Long Story Short

Chapter 27 | Meet Zara Muirhead | When your safe job stops fitting

Have you ever stayed somewhere longer than you were meant to?In this episode, Zara Muirhead Founder of Love Literacy and Love Education CIC is a multi-award-winning educator, speaker and social entrepreneur. Zara openly shares her transition from secondary school leadership to building something life-changing from a classroom at the end of her garden while raising her family with her husband. Although she returned to leadership roles with secondary school education four different times, she knew deep down she was being called elsewhere. Leaving the security of a salary wasn’t easy, especially while battling self-doubt and fear, but she realised peace mattered more than comfort.And I have to say… parts of Zara’s story are also mine, and I suspect many others too.✨ That feeling of knowing there is more for you.✨ The fear of leaving stability behind.We also talk about:✅ Worklife balance as an entrepreneur with a family ✅ Motherhood and identity✅ Pivoting with purpose✅ Self-belief and personal growthA honest conversation about courage, alignment and becoming. The Long Story Short Podcast brings you inspiring stories of resilience from people around the world. Through their honest narratives, we highlight the resilience behind their achievements, providing you with key insights for your own personal growth. 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱:Song: LAKEY INSPIRED - Days Like These. Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9xs2K4SG-o🎵 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 https://www.patreon.com/profile/creators?u=4430730𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀:https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2Qhttps://www.instagram.com/lakeyinspired/Disclaimer:The views, opinions and interpretations expressed by the guest in this episode are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions of The Long Story Short Podcast or its Host.

Episode 26 | Meet Naomi L.A Smith | From Feeling Trapped to Purpose | From Scarcity to Abundance

❓Have you ever felt trapped in a life that wasn’t yours?In this episode of Long Story Short, I am joined by Naomi L.A Smith who is a Transformative creative consultant and former fashion & global black studies librarian. Naomi shares her journey from feeling stuck in a full-time job, facing racism and microaggressions in the workplace, to embracing entrepreneurship and creating the life she was meant to live. What we explore in this episode: ✅ The moment she realised she wasn’t on her life path. ✅ How scarcity mindset vs abundance mindset shaped her choices. ✅ Why trusting the unknown as an entrepreneur is a spiritual journey. ✅ How setbacks became gateways to opportunities. This conversation includes sensitive topic discussions around mental health, including experiences of psychosis. It is intended for educational and inspirational purposes. If you are struggling with your mental health, please reach out to a professional for support. 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦: MIND https://www.mind.org.uk/ THE EMPOWERMENT GROUP https://www.theempowermentgroup.co.uk/ The Long Story Short Podcast brings you inspiring stories of resilience from people around the world. Through their honest narratives, we highlight the resilience behind their achievements, providing you with key insights for your own personal growth. 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱:Song: LAKEY INSPIRED - Days Like These. Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9xs2K4SG-o🎵 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 https://www.patreon.com/profile/creators?u=4430730 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀:https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2Qhttps://www.instagram.com/lakeyinspired/ Disclaimer:This video includes discussions around mental health, including experiences of psychosis. It is intended for educational and inspirational purposes. If you are struggling with your mental health, please reach out to a professional for support. The views, opinions and interpretations expressed by the guest in this episode are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions of The Long Story Short Podcast or its Host.

Episode 25 | Meet Dr MaryAnn Ferreux | From “Go Back to Your Country” to Award Winning Medical Leader

