Unfiltered Impact

This episode is a masterclass in what it really means to be self-made not the shiny, curated version, but the gritty, raw, deeply human one.Deborah Henning built her first fashion brand from the ground up, landing in London Fashion Week, Harvey Nichols, and the pages of Vogue all without a roadmap. She knows the blood, sweat, and mindset work it takes to build something from nothing… and then do it again, differently.Today, Deborah runs a consultancy and a transformational business program for founders who want to create meaningful work without burning themselves out in the process. But what you’ll hear in this episode is not just strategy. It’s the emotional journey underneath it all.We talk about:Why hustle is sometimes necessary but not sustainableThe limiting belief that almost every high performer carriesThe mindset shift that unlocks momentumHow to audit your circle and protect your visionWhy your unfiltered impact starts in your own mindWhat to do when the floodgates open and opportunities come flying inHow to regulate, recalibrate, and take messy action anywayAnd maybe most importantly we talk about being human. The mess, the mistakes, the moments that almost broke you. Because like Deborah says: "Everything always gets done. So stop worrying. Just start moving."Whether you're on your metaphorical £12-a-day salon floor… or at your next threshold of growth… this episode is a reminder that you’re not broken, you’re building.CONNECT WITH DEBORAH:Instagram: @deborahhenningofficialWebsite: journeytoselfmade.comIF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE:Please share it with a friend, tag us on Instagram, and leave a review it helps more people find these honest, unfiltered conversations.Because your impact?It doesn’t need to be filtered to matter.

Do you ever feel torn between chasing the big dream and disappearing into the hills with a bag of shrooms? Same. In this episode, I’m peeling back the layers on something I’ve lived and coached through for years: the tug-of-war between external success and internal alignment.This is a conversation about redefining what success actually feels like, rather than what it looks like on your Instagram grid. I unpack the hidden costs of climbing someone else’s ladder, the inherited beliefs we unconsciously absorb, and why you might be burning out, not from doing too much, but from doing what was never really yours to begin with.I’ll walk you through my own moments of clarity and invite you to ask the questions that matter most:Whose dream am I chasing?What moments have made me feel truly fulfilled?What if the version of success I’ve been striving for isn’t mine at all?Whether you’re at a biz or career crossroads, feeling the weight of invisible pressure, or quietly wondering if there’s another way, this episode is for you.Reflection prompts from this episode (write these down or come back to them):What am I currently striving for and why?Whose definition of success shaped that goal?What moments in my life have made me feel genuinely fulfilled? What do they have in common?If I trusted that I already had enough, how would I move differently?What would my own version of success feel like in my body?You don’t have to burn it all down.You don’t have to scale it to the moon.But you do have to tell yourself the truth.Because success isn’t a performance.It’s a feeling. And yours?Might be quieter, simpler, and more powerful than you think.If this stirred something in you, DM me @iamkarenellis or share the episode with someone who needs it. Your unfiltered impact starts with telling yourself the truth.

Today’s episode is deeply personal and one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had on the podcast so far. I’m joined by one of my best friends, Kirsten Moodie, a woman whose story will move you, challenge you, and remind you of the quiet power that lives inside all of us.Diagnosed with a rare connective tissue disorder (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), Kirsten was told she’d be in a wheelchair by her twenties. She spent years in excruciating chronic pain, was dismissed by doctors, misdiagnosed, overmedicated, and left feeling like she had no options. But she refused to accept that version of her life and this episode is the story of what happened next.We talk about:Living with invisible illness and learning to trust your body againThe dark moments that almost broke her and the ones that built herGetting off painkillers after six years and reclaiming agencyMovement, mindset, and finding the will to keep goingHow to be your own hero, even when it’s hardThe role of support networks (and why you need radiators, not drains)The mindset shift that changed everythingHer writing journey, the truth behind her gym reels, and what resilience actually looks likeThis one is tender, raw, and full of hope. Whether you’re living with chronic pain, navigating your own version of rock bottom, or just feeling stuck, let Kirsten’s story be the reminder that healing doesn’t mean perfection. It means refusing to give up on yourself.Because at the end of the day, nobody’s coming to save you.For more of Kirsten's journey follow her on Instagram @kirstensachesandgains_ or check out her Blog.

