The UpLift Podcast 1

010 - The Uplift Podcast: Do Hard Things. Get Addicted to Your Life with Erin Thompson

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your confidence had nothing to do with how you look? This week's guest has spent years mastering her body — first as an IFBB Figure Pro, then as an Ironman triathlete crossing finish lines that have nothing to do with a stage. Erin Thompson is also one of the most open advocates for ADHD in women, and what it really means to be a high-achieving woman who thinks, trains, and pushes differently. This conversation goes deep into something I feel strongly about: women are not pushed enough. We are not encouraged to discover what we are truly capable of. And that gap — between the woman you are now and the woman you'd be if you stopped playing it safe — is where this episode lives. What started as a conversation about sport became something much bigger — about dopamine, about doing hard things, about the carry-over from a brutal training session into the way you walk into a room, parent your children, run your business, and see yourself. If you've ever held yourself back from something because you didn't think you could do it, this episode is for you. Follow Erins journey - Erint.femmevo on Instagram Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening, You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram where we have our next 12 week group intake OPEN NOW (Closes May 9th). I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change.

009 - The Uplift Podcast: Brainwashed, Why women chase small instead of STRONG and how to finally stop

Why do so many women who know better still find themselves chasing smaller instead of stronger? In this solo episode your host, Scarlett gets completely honest by sharing her own journey from overweight, insecure beginner to competitive powerlifter, bodybuilder, and now strongwoman — and breaks down exactly where the conditioning that keeps women small actually comes from, what it is costing them physically and mentally, and the specific action steps to start moving away from it for good. This is not a motivational pep talk. This is an honest, science-backed, experience-led conversation about the belief system most fitness content never touches — and what becomes available when you finally do. In this episode: — Why Scarlett started training and the journey nobody saw behind the stage and the platform — The real history of diet culture and how it became so deeply embedded in how women see their bodies and their worth — How the wellness industry repackaged restriction and made it aspirational — and why so many intelligent women still fell for it — What chronically undereating actually does to a woman's hormones, cortisol, muscle tissue and body composition — Why women consistently underestimate their own strength — and the psychology behind lifting lighter than they're capable of — Five specific action steps to begin shifting from chasing small to building strong starting this week Key takeaways: Captain Scarlift Coaching — global online coaching for women 30+ who want to feel and look physically and mentally strong — The Uplift Project — 12 week transformation programme ending in a location shoot. UK Women only. Limited spaces opening WC27th April — Free Sleep Guide — DM SLEEP to receive Scarlett's free guide to improving sleep quality for women who train Connect with your host, Scarlett: Instagram: @CaptainScarliftcoaching Apply for coaching If this episode landed — please share it, leave a review, and send it to a woman who needs this conversation today. It genuinely helps more women find this show and this community. Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening, You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram where we have our next 12 week group intake OPEN NOW (Closes May 9th). I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change.

008 - The Uplift Podcast: Stand Tall, Own the Room — The Art of Posing, Body Language & the Mindset Behind Real Confidence ft. Coach Katie Barnes

What started as a conversation about body language and posing turned into a deeper dive into mindset. Katie is a coach, competitive bodybuilder, posing coach and mum of one. I thought we were going to talk about how to stand. How to walk into a room. The physical stuff. And we did. But then something shifted. Because you cannot talk about how a woman holds her body without talking about why she stopped holding it that way in the first place.  This episode goes there. What We Cover: Katie's story, the real version. Life after having her baby, running a business with a newborn, leaving a stable job and the moment she started coming back to herself. The art of posing, what it actually is and why it's not just for stage. From the gym to the boardroom to the school gate, what your body is communicating before you've said a single word. The mindset shift nobody talks about — because confidence is not a body position. It's a belief system. And the two have to move together. The lies women tell themselves post-baby — the ones that feel like facts. We named them and took them apart. Try This Right Now: Roll your shoulders back. Chin parallel to the floor. One slow breath out. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice how that feels. That's what this whole episode is about. Connect With Katie: 📲 Instagram: @PosedbyKB 🌐 Loved this episode? Share it with someone who needs it. Leave Scarlett a review — it helps more women find this show. 🤍 ✨ THE UPLIFT PROJECT — MAY INTAKE NOW OPEN ✨ Everything we talked about today — the posing, the presence, the mindset — this is the work Scarlett does inside The Uplift Project.  A 12-week group experience culminating in a professional shoot. Women come in apologising for their bodies. They leave with images that make them cry — because they finally see what everyone else has always seen. Spaces are limited. May intake is open now. Bigger and Better than ever before 👉 https://kahunas.io/form/cz9w54 [https://kahunas.io/form/cz9w54] You don't have to be ready. Just curious. Come and be uplifted. 🤍 Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening, You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram where we have our next 12 week group intake OPEN NOW (Closes May 9th). I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change.

