The Sacred Startover

E11: Redefining Leadership and Building a Business That Actually Cares

In this deeply honest and powerful conversation, I’m joined by Suzanne Edmond, founder of Moxy Communications and former Director of Communications in the UK government. After a 20-year career working across international, corporate, government and charities, in relentless high-pressure leadership roles, Suzanne reached what she describes as a spectacular burnout - the moment that forced her to question who she was without her job, and whether success was worth the cost. Suzanne shares the truth about walking away without a plan, the fear of being judged, and the courage it takes to start again on your own terms. This is a conversation for anyone who feels exhausted by success, trapped by expectations, or quietly wondering if there’s another way to live and work - without burning themselves to the ground. ✨ A Sacred Startover isn’t about starting from scratch. It’s about starting stronger - with wisdom, boundaries, and self-trust. ABOUT SUZANNE Suzanne Edmond, Founder & CEO   Suzanne is a multi-disciplined communications professional with experience working for international FTSE25 companies, Government, and charities and advising senior leaders and Cabinet Ministers on controversial and high-profile issues. Suzanne is an accredited coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation and has experience facilitating workshops and leadership development.   Prior to founding her own business Moxy Communications in 2022, Suzanne was Group Director of Communications at the Department for Transport (DfT), where she led communications and marketing for rail timetabling issues, airline insolvencies, Brexit and Covid. She was also responsible for overseeing multi-million-pound campaigns, including THINK!, Go Ultra Low, and It's Everyone's Journey. Suzanne was also Head of Profession for the Government’s External Affairs Profession, which she established in 2018.   Before the government in 2016, Suzanne spent over a decade working in energy-intensive industries. She led Centrica Energy’s international communications team across the UK, Netherlands, Norway, and Canada, and advised Shell’s global chemicals business on crisis communications, stakeholder relations, and European policy issues. Earlier in her career, she led public affairs and media relations for the Advertising Association’s Food Advertising Unit and worked at the Cabinet Office. CONNECT WITH SUZANNE Linkedin: here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanneruthedmond/] CONNECT WITH MOXY COMMUNICATIONS: Website: here [https://www.moxycommunications.com/] Instagram: here [https://www.instagram.com/moxycommunications/] ______________ ✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul.   Do you have a story you would like to share? Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGiO7k_8c8dGe1M_RY2T87NaEIZ9ntRd0a-R83ezvOkCU8zg/viewform?usp=header].   WORK WITH SHAUNA:   Business Mentoring & Coaching Services Book in for a Discovery Call Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/aucAP8SUJUTTqaD7e5Y4] Learn more on my website: here [https://www.shaunablair.com] The Sacred Startover Podcast - Hosted by Shauna Blair, Business Mentor & Coach, Energy Healer & multi-award-winning Founder. Website: www.shaunablair.com [https://www.shaunablair.com] Instagram: @ [https://www.instagram.com/shaunablair]TheSacredStartover [https://www.instagram.com/thesacredstartover] LinkedIn: Shauna Blair [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunablair/] Subscribe or follow to never miss an episode, share with a friend navigating change & leave a review - it helps other founders find this space. © 2025 Shauna Blair - All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

E10: Identity Is The Invisible Ceiling In Your Business

In this final episode of 2025, I’m reflecting on a year of massive change - and sharing the inner work that’s been quietly reshaping everything. We’re talking about self-identity: the subconscious beliefs and emotional patterns that influence how you lead, how visible you let yourself be, how you handle money, success, failure and why you can be “doing all the right things” strategically, but still feel stuck. I share my own experience of moving through identity loss after closing my food brand business, and the deeper realisation that so much of what held me back wasn’t strategy - it was the internal story I was living from. If you’ve ever felt imposter syndrome, capped your growth, procrastinated at the edge of success, or felt like you’re “between versions” of yourself… this episode is for you. We’re pausing for Christmas, and I’ll be back in 2026 with deeper conversations - but for now: go easy on yourself. If this episode landed for you, it would mean the world if you’d follow the show, leave a review, or share it with a founder who needs it. ✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul.   Do you have a story you would like to share? Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGiO7k_8c8dGe1M_RY2T87NaEIZ9ntRd0a-R83ezvOkCU8zg/viewform?usp=header].   WORK WITH SHAUNA:   Business Mentoring & Coaching Services   Book in for a Discovery Call Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/aucAP8SUJUTTqaD7e5Y4]   Book in for 1:1 Business Mentoring & Coaching Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/aTcKT4b49tAogIv6kLfG]   Book in for In-Person Reiki Energy Healing Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/iEqiFzLEUaohoK6PCQez] The Sacred Startover Podcast - Hosted by Shauna Blair, Business Mentor & Coach, Energy Healer & multi-award-winning Founder. Website: www.shaunablair.com [https://www.shaunablair.com] Instagram: @ [https://www.instagram.com/shaunablair]TheSacredStartover [https://www.instagram.com/thesacredstartover] LinkedIn: Shauna Blair [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunablair/] Subscribe or follow to never miss an episode, share with a friend navigating change & leave a review - it helps other founders find this space. © 2025 Shauna Blair - All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

E9: Why Mindset Matters More Than Strategy in Entrepreneurship

In this solo episode of The Sacred Startover, Shauna explores why mindset matters more than strategy in entrepreneurship - especially for women founders. This isn’t about toxic positivity or “just thinking happy thoughts.” It’s a grounded, evidence-backed conversation on how your beliefs, nervous system, emotional regulation, and self-image shape how you show up when business gets hard. Drawing on neuroscience, positive psychology, and her own experience as a multi-award-winning founder, Shauna explains why two entrepreneurs with the same strategy can end up in completely different places - and how mindset determines whether you grow, burn out, self-sabotage, or quietly give up. In this episode, you’ll explore: * What mindset really is (and what it isn’t) * Why stress and nervous system dysregulation block clarity and creativity * The mindset skills that support resilience, confidence, and better decision-making * Why you can’t build a business bigger than the self-image you hold If you feel like you’re pushing harder but moving slower, this episode is an invitation to stop forcing - and start building from the inside out. In the next episode, Shauna dives deeper into identity and how who you believe you are quietly shapes your business success. ✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul.   Do you have a story you would like to share? Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGiO7k_8c8dGe1M_RY2T87NaEIZ9ntRd0a-R83ezvOkCU8zg/viewform?usp=header].   WORK WITH SHAUNA:   Business Mentoring & Coaching Services   Book in for a Discovery Call Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/aucAP8SUJUTTqaD7e5Y4]   Book in for 1:1 Business Mentoring & Coaching Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/aTcKT4b49tAogIv6kLfG]   Book in for In-Person Reiki Energy Healing Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/iEqiFzLEUaohoK6PCQez] The Sacred Startover Podcast - Hosted by Shauna Blair, Business Mentor & Coach, Energy Healer & multi-award-winning Founder. Website: www.shaunablair.com [https://www.shaunablair.com] Instagram: @ [https://www.instagram.com/shaunablair]TheSacredStartover [https://www.instagram.com/thesacredstartover] LinkedIn: Shauna Blair [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunablair/] Subscribe or follow to never miss an episode, share with a friend navigating change & leave a review - it helps other founders find this space. © 2025 Shauna Blair - All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

E8: From NHS Psychiatrist to Circular Economy Founder with Dr. Rosie Oretti

In this episode of The Sacred Startover, I sit down with Dr. Rosie Oretti - former NHS consultant psychiatrist turned founder of Grounds for Good, a circular-economy brand transforming waste coffee grounds into award-winning food and drink products. Rosie shares her unexpected reinvention story: retiring after 30 years in the NHS, finding herself bored during lockdown, and discovering a global waste problem hiding in plain sight. What began as curiosity grew into a mission-led business focused on environmental, social, and community impact - all rooted in creativity, science, and purpose. Together, we explore: • The identity shift of leaving a long career • Starting a business in your late 50s - and why it’s never too late • The emotional ups and downs of being a solo founder • How creativity and persistence fuel entrepreneurship • Why networks, community, and asking for help matter more than you think • The power of reconnecting to your original “why” • How Grounds for Good transforms waste coffee into spirits, chocolate, oils, and more • The social impact driving the brand’s mission Rosie’s story is a masterclass in reinvention, resilience, and building a business that genuinely makes a difference. Connect with Grounds for Good: Website: www.groundsforgood.co.uk [https://groundsforgood.co.uk/] Instagram: @groundsforgood [https://www.instagram.com/groundsforgood/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groundsforgoodwales [https://www.facebook.com/groundsforgoodwales] The Sacred Startover Podcast - Hosted by Shauna Blair, Business Mentor & Coach, Energy Healer & multi-award-winning Founder. Website: www.shaunablair.com [https://www.shaunablair.com] Instagram: @ [https://www.instagram.com/shaunablair]TheSacredStartover [https://www.instagram.com/thesacredstartover] LinkedIn: Shauna Blair [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunablair/] Subscribe or follow to never miss an episode, share with a friend navigating change & leave a review - it helps other founders find this space. © 2025 Shauna Blair - All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

E7: From Rock Bottom to Claritee with Alex Clapp

In this episode of The Sacred Startover, I sit down with Alex Clapp, founder of Claritee - the UK’s first alcohol-free corporate events company - to talk about addiction, recovery and what it really takes to rebuild your life. Alex is a seasoned entrepreneur and wellbeing advocate, with over 25 years of business leadership experience. As Managing Director of County Cost Consultants and Founder of Claritee, the UK’s trailblazing alcohol free corporate events company, Alex is pioneering a cultural shift in how businesses approach workplace wellbeing and socialising. His journey is deeply personal, after facing an undiagnosed eye condition and battling alcoholism, Alex turned adversity into purpose. Now three years sober, he uses his story to inspire others through keynote speaking, podcasts and events such as The SHINE Awards, the UK’s first alcohol free awards ceremony. Passionate about inclusivity, mental health and authentic leadership, Alex continues to challenge outdated workplace norms and advocates for new ways of connecting and socialising, showing that wellbeing and success go hand in hand. He opens up about the moment he knew he needed to beat addiction, and the frameworks, tools and self-awareness that keep him clean and sober 3 years later. You’ll also hear how Claritee was born - from alcohol-free events and sober congas to Claritee 2.0, a wellness hub connecting people to alcohol-free events, retreats, movement, breathwork, community and more. This is a conversation about choice, self-responsibility, and the truth that it’s never too late to start again. Listen in if you’re curious about recovery, questioning your relationship with alcohol, or supporting someone you love through addiction - and don’t forget to follow The Sacred Startover for more stories of endings, reinventions and everything in between. Connect with Alex and Claritee: * Website: https://www.clariteegroup.co.uk/ [https://www.clariteegroup.co.uk/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clariteegroup [https://www.instagram.com/clariteegroup] * Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clariteegroup/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/clariteegroup/] ✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul.   Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGiO7k_8c8dGe1M_RY2T87NaEIZ9ntRd0a-R83ezvOkCU8zg/viewform?usp=header].   WORK WITH SHAUNA:   Business Mentoring & Coaching Services   Book in for a Discovery Call Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/aucAP8SUJUTTqaD7e5Y4]   Book in for 1:1 Business Mentoring & Coaching Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/aTcKT4b49tAogIv6kLfG]   Book in for In-Person Reiki Energy Healing Here [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/iEqiFzLEUaohoK6PCQez] The Sacred Startover Podcast - Hosted by Shauna Blair, Business Mentor & Coach, Energy Healer & multi-award-winning Founder. Website: www.shaunablair.com [https://www.shaunablair.com] Instagram: @ [https://www.instagram.com/shaunablair]TheSacredStartover [https://www.instagram.com/thesacredstartover] LinkedIn: Shauna Blair [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunablair/] Subscribe or follow to never miss an episode, share with a friend navigating change & leave a review - it helps other founders find this space. © 2025 Shauna Blair - All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.