Double Espresso With Dee: Inspiring Stories of Change and Personal Growth

I am so excited for you to hear in direct from my incredible and inspiring guest, major Second Curver Tracy Woodward, a trailblazer of the beauty and wellness industry. Get ready for some practical learning on self-talk, the importance of telling yourself you can and why self-care is truly healthcare. 

 

Tracey is a highly respected titan in the world of wellbeing. She is an industry thought leader, sits on multiple boards and is an active investor in the space. She is also Co-creator for Kalmar. 

Tracy's journey from working on a beauty counter to becoming a renowned wellness expert is a testament to her resilience and determination. Starting out, Tracy's curiosity and deep connection with customers and their well-being set her apart.

Personal hardships led to a fundamental shift in Tracy's perspective, and she took action by prioritising her health and making significant lifestyle changes. Her journey improved her physical health and wellbeing and radically strengthened her confidence and self-esteem.

Tracy and I discussed beauty, wellness and personal growth. She shares her insight and wisdom on finding real purpose in life and emphasises the vital need for focus, ‘a lack of focus means that you'll have a lack of determination, you'll have a lack of tenacity and you'll have a lack of energy for life.’ 

Put your seatbelt on and take notes!!

Use code SC35 for 35% off products at https://kalmarlifestyle.com/

Guest contact info:
Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

We would love to hear from you. Do send me a dm on Instagram (@secondcurvers) or email us at hello@secondcurvers.com

I absolutely love Sian Sutherland!

 

In this episode I have the absolute pleasure of sitting down with serial Second Curver, the incredible Sian Sutherland, co-mastermind behind A Plastic Planet and PlasticFree. You are going to get some vital types for embracing what you don’t know and how this can be your new superpower. 

 

Sian has been second curving since her early twenties, guided by her instinct, her passions and applying ‘radical naivety’ and the spirit of why not to all her ventures. She has jumped in fearlessly since her first venture launching a restaurant, which won a Michelin-star restaurant within a year, without any prior experience and subsequently creating Mio, a globally successful skincare brand despite having no industry background. Her unyielding belief that not knowing something can be a superpower was simply awe-inspiring. "I think that radical naivety of not treading the traditional path and embracing the fact that you don't know things is really, really empowering." 

 

We also touched upon the topic of retirement. She says “I don't want to retire, and there is something about having to earn that gives you that bit of grit.” She embraces the need to continuously earn and stay driven, always open to the next second curve. She also talks about the vital importance of grit. Unlike those who can afford to take risks without consequences, Sian sees every endeavour as a make-or-break situation. 

 

Sian is a second curving powerhouse now on her next curve with an 

unwavering commitment to making a positive impact with A Plastic Planet. She sees businesses as powerful agents of change in creating a sustainable future. Her belief in the potential of collaboration and her rallying cry for all of us to step up and protect our planet left me feeling inspired and motivated and I am sure it will too for you.

Guest contact info:
Instagram | Plastic Planet | PlasticFree

 

We would love to hear from you. Do send me a dm on Instagram (@secondcurvers) or email us at hello@secondcurvers.com

 

I am so delighted to welcome Second Curver Jill Robinson and share her inspiring journey to end the bear bile industry in Asia. Her life changed in 1993 after a harrowing visit to a South China bear bile farm. Jill took a stand and launched Animals Asia, an organization committed to raising global awareness about bear bile farming and to ending it for good.

 

We delve into the challenges Jill faced, navigating cultural and financial obstacles while striving for meaningful change. She emphasizes the importance of trust and collaboration and to not giving up, attributing the success of Animals Asia to these principles. Despite facing eviction campaigns and endangerment, Jill's commitment to respectful engagement has propelled Animals Asia from a five-member foundation to a 400-strong staff running sanctuaries, with plans for a third on the horizon.

 

Jill shares heartwarming stories of the bears they have rescued. Looking forward, she envisions continued growth and impact, with plans to repurpose sanctuaries once bear farming is eradicated. Her story is a powerful testament to perseverance, being open to second curving despite obstacles and converting a seemingly insurmountable challenge into a global symbol of hope and transformation.

