13: In a 'knotshell': The female creativity community bangs

Hi everyone, thanks for coming along to listen to the show!

I'd like to introduce you to my wonderful friend Alice Clarkson, who I have been lucky enough to 'virtually meet' on Instagram  - and who approached me about being a guest on The Plus Side Podcast. Of course, when she told me about her situation, I was extremely humbled by her offer to share something so intimate on this platform.  But I also knew that her message of speaking up and seeking help would resonate with so many of us - particularly towards men, who are 'typically' less open to doing so. In fact, according to suicide prevention charity The Calm Zone, 75% of all suicides in the UK are male... Sit with that. 

Alice's story of losing her Dad to suicide is nothing less than tragic - but it's the way she has dealt (and continues to deal) with the situation with such strength and resilience that makes this conversation so eye openingly life affirming. 

With therapy, which she accessed through suicide bereavement charity Cruse,  Alice has been able to deal with the trauma of losing her Dad under such unforeseen and horrendous circumstances head on. And now, two years on, she has been able to find peace with the situation; respecting her Dad's decision (although there are still no 'answers' what led him to it) - just as he always respected hers.

As Alice so beautifully put, ‘it doesn’t get easier, but it does get lighter.’ 

This episode is going to be about finding that light through reaching out for help, talking, and building up the strength to carry on even after the biggest of life traumas. Thanks for listening.

HELPLINES:

Papyrus
Samaritans
Mind
NSPCA
SAMH
The Calm Zone

Hey m'loves - welcome back to The Plus Side Podcast!

In this episode I'm chatting to the wonderful Lily Parker, creator of highly coveted cushion brand, Zebra Knits. Lily's quirky creations, AKA 'knitted knots' - have proven to be a huge hit with the nation's home makers over lockdown - and it's pretty easy to see why.

Of course, there is absolutely nothing cooler to put on your bed - but you can quite literally ~feel~ Lily's passion for the product just by scrolling through her vibrant feed which is bursting with eclectic prints, shapes colours. She finds joy in getting to know her customers and taking time to reply to messages: yet another reason why shopping small is the way forward. And considering she only launched at the back end of last year, I think it's safe to say that Lily has one hell of a bright future ahead of her in the creative world.

The journey that led to the success of Zebra Knits was no mean feat, however. With the reality money struggles and several job rejections after Uni, Lily found herself in a job with a commercial brand that - whilst well established - didn't allow her to express herself creatively, or share her fun ideas for designs that really 'push the boundaries'.

Following on from a Covid enforced redundancy, Lily finally decided to launch her own brand... And here we are!

We're talking all about the valuable lessons Lily learned from her 'set backs', the amazing support she has found in the female creative community and also - how she came about that knot shape. I hope you enjoy!

FOLLOW LILY:
Instagram: @zebraknits
Website: https://www.zebraknits.com/

Now then, now then - it’s lovely to have you here listening to The Plus Side Podcast! 

So far in this series we have covered some pretty big topics: mental health, social pressures, female empowerment, overcoming Covid and starting a business in lockdown, to name a few. All very important, very deep conversations to open.

But for this episode? Well, I thought I’d throw something ~fun~ in to the mix, whilst delving in to the trials and tribulations of modern dating and socialising - situations we all inevitably find ourselves in from time to time.

And who better to join me for the discussion than my marvellous and extremely relatable pal, Sophie Donovan? Soph is a journalist living in London who also happens to currently be working on the Dear Deidre advice column for The Sun. As I’m sure you can imagine, she receives a daily influx of dilemmas from readers who could all use an extra bit of light shed on their personal matters.

We asked the great people of Instagram to send in their own situ’s to be covered in the episode, and they sure as hell delivered… From online dating hacks and ways to avoid the classic 'ex stalking' - to easing back in to having an actual social life again (what even is a social life?)

So sit back, grab a bev, and listen as we cover the good, the bad and the just plain awkward brought to us by the joys of modern mingling.

Enjoy!

KEEP UPDATED: @theplussidepod

Welcome back to another episode of series 2 of The Plus Side Podcast - which celebrates female empowerment with women who each hold an inspiring story of their own.

