Explore every episode of the podcast THE SLOW DOWN

Grace Williams grew up in Buckinghamshire, the eldest of three, watching her father build a career in banking through long hours - an early blueprint that welded success to hard work. She followed a version of that blueprint into law, training as an arbitration lawyer and measuring her days by billable hours and how late she stayed at her desk. At 21, on the eve of her first legal internship, she woke up numb down one side of her body and was diagnosed with MS.

She kept working. In 2019 her mother, Amanda, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, and six months later her father was diagnosed with cancer too. For three years Grace worked full-time as a lawyer AND cared for her mother, refusing to let anything visibly slip - an armour, she says now, that let her avoid ever asking how she actually felt until in 2021, an MS attack coincided with full burnout. Her mother passed away in the summer of 2022 and a year later, still working the same hours, a blunt conversation with her aunt on a Friday night ended with Grace handing in her notice the following Monday.

Now re-trained as a Health Coach and Nutritionist, Grace specialises in high-performance wellbeing, working with corporate women to help them reconnect with the bodies they've learned to override.

In this episode we cover:

• Early definition of success built on hard work and long hours 

• Being diagnosed with MS at 21

• Why answering "I'm exhausted" is armour

• Her mother's terminal brain tumour diagnosis, and caring for both parents through COVID

• Why work became the easiest place to hide from grief

• The Friday night conversation with her aunt that moved her into action 

• Building her new coaching business and relearning her own boundaries

• Redefining success as peace, and what legacy means to her

Mentions:

The Way (2010), dir. Emilio Estevez, starring Martin Sheen

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/g_documented/

This season of The Slow Down is sponsored by female-founded, Greek swim and resortwear brand Kiohne. The Slow Down listeners can use code theslowdown for 20% off their first shop on kiohne.com. Enter their world, explore their collection and buy beautiful pieces designed to be enjoyed while slowing down this summer.

Adot Gak is a Sudanese-American supermodel, writer and former contributing editor at The Standard, named BFA Model of the Year, who has walked for Rick Owens, Vetements, Richard Quinn and Tony Ward, and fronted campaigns for SKIMS and Alexander Wang. Born in Sudan, Adot's family fled to Egypt when she was four; at nine, she witnessed a violent police attack on a group of Sudanese refugees in a Cairo park that killed her older sister, then just 13, and changed the course of her family's life forever. At ten, she relocated to Iowa with her mother, growing up as the child of immigrants before being scouted in a shopping mall and moving to New York to build one of the industry's most recognisable careers.

Since then, Adot has become known as much for her voice as her face — outspoken on the modelling industry's relationship with race, unafraid to set boundaries and say no, and using humour as a way of carrying what she's survived. In this episode, we talk about what "booked and busy" actually looks like behind the scenes, when she stopped waiting for permission to belong in fashion, and what she wants to build next.

In this episode we cover:

• Early memories of Sudan and her family's move to Egypt

• The police attack in Cairo that killed her sister, and how she holds that now

• Getting scouted in a shopping mall in Iowa and moving to New York

• Deciding to stop waiting for permission to belong in the industry

• Race and diversity in fashion: what's real progress and what's performance

• Being told she "looks like AI"

• Modelling as an "extreme sport" — burnout, boundaries and saying no

Mentions: 

‘Becoming’ - Michelle Obama

Links: https://www.instagram.com/adotthegreatt/

This season of The Slow Down is sponsored by female-founded, Greek swim and resortwear brand Kiohne. The Slow Down listeners can use code theslowdown for 20% off their first shop on kiohne.com. Enter their world, explore their collection and buy beautiful pieces designed to be enjoyed while slowing down this summer.

Laurence Stoffel grew up in the Swiss mountains. A shy, dreamy child who liked to observe the actions of adults, she went on to study industrial design at ECAL, one of Switzerland's most competitive art schools, talking her way back in after being rejected on her first attempt. Her early career took her from a Munich furniture studio to Freitag, the Swiss bag brand and eventually to a design research grant that sent her and her partner to Ghana and Burkina Faso, where six weeks spent weaving baskets with local designers under a mango tree unravelled everything she thought she knew about "correct" design.

Laurence then joined On, the Swiss running brand, when it was a handful of people selling shoes out of Zurich, and spent the next decade building its Creative Studio from scratch, scaling the team from 1 to over 100 people and helping steer the company to an IPO now valued at $11.8 billion. Along the way she became a mother of two, weathered a burnout serious enough to stop her mid-marathon, and rebuilt her relationship to work around one rule: choose it, don't owe it. Now, having recently left On and turned down several seven-figure job offers, Laurence is deciding what comes next. 

In this episode we cover:

• Growing up in the Swiss mountains and the ideas of success inherited from her parents

• Studying industrial design and talking her way back in after rejection

• Early career: a Munich furniture studio and Freitag

• A design research grant that took her to Ghana and Burkina Faso 

• The unconventional path into On, and why she doesn't believe in job applications

• Scaling On's Creative Studio from 1 to 100+ people

• Becoming a mother of two, choosing not to marry, and letting go of milestones

• What burnout actually looked like for her

• Why she is turning down seven-figure job offers right now 

• Ultra-running as a mindset

Mentions:

On

ECAL

Stefan Diez - Munich furniture/industrial designer Sibylle Stoeckli - Lausanne-based female industrial designer

Freitag (Swiss bag brand) and its co-founder Daniel Freitag Pierrot le Fou (1965), dir. Jean-Luc Godard

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-stoffel/

This season of The Slow Down is sponsored by female-founded, Greek swim and resortwear brand Kiohne. The Slow Down listeners can use code theslowdown for 20% off their first shop on kiohne.com. Enter their world, explore their collection and buy beautiful pieces designed to be enjoyed while slowing down this summer.

Gina Martin is a multi award-winning gender equality advocate, writer and facilitator. At 25, after a man took photos up her skirt at a music festival and police told her nothing could be done because she was wearing underwear, Gina launched the 18-month campaign that led to the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, making upskirting a criminal offence in England and Wales — all while working full-time and facing hundreds of online threats.

She's since written three books, writes for outlets including The Telegraph and the World Economic Forum, and was named on TIME's 100 Next list. We talk about the cost of activism, life as a public figure, escaping social media vitriol, and what happens when your thoughts change but the media wants you fixed in place. It's been seven years since her law passed, and Gina now believes prevention and education matter more than punishment.

Her activism happens both on the ground - she worked in schools for three years unpacking gender stereotypes with teenagers and now is a practitioner and facilitator in primary prevention of gendered violence with adults who work in the sector, as well as training adults to support and engage young people - and at scale, through her writing, speaking and media work.

