inspiring women Archives

August 3, 2023

The Autistic Joyologist – You Are Limitless

By Nikki Butler, The Autistic Joyologist.

An autism and ADHD diagnosis at 45 and major spinal surgery 12 months ago that resulted in permanent nerve damage, has led me to rethink and realign my life and launch The Autistic Joyologist.

I had a complete career change at 40, after what I now know was an autistic and ADHD burnout at 36, causing me to leave my legal management career behind. I entered the world of entrepreneurship at 37 and have been running a multi-award winning business for the last 7.5 years. An autism and ADHD diagnosis at 45 and major spinal surgery 12 months ago that resulted in permanent nerve damage, has led me to rethink and realign my life and launch The Autistic Joyologist.

The beauty of doing this in my 40’s, and with my autism and ADHD diagnosis, is having the confidence and clarity to be able to create a life that is fulfilling and successful on MY terms.

When life simultaneously makes sense and falls apart -

Being diagnosed as autistic ADHD in my mid 40’s was life changing. On the one hand, my entire life started to make sense. On the other hand, it was like someone had thrown a grenade into the middle of my life, leaving me bewildered and shaken. Realising that my life was not exactly supporting my neurodivergent self - I was like a rabbit in the headlights.

As I processed my diagnosis I rode a rollercoaster of emotions. I felt angry, sad, confused and resentful that nobody had noticed sooner. But, I also felt immense self compassion, pride and hope. The latter won, I am pleased to say!

My spinal surgery, whilst removing the risk of paralysis I’d been faced with, left me with permanent nerve damage. Living in chronic pain and running a skin and scar clinic were not a match made in heaven, and I was only able to return to work part time.

The gift of space and grace -

I’ve always felt the Universe gives me a little nudge (or big shove!) when I need to make changes in my life. I decided to see this time as an opportunity to reflect on my life, and make new choices to support my neurodivergent self. I reflected, I researched and tried to find ways to make changes to my working life that would better support me, but I hit panic mode. I’d created an outwardly successful life, but inwardly I lived in a state of panic and overwhelm. I didn’t know how to change my life, and all the resources available didn’t seem to have the answers.

Reconnecting with myself -

When I left corporate life, I’d spent a lot of time connecting to my core values and dreams. I revisited those audiobooks, and I started again.

As I listened, I realised in horror that I had not been living my life by my core values at all. I had spent my life being a prolific people pleaser and assessing my worth on how much use I’d been to others. From that moment, I decided that my life would be centred around my values. I would live them each day, and build a life that allowed me to thrive and be successful on my own terms.

RADIATE -

As I aligned my life and made the changes, I felt immense inner peace. I was recalibrating. I didn’t want to lose this feeling, or be drawn back into living up to societal expectations of success. And my RADIATE model was born! I created a model that I can use to stay connected to my values, play to my strengths, advocate for myself and create clear boundaries - all to set me up for a thriving and successful life, on MY terms! I’ve used it to transform my whole life, step by step, and I use it to stay connected and in alignment.

Sharing is caring -

Feeling the calmest and happiest I’ve ever felt, I knew I wanted to share this with other women like me. Other women who wish their life could be different, but feel like it’s too late to make changes, too late to lead a life that they actually enjoy. And so I stepped out as ‘The Autistic Joyologist’, supporting others to thrive and shine, as their true authentic selves. It feels so special to be sharing my RADIATE programme, because I know how much it’s enabled me to transform my life. It’s exciting to be able to share that with other women, too.

Being bold, brave, and seen! -

The truth is, The Autistic Joyologist is on a mission! As late diagnosed women, we are transforming our own lives, so we can lead fulfilling and happy lives, but we are blazing a trail of glory for our younger generations of autistic ADHD girls. Smashing apart outdated stereotypes and creating a brighter and happier future for those that follow in our footsteps. It’s never too late to create a life that lights you up, and enables you to be your beautiful, brilliant and authentic self!

