Episode 61: Heather Kennett - How One Woman Built a Curly Hair Brand Against All Odds

From Brain Haemorrhage to Building a Creative Agency: Tobias Donahoe's Extraordinary Creative Journey

What does it take to build something truly your own when every step of the journey threw up a roadblock you never expected?In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Tobias Donahoe, Director of TPD Creative — a multi-disciplinary creative agency based in Manston, Kent, offering branding, graphic design, 3D modelling, CGI, web design and marketing under one roof.Tobias's story is one of the most persistently surprising we've recorded. From being told A levels weren't for him, to studying operations engineering, to a foundation degree in CAD and 3D animation that got cancelled in its final year, to an industrial design degree at Bournemouth where he topped his class, but nearly didn't receive his degree. To roof truss design, to six months backpacking Southeast Asia, to a near-fatal cycling accident that caused a brain haemorrhage — to finally launching TPD Creative and building it from a spare room into a real agency with a team, clients across multiple industries, and 3D models shipped to Portland, Oregon and New York.In this warm, funny and genuinely honest conversation, Tobias talks about:🔹 Being told A levels weren't for him — and why that turned out fine🔹 A foundation degree in CAD and 3D animation that got cancelled in its third year🔹 Topping his class at Bournemouth's industrial design course, then receiving an invoice instead of a degree at graduation🔹 The 12-year deal to pay back £6,000 at £10 a month — negotiated down from £100🔹 Six months backpacking Southeast Asia — Goa, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Bali, Australia🔹 Proposing to his wife in Bali🔹 A cycling accident that caused a brain haemorrhage, fractured skull and memory loss and what happened when he forgot his fiancée🔹 The moment back at his desk after the accident that made him decide: enough, I'm starting the agency🔹 Launching TPD Creative with no clients and the first client going under two weeks in🔹 Building through COVID with the right three clients in the right three industries🔹 A year-long battle with a client who owed tens of thousands and the social media tactic that finally worked🔹 3D models shipped to Portland, Oregon and a New York art gallery🔹 Why diverse clients are your best recession protection?🔹 T-level students, local college partnerships and giving back to education🔹 What success actually means to him (it's not money)🔹 The dad who'd knock on the door at 5am and leave without you if you were lateThis is one for anyone who's ever wondered whether to start something, go it alone, or keep going when it gets hard.Contact Tobias 👇https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdonohoe/http://www.tpdcreative.co.uk/🙌 Many thanks to our sponsors:https://www.hempsteadhouse.co.uk/https://whatsoninkent.com/https://theitrustapp.com/Special thanks to Charlie Smith for the help with editing 🙌 https://www.dr-ant.co.uk - for the book giftshttps://www.tropicskincare.com/meridonikyankoleva - for the Tropic skincare gifts✊ If you like what we are doing and would like to support us 👉https://buymeacoffee.com/MeetYourInspiration

Is Private Health Insurance Worth It? The Honest Truth From Someone Who Knows | Nina Balachander

What do you do when your career has taken you from a hospital ward to Zambia to a farm garage — and none of it was planned?In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Nina Balachander, healthcare insurance specialist and WPA partner. Nina's story is a masterclass in following curiosity, adapting to life's surprises, and finding purpose in the most unexpected places.Nina studied nutrition and dietetics at King's College London, became a dietitian, then went back to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for a masters, during which she travelled solo to Zambia to collect research data on HIV. She came home, got married, became a senior research fellow for NICE, had children, left the commute behind to become a childminder, trained as a play therapist, volunteered with her therapy dog in schools and nursing homes, worked with a foster organisation and then, almost by accident, found WPA.In this warm, honest and surprisingly funny conversation, Nina talks about:🔹 Studying dietetics at King's College London and why she went back for more🔹 A solo trip to Zambia aged 20-something to collect HIV research data🔹 Meeting an extraordinary woman who turned her home into an orphanage for children with HIV🔹 Becoming a senior research fellow for NICE — writing guidelines for the NHS🔹 Leaving her career to become a childminder and why it was the right call for her family🔹 Training as a play therapist and using her dog as a therapy animal in schools🔹 The challenges of working with a foster organisation and knowing when to step back🔹 How WPA found her (via her husband) and why it was the perfect fit🔹 What private health insurance actually is and the common misconceptions🔹 Why the NHS is brilliant but why people are turning to private healthcare🔹 Why starting a health insurance policy young is one of the smartest financial decisions🔹 Walking networking meetings, cereal for dinner, and the therapy of owning a calm dogWhether you're curious about private health insurance, navigating a career change, or simply looking for a story that proves life has a funny way of connecting the dots — this episode is for you.💬 "I never knew what I wanted to do. And now looking back, it all connects. The nutrition, the research, the children, the care — it's all part of the same thread." — Nina Balachander🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.👍 Like if Nina's story resonated with you.💬 Comment — have you ever had a career that surprised you? We'd love to hear from you.Contact Nina👇LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-balachander/Many thanks to our sponsors:https://www.hempsteadhouse.co.uk/https://whatsoninkent.com/https://theitrustapp.com/Special thanks to Charlie Smith for the help with editing 🙌