Guest contact info:
Twitter | Instagram 

Latest petition to end dog meat trade in Vietnam

 

We would love to hear from you. Do send me a dm on Instagram (@secondcurvers) or email us at hello@secondcurvers.com

 

Tom’s entrepreneurial journey has been nothing short of inspiring. His transformation from a biology student to a thriving entrepreneur who co-founded PENGARNA has been a tale of determination and sheer hard work. Yet, what strikes me most about our conversation is his decision to step back and take a much-needed break from the business.

 

Tom shares his reflections on the evolution of his work life. He talks about the intense effort that went into the launch and growth of PENGARNA, as well as the incredible learning period in the agency's early years.

My conversation with Tom serves as a reminder that life isn't a straight line and that sometimes, taking a step back, recognising the special seeds of talent and brilliance within us can lead to leaps forward and getting on to the next second curve. His unique perspective on work, identity and personal growth left me, and hopefully, you with plenty to contemplate. 

 

In all our busy lives, we can learn from Tom to press pause occasionally, reassess our direction, and most importantly, not shy away from stepping off the beaten path. Remember, it's the detours that often lead to the most exciting discoveries and the next second curve.

 

I look forward to catching up with Tom in a few months and seeing where his next second curve takes him. You must join us to hear all! 

 

We would love to hear from you. Do send me a dm on Instagram (@secondcurvers) or email us at hello@secondcurvers.com

 

I love Lyn Slater. That is it! 

 

She is the ultimate second curver. An academic, an author, a model, a stylist and Accidental Icon, Lyn has appeared on the cover of world-renowned magazines and modelled for some of the biggest names in fashion and luxury including Valentino, Dior and Uniglo. 

 

Lyn speaks about her journey from being an academic to becoming a global fashion icon. She emphasises the importance of embracing unconventional ways to express yourself, being open to new experiences and learning, and the ability to adapt and evolve, second curving from one role to another. Discussing her fashion journey, she explains how she started her blog as a creative outlet and to connect with women of all ages. She actively encourages everyone to start somewhere and emphasises the importance of experimentation.

 

Lyn talks about the importance of authenticity in her work and how it has helped her connect with her followers. She shares how she has recently become more open and vulnerable, writing more intimately about her experiences and feelings.

 

She discusses her perspective on ageing and the stereotypes associated with it in society and stresses the importance of challenging these stereotypes and embracing creativity and opportunities that come with at any age, always being open to getting on to the next curve. She comments, “I have great respect for young people… and I think that normally when we talk about ageism, we think it's about older people, but it's also directed towards younger people 100%.” 

 

Lyn shares her belief that everyone has creative skills in their everyday lives that they may not fully realise or utilise. She encourages listeners to embrace these skills and to see every experience as a creative challenge and opportunities to keep second curving. “The secret is I respond to everything that happens to me in my life as a creative challenge, as an opportunity to be creative in coming up with a response or a solution that is outside of the box.”

Lyn is the author of an amazing book “How to Be Old: Lessons in Living Boldly from the Accidental Icon” that is going to be available from 12th March. You can preorder the book here: https://sites.prh.com/howtobeold?ref=PRHFF0250EC3180&aid=28914&linkid=PRHFF0250EC3180

Guest contact info:
Instagram | Website

 

We would love to hear from you. Do send me a dm on Instagram (@secondcurvers) or email us at hello@secondcurvers.com

 

It is never too late or too early to be who you want to be.

Second Curvers are a growing community of people who see life as a flow, embracing new roles, new jobs, new challenges and being themselves, rather than standing in line and comparing themselves to the person in front.

To second curve is to embrace a radical reinvention. The only thing it requires is the courage to act and step into the unknown. One little step. Anyone can second curve. Second curving is not defined by age.

Are you in your twenties in a job you dislike? Are you retired and bored? Are you stuck in a rut and can’t see a way out? The biggest barrier to getting on to the next curve is You! Second Curvers podcast is all about WORK!

Our new podcast launches on Tuesday 6th February.

Are you a Second Curver, ready to be ignited?

 

We would love to hear from you. Do send me a dm on Instagram (@secondcurvers) or email us at hello@secondcurvers.com

 

Today we will look back to our interview with Coss Marte, an ex-inmate who is now a successful entrepreneur and founder of ConBody.

Speaking to Coss has been so incredible. His raw honesty, incredible journey, and desire to make something good out of something so bad has been very moving. During our interview, we touched upon a wide variety of issues, but the one story that stayed with me was our discussion about redemption. Coss shared with us how hard was to start from scratch when he was out of prison.