To find out more about me please visit, The Autistic Joyologist - https://www.autisticjoyologist.co.uk/ or connect with me via Nikki Butler - The Autistic Joyologist (@autisticjoyologist) and Facebook

Published by Rachel Peru in Health & Wellbeing, Inspiring Women

Tags: autism and ADHD, confidence in midlife, inspiring women, midlife blog, midlifewomen, nevertoolate, nowrongage, the Autistic Joyologist, women over 40, womensupportingwomen

July 27, 2023

Grey and Divorcing? You’re in Good Company!

I do

When you walked down the aisle and vowed to “love, honor and cherish” you could not envision the day would come when you would be facing divorce. (It is noteworthy that we once vowed to “love, honor, and obey” but after centuries of smirks and downright refusal, “cherish” replaced “obey” as the transitive verb of choice.)

Sure, as you said, “I Do,” you knew there would be hardships and hurdles, but you truly believed there was nothing the two of you couldn’t overcome.

Then Life Happened…

Career conflicts, mortgage payments, kids and their countless accouterment, college funds to fill and aging parents to care for, not to mention menopause. You’re not quite sure when you stopped being you, but you woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize yourself. Yeah, maybe there was a hint of that hopeful girl in your face, but you had no idea who the rest of it belonged to, including the man you married.

Or, maybe it was your spouse who first lost sight of his wife, as way too many tend to do. Either way, like it or not, ready or not, here it comes; you have to navigate the daunting landscape of divorce.

Over 50 and facing divorce

If you’re 50 or older and facing divorce, you are not alone. You’re in good company. You are in such good company that the company has its own name, “Gray Divorce.” It’s a reflection of the coveted hair colour we now naturally wear. The colour we embrace along with our imperfections. At last, we’re recognizing our “flaw-some-ness.” (Definition: flawed, but nonetheless awesome.)

Divorce Facts…

While the overall divorce rate in the United States is declining, the divorce rate for people over 50 has roughly doubled since 1996, with women now initiating approximately 69% of divorces.

While the overall divorce rate in the United Kingdom has declined in the last 20 years, the cumulative percentage of marriages ending in divorce by their 25^th wedding anniversary has increased over time, with women initiating the majority of divorces.

Countless articles spout the “challenges” of grey divorce: the division of marital assets, the pensions, the 401(k)s, the IRAs. The potential decline in the quality of life for the wife.

As a divorced baby boomer whose life purpose is to help women (and a few good men) plan for their financial futures by first helping them navigate the daunting landscape of divorce, I’m here to pose some commonsense questions:

When has divorce NOT been a challenge, especially for women?
When, since 1971 (in the US), have marital assets NOT been divided? The retirement accounts NOT been split?
When have women’s lives NOT been more negatively impacted by divorce than men’s lives?

The underlying message in many of these articles is, “Oh, beware, little lady! You may not have it so good if you go through with this.” Or, worse, “Do you really have it all that bad?”

YOU Know What Is Best For YOU…

Makes you want to spit a nail, doesn’t it? Fight the fury, dear friend.

Instead, find a new tribe; a tribe who encourages you to dance your own dance and sing your own song. While clearly many things have changed for the better for women, there will always be those who think they know best. When you encounter these clods who still believe YOU don’t know what’s best for YOU, do what I do: The Big Eye Roll. Granted, I do it so often, that one day I’m afraid I’m going to eye roll myself into another universe, but it’s a risk I gladly take.

My takeaway in this? If, dear friend, the rate in which people over 50 are divorcing is increasing and women initiate the majority of divorces, then this tells me that women are weighing their options and believe the challenges they must overcome for their fresh start are well worth it!

I’m here to help.

Wishing you peace & plenty!

Your grey girlfriend

by Amy Lawson, MBA, CDFA^®, RTTP^®, C. Hyp

Instagram @graygirlfriendsguidetodovorce

Where do I go from here, where do I start?