In this episode we cover:

• Hyde Park, 2017: what happened, and the police response that started it all

• 18 months of campaigning, a full-time job, and hundreds of threats

• Why passing the Voyeurism Act felt like relief, not pride

• Moving from "carceral feminism" to believing in prevention & education

• Her 2023 PTSD diagnosis, stepping back from social media, and rebuilding around real capacity

• The importance of facilitation work 

• Redefining success as sustainable, lifelong work

Mentions: 

Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019

Nyome Nicholas-Williams' #IWantToSeeNyome campaign, which changed Instagram's nudity policy for Black and plus-size bodies

Angela Davis, Audre Lorde and bell hooks

Richie Reseda and The Feminist on Cellblock Y (2018) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYxTzsabkH8 

Songs from the Hole (Netflix, 2025)

A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot (2026)

Aja Barber - Sustainability Activist, writer and consultant 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/ginamartin/

https://ginamartin.substack.com/

https://ginamartin.online/

https://www.tiktok.com/@ginamartinuk 

This season of The Slow Down is sponsored by female-founded, Greek swim and resortwear brand Kiohne. The Slow Down listeners can use code theslowdown for 20% off their first shop on kiohne.com. Enter their world, explore their collection and buy beautiful pieces designed to be enjoyed while slowing down this summer.

Justine Palefsky grew up in San Francisco, raised by open-minded, community-oriented parents who treated their home as a shared asset and took her to Burning Man. That ethos of hospitality, gifting and non-transactional exchange became the foundation for everything that followed.

After studying cognitive neuroscience at Brown, she moved into customer experience roles at OpenDoor and Homebound. When she decided to take the leap into building her own company, she made a deliberate and unusual choice: she wanted a co-founder first. Matchmade by OpenDoor's CEO Eric Wu, Justine and Tasneem Amina spent four days locked in a cabin in Calistoga doing what Justine calls "co-founder dating".

What emerged was Kindred: a members-only home-swapping platform now with over 350,000 members across 150+ cities, 450,000 nights booked and $150 million raised. The radical bet at its core? Remove money from the guest-host relationship entirely. No buying credits. Every home is equal. A give-to-get economy where the most generous members hold the most power (not the wealthiest). It's a small pocket of the world built the way Justine wishes the rest of it worked.

In this episode we cover:

• Growing up with community values in San Francisco 

• Studying cognitive neuroscience at Brown 

• Why she chose her co-founder before her product idea

• The "co-founder dating" cabin retreat - questions to ask before you commit 

• The history of home swapping, from Intervac in the 1950s to today

• Why Kindred removes payment between guests and hosts — and why Silicon Valley thought she was crazy

• Building a platform based on Radical Generosity

• How handwritten thank-you notes became a cultural pillar of the platform

• Raising $150 million while refusing to grow at all costs — the "no assholes rule" for investors

• What it means to lead as a woman who is "not Zuck" — and dropping the CEO mask

• Burnout, the cost of giving a damn, and how to pull yourself back

• Defining the meaning of life for yourself and sticking to it 

Mentions: The Partnership Charter by David Gage The New York Times 36 Questions to Fall in Love Intervac: https://www.intervac-homeexchange.com

Links: Kindred: https://www.instagram.com/livekindred/ Justine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinepalefsky/

This season of The Slow Down is sponsored by female-founded, Greek swim and resortwear brand Kiohne. The Slow Down listeners can use code theslowdown for 20% off their first shop on kiohne.com. Enter their world, explore their collection and buy beautiful pieces designed to be enjoyed while slowing down this summer.

After being fostered, Andrew Missingham became a drummer and musical director on gold-certified UK records, then spent three years running British Council music programmes across 43 countries in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, then lead arts programming at the ICA. He later moved into data and strategy, becoming a Chief Data & Insights Officer and AI adoption pioneer for clients including Nike, Google, Unilever, Discord and the Southbank Centre, and a serial entrepreneur who founded 8 businesses and built and exited a 30-person consultancy. 

In 2020, the pace caught up with him. A nervous collapse forced Andrew to rebuild his life from the ground up, and 1,300 consecutive days of vipassana meditation later, he's become one of the most thoughtful voices on what it looks like for a man to lead by listening instead of force. Andrew now lives by a mantra tattooed on his arm: Live to Listen. Listen to Learn. Learn to Share. 

Andrew is one of the most genuinely curious people I've met, and someone who has spent decades doing the connective, uncredited work of bringing people, culture and data together without ever chasing recognition for it.

In this episode we cover:

• Choosing to be fostered

• How drumming led to managing and producing 

• Blacktronica Club nights at the ICA and other memorable events

• What is an ‘insight’? 

• His 2020 nervous collapse and what it forced him to rebuild

• The 4 key steps of his recovery: his new tools  

• A 10-day Vipassana that led him back to his foster parents 

• What gentle masculinity looks like in practice, and leading by listening

• His fears of being a good father & his relationship with his daughter 

Mentions:

Emergency on Planet Earth by Jamiroquai (1993 album)

The Messengers (1995) by Barungwa

Blacktronika https://www.blacktronika.com/ 

The ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) 

Dhamma Sukhakāri https://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schsukhakari 

The Eye's Mind by Bridget RileyAbout a Boy (film)Shakara by Fela Kuti, ft. Tony Allen on drums

Links: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmissingham/

This season of The Slow Down is sponsored by female-founded, greek swim and resortwear brand Kiohne. The Slow Down listeners can use code theslowdown for 20% off their first shop on kiohne.com Enter their world, explore their collection and buy beautiful pieces designed to be enjoyed while slowing down this summer.

June Angelides MBE believes that what is meant for you will find you — but only if you make the space to let it. Growing up in Lagos, she arrived in the UK and built a career in finance that, on paper, made sense. It wasn't until her second maternity leave — when she found herself the first woman at Silicon Valley Bank's UK office to take mat leave, confronting a company with no infrastructure for mothers — that she understood what she was actually meant to build. Mums in Tech, the community she created to teach mothers to code, earned her an MBE. What followed was a portfolio that was always, deliberately, many things at once: venture and angel investing, advisory work, a column in the Financial Times, board seats, and now a debut book — a biography-come-love-letter to the grandmother who shaped her. She is interested in not just how we build successful careers but how we build ones we can actually sustain. 

June is an extraordinary friend, mother of 3  and one of very few senior black women in venture capital. She juggle A LOT with so much grace and intention - I wanted to know how she finds the balance and how she sees her journey so far. 

In this episode we cover:

• Growing up in Lagos

• Being the first woman at Silicon Valley Bank UK to take maternity leave 

• The motherhood penalty

• Building Mums in Tech & getting an MBE for it 

• Starting The Portfolio Method to support people with portfolio careers 

• Leaving full-time corporate life and sitting with the uncomfortable silence

• Her grandmother's legacy and the book written in her honour

Mentions: 

Ejeka Jo by Ecstasy (her aunt and uncle's band) 

Mindset by Carol Dweck 

Links: https://www.instagram.com/juneangelides/

This season of The Slow Down is sponsored by female-founded, greek swim and resortwear brand Kiohne. The Slow Down listeners can use code theslowdown for 20% off their first shop on www.kiohne.com Enter their world, explore their collection and buy beautiful pieces designed to be enjoyed while slowing down this summer.