From Rock Bottom to Life Coach: Sonia Pace on Football, Burnout, Bullying & Finding Your Purpose

What do you do when you've spent years doing everything right and still feel completely lost?In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Sonia Pace : ICF-accredited life coach, personal trainer, radio host, and passionate advocate for athlete wellbeing. Sonia's story is layered, honest, and ultimately uplifting.From a sports diploma that went nowhere to years of office jobs she was brilliant at but hated, from a divorce that knocked her confidence completely, to a fitness transformation, a personal training business, a wellness hub, a stint at Sky, and a dark period of her life, Sonia has rebuilt herself more times than most people manage once.And now? She's channelling all of it into coaching ex-athletes and footballers through the hardest transition of their careers: life after sport.In this deeply honest conversation, Sonia covers:🔹 Growing up as the only girl playing football and always following her own path🔹 Years of office jobs, stewarding and security work, brilliant at everything, fulfilled by nothing🔹 How a divorce knocked her confidence and sent her into hiding🔹 Winning a local fitness transformation challenge and how it sparked everything that followed🔹 Training with Miami Pro competitors and becoming stronger than the guys in the gym🔹 Leaving a job that denied her time with her dying father, one of the best decisions she ever made🔹 Losing her dad one week into the first COVID lockdown and how she kept going🔹 Online bullying that got so bad that she had dark thoughts and what brought her back🔹 Discovering life coaching mid-burnout and realising it was what she'd been doing all along🔹 Why ex-footballers get lost after sport — gambling, identity crisis, no one asking the right questions🔹 Her upcoming podcast interviewing former sportsmen and women about life after the game🔹 Training for the Yorkshire Three Peaks two years after a torn meniscus🔹 The Europa League final, a chaotic coach journey, and the tattoo that tells the whole storyThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt pigeonholed, lost, knocked down by someone else's opinion or who wonders whether athletes are really okay behind the game face.💬 "From feeling very low from bullying to realising I want the pain to end. This person isn't ruling my life. I'm in charge." — Sonia PaceContact Sonia 👇LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-pace-88806319/🙌 Many thanks to our sponsors:https://www.hempsteadhouse.co.uk/https://whatsoninkent.com/https://theitrustapp.com/Special thanks to Charlie Smith for the help with editing 🙌 Book gift - https://www.dr-ant.co.uk Tropic skincare gifts - https://www.tropicskincare.com/meridonikyankoleva ✊ You can support us 👉https://buymeacoffee.com/MeetYourInspiration

From Burnout to Business: How Being Autistic Made Lucy Jessey a Better Entrepreneur

What if everything you struggled with your whole life suddenly had an explanation?In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Lucy Jessey, founder of Crescent Digital Marketing — a marketing agency that specialises in working with neurodivergent-led businesses. Lucy's story is one of reinvention, resilience, and the remarkable clarity that comes when you finally understand how your brain works.From a criminology and psychology degree at Keele University to accidental social media management at Hever Castle, from running her own wedding planning business to closing it during COVID, from charity marketing to going freelance — Lucy has navigated more career pivots than most people have in a lifetime. And she did it all before she knew she was autistic.In this honest, practical, and deeply personal conversation, Lucy opens up about:🔹 Studying criminology and psychology — including a dissertation on women who kill🔹 How she stumbled into marketing completely by accident at Hever Castle🔹 Building a wedding and events business from scratch with two young children🔹 Closing her business during COVID — and why she didn't feel heartbroken🔹 Her son Daniel's autism, PDA and ADHD diagnosis — and the years of challenges before it🔹 Her own late autism diagnosis — and why it "changed everything and nothing"🔹 What it means to mask as a woman with autism and why girls go undiagnosed for so long🔹 The difference between autism and ADHD — explained simply and clearly🔹 Why neurodivergent business owners need flexible structures, not rigid ones🔹 The truth about social media marketing — vanity metrics, viral myths, and what actually works🔹 How she built Crescent Digital Marketing around her neurodivergence and why that's her superpower🔹 Running the Crescent Podcast and championing Kent's small business communityWhether you're neurodivergent, a small business owner, a parent navigating a child's diagnosis, or simply someone who's ever felt like they didn't quite fit in — this conversation will resonate.💬 "For years I thought I was broken. I thought I was weak. Getting the diagnosis meant I finally understood why I'd always felt like an outsider." — Lucy JesseyContact Lucy👇https://www.crescentdigitalmarketing.co.uk🙌 Many thanks to our sponsors:https://www.hempsteadhouse.co.uk/https://whatsoninkent.com/https://theitrustapp.com/Special thanks to Charlie Smith for the help with editing 🙌 https://www.dr-ant.co.uk - for the book giftshttps://www.tropicskincare.com/meridonikyankoleva - for the Tropic skincare gifts✊ If you like what we are doing and would like to support us 👉https://buymeacoffee.com/MeetYourInspiration🎙️ About Meet Your Inspiration PodcastHosted by Meri and Rich, Meet Your Inspiration is the podcast where ordinary people tell extraordinary stories. Every episode is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and going beyond what you thought was possible.🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.👍 Like if Lucy's story resonated with you.💬 Comment — have you or someone you love been diagnosed as neurodivergent? We'd love to hear from you.

Graham Baker - Men's Mental Health, Grief & Starting Over | Meet Your Inspiration Podcast Graham Baker's Journey to Finding Purpose - Stillbirth, Depression & Climbing Kilimanjaro

What happens when you lose everything that made you and then rebuild yourself from scratch?In this powerful episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Meri and Rich sit down with Graham Baker, commercial photographer, mental health advocate, and all-round extraordinary human being. What starts as a story about photography quickly reveals itself to be something far deeper — a raw, honest journey through grief, identity, depression, and ultimately, transformation.Graham's life reads like no ordinary CV. From struggling at school to landing an IT career at Reuters, volunteering as a Territorial Army medic, serving as a Metropolitan Police Officer, and eventually building a thriving photography business, Graham has never stopped reinventing himself. But it was the devastating loss of his daughter Scarlett, born still at full term, that became both his lowest point and, years later, the unlikely beginning of Graham Baker Photography.In this deeply moving conversation, Graham opens up about:🔹 How he went from academic underachiever to award-winning college student🔹 What 10 years in the TA and Royal Army Medical Corps taught him about self-reliance and resilience🔹 Life as a Metropolitan Police Officer — community policing, the reality of mental health on the job, and why he'd never join today🔹 The stillbirth of his daughter Scarlett and how unprocessed grief silently destroyed his mental health🔹 How photography became his lifeline — born out of tragedy, built into a career🔹 Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Toubkal with a group of men united by loss🔹 His work as a photography teacher with adult SEN learners — and why it makes him a better photographer🔹 A deeply personal revelation he shares publicly for the very first timeThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt stuck, lost their sense of identity, or wondered if it's too late to start over. Graham's story is proof that your most painful chapter can become your most purposeful one.💬 "I didn't want to be around. I don't mean I was going to do anything really bad, but I could have got in a car and driven and not worried about where I was going." — Graham Baker🔗 Links & Resources MentionedContact Graham: https://www.grahambakerphotography.com🕐 CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction & how Graham and the hosts connected02:20 – School struggles and the business studies breakthrough04:34 – The plan to go to Australia that never happened07:00 – Joining the Territorial Army & Royal Army Medical Corps11:39 – Life in the TA: weekends, exercises, and Morse code14:03 – What the military really teaches you about life18:43 – Becoming a Special Constable — then a full-time Police Officer21:09 – Hendon training and the Metropolitan Police28:06 – Policing protests, effective communication, and community work32:53 – When the job started breaking him37:28 – The loss of Scarlett — a stillbirth that changed everything42:07 – How grief strains relationships and goes unprocessed46:37 – How photography became his escape and then his business51:11 – Building Graham Baker Photography by accident53:26 – Rock bottom: depression, antidepressants, and feeling nothing55:49 – Discovering Strongmen — a men's bereavement charity01:01:11 – Climbing Snowdon and the power of peer support01:03:27 – The "reset button" weekend that changed everything01:05:49 – Man Up Now charity and general men's mental health01:08:14 – Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for Strongmen01:10:39 – Mount Toubkal and the adventures that followed01:13:04 – The transformation: from 18 stone and depressed to thriving01:20:01 – Commercial photography and working with entrepreneurs01:22:26 – Teaching photography to adult SEN learners01:29:37 – Karate black belt, non-stop drive, and what's next01:38:41 – A deeply personal story shared publicly for the first time01:43:30 – Stoicism, identity, and choosing how you react01:45:00 – Closing thoughts and how to connect with Graham