A Blog by Zoe Davis

How do I retake control?

I’ve honestly no idea. Life has been like a constant rollercoaster ever since I can remember and the one thing I always assumed I could control was my own mind, body & soul. How wrong was I?

You see life has this way of testing you and it happens in the least expected places at the least expected times. It can knock you for six, throw you to your knees or it can fester deep within you until it rockets out of you in this huge explosion of emotions that you can no longer control.

Sweep it under the carpet

As a child growing up, I learnt the ultimate trick of the trade; how to sweep things under the carpet. I thought it was brillant. Don’t want to deal with it? Sweep it under the carpet. Can I pretend it never happened? Sweep it under that carpet. Can’t control that, sweep it under the carpet. Eventually I realised I didn’t have a big enough carpet. No amount of sweeping was going to get all of what happened to me under that little rug, because that’s in fact what it was, a rug. A rug I so swiftly pulled out from under myself when I decided to do that work on myself.

You see, when you start to work on yourself you start to pull those things out from under that carpet or rug in my case. You start to unpick all those long hidden things that you pretended weren’t happening, didn’t know how to control, didn’t want to deal with……every ounce of you comes falling out from that carpet till eventually it unravels. Sometimes unravelling at such a pace your feet don’t touch the ground and overwhelm and darkness is so great you wonder which part to look at next. Other times it takes a while and then you feel the pieces drop into place. A journey of healing and finally exploring who you are is a Never Ending Story, cliche I know but true.

You start to realise it is quite easy to lose control of many parts of you to fit into society, work, family, friends and social circles. It takes courage to step out and breathe. To admit and to feel the love of who you are.

Who is Zoe?

I am Zoe I am in my early 40’s and it is only now, with many other beautiful humans that I have started to really unpick my life and work on those secret sweeping activities that I had learnt to do from a young age. A glimpse of my life…

I grew up in what was referred to as a “broken” home. Parents separated & remarried. My shoulders carried the secrets and arguments of the past between generations. My childhood was not all smiles & laughter. I quickly understood how to be hyper vigilant in many situations, suppress my anxiety, show my anger in all the wrong ways, pretend things hadn’t happen, cover things up….I also understood that the one thing I could control was my body.

Bullying as a teen in school with severe acne, one of the first to start periods (horrendous ones at that) & braces, all this had pushed me to some dark places, I realised the one thing I could control was my body. I smoked to suppress the need to eat, I ate barely anything in the day and would only eat my evening meal at the family table to avoid anyone knowing. I would often pretend I had made a packed lunch for school taking nothing but a packet of crisps at a push. If I did eat it would be comfort style chocolate, crisps etc.

Burying my head in the sand

As I hit my 20’s I was told by a doctor if I wanted a baby I would need to pile on the weight as at 5ft 6 and 7 and half stone my body was struggling. I had to change, yet my partner at the time didn’t like it, what if I lost my pert boobs & arse. Not a look he was in favour of. I put some weight on and did become pregnant. Yet pregnancies for me weren’t great.

My first pregnancy saw me pile on the weight. I hid and swept all my feelings under that already stuffed rug. I struggled with my weight after and my health as a woman with my periods. 10 years later when I had my second baby I realised I had piled on more weight but couldn’t shift it and during my 2nd pregnancy I had busted my leg so mobility was limited. I used all these as excuses & buried my head in that ostrich hole in the ground called shame. I continued to sweep everything under the carpet including me problematic periods and post natal depression and my overwhelming past. It was a chance encounter with a therapist when my baby was 6 weeks old that ignited that moment when I knew but still fought it for a while, I need to start to unpick and unravel that rug…..that was 7 years ago.

Acceptance of me, just as I am

Since then I’ve learnt a lot about myself, my relationships, boundaries too. I’ve also discovered how to thank and accept my body for what it is, what it can do for me, how it looks & how it feels. My body no longer has pert boobs or rear end. I am no longer a size 8 in clothing more like a size 20/22 give or take. I have a man that appreciates me & my body too.