Rollo Skinner is a British artist, author and botanical set designer (clients include: Gucci, Barbour, Mulberry, and renowned fashion photographer Tim Walker) whose work is rooted in a deep love of the natural world. Based between Dorset and London, Rollo feels most at home amongst the trees in the woods by his family farmhouse, dreaming up stories and new creations with Ben (the family sheepdog who’s terrified of sheep). Having taken a series of self-described wrong-turns throughout his twenties, reconnecting with the natural world of his childhood has become both his inspiration and his anchor. 

Rollo has grown a practice that spans illustration, storytelling, painting, botanical installations and set design. He realised that by creating things, he was recreating the self that he had lost along the way, and is now committed to following his curiosity, repeatedly, over and over again – his mission is to inspire others to do the same.

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up queer in the countryside

• His acting career & saying no to a Netflix TV deal 

• Why the advertising years broke him 

• How lockdown led him to flowers 

• Reframing Return: Why going home isn't going backwards

• Working with Tim Walker & other dream jobs 

• Building a practice where you can explore our multitudes 

Mentions:

Lifeboat (Lovers Rock) by The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIgrtSkUOEc) 

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/rolloskinner/ 

rolloskinner.com 

This season of The Slow Down is sponsored by female-founded, greek swim and resortwear brand Kiohne. The Slow Down listeners can use code theslowdown for 20% off their first shop on kiohne.com Enter their world, explore their collection and buy beautiful pieces designed to be enjoyed while slowing down this summer. 

Award-winning psychologist Dr. Lalitaa Suglani unpacks why the most capable people in the room are often the most anxious — and how to stop performing wellness and start feeling it. A conversation about burnout, workaholism,  inner child work, and what real success actually looks like. Dr. Lalitaa is a renowned speaker, somatic practitioner, and the author of High Functioning Anxiety — a book that has helped thousands of high achievers move from survival mode to intentional living. Her holistic approach combines science-backed strategies with practical tools for personal growth to help people rebuild self-trust from the inside out.

In this episode we cover: 

• Her own childhood  as 1 of 5 kids and examples of success
• Following her intuition to psychology 
• The Swan Analogy to help explain High Functioning Anxiety 
• Shifting from anxiety-driven doing to grounded, intentional being. 
• Her step-by-step clinic exercise: The Trigger Worksheet 
• Every yes is a no to you - A reframe on people-pleasing.
• Why highly sensitive individuals unconsciously absorb other people's emotional states
• Why real-world interactions are the antidote to the highlight reel
• The connection between menstrual cycles, mood, and anxiety

Mentions: 

• Kirtan - singing
• Omnom restaurant  

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/dr.lalitaa/

Sex, Death, Comedy: Enter the nuanced world of Shannon Murphy

Shannon Murphy is the director of 2019 debut hit Babyteeth (94% on rotten tomatoes at last check). I was moved to tears many times by the film and have since gone on to watch other things she has directed including Killing Eve, her episode of which was nominated for 3 EMMYs, Dave which is literally one of my favourite TV series and Dying for Sex, for which she won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement at the 2026 Director’s Guild of America (DGA) Awards.

I know being a female director of the highest calibre is not easy - add onto that being a single mother, continents away from your family. I wanted to know how she finds her voice and stands her ground in her industry, how she practices patience between projects and creates such emotionally sensitive and nuanced work. 

In this episode we cover: 

• From Nairobi to Hong Kong: how a globally nomadic childhood shaped her creative voice

• The reality of being a female director: bias, breakthroughs, and finding your own path in film & TV

• Why the “female gaze” isn’t just important—it’s where the most exciting stories are right now  

• What it really feels like to premiere at Venice—and survive an 8-minute standing ovation

• Why comedy is so hard: what works, what bombs, and how great directors fix it in real time

• Inside high-pressure film sets: chaos, creativity, and leading hundreds of people 

• Creative intensity & recovery: the ebbs and flows of a creative life and how to balance it 

Mentons:

Bertolt Brecht 

Jim Henson’s Storyteller series by Anthony Mingela

Winnie (documentary film) by Pascal Lampshe

Santiana - old fishing folk song 

Links: 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2221724/ 

https://www.instagram.com/shannnnnny/ 

I’ve been obsessed with Eugene’s insightful and razor sharp cultural analysis reels on Instagram and Tiktok - along with literally millions of others who watch them. 

Eugene Healey is a strategist whose insights help brands, individuals and organisations make sense of the soup that is culture, consumerism, taste, aesthetics and social media. He is also a gifted keynote speaker and original thinker - sharing ideas in his substack Considered Chaos. He was a lecturer at the Melbourne Business School and continues to use his content as a way to educate. 

He asks questions like: How can you have authenticity in environments that are about performance? Something I think about A LOT in terms of how I can show up in spaces driven by algorithms. What is status anxiety? Are we living to be perceived? Are we on social media to consume fiction or reality? What is Netflexification? We explore all of this and more in this episode. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up an Asian immigrant in New Zealand 
• Is ‘hard work’ a virtue? 
• Selling ideas: discovering brand strategy as a career 
• Learning how to perform intelligence 
• Putting ‘authenticity’ as a concept in the bin 
• ‘Don’t lose yourself in self-analysis’
• How to make your career EXACTLY what you want it to be 

Mentions:

Filterworld: How Algorithms Make Everything the Same by Kyle Chayka 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 

Eugene Healey on vulnerability for The Guardian

Tony Wang 

Matt Klein on The Slow Down

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/eugbrandstrat/ 

https://www.eugenehealey.com/

Only having big goals can set us up to fail. 

In her new book, neuroscientist and ex- Google executive Anne-Laure Le Cunff explores the transformative nature of living a more experimental life; turning uncertainty into curiosity, and carving a path of self-discovery. The book is a current best-seller and her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Financial Times, WIRED, and more. She is also  the founder of Ness Labs, where her weekly newsletter is read by more than 100,000 curious minds. Her research at King’s College London focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of lifelong learning, curiosity, and adaptability. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Learning to be curious in a French-Algerian household 
• The desire to work and succeed in Big California Tech 
• Putting work above health, and the consequences 
• Going back to school to study neuroscience 
• Growing her newsletter from a Tiny Experiment to 100,000 subscribers 
• The process of writing a best-selling book 
• Knowing when to stop with followers, fame and recognition

Mentons:

Michael Pollen - How to change your mind 

James Clear - Atomic Habits

Links:

https://nesslabs.com/ 

https://tinyexperiments.org/
https://instagram.com/neuranne

Arizona Muse has graced more than 40 international Vogue covers and starred in campaigns for some of the world’s most iconic houses: Prada, Chanel, Estée Lauder, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Chopard, Chloé… . She is one of the most recognisable faces in modern fashion. But the part of Arizona’s story that moves me most is her becoming a climate activist, educator and founder of DIRT — a charity dedicated to regenerating soil and restoring ecosystems. 