“Giving people a second chance that was one thing that I was struggling with when I came home.”

“Three felonies on my record … It was like a stamp for life. So ConBody was basically born out of desperation,” he said.

In this short excerpt from the interview you will hear his thoughts on inmate redemption and what could society and large corporations do to help bring them back to positive ways once they are out.

Today we are looking back to a fantastic interview with Veronica Chou from Season 2: Meet The Sustainability Advocates.

Veronica Chou is a Businesswoman, an Entrepreneur, and a Sustainability Advocate. She has seen every aspect and angle of the fashion industry and came to the realisation that her future is in sustainability.

Today, she is the founder of Everybody & Everyone, an eco-innovative and size-inclusive sustainable fashion brand. She is investing in innovative ideas and making a huge impact in the sustainable clothing industry.

Her motto is: “Spread Love, Do Good, Live Sustainably. Eco is for Everyone.”

I hope you will be inspired by this insightful story about sustainable fashion and the innovations it brings.

 

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

In this 10 minute short, we discuss change, how to accept it, embrace it, and flow with it as part of life and part of growth.

My guest today has known and navigated radical change. The Incredible Emma Slade was a high flying financial analyst when her life took a massive turn. She was held at gunpoint in Jakarta. Emma survived, and coming out on the other side, she went down a long road to a new way of living. Today, she is a Buddhist nun. 

Emma tells me about this extraordinary life-changing moment, and how she knew she wanted to do something meaningful with her life. She shares with us her thoughts on handling change, making change, and finding our own unique direction in life.

 

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

One of the subjects that comes up time, and again is failure. In this short, I discuss failure with the epic and spectacular Sian Sutherland. She is a serial entrepreneur, having launched a branding agency, set up a restaurant that in short order had a Michelin star and built an innovative global skincare business, which was subsequently sold to the hut group a few years ago. Sian leaned into her calling and co-funded A Plastic Planet, a global campaign organization with a single goal to ignite and inspire the world to turn off the plastic tap for good.

With Sian, we unpack the brilliance of failure, embracing what we don't know and being our own unique selves.

 

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

Many of my guests have talked about the importance of taking risks to show yourself what you're made of and grow in every aspect of your life. All of them believe that if you play it too safe, you will miss out on the many adventures and opportunities that life brings. I always say, give it a go take the leap. What is the worst that can happen?
 
My dear friend and guest, Gerad kite is a big proponent of going out of your cosy zone and taking a risk. Many years ago within a space of a few weeks, he left behind a successful business in London, which he built in his early twenties and moved to San Francisco with one suitcase and nowhere to stay. Today we will hear how he was feeling while taking a risk and changing his life.

Over the coming weeks, we will launch the Double Espresso With Dee shorts. 10-minute podcast episodes with key soundbites from my amazing guests. We will revisit themes that matter to you, risk, letting go, overcoming adversity, embracing failure, making a change, identity, how to be you and many more.

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

Visit my website: https://dee.biz/

My guest today is the incredible Pirie Jones Grossman. Pirie started working in L.A. and over the following 20 years became a well-known actor and then a very high profile presenter and TV host for E! Entertainment, Fox, NBC, CBS and ABC.  She was famous, fabulous, and part of an L.A. power couple. But privately, she struggled deeply after hitting rock bottom. Pirie left L.A. for good and settled in Sun Valley, Idaho. Over time, she broke through, found herself and decided to change her life. 

Today, Perry is an international bestselling author, a soul-centred, transformational life coach and TEDx speaker and co-founder and co-host of podcast Own Your Throne. I highly recommend reading her amazing book Conversations With Pirie: 30 Stories of People Who Reinvented Themselves

Today through her own experiences, Pirie works with clients to empower their life path, enabling them to learn and recover from their life events, and rise like a phoenix to fulfil their potential. 

I am sure you will love our conversation as much as I did. 

Points of discussion:

Introduction (00:00)

Going back to Pirie's early childhood (02:45)

Moving past childhood trauma (07:59)

Building the next chapter (10:37)

Pirie's first marriage (13:46)

Moving to L.A. and starting a professional career (15:21)

Second Marriage and suicide attempt (20:18)

Leaving LA (24:39)

Becoming a mother (28:54)

Road to reinvention (34:51)

Coaching as life mission (40:07)

Final words by Dee (44:23)

 

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

Speaking to Octavia today reminded me that we are all constantly working through a cycle of change. Sometimes we seem to see life as a series of steadier moments, punctuated by dramatic shifts. Often, as she points out, change might happen quickly, but the ripple effects last much longer.