I am different because I can see how my body has changed & worked with me through teen life, two pregnancies, miscarriages, endometriosis, post natal depression, hysterectomy, car accident, stair accident and much more. I am 41 and now I appreciate my body and accept it more. I’m not going to say I love it entirely as we all have moments we wish things were better. Yet I will say I have a great deal of gratitude for my body, my mind & my soul. I feel more worthy to walk this earth than I have done for many years.

My rug, the new one is slowly being weaved. This however hides nothing under it.

This is now my magic rug that will take me where I want to be. Dream the biggest dreams & live life no longer in secret or darkness.

Dream the biggest dreams &

no longer live your life in secret or darkness

Zoe Davis

www.madcowlife.com

You can find Zoe on Instagram @madcowlife

Published by Rachel Peru in Inspiring Women

Tags: body confident, empowering women, inspiring women, Liberté, Liberte Free to be, Liberté Ltd, midlife, midlife blog, midlife body confidence, midlife stories, midlife women, personal journals, women supporting women, womens blog

March 22, 2022

How long does it take before you begin to feel like you belong in your own skin?

by Alison Bale

Once upon a time there lived a little girl who did not like being told what to do. And did not feel she fitted in.

To find where she does fit in has taken many years, four career changes, and one change of continent.

How long does it take before you begin to feel like you belong in your own skin? Mid fifties for me. But I get ahead of myself, so let’s fast backwards 25 years.

To a world I barely recognize as I write.

I used to be the woman on the 6am train, putting on her make up on her way to a consulting job in London. I started in publishing, morphed into communication consulting, and now had a job in the city, with a red sports car and a house in the home counties.

But I wasn’t happy. The crux was that the team I’d joined was based 30 minutes from my house. Then we were moved, and the commute became two hours each way. And I wasn’t enjoying the job. What to do?

I only appreciated with hindsight that moving me to London was the best thing the company could have done. It made me so uncomfortable, it forced me to consider what I did want, and make changes.

Specifically, it gave me the impetus to accept I might have to retrain, and I gave myself a deadline – decide what I wanted to do and get it done by the time I was 40. And as if by magic, I chanced across an article about chiropractic for horses.

When I applied, it was as though everything I’d done in my life, from aged 7 onwards (when I started horse riding), had been about being on the road to being here. The poet David Whyte writes that when we look back on our journey, it’s as though the only way we could have traveled was the way we had come. It certainly felt like that.

But retraining as an adult is a huge leap. I had to go freelance from my job – giving up the regular salary when I was the name on the mortgage and was about to get married (I don’t do things by halves). The funny thing is, I discovered that when you commit to a ‘leap of faith’, the universe moves to support you. I’d been asked to have lunch with a former colleague, who’d gone into PR. I still remember sitting opposite her as she said she had a magazine contract to fulfil and asked if I knew any good editors. ‘I’m going freelance tomorrow – will I do?’

Working for myself suited me and somehow the work kept flowing. And the changes in me had a ripple out effect for my husband, who decided he would train in therapy, too. And found a job he loved and has stuck with longer than any other job he’s had. Another lesson, the things you do can have beneficial consequences for others.

But I digress, four years study and I was a human chiropractor, so onwards to the animal course. Well yes, except I didn’t enjoy the animal work when I finally got to it. Strange that the thing that got me onto the path was not what I wanted when I got there. But that was OK, because I love the human work.

That should have been enough big change, eh? But no. Have you ever had a sense that you must do something, and that however risky, if you do not act, you’ll regret it the rest of your life?

In a nutshell, that’s how I came to move to India. I arrived intending to stay three years then go home. That was in 2006! The roller coaster of the last 15 years has seen lots of travel, and lots of work offering chiropractic care to a population with almost no access to it (eight chiropractors for a population of 1.4 billion.