Arizona now works as an impact consultant for brands trying to meaningfully reduce their environmental footprint and serves as an advisor and ambassador to the John Innes Centre for soil and crop research. She also co-founded Soilonic and co-curates Landed, a nature-based solutions investment conference in partnership with Founders Forum. Arizona is working on what I think is the most important resource we have: soil, and has beautiful routines and practices that help her and her family feel grounded. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up in Arizona and becoming a model 
• Juggling motherhood with global fame and chronic insecurity
• The power of learning new things for your mental health 
• The dark side of the fashion industry 
• Discovering regenerative farming 
• Lessons learnt from her partner 
• Re-defining her relationship with time 

Mentions: 

DIRT - www.dirt.charity 

Soilonic - soilonic.com

Demeter - demeter.net

Founders Forum Group - ff.co 

Links:
www.instagram.com/arizona_muse

Ben Branson is the founder of Seedlip, the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit that pioneered a movement of non-alcoholic drinks. In under 4 years Seedlip shot to success - being stocked in over 8000 bars and in homes across 35 countries before being sold in a multi-million pound deal. But what did this rapid success mean for Ben? Ben who is open about his autism and adhd diagnosis. Ben who is launching his new venture - Sylva, spirits that explore the untapped flavour potential of trees. I had so much I wanted to unpack with Ben - from going to rehab many times, to coming up against the entire alcohol industry, to his love of ‘lifestyle businesses’ and creating a product that is designed to be sipped slowly. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Boarding school, autism and routine 
• Pushing the limits to a near-death experience in India 
• Starting a new, sober, life at 25  
• Following your hobbies and curiosities 
• Seedlip’s astronomical rise & acquisition by Diageo 
• Why businesses need to slow down

Mentions: 

The Art of Distillation by John French, 1651 

Brutal Simplicity of Thought, M&C Saatchi, 2013 

A Life on Our Planet, David Attenborough, 2020 

Podcast episode with Ben’s wife: https://www.hidden20.org/podcast/episode-17-sam-branson 

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/seedlip_ben/?hl=en 

Katri Josling doesn’t have a job title, awards, or even an active social media account - she’s a housewife. But she’s also a constant learner - whether it’s completing a new boating license, a culinary chemistry course to create the most amazing meals, learning her fourth language, going skitouring in Svalbad or training her two giant Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

She was a consultant with a UCL degree in Political Science and an MA in European Politics. She was working and traveling the hours you can imagine - so when her husband’s career took off - she had to make a choice between her own career and spending what time was possible, together. I want to know about her decision to leave work, how she found purpose, what architecting a world for a partnership looks like and her view on it all now.

One of the things I’ve always held  judgement around is the idea of being a “housewife.” But after years of chasing goals, building things, and burning out, I’ve started to see that choice differently — with empathy, understanding, and even admiration. I’ve started to ask myself: if I could build enough of a passive income, would I stop working? 

In a culture where you are pushed to overachieve, where the only goal touted by the media seems to be to have a multi-billion dollar business - I want to share a story that makes those who have chosen NOT to do that also feel worthy, valuable and acknowledged.

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up in the USSR and moving between Estonia, Russia and Sweden
• The freedom of going to UCL for university 
• Meeting her partner and how getting married was the most rebellious thing they could do 
• Living in London, Nigeria, Geneva and (almost) Johannesburg 
• The dinner party moment when they ask: what do you do? 
• The battle with self and ego that she has overcome

Chloë is best known for her leadership in the creator economy as the founder and CEO of SHFT, a talent agency she grew into a multi-award-winning, 6-figure business while advocating for fairness, inclusivity, and integrity across the industry. In 2024 she was recognised on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her impact in influencer marketing and entrepreneurship.

Last year, Chloë chose to exit her company, take a break and channel her expertise into coaching. She now works as a Mindset and Business Coach, supporting entrepreneurs, leaders, and creatives to build clarity, confidence, and sustainable success.

I don’t think we hear enough empowering stories of successful founders stepping away from their businesses. The narrative seems to simply be that we should build and gain recognition and money - but what happens next? What happens when you outgrow that idea you had in your early 20s, or when you don’t feel challenged or fulfilled anymore? Leaving a successful business means going against the grain of our culture  in so many ways - and then what do you do with that newfound space? 

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up in Peckham & young entrepreneurship 

• Dance & the creative importance of hobbies 

• Carving a path in influencer agencies 

• Black Lives Matter: her turning point 

• Creating SHIFT , success stories & Forbes 30u30

• Waking up unhappy at 30 

• Autism & ADHD diagnosis 

• Why and how she left her business 

• What she did while off social media 

• Why coaching is her next move 

Mentions: 

Laban Dance School - https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/

Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli (2001) 

Links: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloedownes/

Stefanie Sword-Williams is an award-winning founder, speaker and author of the book  F*ck Being Humble: Why self-promotion isn’t a dirty word. A global mission, movement and training consultancy inspiring individuals to be unapologetically proud of their achievements and overcome the fear of self-promotion.

She has spoken at the offices of Apple, Netflix, Unilever, Nike, Google, L’oreal and Microsoft,  at Universities for  the Wharton Business School in New York to  London College of Fashion, trained over 700 people in her Side Hustle School programme, has been Forbes 30 under 30, recently won the ‘Future is Female’ LinkedIn award for her positive contributions and impact on the industry and did a TEDx on why the world needs to be less humble. 

Stef’s support towards those who were unemployed during the pandemic led to her being invited to become a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts and she continues to reinvest profits and time into community projects to help improve the lives of many.

Her new book is called The Career Comedown.

In this episode we cover: 

• Switching from agency work to self-employed
• The reality behind the ‘big’ moments 
• Managing your own expectations on growth 
• Why someone needs to pay for your recovery time 
• The career comedown - are you feeling it?
• Finding Ease in a world that values “Hard” work 
• The power of having a business coach 

Mentions: 

Surreal - cereal brand 

Tiny Experiences by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Links: 

Linkedin

Instagram (Personal)

Instagram (F*ck Being Humble)

Karimah Hassan is a British-Yemeni artist, writer and performer whose practice spans large- scale painting, spoken word, and socially-driven storytelling.