This episode is for the anyone who’s ever asked, “Is this all there is?”In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by Karen McRobbie, a wellness practitioner, coach, and mother who radiates warmth, energy, and joy. But it wasn’t always like that. Behind the woman you see today was someone who once felt invisible. Empty. Disconnected from herself. Unsure who she was outside of the roles she’d been living in for years.Karen opens up about the quiet unraveling that led her to redefine everything and the slow, unglamorous work of rebuilding her life on her own terms.We talk about:Losing your sense of self in motherhood and marriageWhat it feels like to have no idea who you are anymoreThe power of micro-wins and how a 5K walk became her personal marathonThe behind-the-scenes hustle no one sees (and why it matters)Creating a life that looks good because it feels goodSoftness, visibility, and finding real connection againKaren reminds us that you don’t need a rock bottom to make a comeback, and that your turning point can be as simple as deciding you matter.This episode will leave you feeling grounded, inspired, and deeply seen.🎧 Listen if you’re navigating:Identity loss after big life shiftsThe tension between doing it all and choosing yourselfA season of ‘in between’ where nothing makes sense yetThe pressure to be fine when you’re anything butThe desire to create a life that reflects who you really areConnect with Karen:Instagram (Wellness): @karenlouise_wellnessInstagram (Personal): @karen.mcrobbieIf this episode stirred something in you, share it with a friend who might need it too or tag us on Instagram to let us know what landed.Because at the end of the day…we’re all just humans tryna human.

This quick episode started with one offhand comment in a gym and turned into a full-body reminder about the power of intentional relationships.I share a recent moment that cracked me open to just how much her relationships have evolved… and how much of that evolution was consciously chosen.She explores what it really takes to build depth in your relationships, how to spot when something no longer fits, and the self-responsibility required to both hold your truth and honour someone else’s.Whether you’ve already done a lot of work in this area or are only just beginning to notice the mismatch between what you want and what you’re tolerating, this episode will meet you in the middle of your real-life dynamics with honesty, nuance, and deep compassion.We explore:How family dynamics can shift over timeWhy safe relationships don’t just happen, they’re builtHow to recognise when your nervous system is filtering to fitDiscernment in deeper conversations (what’s yours vs theirs)Self-responsibility in creating space for more honest connectionThe people who call you forward (and why you need them)Reflection prompts:Who in your life makes you feel like you can fully be yourself?Where are you still shrinking, filtering, or performing to belong?What relationships are you ready to build, or release?“The conversations you have shape the decisions you make, how safe you feel in your body, and who you become. And you get to choose them.”

What do you do when life knocks the wind out of you, again and again — and still, you choose to stay?In this powerful episode, I sit down with international rugby player Dan Tomanek (@therealdantom) to explore the real story behind the athlete. This is not just a conversation about sport. It’s about mental health, identity, resilience, and the invisible battles so many of us carry alone.Dan opens up about navigating childhood trauma, life with an absent mother, near suicide, the relentless pressure to perform — and the breakthrough that changed everything. With raw vulnerability, he shares how therapy, community, and honest conversation helped him come back to himself.This isn’t a polished before-and-after story. It’s the messy middle. The kind of truth most people don’t talk about — but absolutely need to hear.We talk about:Growing up fast and carrying adult responsibilities as a teenThe identity crisis of being known only as "the rugby player"The night he almost ended his life — and what pulled him backHow therapy helped him meet the version of himself he had long buriedWhat he’d tell “little Dan” now — and why he’s proud of who he’s becomingThe pressure of elite sport and why celebrating small wins mattersDan’s story is an invitation to remember that your worth isn’t tied to achievement. That it’s okay to feel lost. And that sometimes, the most courageous thing you can do is just keep going.If you’ve ever questioned your path, felt like you’re falling behind, or struggled to let yourself be seen — this one’s for you.“Sometimes the moment everything changes doesn’t look big from the outside — but it rewires everything.”—Connect with Dan:Instagram: @therealdantomNew episodes every Friday. Follow the podcast to be the first to hear them.