It has been a much more challenging experience than I could have envisaged. India is a very different culture to the one I grew up in – much more chaotic – and I have changed as a result. I used to be an arch planner – less so now.

I’ve gone through peri-menopause and into menopause in India, and with it has come quite a radical change of thinking. For a while I fell out of love with chiropractic. Combination of joint pain, hot flashes, poor sleep, brain fog – none of which help you show up as your best for other people who are in pain.

But there was also a sense that I wanted to do more – specifically move away from a passive intervention towards one that gave people more control over their own minds and bodies. So, in my latest incarnation, I’m teaching mindfulness. And looking to return to the UK.

There’s a lot of talk today about ‘knowing your why’. Mine is ‘leave this world a better place than I found it’. Once you know your ‘why’, I think you can get through anything to deliver it. But I also think how you deliver it can change over time.

I’m ready for my next adventure, my next challenge. I love learning and growing, and am excited to see where the next version of me goes from her.

I’ll close by returning to the poet David Whyte, who says that

"The person who sets out on a journey, the person seeking, is not the person who arrives "

That’s very much true of me.

#midlifewomen #sharingstories #outofthebubble #lifeafter40 #inspiringwomen #personaljournals #stepoutofthebubble #midlifeblog

Published by Rachel Peru in Blog, Inspiring Women

Tags: alisonbale, empowering women, inspiring women, lifeafter40, midlifeblog, midlifewomen, outofthebubblewomen, personaljournals, sharingstories, stepoutofthebubble, wednesdaywisdom

January 22, 2021

Woman of the Week- Michelle Sparman the founder of FIT SW11 Apparel

Sharing my woman of the week whose left me with that #feelgoodfriday feeling.

My women of the week is the fabulous Michelle Sparman.

https://fitsw11.com

Michelle is a fitness instructor and personal trainer based in London and the creator of this fantastic initiative. I love that she's seen the need to help other women have free access to fitness gear that might otherwise not feel they can get out there and be active right now.

This week has been a hard one, the grey, wet Yorkshire weather hasn't helped but seeing some blue skies really lifted me this morning. I couldn't wait to get outside and get some fresh air and exercise.

I came across a fantastic new initiative called FIT SW11 Apparel which helps women access free good quality, second hand fitness clothes to empower training. It's such a great idea so I had a good clear out and headed to the Post Office happy to donate. How many pairs of leggings do we really need to have in our wardrobes?

It always feels good to do something positive and help support others. Women supporting women is at the heart of my Liberte Free to Be brand so I definitely got the #feelgoodfriday feeling.

I've been fortunate to have worked on some fantastic fitness and healthy lifestyle campaigns and with that came the added bonus of keeping some of the fitness clothes on a regular basis.

From Tescos FF Active wear with Davina McCall, Rohnisch activewear and most recently Sweaty Betty. It's a real luxury and it's easy to take for granted that I have access to lots of different fitness wear.

So many people are struggling financially over the last 12 months because of the pandemic and buying new fitness clothing will definitely not be a priority. We all know the benefits on our mental well being that being active brings. Not having the appropriate clothes to wear can be a huge barrier for some women and really knock their confidence.

Next time you're clearing out your wardrobe why not take a look at Michelles Facebook page or you find FIT SW11 Apparel on Instagram.

Women supporting women is the future!

Published by Rachel Peru in Blog, Inspiring Women

Tags: Fellgoodfriday, FIT SW11 Apparel, fitness clothing, inspiring women, Rachel Peru, womensupportingwomen

January 20, 2021

Midlife Inspirathon- 12 hours of midlife positivity

Sending out a positive midlife message with 12 hours of live interviews, raising money for two women's charities.

Join me on Monday 8th February over on Instagram where I will be hosting a live Midlife Inspirathon of interviews. Twelve hours of sharing a diverse collection of women, all with inspiring stories to tell.