Trained as an architect but called to storytelling, she paints large-scale portraits that vibrate with colour, emotion, and spirit. Her work has been exhibited across London, New York, Toronto, and the Middle East, with collectors ranging from Vogue editors to global institutions. Karimah’s art is an invitation: to belong, to feel, to show up. Through her spoken word performances, poetic newsletters like The Gremlins, and weekly 'poem casts', she explores the complexities of identity, visibility, and healing. Her practice is communal and grounded, often unfolding in public spaces with people watching, contributing, or simply witnessing. 

Karimah’s redefinition of success isn’t measured in accolades — but in connection, in creativity without compromise, and in returning again and again to the joy of making. On The Slow Down, she speaks on finding rhythm in chaos, why beauty is an act of resistance, and how to stay soft in a world that demands you harden.

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up mixed race in Wales 
• Architecture to Art 
• Portraits of hundreds of strangers during COVID 
• Art as Therapy 
• Reclaiming our cycles 
• Meeting Vera Wang on the Eurostar

Mentions: 

The Artist’s way, Julia Cameron

Letters to a Young Poet - Rilke 

Inception (2010)

City of God (2002)

Rothko room at the Tate 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/karimah.hassan/?hl=en

https://www.karimahhassan.com/ 

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue. 

Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN

New member of the prestigious NatGeo Explorers: listen to Alice Aedy share her journey and mission on climate and social justice storytelling. Saving the planet is now, in part, a communications challenge and Alice Aedy has risen to the occasion.

Alice Aedy is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and co-founder of Earthrise Studio — a creative agency focused on climate and social justice storytelling. With a camera as her entry point into activism, Alice has travelled from refugee camps in Europe to the frontlines of climate change around the world, capturing stories that cut through apathy and ignite action. Her work has been featured in Vogue, The Guardian, and The New York Times, and she’s collaborated with organisations like the UN Refugee Agency and Extinction Rebellion. But beyond powerful visuals, 

Alice is also deeply reflective — asking not only what kind of world we’re building, but how we live and work as changemakers within it. In a world addicted to speed and profitability, Alice represents a new kind of leadership: intentional, collaborative, and rooted in purpose. On The Slow Down, she opens up about the personal cost of urgency, her creative process, and how redefining success means honouring your values as much as your voice.

In this episode we cover: 

• Becoming a photojournalist in a male-dominated space 
• Learning to protect your emotional space at work 
• Building Earth Rise Studio 
• Becoming at NATGEO Explorer 
• Meeting Jane Goodall & Sir David Attenborough 
• Why long-term activism means pacing yourself 

Mentions: 

Photograph of Alan Kurdi 

Photo journalist Anastasia Taylor- Lind 

Museum of the UN 

Earth Percent 

Seat at the Table - Earthrise Studio 

The Salt Of The Earth - documentary on Sebastião Salgado

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/aliceaedy/?hl=en 

https://www.instagram.com/earthrise.studio/?hl=en

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue. 

Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.

Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN

Sarah Langford is a former criminal barrister turned regenerative farming advocate, writer, and mother of two. After years in the courtroom, she traded legal briefs for muddy boots, returning to her family’s land to learn how to heal both soil and society. Her acclaimed book Rooted weaves personal experience with the future of sustainable farming in Britain and has become a rallying cry for a more conscious relationship with land. Sarah now bridges two worlds—justice and agriculture—bringing insight, clarity, and urgency to conversations around food, climate, and rural resilience. Her legal career is coming full circle as she works and advocates for agricultural justice in Britain. 

In this episode we cover: 

• The desire to be a ‘high flyer’ 
• Turning to writing as a mother of 2 
• What organic farming taught her about patience 
• How tech and nature can work together 
• Why urban people that care about wellness should sit with farmers 
• Our in-built reaction to soil that we are losing 
• Why success is reaching outwards to others 

Mentions:

In Your Defence - Sarah Langford 

Sarah’s piece in the FT on wellness culture and farming: https://www.ft.com/content/ba2c3d35-7428-4e3b-9630-468498cdbbca 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/sarahlangfordwrites/?hl=en

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue. 

Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN

‘In my mind, people didn’t change the world by becoming a parent at 22’ - but that’s exactly where Catherine found herself while at drama school and working for the UN. 

Catherine Joy White is an award-winning actor, author, filmmaker, gender advisor and Honorary Fellow of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. Her debut 2023 book This Thread of Gold  reclaims the narratives of extraordinary Black women throughout history and is currently being adapted into a feature film. She published her second book, Rebel Takes: On the Future of Food in October 2024. Her debut screenplay, the multi-award winning Fifty-Four Days, which she also directed and starred in was selected for over 50 film festivals worldwide, won the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Diversity in Cannes showcase and is now available to watch on all American Airlines flights.

As an actor she is in the upcoming Season 4 of a HUGE Netflix show (to be announced very soon!) and is currently filming Black Samphire - a film raising awareness around water pollution, starring Cathy Tyson and Stephen Fry, with several other projects on the go. 

Catherine regularly gives talks on gender and race equality ranging from UK media appearances to international organisations such as the African Union and the UN Human Rights Council. Her work has been featured in Refinery 29, Metro, BBC, Rolling Stone, Variety and the World Humanitarian Forum. She is a proud ambassador for PAPYRUS, the UK's national charity for the prevention of young suicide. Through film, literature, and activism, Catherine is reshaping the cultural landscape with grace and grit, inspiring a new generation to tell their stories unapologetically.

In this episode we cover: 

• Becoming a mum at 22
• Writing her book 
• Making a film to process her grief 
• When something just has to give 

Mentions:

• Audrey Lorde 
• Michaela Cole Emmy Speech - Don’t be afraid to see what comes in the silence 
• This Thread of Gold, Catherine Joy White 
• Fifty-Four Days, Catherine Joy White 
• Parent Trap 

Links:

 https://www.instagram.com/catherinejoywhite/ 

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue.  

Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.

Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN

‘I want my GP to be happy. I don’t want them overworked and unhealthy - but that seems like a weird notion in our society.' This was the thought that sent Dr Monika Sharma down a road of discovery, backlash and ultimately personal fulfilment. 

Dr. Monika Sharma is a London-based NHS General Practitioner (GP) and certified Level 3 Personal Trainer with a passion for holistic health and well-being. She shares the highs and lows of life in medicine with over 140,000 followers on Instagram. As a health advocate, Dr. Monika bridges the gap between medical advice and real-world application, making healthcare accessible, relatable, and actionable for her community. Known for her honest takes on burnout, boundaries, anxiety and beauty standards, she’s redefining what it means to be a modern doctor. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Expectation vs reality of being a doctor 
• Being on call during COVID
• What being a ‘good doctor’ means 
• Stigma, shame and periods 
• Building relationships with our mothers 
• Tips for slowing down in your day to day 
• Why success means feeling content 

Mentions:

Severance (TV series, 2022) 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/lifewithdoctormon/ 

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue. 

Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN

From Freuds, to Bumble to Headspace to CLUE: Louise Troen’s non-linear career journey from PR to mission-driven tech, equity and body autonomy is one you have to hear.

Louise Troen is the CMO of Clue - the female-founded cycle and fertility tracker, with over 100 million downloads to date. Previously, Louise was VP of Marketing at Bumble and Headspace where she led international growth, Global brand marketing and strategic communications. She is passionate about women’s rights to health equity and body autonomy, and has been vocal throughout her career on the role brand and marketing play in creating a more equitable world for all.

In this episode we cover: 

• Moving to LA to do PR for Paris Hilton, Afrojack and Gene Simmons (KISS).  
• The ‘just start’ mentality 
• The power of naivety 
• The tendency to overwork when you love the work 
• Detoxing between work sprints 
• The practicality of work-life balance 
• What if women worked with their period cycles?

Mentions:

Make the Ordinary Come Alive - William Harris 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/clueapp/?hl=en 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-troen-1895a235/ 

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue. Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN

Meet solo female founder Valentina Milanova. Creator of the Diagnostic Tampon and the CBD Tampon.

After years of hard work in an underfunded industry - Valentina shares her experience and desire to 'de-glamorize' the founder experience. 

She is the founder and CEO of Daye, a gynae health, research and development company seeking to close the gender health gap with proprietary medical and diagnostic devices aimed at common, yet under-served gynae health conditions, ranging from period and pelvic pain to cervical cancer prevention. Valentina's research has been published in The Journal of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders as well as The Journal of Human Reproduction. Valentina was featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 two years running (!), and The Daye Diagnostic Tampon was named as Invention of the Year by TIME Magazine in their 2024 list.

In this episode we cover: 

• Being brought up to be the ‘perfect little immigrant’ 

• Starting a business using credit card debt 

• The harrowing experience of launching during COVID 

• Healing trauma as a company 

• Ending Cervical Cancer by 2040 

• Seed Syncing for your cycle 

• Being a recovering workaholic 

Mentions:

East of the West - Miroslav Penkov 

Anastasia - Disney Film 

Ophelia - painting by Sir John Everett Millais  

Links:

https://www.yourdaye.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-milanova-🇺🇦-13899564/ 

https://time.com/7094682/daye-diagnostic-tampon/

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue. 

Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN

I have something unusual for you today. An interview with me! 

I was interviewed on Asim Amin’s podcast Immigrants Building Companies. It was an opportunity to really reflect on my immigrant experience and what it offered me: the good, bad and ugly. I also share my full career journey, my burnout experience and my turning point for a desire to re-define success for myself.

Asim Amin is a wonderful listener and incisive interviewer. No pre-shared questions, just a natural flow. If you like this episode check out his podcast, Immigrants Building Companies, and if you’re listening on Spotify - leave a comment. Enjoy. 

Sam Lee is a Mercury Prize-nominated folk singer, conservationist, and founder of The Nest Collective, an organization dedicated to revitalizing folk music and connecting people to nature through cultural experiences. Renowned for his rich baritone voice and commitment to preserving traditional songs, Sam's work bridges the gap between ancient folk traditions and contemporary audiences, fostering a deeper appreciation for cultural heritage and environmental stewardship.

In this episode we cover: 

• Entry into the world of folklore 

• The importance of mentorship 

• Finding ways to tell stories that move people to action

• Singing with Nightingales 

  
  

Mentions:

Stanley Robertson 

Fire in the Mountain Festival 

Nest Collective

Singing with Nightingales 

Canadian Film Board 80s anthropology documentary 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/samleesong/

http://samleesong.co.uk/ 
https://www.instagram.com/singingwithnightingales/

Tamu Thomas  is the author of Why Women Work So Much and a passionate advocate for joyful living, boundaries, and sustainable success. She challenges the burnout culture and toxic productivity that so many women find themselves trapped in and explores how we can redefine ambition, rest, and self-worth beyond productivity. As a qualified social worker, somatic coach and public speaker, Tamu challenges the pervasive culture of burnout and advocates for a more balanced approach to ambition and self-care.

In this episode we cover: 

• The immigrant experience 

• Anxiety attacks & how we get there 

• How to approach your relationship with work differently 

• Effort precipitates ease - create systems for success 

• How to Slow Down but also pay the bills 

• Why productivity hacks for men don’t work for women 

• The myth of the martyr mother 

• How to self-regulate 

• How to part with compassion 

  
  

Mentions:

Why Women Work So Much - Tamu Thomas 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Life is What you make it  -  Frighty & Colonel Mite 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/tamu.thomas
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamuthomas/

Cover photo image credit: Vicki Knights photography

​Douglas McMaster is a pioneering British chef renowned for championing sustainable dining. His culinary journey includes tenures at esteemed establishments such as St. John, The Fat Duck, and Noma. In 2014 he opened the world's first zero-waste restaurant, Silo, initially established in Brighton and later relocated to London's Hackney Wick. Silo operates on a pre-industrial food system, utilizing techniques like fermentation, pickling, and preserving to ensure every ingredient is fully utilized. Beyond the kitchen, he shares his philosophy through public speaking engagements, including a TED Talk titled 'Waste Is a Failure of the Imagination,' and contributes as a faculty member at the MAD Academy, inspiring future culinary leaders to rethink food systems and sustainability.

In this episode we cover: 

• A digression on our TEDx talks 

• Being raised in a house without electricity 

• What it means to feel psychologically ‘full’

• How not feeling good enough can fuel you 

• From pot-washer to chef at St John, The Fat Duck and Noma 

• Why neurodivergence is so common in kitchens 

• The risks that come with diverging from the norm 

• World tour of restaurants that think differently 

• What happens when someone sees potential in you and stokes it 

• Why does waste exist and how to get rid of it? 

• The best shortbread of his life 

• What Douglas has been building with Silo 

• Leading with creativity and innovation 

•  Why there is no such thing as cheap food 

• The power of storytelling for business 

• Building a new system within a broken system 

  
  

Mentions:

Restaurants: St John’s, The Fat Duck, Noma

Joost Bakker - Australian zero-waste activist, artist and designer 

The One Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/mcmasterchef/
https://www.silolondon.com/

Molly Johnson-Jones is the co-founder and CEO of Flexa, a platform that showcases companies offering flexible working environments. Her personal experience of being dismissed from a finance role after requesting flexible work (working from home one day a week) accommodations for her autoimmune condition led her to establish Flexa in 2019. The platform now serves millions of users globally and collaborates with major corporations like Mars UK and Microsoft UK to promote transparency in workplace flexibility.

In this episode we cover: 

• Graduating from Oxford - but at what cost? 