In this episode, I am joined by Dr MaryAnn Ferreux. An award-winning medical leader with over 20 years of international experience across Australia and the UK. We explore her journey through racism in healthcare and misogyny in leadership, and how those experiences shaped her approach to health equity, diversity in healthcare and breaking barriers in executive leadership. MaryAnn shares her journey from a childhood where she often felt she didn’t quite fit in, navigating life between a council estate and private schooling, to becoming a respected Medical Leader and positive disruptor in healthcare. This is a conversation about identity, resilience, leadership and what it truly takes to rise in spaces that were never designed for you.We talk about: ✅ Early childhood beginnings growing up in Holborn, London ✅ Experiencing racism and misogyny in healthcare leadership ✅ Why she rejects cancel culture ✅ Breaking down systems to champion equity in her work This conversation is for anyone who has: 📌Felt unseen in professional spaces - often as the 'only one in the room'. 📌Carried the weight of prejudice. 📌Questioned whether leadership was “for them” or is ready to rise anyway! 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱:Song: LAKEY INSPIRED - Days Like These. Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9xs2K4SG-o 🎵 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 https://www.patreon.com/profile/creators?u=4430730 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀:https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2Qhttps://www.instagram.com/lakeyinspired/

Episode 24 | Meet Cal-I Jonel | When creativity calls louder.

What happens when the life you’ve built no longer has space for the voice that keeps calling you forward?In this episode of Long Story Short, I am joined by Cal-I Jonel - an East London-born writer, composer and performer creating great work across the stage and screen.Cal-I shares his journey from teaching into full-time acting and the quiet but powerful season in between. Where his creative voice felt constrained discomfort became a teacher AND risk became necessary.We talk about:✅ Listening to your creative calling✅ Navigating discomfort during a career pivot✅ Choosing risk over safety✅ Honouring purpose without rejecting your past✅ Recognising WHEN where you are no longer fitsThis conversation is for anyone who feels misaligned but not lost. AND for those standing at the edge of change, wondering whether to stay comfortable or step forward.𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗟-𝗜 𝗝𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗟 𝗕(𝘀𝗰) 𝗤𝗧𝗦Cal-I Jonel is an East London-born writer, composer and performer telling bold, emotionally resonant stories across stage and screen. His debut play No More Mr Nice Guy, a piece of gig-theatre, was OFFIE-nominated and toured nationally to ★★★★★ reviews. His latest play, There’s a Mouse in the Kitchen, was Highly Commended for the Tony Craze Award, featured at Talawa Firsts, and selected for Seven Dials’ Next Step programme. A former teacher and proud family man, Cal-I’s work blends heart, humour and sharp social insight, centring Black British Caribbean voices in emotionally rich, genre-blurring storytelling.The Long Story Short Podcast brings you inspiring stories of resilience from people around the world. Through their honest narratives, we highlight the resilience behind their achievements, providing you with key insights for your own personal growth. 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱:Song: LAKEY INSPIRED - Days Like These. Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9xs2K4SG-o🎵 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 https://www.patreon.com/profile/creators?u=4430730𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀:https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2Qhttps://www.instagram.com/lakeyinspired/

Episode 23 | Meet Wayne Campbell | George Floyd Died to Save My Life

This is one of the most layered stories we have shared on the Long Story Short Podcast so far, which features Wayne Campbell whose story unfolds across three key chapters.  1️⃣ Working through a turbulent period in his personal life  2️⃣ Facing prostate cancer while challenging ideas of masculinity and health  3️⃣ Creative rebirth through Visual Activism and the launch of 'A Celebration of a Demonstration.' In Wayne's words"YOU ARE GREATER THAN THE SUM OF YOUR PARTS." 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗟 Wayne Campbell is an award-winning, filmmaker and graphic designer, as well as a critically acclaimed, photographer, illustrator and the author of three photography books, 0710 Year One, A Celebration of Demonstration, and I Can’t Breathe.   The Long Story Short Podcast brings you inspiring stories of resilience from people around the world. Through theirhonest narratives, we highlight the resilience behind their achievements, providing you with key insights for your own personal growth. Music featured: Song: LAKEY INSPIRED - Days Like These.Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported   Music provided by Sound Library.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9xs2K4SG-o 🎵 Support https://www.patreon.com/profile/creators?u=4430730 [https://www.patreon.com/profile/creators?u=4430730] Socials: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspiredhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOmy8wuTpC95lefU5d1dt2Qhttps://www.instagram.com/lakeyinspired/   Disclaimer:The views, opinions and interpretations expressed by the guest in this episode are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions of The Long Story ShortPodcast or its Host.