community
• Women's fitness business: Why she pivoted to focus on women's health and functional fitness
• Community-based business: How she created a space where people build friendships for life, not just muscle

Connect with Santina

Perso

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

What if the promotion you didn't get was actually the universe's way of setting you free?

In this deeply moving episode, Jess sits down with her dear friend Toto Lambert, who went from Team Secretary to one of the youngest female partners at a leading global real estate agency in just seven years.

Toto's career transformation story is one of courage, vulnerability, and the radical act of prioritising work-life balance. She's navigated complex health challenges whilst climbing the corporate ladder, all while learning to shed the armour of perfectionism and embrace authentic leadership.

Perfect for listeners experiencing career burnout, seeking professional fulfilment, or looking for career change inspiration to align work with personal values.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Career burnout recovery: The moment Toto realised her health was more important than her job title
• Resilience after rejection: Why getting rejected for her "dream" promotion became the catalyst for transformation
• Career sabbatical benefits: Her six-month "soulbattical" that changed everything
• Female leadership development: How she's learned to integrate strength with grace, and masculine drive with feminine softness
• Redefining career success beyond job titles and salaries in corporate culture

About Toto: Toto is a female business leader and Partner at The Buying Solution, a leading property buying agency, where she helps individuals and families acquire homes in central and southwest London. Alongside her work in real estate leadership, Toto is a yoga teacher and qualified nutritional therapist. This portfolio career represents professional reinvention and shows how work-life integration can create both success and fulfilment in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Toto's swift rise from Team Secretary to youngest female partner in just over seven years left her "successful" but experiencing career burnout. In 2023, after a decade at the company, Toto embarked on a six-month career sabbatical to India, Sri Lanka and the Balearics. Those transformative months helped her discover authentic success and professional wellness.

You can find Toto teaching yoga in SW London studios, many of which stream their classes online for those further afield. Outside of real estate and off the yoga mat, Toto enjoys tennis, running and swimming - embodying true work-life balance.

Connect with Toto: Instagram: @toto.lambert Website: www.totolambert.com

Key Takeaways for Career Success:

This episode is a masterclass in trusting your intuition and career pivot strategies, even when it's terrifying. Toto's professional development journey reminds us that sometimes the biggest disappointments are actually redirections towards our authentic career path. Her story of overcoming perfectionism whilst maintaining business success shows us that we don't have to choose between authenticity and achievement - sustainable career success means having both.

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

This week, Jess sits down with someone truly special - her sister Lily West, a creative entrepreneur and freelance photographer who's built her dream creative business through determination and creative confidence. From struggling with dyslexia in school to shooting single covers displayed on Times Square billboards, Lily's creative career journey is a masterclass in creative resilience and never giving up on your artistic vision.

Perfect for creative professionals seeking freelance business tips, creative career advice, and entrepreneurship motivation.

What We Cover

The Creative Entrepreneur Journey

• How Lily transitioned from hating academia to building a successful creative business
• The reality of freelance photography: years of financial struggle, knockbacks, and self-doubt
• Why technical skills matter less than creative confidence (spoiler: you can hire an assistant!)

Creative Business Resilience

• Lily's incredible creative resilience through years of unpaid work and rejections
• How she manifested her creative career by literally writing "I'm gonna get paid from my art" in her diary
• The importance of having support when building your creative business

Redefining Creative Success

• Why traditional education doesn't predict creative entrepreneur success
• How learning differences became strengths in her creative career
• The breakthrough moment: from iPhone videos to Times Square billboards

Mental Health for Creatives

• Managing creative professional anxiety and maintaining mental wellness
• The life-changing power of morning journaling for creatives
• Why creative self-care and self-awareness are crucial for sustainable success

Creative Confidence & Authenticity

• University alter ego "Ducky the Diva" and terrible Whitney Houston covers
• The legendary pickled pigeon bingo night
• Why embracing your uniqueness is actually your creative superpower

Key Takeaways for Creative Success

1. Transform challenges into strengths - Learning differences can lead to unique creative perspectives
2. Creative persistence pays off - Sometimes you need to show up for years before the breakthrough happens
3. Collaboration over competition - Partner with people whose strengths complement your creative business needs
4. Maintain creative playfulness - The most successful creative entrepreneurs never lose their sense of wonder
5. Prioritise creative wellness - Creative career success means nothing without mental health

Resources Mentioned

• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron - The creativity bible for creative professionals --> https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/the-artists-way/
• Morning Pages - Three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing for creative confidence
• Megan Rose Lane - Manifestation workshop for creative entrepreneurs

You can find Lily on Instagram @lilz_w or check out her business account @squish.agency

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

What if everything you've been told about career success is completely wrong?
In this inaugural episode of Successful AF, host Jess West sits down with arts professional Chloe Hodge for a raw conversation about career change confidence, ditching the prestige trap, and finding fulfilling work that aligns with your values.

Chloe's career transition from struggling on £8.55/hour at the Royal Academy to running international arts projects in Ukraine showcases female entrepreneurship in creative fields. She shares honest insights about creative career advice, why she chose passion over high-paying graduate schemes, and how trusting your instincts can lead to professional fulfillment.

Perfect for listeners seeking confidence tips for major life decisions and career motivation to pursue meaningful work.

• Guest Name: Chloe Hodge
• Bio: Program Director running artist projects and architectural heritage restorations in Ukraine during the full-scale invasion. Creative industry professional with experience across prestigious London institutions including the Royal Academy of Arts. Holds a Master's in Curating from the Royal College of Art.

1. Building Career Confidence: The £8.55 Decision That Changed Everything
   • Why Chloe chose purposeful work over lucrative graduate schemes
   • Confidence tips for following your instincts over financial security
2. Creative Industry Reality Check: From Prestige to Breakdown
   • What it's really like working at "dream" institutions
   • Recognizing when success on paper doesn't equal personal fulfillment
   • The danger of seeking external validation in creative careers
3. Female Entrepreneurship: Redefining Success on Your Own Terms
   • How Chloe redefined success throughout her career journey
   • Professional development through meaningful relationships and projects
4. Career Transition Breakthrough: From Breakdown to New Beginnings
   • The conversation that gave her permission to make a career change
   • Overcoming financial barriers in creative industries
   • Confidence building strategies for naturally introverted professionals
5. Purpose-Driven Work: Leading Projects in a War Zone
   • Female leadership in international creative projects
   • How crisis brings out the best in workplace culture
   • Work-life balance lessons from a broken ankle

• Trust your intuition - even when it doesn't make logical sense
• Prestige doesn't equal happiness or professional fulfilment
• Sometimes you need the "wrong" job to appreciate meaningful work
• Career success means integrity, supportive relationships, and purpose
• Financial barriers in creative industries are real but not insurmountable
• Authenticity beats trying to fit into the wrong environment

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @kalicoaching.co

Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk