The UpLift Podcast 1

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 InstagramYour 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. 

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 weekKey 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 trainConnect with your host, Scarlett:Instagram: @CaptainScarliftcoaching Apply for coachingIf 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. 

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/cz9w54You 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. 

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 CoverWhat life as an IFBB Pro figure competitor really felt like day to dayThe moment Barbra knew there was something beyond the stageBeing a beginner again — the ego check of starting from scratchConfidence beyond aesthetics: what it means and why it mattersWhy women need to physically feel strong, not just be told they areWhat stops women over 30 from trying something newBuilding self-trust when the feedback isn't there yetHow discipline evolves when there's no competition to train forWhat to say to the woman standing at the edge of something new and terrifyingIf This Episode ResonatedShare 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. 

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 goalsHow to navigate body changes when you stop maintaining "stage condition"Finding challenge and purpose in training beyond how you lookThe difference between lifestyle training and competition mindsetPractical steps to shift from appearance-focused to purpose-drivenThis 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 #TheUpliftProjectYour 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. 

Navigating Your Hormones: Perimenopause, Identity & Thriving in Your Mid-30s and BeyondHosted by Scarlett | Guest: Adele Johnston MSc, The Menopause CoachIn this deeply personal and empowering conversation, Scarlett sits down with her now mentor Adele Johnston — one of the UKs leading menopause experts to explore what really happens to women's bodies and minds from their mid-30s and beyond.Adele opens up about her own story: from corporate high-flyer and competitive bodybuilder to experiencing early perimenopause that nearly cost her everything — her marriage, her career, and her sense of self. It's a story of unravelling and rebuilding, and the spark that led her to create The Menopause Coach.This episode is for every woman who has felt unlike herself and couldn't quite put her finger on why. Whether you're in your 30s noticing subtle shifts, or further along your hormonal journey, this conversation offers clarity, compassion and a fresh perspective on what it means to thrive.In this episode we cover:Adele's personal journey through early perimenopause — and what she wishes she'd knownThe signs and symptoms that are often missed or misdiagnosed in women in their mid-30sHow hormonal changes affect mood, identity, relationships and confidencePractical, evidence-based strategies to support your hormones through nutrition, mindset and lifestyleThe powerful role of positive psychology and breathwork in hormonal transitionsWhy the conversation around menopause needs to go mainstream — in homes and workplaces alikeHow to turn this life stage into one of growth, vitality and renewed purposeAbout Adele Johnston MScAdele Johnston is a world-leading, award-winning menopause expert and psychologist, certified in positive psychology and nutrition. Based in Scotland and operating globally, she specialises in supporting women through perimenopause and menopause — and has made it her mission to make menopause mainstream.A former bodybuilder, busy mum to twin girls and corporate high-flyer, Adele experienced early perimenopause in her mid-30s that nearly destroyed her marriage and sense of self — ultimately leading her to walk away from a role paying over £100,000 in salary and benefits due to a complete lack of support. From that experience, The Menopause Coach was born.Find out more at adelejohnstoncoaching.comIf this episode resonated with you, please share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear it.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. 

If you've been busy for months but feel like you're going nowhere — this episode is for you.In this solo episode Im going deep on one of the most common patterns I see holding women back from their goals and it has nothing to do with strategy, consistency or not working hard enough.It's people pleasing. And chances are you're doing it without even realising.I'm talking about what people pleasing actually looks like for women over 30 — because it doesn't look like weakness. It looks like capability. It looks like being the most reliable, dependable, hardworking person in every room. And it is quietly costing you everything.I'm sharing my own story in this one — the years I spent running my own business, training for bodybuilding / preps, moving houses and working full time, all at the same time. Not because I was thriving. Because I was terrified. Terrified of not being able to support myself, of not being enough, of letting go of a standard I had built entirely out of fear. My stress was through the roof. I felt numb. I couldn't think clearly. I stopped enjoying anything I had once loved.It took an enough is enough moment to change it. And almost 12 months for my body to fully settle afterwards. That's how deep this runs.In this episode we cover:✔️ What people pleasing really looks like at 30+ and why it's so hard to spot ✔️ Why it feels like the right thing to do — and the psychology behind why we keep choosing it ✔️ The direct link between people pleasing, burnout and staying stuck ✔️ Why your identity is wrapped up in it and what makes it so hard to stop ✔️ 3 practical ways to start recognising and setting your own limits — exactly what I work through with my clients and inside The Uplift ProjectThis episode is honest, personal and practical. If you've ever felt invisible while giving everything to everyone else — this one is going to hit.Mentioned In This Episode:The Uplift Project — https://6op2840ygef.typeform.com/to/OEEqivogConnect With Me:Instagram — @Scarlett_portues / @Captainscarlift_CoachingTikTok — @Scarlettportues59 (Captain Scarlift CoachingYour 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. 

The voice in your head is lying to you.You know the one. The constant commentary telling you you're not good enough, you've let yourself go, everyone else has it together except you. The one that catastrophises a wrinkle into an existential crisis. The one that says "I ate one cookie so the day is ruined, might as well eat everything."That voice isn't truth. It's programming. And in this episode, we're dismantling it.I chat with Kristen Gattens, a Therapeutic coach specialising in High Performance, Anxiety, Self-Belief & Imposter Syndrome. Kristen works with accomplished clients who, despite their external success, are trapped in brutal cycles of negative self-talk, comparison, and self-sabotage.Instagram @KristingattensIn this episode, you'll discover:The psychology of comparison thinking—why your brain compulsively measures you against others (especially on social media) and why it feels impossible to stopHow catastrophising works—why your brain leaps from "new wrinkle" to "my life is over" The roots of all-or-nothing thinking—where binary thinking comes from and why it sabotages women who are successful everywhere elseBody-checking rituals—what function obsessive monitoring serves psychologically and when normal awareness crosses into harmful ruminationThe "I'll be happy when..." trap—why we bargain with the future, what happens when we achieve goals and still feel empty, and what actually creates sustainable happinessThe imposter syndrome-body image connection—how professional self-doubt and body dissatisfaction feed each other in a vicious cycleWhy we self-sabotage—the psychological mechanism behind blocking our own goals, even when we genuinely want to changePractical pattern interrupts—the specific therapeutic tools and cognitive techniques to use the moment you catch yourself in a destructive thought loopBuilding a new narrative—how to develop healthy, realistic, supportive self-talk without lowering your standards or abandoning your goalsWhat Makes This Episode DifferentThis isn't a "just think positive" pep talk. Kristen brings in depth and therapeutic expertise to explain exactly what's happening in your brain when you're caught in these loops and more importantly, what to do about it. in a very easy to understand wayYou'll walk away with:Recognition: "That's what's happening in my head I'm not crazy"Understanding: "Here's WHY I do this it's not a character flaw"Hope: "This is changeable, not permanent"Action: "Here's what I can do about it TODAY"If you've ever felt trapped by your own thoughts, exhausted by the mental energy drain of negative self-talk, or frustrated that you can't seem to get out of your own way this episode will give you the tools to finally break free.Subscribe & ShareIf this episode resonated with you, please:Subscribe so you don't miss future conversationsLeave a review—it helps other women find the podcastShare with a woman in your life who needs to hear thisYour 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. 

What if the missing piece in your training wasn't physical—it was mental?In this powerful episode, Scarlett sits down with World Champion Strongwoman Chloe Brennan, who's made the transition from elite competitor & coach to mindset specialist, using hypnosis and mental performance tools to help athletes unlock their full potential.But here's the thing: this conversation isn't just for competitors. Whether you're trying to hit a new PB, show up consistently at the gym, or simply feel more connected to what your body can DO rather than how it looks this episode will change how you think about training, confidence, and what you're actually capable of.Chloe breaks down the invisible barriers that keep women stuck, the appearance-based worth that hijacks your training goals, the perfectionism that creates all-or-nothing thinking, and the subconscious programming that's been running the show since you were a teenager.In this episode, you'll discover:Why training for what your body can DO creates more sustainable confidence than training for how it looks—and the neuroscience behind itThe real difference between self-doubt and self-sabotage, and why high-achieving women struggle with bothHow your subconscious beliefs about your body were formed (and how to actually rewire them using techniques from hypnotherapy)The mental shift that separates women who show up inconsistently from those who build unshakeable training habitsPractical tools you can use TODAY to interrupt negative thought patterns and build genuine self-beliefWhy getting physically stronger changes how you navigate every other area of your life—work, relationships, difficult conversationsThis episode is for you if:You've been training for aesthetics but feel empty even when you "succeed"You know you're capable of more but keep holding yourself backYou start strong but can't maintain consistencyYou want to feel powerful in your body, not just smallerYou're ready to back yourself—in the gym and in lifeChloe's journey helping other women unlock their mental game is proof that the strongest muscle you can build is the one between your ears. This conversation is equal parts validation, education, and tactical tools you can implement immediately.You don't need to be an athlete to benefit from an athlete's mindset. You just need to be ready to see what you're actually capable of.Episode Length: 35 minutesGuest: Chloe Brennan - World Champion Strongwoman, Hypnotherapist & Athlete Mindset SpecialistBest for: Women who want to train with purpose, build unshakeable confidence, and finally feel at home in their bodiesKey Themes: Strength training, confidence building, subconscious reprogramming, self-belief, mental performance, body connectionSubscribe to The Uplift Podcast for conversations that combine real research, expert insight, real women transformations and actionable tools to help you build strength and confidence from the inside out.Hosted by Scarlett Portues New episodes every week (Monday)#TheUpliftPodcast #StrengthTraining #MindsetMatters #WomenInStrength #BodyConfidence #AthleteMindsetYour 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. 

Why does hitting 30 feel like your body sent you a breakup text?Welcome to The Uplift Podcast with Scarlett Portues a podcast for women 30+ who are tired of fighting their bodies and ready to build real confidence that lasts.In this premiere episode, Scarlett breaks down exactly why this decade feels like such a reckoning with your body and your sense of self. This isn't about vanity, and you're not imagining it. there are real biological, psychological, and cultural forces at play that make the years after 30 uniquely challenging.In this episode, you'll discover:The perception gap: why your internal beauty standard was fossilized at 22 and how that creates an impossible measuring stickHow social media and comparison culture have weaponised body dissatisfaction in ways previous generations never experiencedThe real impact on your daily life from the mental bandwidth stolen by body thoughts to the decisions you're avoiding because of how you feel about yourselfWhy this doesn't have to be your story for the next twenty yearsThis episode is for you if:You're more accomplished than ever but less confident in your skinYou're exhausted from the constant mental loop about food, weight, and agingYou know the standards are BS but can't stop measuring yourself against themYou're ready to understand WHY this is so hard so you can start building something betterScarlett isn't here to tell you to "just love yourself" or offer another impossible wellness routine. This podcast is about understanding the machinery so you can dismantle it and building confidence based on strength, capability, and who you're becoming.You're not falling behind. You're right on time.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.