My guest today is Octavia Goredema - author, entrepreneur and career coach, British by birth and resident of LA. Octavia is the founder of Twenty Ten Agency a career coaching company that works with individuals and also major corporations to help them advance the leadership development of underrepresented employees. She is the author of the book PREP, PUSH, PIVOT which helps women of colour navigate the key moments that define their careers.

“While change might happen suddenly, the ripple effects from that change can take much longer…” - Octavia Goredema

Thank you for listening to this week's episode. And thank you to Octavia for her energy and for her wisdom.

Points of discussion:

Introduction (00:00)

Going back to Octavia's decision to relocate to the LA (02:15)

Twenty Ten Agency Launch and Growth (06:36)

What has changed from when you started your agency (09:28)
What are a few things large corporations should lead with after COVID (15:03)

Push, Prep, Pivot Book (16:12)
How Octavia dealt with her fears (22:33)

Epiphany moments (23:49)
How to get ahead of yourself - Octavia's secrets (29:08)

The best advice Octavia have been given to (31:25)
Key Takeaways by Dee (33:22)

 

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

 

George Taktak and I had a fabulous high-speed conversation about the highs, the lows, and the challenges of humanizing and scaling mental health support. We also discussed how George's creative talents, he is both an artist and a poet, contributing vitally to his high growth business and his wellbeing.

George is an entrepreneur, mental health activist, and founder of How Mental - a social movement of more than a quarter of a million people whose mission is to make mental health care accessible to all. The Genesis for How Mental started some years ago, born out of Georgia's own struggles and his experience of a harrowing mental pain.

He was so beautifully honest and inspiring to talk to. I am always amazed by his passion, his knowledge and his refusal to accept the status quo. 

 

Points of discussion:

Introduction (00:00)

George’s experience of working as a banker  (03:01)
Dealing with the loss of a family member (05:31)
How did George turn the corner and started his next step on the journey (11:54)
How is he supporting himself today (16:04)
View on isolationism of technology (21:35)
Growth of How Mental movement (23:27)

Role of creativity (27:25)

The biggest moment of change/epiphany (30:24)
Takeaways by Dee (34:21)

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

It’s a special joy to interview your friends, and I feel so lucky to have talked to Édéenne today. She has such an incredible vision and the real grit to keep going, no matter what.

Édéenne is a high jeweller having founded her jewellery house in Paris in 2003 after a major life-changing epiphany.

We talked about her life-changing experience and transition from businesswoman to a high jeweller. I loved her insistence that we have to keep looking for experiences all the time, not watching the trains go past, but jumping on the right one when it comes along. And her epiphany at the bottom of the lake is just such a hypothetical train. But it is also a testament to the power of nature and how the answers are always there, if only we were listening. 

 

Nature plays a big part in her work - from the butterfly to ivy leaves and precious stones. And this links her own belief about trusting her instincts, thinking in her heart about what she wants to do with her life, and how she wants to enjoy it. 

We discuss her incredible story, this moment of radical change in her life and why we all need to feel the fear and embrace it because surprises await us.

Points of discussion:

Introduction (00:00)

Epiphany story (02:53)
Starting over - pursuing a new career (05:51)
The biggest challenges Edeenn had in the early years of becoming a fine jeweller (10:52)
The creative process (15:30)
Changing the personal name (18:05)
What excites you the most, today? (22:12)

Edeenne’s advice to someone who needs to make the change (24:34)

If you could make one piece for one person in the world, who would that be? (26:42)
Takeaways by Dee (28:05)

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

My guest today is the incredible Taban Shoresh, a former child genocide survivor who suffered imprisonment as a four-year-old with her family, during the Saddam Hussein regime. 

Over time Taban adjusted to life here, but the trauma of her experiences never fully left her. She married at a young age and settled into her university studies and subsequent career. Little by little. She came to realize that the relationship she was in was highly abusive and she feared for her life once more. Somehow, however, she finds the courage to escape.

By 2014, she set up the Lotus Flower, a not-for-profit for women and girls impacted by conflict and displacement. Since its launch, it has supported ISIS survivors in three camp based centres. And to date has helped over 40,000 women and girls.

 

Points of discussion:

• Introduction (00:00)
• Going back to Taban's childhood (02:43)
• Coming to the United Kingdom (08:51)
• Embracing both Kurdish and British culture during teen days (10:30)
• Leaving abusive marriage (15:08)
• Epiphany moment (24:09)
• The genesis of Lotus Flower organization (32:27)
• How does Taban manage her foundation and life (38:46)
• Taban's advice on how to go through hardship (40:01)
  Closing words by Dee (41:58)

 

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message at Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

Fiona Oakes is renowned as a British endurance runner and vegan athlete. She is the fastest woman in the world to run a marathon on all seven continents and the north pole. She has competed in over 100 marathons and set five marathon course records around the globe, including the Antarctic Ice Marathon.

Fiona has been vegan since the age of six. She participates in endurance sports to demonstrate that her diet is not prohibitive to performance and to raise awareness of her Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary, which she founded in 1996. At her sanctuary, she cares night and day for 500 rescued animals to which she has devoted her life.

She has some really important things to say about ‘modern veganism’ and was a sage reminder of the fact that, like all things, a choice to do better for others is often very simple. It’s only that, as humans, we make it complicated. 

Thank you to Fiona for sharing her incredible life story with us all this week. I hope you will enjoy hearing from her as much as I did. 

*** If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com I would love to hear from you!

 

Points of discussion:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:44) Fiona reflects on though childhood 

(05:13) What changed to get you running?

(06:45) The genesis of Fiona's veganism

(14:10) Moments of change during the North Pole marathon

(18:33) What have you learned about yourself(20:47) What has changed in veganism from when you started promoting it?

(24:55) What does luxury mean to you?

(25:44) What does the change mean to you?

(27:43) What have you learned working with the animals all these years?

(31:03) Fiona's advice to a person that feels a bit stuck

(33:18) Key takeaways by Dee

My guest today is Coss Marte born and raised on the lower east side in New York, the son of Dominican immigrants and raised by a single mother who struggled to support her family.

My guest today is Gerad Kite, internationally recognized as an acupuncture master and a fertility expert. Gerad trained in five element acupuncture of which he is now a master and teacher based in London. He started the first-ever NHS acupuncture service in the UK in 1993, based at King's college hospital, predominantly working with patients with AIDS and terminal illnesses.

Gerad is a renowned author. His latest book 'The Art of Baby Making' came out in 2020, and he has gained a reputation as the daddy of all fertility experts. Gerad has gone through much change in his life and enabled many to make lasting change in theirs. His discovery of acupuncture was a true epiphany and in our conversation, he tells me all about that moment and the life-changing journey he embarked on.

I loved learning about his early approach to work and his rigid mindset, how limiting that eventually was and how somewhere like San Francisco in the 80s could offer such a world of liberation and change. Gerad reminded me that we are so often more programmed to think and behave in a certain way than we realise. And that something, often is about taking a risk. “It doesn't have to be a big risk but take a step outside of the box and take a risk,” he says.

Points of discussion:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:44) What was it like to leave London and move to San Francisco?

(04:53) How did you change your mindset and go into acupuncture?

(09:11) Five element acupuncture 

(11:39) After the years of training and practice in acupuncture, what shifted in you?

(18:09) How Gerad became a fertility expert

(22:03) What are seasons teaching us about changes in life?

(25:19) How to get back to the mindful living

(26:00) Why do people struggle with change?

(28:26) One piece of advice from Gerad

(29:15) Future focus and plans

(30:09) Key takeaways by Dee

 

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com

As I’ve discovered in the last couple of months, from speaking to all of my extraordinary guests, sometimes it takes a week to decide our destiny. Sometimes it happens in a moment. And sometimes it’s an ongoing journey of discovery.

As we come to the close of another year, this is such a valuable message for us to remember. There is so much possibility ahead of us if we can only listen to our instincts, trust the process, lean into challenge and change, and not be afraid of our power. 

So my invitation to you today is to take my guests as your inspiration. To ask what is stopping you, to listen, truly listen to the answer, and then go forth into a new year ready for change. 

Thank you, happy new year, and I look forward to sharing more incredible stories with you in 2022.

If you have a question or feedback on the series send me a message on Instagram (@deedoubleespresso) or email me at doublespressowithdee@gmail.com