• How her autoimmune condition got her fired 

• How overachieving can internalize sexism 

• Being in a relationship and running a business together 

• Work-life blend 

• Having a non-visible disability 

• Making FLEXA the first port of call for job searching 

• Why freedom is success 

• Taking life in phases & normalising career breaks 

  
  

Links: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-johnson-jones/

https://flexa.careers/

Hector Hughes is the co-founder of Unplugged, a company offering off-grid cabin retreats designed to help people disconnect from digital life and reconnect with nature.

After experiencing burnout in the tech industry, Hector went on a silent repreat in the Himalayas and recognised the need for digital detox solutions. Since its inception in 2020, Unplugged has grown rapidly whilst promoting intentional rest in a hyper-connected world.

In this episode we cover: 

• Being the dyslexic twin

• The part alcohol plays in our culture 

• Learnings from a silent retreat in the Himalayas

• The reality of building a business 

• What locking your phone in a box for 3 days can do for you 

• Practicing what you preach 

• Approaching problems with compassion 

  
  

Mentions:

Stop Drinking Now - Allen Carr 

The Myth of Normal - Gabor Maté 

Awareness - Anthony De Mello 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/unplugged.rest/?hl=en 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-hughes-10082195/

Chrissy Rutherford is a writer, consultant and mental wellness advocate. She was a digital editor at Harper’s Bazaar.com for 9 years, from 2011-2020, in New York City- spearheading the magazine’s instagram account - which got over 4 million followers under her influence- along with writing fashion and celebrity articles, styling, producing and hosting their Youtube series Heel Hunters. Since departing Harpers, Chrissy is now a writer and digital content creator working with brands like J Crew, Caudalie, JW Marriott Hotels, DeBeers and American Express . She has a newsletter called FWD JOY  which is dedicated to the journey of self-discovery, self-care, and self-investment. 

In this episode we cover: 

• What it took to get an Editor’s job at Harper’s 

• And what it took to leave 

• Living with your parents as an adult 

• Pulled back from digital activism after going 5.4m+ viral on a post  

• The joys of being 39 and single 

• Why you should move around in your career 

  
  

Mentions:

A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle 

Notes from the Universe (app) 

Clueless (1995) directed by Amy Heckerling 

The Places That Scare You - ​​Pema Chodron

Links: 

https://chrissyrutherford.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrissyford

Dan Murray-Serter is a  serial entrepreneur, angel investor (85 startups), and advocate for mental health. He co-founded Heights, a brain care supplements company, following personal struggles with insomnia and anxiety. Dan also co-hosts the acclaimed Secret Leaders podcast, where he has interviewed over 500 prominent figures, amassing more than 50 million downloads. He shares insights on success and well-being through his newsletter, "The Science of Success." 

In this episode we cover: 

- When ADHD meets creative entrepreneurship

- Do hard things, build up dopamine

- The successes and failures of start ups

- Curing insomnia

- Building Heights in a few way

- Getting investment for a 'slow down' company

- Annual life audits

Mentions:

The Dose Effect - TJ Power  

The Molecule of More - Daniel Z. Lieberman and Mike Long

Building A Story Brand - Donald Miller

Awareness - Anthony De Mello 

Joy (2015) directed by David O Russell 

The Defiant Ones (2017) Documentary by Allen Hughes

Links: 

www.linkedin.com/in/danmurrayserter
www.yourheights.com

Marine Tanguy was the youngest gallery manager in Europe before founding MTArt Agency, the first talent agency dedicated to visual artists. They represent top visual artists and integrates their art into various contexts, from digital platforms to public art projects. She is also the author of her new book The Visual Detox - challenging the dominance of commercial imagery in public spaces.

In this episode we cover: 

At 21 Marine was the manager of Steve Lazarides Gallery (Banksy and other street art)

Marine’ gallery she opened at 23 was called De Re Gallery (named after the island she came from in France) on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles

Marine was mentored by Michael Ovitz , co-founder of CAA

Tineye.com - reverse image search 

BBC Verify

Pina (2012) documentary by Wim Wenders on choreographer Pina Bausch

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/marinetanguyart/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marine-tanguy-303b4a103/  

https://www.instagram.com/mtartagency/ 

Sharmadean Reid MBE, is a British entrepreneur, author, and cultural innovator best known for founding WAH Nails, a nail salon that redefined beauty culture in London, and The Stack World, a platform empowering women through networking and business tools. Sharmadean's new book, New Methods for Women: A Manifesto for Independence, features 49 essays that provide actionable advice and personal insights on navigating life, work, relationships, and personal growth. Drawing from her own experiences as an entrepreneur, leader, and co-parent, Sharmadean offers readers practical tools to thrive while advocating for systemic change to better support women's empowerment​. 

In this episode we cover: 

• How to be a contributor to your city 

• The difference between founding and entrepreneurship 

• How praise can reinforce negative behaviours 

• Finding a career that gives you pleasure 

• Why two baths a day is true luxury 

• Equity: the next wave of feminism 

• How to centre yourself every day 

• Bringing the healing home

  
  

Mentions:

Street Haunting: A London Adventure (1927) by Virginia Woolf 

New Methods for Women (2024) by Sharmadean Reid 

Boomerang (1992) Film by Reginald Hudlin 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/sharmadeanreid
https://www.newmethodsforwomen.com/

Sarah Ann Macklin is a British nutritionist, model, and mental health advocate, known for blending science and compassion in her work. After a successful modeling career, she transitioned into the field of nutrition, earning a first-class degree in Human Nutrition. Her personal experiences, including being diagnosed with dyslexia during her studies, inspired her to explore how nutrition supports mental health and conditions like ADHD and autism. She also hosts the popular podcast Live Well, Be Well, which focuses on evidence-based nutrition and mental health strategies. Sarah has spoken internationally, including at the European Parliament, and contributes to publications such as Women’s Health and Harper’s Bazaar.

In this episode we cover: 

• What happens when we are told we are successful at a very young age 

• What being hospitalized by burnout means 

• Relearning self-compassion 

• True success is when you overcome something huge in yourself 

• Discipline and the myth of work-life balance 

• Wellness culture’s latest trends and traps 

• Why wellbeing starts with the mind 

Links: 

https://sarahannmacklin.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin

Olivia Rubin is a celebrated British fashion designer known for her vibrant, feminine and joyful designs. Reviving her eponymous brand as a mum of two in 2018, Olivia rocketed to success. Within a year, the brand was stocked in Selfridges and Saks New York. Within three she had a store on Marylebone High Street and was presenting at London Fashion. Then there was a kids collection and collaborations with Elemis, sofa.com, Liberty and more.

Her signature rainbow patterns and commitment to creating inclusive, size-diverse collections made her a favourite among celebrities and fashion enthusiasts alike. But in the last year, Olivia has decided to slow down - on the unsustainable pace of seasonal collections, on scaling so big she loses control and in her busy personal life too. 

