What happens when you decide "if everyone else can do it, so can I"? In this episode, I'm joined by Katherine, writer, songwriter, and mum of two based in Chester, who's built not one, but two businesses.

One started when her cat Tiggy took up residence at Chester train station and unexpectedly became a local (and now online) phenomenon. The other is Skill Seeds, a five-minute microlearning app Katherine built from scratch with zero app-building experience, designed to be ad-free, safe, and genuinely rewarding for creators from day one.

We talk about what it takes to start something completely new in midlife with no prior experience, why "doom scrolling to bloom scrolling" might be exactly what families need, and how curiosity, not a five-year plan, has driven Katherine's midlife reinvention.

If you've ever thought "it's too late to try something new," this one's for you.

Get in touch with Katherine :

Skill Seeds Website

Follow Tiggy on Facebook

This episode was edited and produced by The Productivity Playground Ltd. Podcast editing and admin support for small businesses.

The Productivity Playground website

Louise Brown was invited to a future-CEO programme at Oxford's Saïd Business School and her first instinct was to say no. Not me. Not Oxford. I'm too northern. What would I wear?

She went anyway, dragging a bright pink suitcase with a broken handle onto a four-hour train, where a procession of helpful strangers took turns explaining to her how to work a handle. By the time she arrived she was sweating, disheveled and ready to cross the platform and go straight home to Lancashire. What stopped her was a realisation in a small room with the telly on: the only thing keeping her paralysed there was her.

In this episode, Louise, author of Bold, Brave, Brilliant, NLP coach, TEDx speaker and former vice principal with 30+ years in public service, makes the case that imposter syndrome isn't something to fix. It's a phenomenon, not a disorder. It's energy, and it's proof that you care. We talk about why confidence often gets quieter the further up you climb, why senior leaders are the last to admit it, journaling as a way to catch your inner critic in the act, and who's looking after HR while HR looks after everyone else.

Plus: what's next for Louise, a companion journal, a second book on leadership and culture, and why her best ideas arrive mid-run.

You can contact Louise on :

This episode was edited and produced by The Productivity Playground Ltd. Podcast editing and admin support for small businesses.

The Productivity Playground website

You thought healing had an end point. Heather Angell is here to tell you it doesn't and that's actually good news.

In this episode of Life Begins at Midlife, human dynamics coach Heather Angell joins me to talk about the patterns we inherit without ever choosing them, the "coding" we pick up as kids that shapes how we show up in our careers, our relationships, and our sense of who we are. Heather explains why understanding these patterns isn't about being broken or needing fixing, and why awareness alone isn't enough to change anything.

We talk about the difference between reacting and responding, why the wellness industry has become bigger than big pharma (and what that says about us), and why you don't have to heal every single part of yourself to live a full life. Heather also opens up about her own journey — from people-pleaser to the woman she is today and why it took her ten years to get there.

If you've ever felt like your past has decided your future, this conversation will help you see it differently.

In this episode:

• Why your patterns aren't your fault
• The difference between reacting and responding
• Why "being healed" isn't actually the goal
• How small shifts create a domino effect in your life
• Why you don't have to fix everything to move forward

You can contact Heather on

This episode was edited and produced by The Productivity Playground Ltd. Podcast editing and admin support for small businesses.

The Productivity Playground website

Living My Best Life: One Adventure at a Time

After surviving breast cancer, Suzy Orr made a conscious decision that she wasn't going to wait for "one day" to live her life.

In this honest and uplifting conversation, Suzy shares how life's hardest moments taught her that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. Rather than allowing fear, grief or uncertainty to define her, she chose to start saying yes to experiences, adventures and herself.

Together, you explore:

• How facing mortality changes your perspective on what really matters.
• Learning to live with difficult experiences rather than waiting for them to disappear.
• Finding hope by always having something to look forward to.
• The empowering moment she changed the locks, filed for divorce, and chose herself.
• Why "this too shall pass" became one of her guiding beliefs.
• How living your best life isn't about waiting until everything is perfect. It's about deciding to make the most of today.

Contact Suzy :

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/suzyorrsome/

Website : https://www.https://uniqueladies.co.uk/

This episode was edited and produced by The Productivity Playground Ltd. Podcast editing and admin support for small businesses.

The Productivity Playground website

What makes someone unforgettable? According to marketing and storytelling expert Meena McDonald, it's not polished presentations, perfect branding or endless statistics. It's stories.

In this episode, Jacqui and Meena explore why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have for building trust, creating genuine connections, and standing out in a noisy world. Whether you're growing a business, building a personal brand, or simply want to connect more deeply with others, this conversation is packed with practical insights and thoughtful reminders that people remember how you make them feel, not just what you say.

A must-listen for anyone ready to embrace authenticity, connect with confidence, and let their story do the talking.

Welcome to Life Begins at Midlife, the podcast for women who are ready to stop surviving and start living.

If you've spent years putting everyone else first, keeping the peace, holding it all together, or wondering where you disappeared to, you're in the right place.

I'm Jacqui Bourne, coach, speaker and founder of Life Begins at Midlife. Every week we'll have honest conversations about what it really means to reinvent yourself in midlife. From people-pleasing and identity loss to divorce, redundancy, grief, menopause, ADHD, money, confidence and finding the courage to choose yourself.

This isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home to who you've always been.

Expect real stories, practical tools, expert guests, and the conversations so many women wish someone had started years ago.

Because midlife isn't the beginning of the end.

It's the beginning of your next chapter.

If you're ready to go from invisible to unstoppable, hit follow and let's begin.

Because life doesn't end at midlife.

It begins.

Deb King, an award-winning transformational master coach based in Sydney, Australia. Deb has dedicated over two decades to coaching, mentoring, and training thousands of individuals worldwide, helping them to unlock their full potential and make their dreams a reality. Deb King is not your average coach. She views herself as a catalyst and cheerleader for coaches and wellbeing leaders around the globe. Her mission is to guide these leaders towards new, exciting paths that revitalize both their personal and professional lives. With a reputation built on her expertise, Deb empowers transformational leaders to achieve remarkable results with their clients, create new revenue streams, and enhance their capacity for joyful, aligned success. Deb’s journey into the world of coaching is as unique as it is inspiring. With a diverse background in sales, marketing, leadership, and business, she has amassed a wealth of experience that has perfectly positioned her to spread love and wellbeing on a global scale. This rich tapestry of professional experiences has made her a formidable and compassionate force in the coaching industry. An interesting fact about Deb is her deep love for music. Before she became a transformational coach, she worked in nightclubs and even had a stint as a bouncer!

Website :

https://www.coachtrainingcampus.com/

Contact information : https://linktr.ee/debking

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Host & Sponsor : Jacqui Bourne www.purpose-unleashed.com

Podcast edited by : Jess Bourne and Yiting Wang

Niki Kinsella is an Intuitive spiritual and business coach for women wanting a holistic approach to moving through their blocks. Her speciality is helping woo-loving female entrepreneurs to remove limiting beliefs, get out of their own way, feel amazeballs and smash the shizzle out of their goals in a way that sets their soul and business on fire. A lover of supporting women to connect to their own inner voice, make business and life decisions that feel aligned, and to shine their light in their own unique way. Niki combines spirituality, mindset work, and business coaching to empower female entrepreneurs to overcome their limiting beliefs and emotional blocks to do the things THEY want to do without giving a f*ck what other people think.

Website : www.nikikinsella.com

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/nikikinsella

Instagram : https://www.Instagram.com/nikikinsella

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Host & Sponsor : Jacqui Bourne www.purpose-unleashed.com

Podcast edited by : Jess Bourne and Yiting Wang