When Nikki became a mum at 41, she thought it would be the missing piece. Instead, it marked the beginning of the hardest season of her life, and no one around her had any idea.In this unfiltered conversation, Nikki shares the truth behind the smile: the silent weight of postpartum depression, the shame that kept her quiet, and the identity unraveling that so many mums experience, but rarely speak about.It took her 18 months to finally ask for help. And one quiet moment by the water in Montenegro changed everything.We talk about:Why we often hide the truth from the people who love us mostWhat postpartum depression really feels like on the insideThe emotional cost of trying to be “a good mum” when you're barely hanging onThe message that helped her come up for air, and reminded her to breatheHow humour, music, and 7-minute workouts helped rebuild her identityThe six human needs, and what they reveal about your emotional wiringWhy asking for support isn’t weakness, it’s one of the strongest moves you can makeWhether you’re a parent or not, this is an episode about honesty, healing, and reclaiming who you are when it all feels like too much.Because sometimes, the bravest thing you can say is:“I’m not okay.”Connect with Nikki:Website: www.thescottishsoulsister.comInstagram: @thescottishsoulsister

Have you ever looked around at a life you worked really hard to build… and still felt a bit off? Like, everything’s technically “fine,” but inside, something’s just not landing?That’s exactly where this episode begins. Not in chaos. Not in crisis. But in that quiet, frustrating space between who you’ve been... and who you’re ready to become.In this one, I get honest about a season I didn’t even realise I was coasting through. I wasn’t falling apart. But I also wasn’t fully alive. And that felt even harder to name. I talk about the disconnect I started to feel when I stopped living the values I say matter most to me, growth, health, impact, connection, and how that dissonance showed up in the tiniest day-to-day choices. Especially when no one was watching.You’ll hear about:- The mirror moment that cracked something open for me- How I realised I was teaching from my past power, not my present- Why I recommitted to my gym sessions (and what it really represented)- The discomfort of choosing yourself , especially when no one’s clapping- What growth actually looks like for me right nowThis isn’t about making a huge leap. It’s about getting radically honest with yourself. Letting discomfort be the doorway. And choosing, again and again, to live in alignment, even when it’s inconvenient.Because your comfort zone expands. And if you’re not careful, you’ll start calling coasting clarity.If something stirred in you as you listened, sit with it.That little whisper?That frustration?That edge?It might just be the next version of you calling you forward.

Welcome to the first ever episode of Unfiltered Impact — the podcast for the ones in the middle. The ones breaking cycles, asking deeper questions, and slowly, quietly reclaiming who they really are.In this opening episode, I take you all the way back — to the version of me who looked like she had it all together, but felt completely disconnected inside. I talk about what led me to crack wide open, the grief that shut me down, and the first time I realized I wasn’t broken — I was just buried under layers of conditioning, performance, and survival.This is the truth behind the transformation.No fluff. No highlight reel. Just the real, messy, beautiful human journey.You’ll hear:​Why I spent years chasing a life that looked good, but didn’t feel like mine​How grief, burnout, and a pandemic led me to my breaking point (and breakthrough)​The unexpected book that turned the lights onMy first breathwork session (and why it changed everything)​What strength really means — and why I stopped wearing it as a maskIf something in you softens, stirs, or cracks open as you listen — stay. There’s space for all of you here.We’re just getting started.Unfiltered Impact is for the ones who are in it — the messy middle, the silent becoming, the next level they haven’t quite stepped into yet. If you’re ready to drop the mask and come home to who you really are… you’re in the right place.🎧 Subscribe + follow for more truth, more depth, and more reminders that you’re not alone.Because your impact? It’s already in you.And it doesn’t need to be filtered to matter.