We're often told "never meet your heroes" - well, two fingers up to that because meeting Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, or Lady Phyll as she's more affectionately known, has been a life changing experience.

Through her incredible work, Phyll has taught me so much when it comes to pride, allyship & showing up - for our community and each other, advocating for the needs of those around us and challenging systems of oppression.

I had a unique opportunity to stand in front of Lady Phyll and her family - both her actual family and her UK Black Pride family - to tell her exactly what she means to me and so many other queer people on the day she received an Honorary Graduate Degree from London South Bank University. It was one of the highlights of my life and such a special moment in time. Just as recording this episode of 'Pause. And Rewind...' was.

Her compassion, conviction and wisdom are paramount to the Lady Phyll we know & love. So it was the biggest privilege to dive into her origin story to find out where this comes from - and to find out more about Little Phyll, her love of books, her early experiences of racism and how this has shaped her life. There are some challenging topics discussed so please take care of yourself whilst listening.

The words Phyll uses to describe her story are 'Intense, Brave and With Purpose'. You're about to find out why... enjoy this wonderful conversation.

Many of us know how inaccessible and unaffordable mental health support can be - and right now amongst the queer community, it's vital. Hence why the work that Jaron Soh (he/him) is doing is so important.

Jaron is the founder of Voda, the LGBTQIA+ mental wellness app and their mission is to build the future of inclusive mental health support which Voda does with a fantastic team of entrepreneurs and specialists behind it. It's an exciting time for the company and Jaron's love, commitment & passion for it SHINES through.

The 3 words Jaron uses to describe there origin story are 'Shame, Joy & Love'. Jaron's story is fundamental to Voda's creation. Growing up as a queer kid in Singapore came with a lot of shame and a need for therapy, healing and acceptance so a trigger warning is attached to this episode. Please take care of yourself whilst listening.

The presence of joy & love for Jaron is down to community, chosen family and what he does - tapping into those is a work in progress for many of too so sit back and listen in to this inspiring conversation.

I was a fan of Maylis Djikalou (she/her) for some time before I had the privilege of working with her for a brief time. Listening and watching the way she spoke, heard and felt someone's story on events really moved me.

Maylis is an inclusion consultant, coach and legend! We'd chatted before about all things life, including tough experiences, but this conversation really dove deep into Maylis' origin story. It's a longer episode than previous ones and well worth time & attention - it's a conversation I will cherish.

There is a need for a trigger warning here. The podcast features discussion around suicide, addiction and abortion. And how these experiences have shaped Maylis. Please take care of yourself whilst listening.

We cover tons more too. As with life, through the trauma, there are many joyful moments to reflect on and hearing about 'little Maylis' and how it's shining through in her two children was wonderful - even if it is biting her on the arse a bit! Maylis shares how overcoming these challenges with grace have shaped her life - and if you listen, you'll understand why the 3 words she uses to describe her origin story are 'Dramatic, Pivotal and Graceful'.