In this episode we cover: 

• How regaining control increases your enjoyment 

• Celebrating the small wins

• Allowing space for yourself postpartum 

• Finding the joy in dressing 

  
  

Mentions:

Miuccia Prada’s 90s shows 

One of Olivia’s many posts that I reference on slowing down:  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/p/DCHkY6iMEGH/?img_index=1⁠

Links: 

https://oliviarubinlondon.com 

https://www.instagram.com/oliviarubin/

Solomon Oyemade was a Location Manager and connector in East London whose curiosity and intuition took him to Sweden where he ran the kitchen in an African Drum School for 9 months and started to find his place at the intersection of creativity and social impact.

After house-sitting in Costa Rica, California, Mexico, Portugal and Spain he nomadically built Curated Funding, an online library that gives creatives and social entrepreneurs access to an archive of active awards, grants, and funding initiatives. Solomon is currently the Special Projects Manager at Shoreditch Arts Club - programming events that celebrate diversity and grassroots creativity. Solomon’s journey is not the typical one which is why his perspectives and stories are so refreshing. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Using your phone as a mailbox 

• Anchors rather than titles 

• Monastic experiences and being alone 

• Being an experimenter 

• Grief as a great equalizer 

• What pervasive belief are you railing against today?

• The lens of gratitude is not about perfection 

• Who are you when social expectation is removed? 

Mentions: 

Newham Youth Parliament 

WorkAway

Fela Kuti

Fresh, (1994) film by Boaz Yakin

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/solomonthefounder/ 

https://shoreditchartsclub.com/

Alexia de Broglie is the co-founder of Your Juno, a financial education platform that helps women reach their financial goals. She started Your Juno with her sister at the age of 24 and raised over $2.5m in investment. In the last three years, Juno has supported 150,000 women in increasing their personal combined wealth by an estimated £600 million. Alexia has also been a guest editor at the Financial Times, named Forbes 30 under 30, ex-McKinsey & PwC, and featured for her work in Vogue, BBC, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan, amongst others. Re-imagining her life now after a failed sale of her business, Alexia is exploring different ways of living, community-building and slowing down. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Seeking your father’s admiration 

• Study drugs and doing it all

• How that first big setback feels 

• ISTA, love and travel on a journey of change  

• Re-building the mind-body connection 

• What you do with your privilege is what matters

• The role money plays in the loss of community 

  
  

Mentions:

Charles Eisenstein

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

International School of Temple Arts (ISTA) 

Links: 

https://www.yourjuno.co/

Matt Klein is an award-winning cultural theorist, strategist, and writer renowned for his insights into societal trends and digital culture.

His present role is Head of Foresight at Reddit and running his award-winning publication ZINE (which you should subscribe to!). As a sought-after speaker and consultant, Matt collaborates with brands, the UN, investors, philanthropists and press to navigate the complexities of the modern world. I speak to him on if slowing down, and re-defining our careers for ourselves is a macro-movement in the zeitgeist. 

In this episode we cover: 

Lazy Girl Jobs and the Great Resignation

Our mass desire to renegotiate our time back at work

How social media makes our public image always-on  

How to fend off the hungry content monster 

How capitalism sells you wellness 

How spending a day with a child can help you slow down 

Mentions:

The Century of the Self (2002) Documentary by Adam Curtis

Future Shock, Alvin Toffler 

Theory of Self-Preservation, Irving Goffman 

Big Brothers, Big Sisters: https://www.bbbs.org/

Team Human, Douglas Rushkoff 

Links: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kleinkleinklein/

KleinKleinKlein.com

Ellie Dixon is an indie-pop musician and songwriter from Cambridge known for her witty, self-aware lyrics and creative production techniques. Starting her career by crafting music from her bedroom studio, merging pop, jazz, rap, and R&B, she amassed over a million followers on Tiktok through duets, remixes, covers and now her own body of work.

Her most recent work includes the EP In Case of Emergency (2023) and singles "Big Lizard Energy" and "Renaissance" (2024). In addition to her musical talent, Ellie is known for her hands-on approach to all aspects of her craft, including directing and producing her music videos. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Piano lessons to music-making

• Playing at Glastonbury on your own terms 

• When the label drops you - build your own label 

• What to do after burnout 

• In defence of rest 

  
  

Mentions:

Music Youtubers: Walk of the Earth, Pentatonix, Dodie

Musical influences: Katie Tunstall, Adele, Bill Bailey, Tim Minchin, Fight of the Concords, My Chemical Romance, Easy Life, Remi Wolf, Hippocampus, Anderson .Paak, Doja Cat

The Bird Cage (1996) film by Mike Nichols

Links: 

https://www.elliedixonmusic.com

https://www.instagram.com/elliedixonmusic

https://www.tiktok.com/@elliedixonmusic?lang=en

Abadesi Osunsade is an entrepreneur, author, and advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.

She is founder and CEO of Hustle Crew, a career advancement community, and the co-host of popular tech podcast Techish. Previously, Abadesi held roles at Amazon, Google, and Product Hunt as well as being Brandwatch's first ever Global Vice President of Community & Belonging. A child of immigrants, like me, we talk about where our definitions of success start and how they manifest in us as adults.

After years feeling cycles of burnout in tech, Abadesi is now learning to listen to her body, how to say no and that the only opinion that matters is her own.

In this episode we cover: 

• The immigrant child’s experience 

• Why “Startups are fueled by the energy of youth”

• How we internalise capitalism 

• The added labour of being the only black woman in the room

• Does being busy make you feel worthy? 

• What does it mean to have enough? 

• How to practice slowing down 

Mentions: 

The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron 

The Social Network (2010) film by David Fincher 

Guardian Article featuring Abadesi:  https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/apr/02/soft-life-why-millennials-are-quitting-the-rat-race

Cory Muscara https://www.instagram.com/corymuscara/

Tricia Hersey and The Nap Ministry  https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/?hl=en

Dr Nedra Glover Tawwab - How to Set Boundaries, Find Peace https://www.instagram.com/nedratawwab/?hl=en

Hidden Figures (2017) film by Theodore Melfi

The Woman King (2022) film by Gina Prince-Bythewood

Abadesi’s Links:

www.linkedin.com/in/abadesi/

https://www.instagram.com/abadesi/?hl=en
www.hustlecrew.co 

Welcome to The Slow Down.

A new podcast helping you re-define success and growth for yourself, with a little help from others.

Here is a taste of what's to come in Season 1 featuring Sharmadean Reid MBE, Olivia Rubin, Abadesi Osunsade, Sarah Ann Macklin, Solomon Oyemade, Ellie Dixon, Alexia de Broglie and Matt Klein.