I have been busy preparing for the launch of the 2021 Liberte Free to Be podcast and I can't tell you how much I have appreciated all the women that I've interviewed over the last year. Like everyone else I have been missing that human connection and I gain my energy from being around people so zoom interviews have been a huge boost to my daily routine.

Why?

With this in mind I knew I wanted to give something back as I'm hugely grateful to the women that I get to talk with, who share their stories with such honesty. To all the women that listen and support the show. Women supporting women is at the heart of my Liberte Free to Be brand so what better way to show this than to organise a fundraiser, doing what I love and raising money to support two women's charities.

Who?

We have seen a huge increase in women finding themselves out of work during this pandemic and Smart Works is a national charity which supports women from all backgrounds get back in to employment. Providing coaching to give them confidence and self belief to succeed in the workplace. As well providing high quality interview appropriate clothing which can be a real financial barrier for some women. I am raising money for the Smart Work Leeds branch.

Please visit their website to find out more-https://smartworks.org.uk/leeds-smart-works/

After interviewing the CEO Kate Blakemore on the podcast I was blown away by her and the whole teams dedication to helping women of all ages and backgrounds through a wide range of services. Offering a safe place , free from judgement to often vulnerable women. Supporting them to re-find their confidence, improve life skills and access the services they need.

Please visit their website to find out more-https://motherwellcheshirecio.com

You can listen to Kate's interview here.

Stepping out of my comfort zone!

To be honest I'm half excited and half daunted at the thought of being on Instagram live from 8.30am until 9.30pm and it's definitely taking me out of my comfort zone. I've committed to going on Instagram Live every morning just for 5 minutes so I can become more comfortable using it and get used to the set up so if you see my name pop up please come and say hello! As Liberte Free to Be is all about encouraging others to step out of their comfort zones I am determined to practice what I preach!

I don't know why the whole IG live thing feels uncomfortable , especially as I more than happy joining others and interviewing women from all walks of life that I've never met before. From listening to other women it seems we are good at hiding behind others and keeping ourselves out of the spotlight and I think I have been guilty of that with the podcast. It's much easier to shine the light on my guests each week than place myself their when the time is needed. Perhaps it's something we've been taught from an early age, not to be show too much confidence for fear of being called a show off or seen as seeking attention. I've come to the conclusion at 50 that if we don't blow our own trumpets no one is going to do it for us!

What are you working towards that takes you out of your comfort zone? I'd really love to know.

You can always email me at rachel@outofthebubblepodcast.com or leave a message on the Facebook page @stepoutofthebubble

Who will be joining me?

Luckily I have some amazing women joining on the day that will keep me company and my energy levels high. Here's a little taster of some of the guests who will be joining me-

Natalie Anderson- Actress, presenter, podcaster and founder of the lifestyle brand The Capsule.

Natasha Hamilton- Singer, podcaster and founder of Live Better with Natasha

Jo Gardiner- Contestant in Series 2 of Race Across the World

Misba Khan- Adventure walker and explorer who was part of the 2018 12 woman expedition to ski the last part of the North Pole http://www.euroarabianexpedition.com/

Stephanie Hirst- Award winning and one of the UK'S biggest radio stars and BBC Radio Leeds presenter

Katy Hill- Well loved television presenter , Personal Development Coach, Speaker, Podcaster, Broadcaster and Writer.

and so many more surprises! #watchthisspace

How you can donate?

I have set up a Just giving page so if anyone feels they can donate, no matter how small, every penny matters to these charities right now.

(Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.)

I hope you can come and take a listen and watch the show, please drop by @rachelperu1 and say hello. You're support on the day will be hugely appreciated!