007 - The Uplift Project: Finding confidence through strength with former IFBB Figure competitor Barbara Kiss

What does it actually mean to feel confident in your body — not just look confident, but genuinely feel it from the inside out? In this episode, I sit down with Barbra Kiss — IFBB Pro figure competitor turned CrossFit and strength athlete — to talk about one of the most underrated shifts a woman can make: moving from training her body to look a certain way, to discovering what her body can actually do. We get into the real cost of competing at a high level, what it feels like to walk away from something you've been defined by, and why starting over as a beginner past 30 might be the most freeing thing you ever do. This is a conversation about strength, self-trust, and the kind of confidence that doesn't disappear when the abs do. If you're stepping away from a sport, trying something new, or rebuilding your relationship with your body — this one's for you. > "Strong isn't a size, it isn't a placing, and it definitely isn't a reflection in the mirror. It's what you discover when you stop performing for everyone else and start showing up for yourself." What We Cover * What life as an IFBB Pro figure competitor really felt like day to day * The moment Barbra knew there was something beyond the stage * Being a beginner again — the ego check of starting from scratch * Confidence beyond aesthetics: what it means and why it matters * Why women need to physically feel strong, not just be told they are * What stops women over 30 from trying something new * Building self-trust when the feedback isn't there yet * How discipline evolves when there's no competition to train for * What to say to the woman standing at the edge of something new and terrifying If This Episode Resonated Share it with someone who needs to hear it. If you know a woman who is stepping away from sport, trying something new past 30, or stuck in a loop of performing for everyone else — send her this episode. Sometimes the thing someone needs to hear is just that someone else already lived it and came out the other side. Leave a review. Reviews help the show reach more women who are ready for this conversation. It takes 30 seconds and genuinely makes a difference. Subscribe so you never miss an episode — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen. Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening, You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram where we have our next 12 week group intake OPEN NOW (Closes May 9th). I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change.

006 - The Uplift Podcast: Identity, beyond the mirror with Jenny Chistyakova

What happens when the thing that gave you identity stops serving you? Former NPC & PCA bikini competitor Jenny Chisty gets raw about stepping away from the stage and navigating the identity crisis that followed.  Her life revolved around prep cycles, stage weight, and how her body looked under lights—until she realised it wasn't making her happy anymore. This conversation isn't just for competitors. It's for any woman who's built her worth around appearance and wants to find purpose beyond the mirror. Jenny shares the grief of losing her "competitor body," the messy process of untangling worth from aesthetics, and what she's gained on the other side: freedom, sustainability, and training that actually fulfills her. You'll discover: * The identity crisis that comes with stepping away from aesthetic goals * How to navigate body changes when you stop maintaining "stage condition" * Finding challenge and purpose in training beyond how you look * The difference between lifestyle training and competition mindset * Practical steps to shift from appearance-focused to purpose-driven This episode is for you if: You've built identity around how your body looks, you're achieving aesthetic goals but feel empty, you're tired of measuring worth by your reflection, or you're ready to find fulfillment beyond the mirror. The Uplift Project is about building purpose away from just how you look. This is what that journey actually looks like. If you are interested in joining he next group you can enquire via our instagram link.  Hosted by Scarlett Portues  #TheUpliftPodcast #BeyondAesthetics #Whoareyou #IdentityShift #TheUpliftProject Your host Scarlett Portues - Thanks for listening, You can find more information on the Uplift Project at - @theupliftproject1 on instagram where we have our next 12 week group intake OPEN NOW (Closes May 9th). I'm more than proud to have worked with females for the last 6 years both in physique development, strength and real lifestyle change.