Today I'm joined by Abi Haywood - the incredible talent and all round powerhouse behind cult ceramic brand, @BigJugsAbi. Abi sells her highly sought after pieces on Instagram, with each swoon worthy drop selling out in a matter of minutes.

Looking at her rapidly growing audience of over 18k on Instagram brimming with close watching followers who all want a piece of the aesthetic pictures, it's hard to believe that just 6 months ago Abi had no idea where she was going to go, or what she was going to do.

This conversation celebrates resilience and determination to overcome the lockdown challenges, embracing the opportunity to start something new, and a mind blowing achievement which - really - can only continue to grow. 

You know a skincare product is good when every single ingredient is listed on the front bottle. And tbh, it’s no wonder the plant oil based collection By Sarah London has gone on to win multiple industry awards (this facial oil taking top spot for 4 years running) - living up to the brand slogan, ‘Real beauty has nothing to hide’. It’s the simple transparency yet expertly curated formulas that the beauty world clearly needs more of.

It was never in Sarah’s career path to start her own brand, but when her sister Lauren’s skin became extremely sensitive whilst recovering from leukaemia - Sarah started to create her own formulas to help regenerate Lauren’s skin. To no surprise it worked, and from kitchen table to nation wide success - the duo have taken the clean beauty world by storm.

Elevating The Plus Side to a whole new inspiring level of a ‘squiggly line’ journey - I’m thrilled to be talking to Sarah in the newest episode of the podcast about her thriving career, emotional challenges, and of course - all things skincare. Enjoy!

FOLLOW SARAH!
Website: https://bysarahlondon.com/
Instagram: @bysarahlondon

KEEP UPDATED!
Instagram: @theplussidepod

Hello, you lovely lot - welcome to The Plus Side Podcast! I'm bloody thrilled to be sharing a new series of plug-in-and-zone-out episodes with you to provide your day with a little earphone therapy. It's good to be back!

Recently, I've been on a bit of a social media 'silence'. Not switching off per se; but simply taking the opportunity to step back, listen, read and learn. And by doing this, I have constantly found myself being completely moved and inspired by the stories told by women who have found solace in taking charge of their life. Some have done this completely independently (great) - and others have achieved this with the wholesome support of other like-minded women (also great).

And so I can't think of a better way to start the series than with a woman who has a particularly special place in my heart (BFFL xo), Kat Atkinson. At 32, whilst many of her friends are settling down and starting families, Kat has taken the fashion world by storm - and is now a highly respected fashion marketing lecturer at Leeds Beckett Uni. You'll also find her day to day outfits displayed on her extremely save-worthy Instagram, @wearsitatkat - followed by thousands who look for #styleinspo, served by a real woman.

After contracting a nasty bout of Covid last year that led to an even nastier stint in ICU, Kat has *finally* come out of the other side - and in this episode, we talk about the unexpected positives from the corona coaster, challenging the 'social norms' as a single thirty something year old, and trusting your own timings.

Cheers to that *clinks canned G+T whilst sat in Christmas pyjamas on a Saturday night*

Enjoy!

Follow Kat: @wearsitatkat

Keep updated: @theplussidepod

Hi all, welcome to The Plus Side Podcast - a lifestyle and culture show that focuses on highlighting the silver linings amongst the modern day clouds. Good to have you here!

For this episode, I'm talking to youth worker and all round wonderful human being, Anthea. I ''met'' Anthea on Instagram after having many a chat about everything; from the importance of speaking up (and calling out) about race - to the ironic accuracy of trashy star sign accounts. 

I've really appreciated Anthea opening up about her own life as a muslim woman in a mainly white populated town, and sharing her passion for actively using her voice to open important dialogues surrounding racism. It's certainly helped me to understand more from different perspectives - so when she mentioned she'd love to come on the podcast to talk more about this, we got straight to it.

Anthea's positive outlook gives an important insight in to her Bangladeshi background, the role models that inspire her (Nadiya Hussain, we salute you!) , the empowerment she has gained from her at times challenging experiences - and everything in between.

If you want to hear from a fresh perspective about what can be done to keep the uncomfortable conversations happening, ways to continue including more diversity in our lives and the joy of being 'unapologetically Muslim', then this is well worth a listen.