Published by Rachel Peru in Blog, Inspiring Women, Liberte Free to Be Podcast

Tags: confidence in midlife, Fundraising event, inspiring women, midlife, Motherwell Cheshire CIO, out of the bubble podcast, personal journals, podcast, Rachel Peru, Smart Works Leeds

March 29, 2020

Top 10 Podcasts by Inspiring Women

How’s everyone coping with being at home? I’m trying to keep busy and plan each day with some structure to help keep me motivated. I’m a huge fan of listening to podcasts and now is the perfect time to catch up on some of those missed episodes. There are so many podcasts out there now and I’m glad to see so many female content creators.

I can guarantee there will be a podcast covering almost every subject you can think of, from finances, death and divorce to love and fashion, detective and thriller stories to gardening and cooking. I think there’s something special when women come together and have a good chat; quite often, listening to another womens’ story or experience can make such a difference to your day and leave you feeling inspired.

Here are some of my favourite podcasts to keep you going and hopefully help fill the odd hour or two each day.

Get ready to start downloading now!

How to Fail

Elizabeth Day switches things up a bit by celebrating the things that haven’t gone right. Weekly podcast where guests explore how their failures taught them how to succeed better. Famous guests share their failures candidly and you will be surprised to see how many of them you can relate to.

Conversations of Inspiration

I’ve only recently discovered this podcast with Notonthehighstreet and Holly & Co founder Holly Tucker, I have binge listened so many episodes. Holly really is a woman to be admired after spending the last 15 years building small businesses and helping empower so many others across the UK.

Conversations of Inspiration sees Holly invite founders of small businesses to share the highs and lows they’ve encountered whilst building their business.

Hashtag Authentic

Sara Tasker’s podcast was the very first one I listened to and I’ve been hooked ever since. If you are a creative person this is the podcast for you. Hashtag Authentic is a weekly podcast exploring the secrets to online success for dreamers, makers and creatives. With practical tips and inspiring stories that will leave any small businesses, bloggers and online creatives feeling inspired.

The Capsule

Keeping it local with the lovely Leeds based actress and presenter Natalie Anderson who has built a successful lifestyle brand called The Capsule and has now launched her own podcast to talk all things Fashion, Beauty, Business and Wellbeing.

Natalie is joined weekly by The Capsule editorial team Fashion Editor Anna Mewes and Travel Industry Expert Lyndsey Thomas. Series one has just finished, and I thoroughly enjoyed listened to the variety of guests.

Happy Place

I’ve always been a fan of Fearne Cotton and I’ve loved watching her career change direction.

Fearne is not one to shy away from any subject as her guests talk honestly about their lives, love, loss, and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them.

In The Dark

If you love serial investigative journalism, then this American APM podcast hosted by Madeleine Brown and a team of reporters will get you hooked.

Investigating murders, kidnapping, following trial and re-examining evidence is fascinating.

I’m Absolutely Fine

If you’re not familiar with these two ladies who formed The Midult then I definitely recommend you look them up. Annabel Rivkin and Emilie McMeekan founded The Midult back in 2016 and provided a refreshing change to what’s been put out there for grown up women and really celebrate the power and potential of women. The podcast looks into the glamour along with the indignity of being a grown up.

The Naked Podcast

I recently had the pleasure of joining BBC Radio Sheffield hosts Jenny Eells and Kat Harbourne for their latest Naked Podcast series and it’s a brilliant idea. Hosts and guests strip off and enjoy honest and topical conversation; it’s surprising how liberating it feels!

Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations

Oprah’s podcast is a firm favourite of mine. Full of insight, food for thought, clarity and inspiration. At a time like our current one I think this is the perfect podcast to help you keep grounded, sane and calmer.

Out Of The Bubble

I hope I can be forgiven for including my own podcast in this list as it’s something I’m very proud of and am enjoying the opportunity to share some amazing women’s stories. Women who have re-invented themselves in later life, overcome hurdles, changed directions share their journey and leave you with inspiration and motivation.

Start downloading now!

Keep being fabulous
Rachel x

Published by Rachel Peru in Inspiring Women

Tags: favourite podcasts, female podcasts, inspiring women, podcasts, top 10 podcasts