Follow Anthea:

https://twitter.com/__Anthea

KEEP UPDATED!
@theplussidepod

Welcome to The Plus Side Podcast - first of 2021! It's been a long ass year - anyone else ready for a break? *cries into wine*

In this episode I'm talking to the brilliant illustrator, podcast host and founder of The HA Society, Dani Sheriff. When Dani started training as an athlete, her passion for sports was overtaken by the aesthetic of how she looked - and soon enough she was not only on a tough exercise regime, but also restricting her diet to 1700 calories a day. Basically, eating just enough for a child and running on a constant energy deficit. The consequence? No period. Also known as hypothlamic amennorhea.

It all changed when Dani decided to reverse the damage done (because the great thing here is that it is reversible, proving just how resilient our bodies are) by going all in with her recovery. Now she is pregnant, has a healthy cycle and has created a growing community for women all over the world who are struggling with HA. The group offers support through open and honest conversations about the various struggles faced when recovering from HA - as well as weekly calls to give bring some solidarity to what is a very lonely situation to find yourself in. As a fellow HA sufferer, I can certainly vouch for that.

So what does period recovery entail? All will be discussed in the episode - from the obvious challenges to the huge life changing benefits that come from it. I hope you enjoy your listen!

FOLLOW DANI
Instagram: @danisheriff // @theHApodcast

KEEP UPDATED!
@theplussidepod

Wey aye, pet - welcome back to The Plus Side Podcast!

For this episode I am THRILLED to be joined by the wonderful Erin Rutherford - a thriving Youtuber who shares her passion for things food and wellness on her Instagram, one square of creamy mushrooms and chai spiced apple cake at a time. Since lockdown has given her more time to dedicate to her blog, her audience has boomed in the recent months with an influx of raving new followers who also can't get enough of her culinary skills, all served up with a wholesome side of that  Northern charm. She's found a community that has given her a huge sense of solidarity in the loneliest times; whilst now being able to pursue a career in content creation along the way. Silver linings, eh?

But as we all probably know, being an influencer can present a smorgasbord of challenges - particularly when it comes to  diet. How does social media impact our everyday food choices - and similarly - how do those choices impact those who follow us?

In this conversation, we're navigating through the mental obstacles of the wellness industry; from getting trapped in the trendy fads* (yawn) to finally finding a balance that actually feels really fucking good - thank you very much. From there, hear about our fail safe ways to avoid burnout in modern life, as well as our fondness for body butters and the humble tinned sardine (ykwyk).

Enjoy your listen!

* If you are currently feeling anxious and overwhelmed around food, or if you constantly find yourself comparing your meals to others online, or looking for permission to do so - then it's time to reach out for some help. There are some great helplines and charities to help you on your way - if you're in the UK then BEAT Eating Disorders is a good place to start. Talk to your friends and family, and don't be afraid to be honest with them - but also yourself. You deserve to live a full life, and that can only be done when you are enjoying every aspect of it without fear - particularly when it comes to food.

FOLLOW ERIN
Instagram: @erin.appetit
Youtube: Erin Rutherford

KEEP UPDATED!
Instagram: @theplussidepod

Hiya pals, welcome back to The Plus Side Podcast! *jazz hands*

This weeks episode with feel-good powerhouse Sam Mason covers an area I think we can all relate to, at least on some level. Sam is a mum of 2, a highly demanded hairstylist and a social media strategist who has worked on a number of campaigns relating to a topic very close to her own heart: body neutrality. From a young age Sam's body has been insensitively open for discussion - and it's only from piecing together the lovely parts of her that make Sam Sam, that she has realised what matters in life. And let me tell you, it's got absolutely fuck all to do with your dress size.

As we delve in to the dark side of diet culture and dismantle the dangerous ways it can trap us in to it's cave of calorie counting and body shaming, we also get on to some great positives; like how going through the vicious cycle has led us to a place of embracing our own individuality... and finding a bloody beautiful sense of confidence in that.

So plug in your headphones, get out for a walk (or, you know, stay on the sofa with a mince pie) and enjoy your listen. As we head in to the festive season, it might be just what you need to hear...

FOLLOW SAM

Instagram: @samsocialstylist

KEEP UPDATED!

Instagram: @theplussidepod