Real Women’s Stories with Lisa Quait
- Episódios
- 168
- Publicação
- semanal
- Último episódio
- 20 out 2026
Sobre o podcast
This podcast is for the woman who has achieved a lot and still finds herself overthinking the big decisions, questioning her own judgement, or looking for reassurance when a new chapter, challenge or opportunity comes along.
I'm Lisa Quait, an accredited Positive Psychology Coach. This isn't a podcast where you just listen to someone's story. Whether I'm talking with an expert, coaching a guest through a challenge she's facing, or coaching you directly on my own, we go past what happened to the thoughts, fears and beliefs underneath it, and I ask the questions you can ask yourself too.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episódios 168
DJ Sam Divine: The Addiction and Depression I Hid Behind My Dream Life
DJ Sam Divine had the dream home, dream car and a career she had worked for her entire life. But behind the scenes, she was battling drug addiction, depression and the pressure to keep going when no one knew …
Notas do episódio
DJ Sam Divine had the dream home, dream car and a career she had worked for her entire life. But behind the scenes, she was battling drug addiction, depression and the pressure to keep going when no one knew how much she was struggling.
In this episode, Sam sits down with me to share the life she hid for years: taking drugs alone, pretending she was fine, dragging herself to gigs, and eventually reaching the point where she knew she needed help.
She speaks candidly about grief, rehab, sobriety, faith and learning to DJ sober - and why recovery has brought her more confidence, joy and purpose than she ever thought possible. Sam also reveals exclusive news about her next career choice.
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🎧 Listening on Apple Podcasts? You can watch the full episode too - just tap ‘Turn Video On’ in the player 👀
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Need a safe space to talk?
If this conversation has brought something up for you, I offer a free 30-minute discovery call. It is a chance for us to talk through what you are carrying, explore what support might help, and see whether coaching feels right for you.
Book your free call with me here.
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Connect with me
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I Was Going to Wait Until Tuesday to Share This. I Didn’t.
DJ Sam Divine had her dream home, her dream car and her career - but no one knew she was hiding addiction. Tomorrow, she tells me about depression, rehab and the moment she decided: “I cannot wake up feeling …
Notas do episódio
DJ Sam Divine had her dream home, her dream car and her career - but no one knew she was hiding addiction. Tomorrow, she tells me about depression, rehab and the moment she decided: “I cannot wake up feeling like this any longer.”
Follow Real Women’s Stories to listen the full episode.
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🎧 Listening on Apple Podcasts? You can watch the full episode too - just tap ‘Turn Video On’ in the player 👀
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Need a safe space to talk?
If this conversation has brought something up for you, I offer a free 30-minute discovery call. It is a chance for us to talk through what you are carrying, explore what support might help, and see whether coaching feels right for you.
Book your free call with me here.
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Connect with me
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to Make a Decision When Every Choice Has Consequences
In this coaching episode, I share the deeply personal story of knowing my first marriage was no longer healthy for me, while fearing the consequences of becoming a single mum. I explore why waiting for …
Notas do episódio
In this coaching episode, I share the deeply personal story of knowing my first marriage was no longer healthy for me, while fearing the consequences of becoming a single mum. I explore why waiting for certainty can keep us stuck, and how trying to avoid a difficult decision can sometimes cost us more in the long run.
If you are facing a crossroads - in a relationship, career, friendship or family situation - this conversation will help you recognise what you can and cannot control, trust your instincts and take the next step, even when there is no easy answer.
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🎧 Listening on Apple Podcasts? You can watch the full episode too - just tap ‘Turn Video On’ in the player 👀
---
Need a safe space to talk?
If this conversation has brought something up for you, I offer a free 30-minute discovery call. It is a chance for us to talk through what you are carrying, explore what support might help, and see whether coaching feels right for you.
Book your free call with me here.
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Connect with me
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to Build Confidence When You’re Afraid to Be Seen
In this live coaching session, Lisa Quait speaks with Lara Giusti, Head Chef & Product at Veloforte.Lara is comfortable talking about the products she has helped create, teaching others and sharing the purpose …
Notas do episódio
In this live coaching session, Lisa Quait speaks with Lara Giusti, Head Chef & Product at Veloforte.
Lara is comfortable talking about the products she has helped create, teaching others and sharing the purpose behind the brand. But being visible as the person behind that success - on camera, in meetings or in a room full of peers - brings a very different kind of pressure.
Together, Lisa and Lara explore why it can be so hard to recognise our own achievements, the fear of feeling like an impostor, and how we can start building confidence without having to become louder or someone we are not.
They discuss the power of celebrating your wins, remembering the journey that brought you here, and creating a simple mantra for the moments when self-doubt takes over.
If you know you are capable but struggle to believe you deserve to be seen, this conversation is for you.
To explore 1-to-1 coaching with Lisa, click here.
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Need a safe space to talk?
If this conversation has brought something up for you, I offer a free 30-minute discovery call. It is a chance for us to talk through what you are carrying, explore what support might help, and see whether coaching feels right for you.
Book your free call with me here.
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Connect with me
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to Let Go of What You’ve Been Carrying Alone, with Andrea McLean
Broadcaster and author Andrea McLean knows what it is like to look as though you have everything, while privately carrying fear, financial pressure and shame.In this honest conversation, the former Loose Women …
Notas do episódio
Broadcaster and author Andrea McLean knows what it is like to look as though you have everything, while privately carrying fear, financial pressure and shame.
In this honest conversation, the former Loose Women host shares why telling her own story became the starting point for Between Us - an anonymous project where people can share the things they have never felt able to say out loud.
We talk about why it can feel so hard to open up, the unexpected relief of putting your feelings into words, and how reading someone else’s story can remind you that you are not the only one.
If there is something you have been carrying alone, this episode is a reminder that you do not have to have all the answers before you take the first small step towards letting it go.
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Find Andrea and her work:
- Follow Andrea on Instagram
- Share your story with Between Us
- Find Shameless on Amazon
- Listen to the Shameless audiobook on Audible
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Need a safe space to talk?
If this conversation has brought something up for you, I offer a free 30-minute discovery call. It is a chance for us to talk through what you are carrying, explore what support might help, and see whether coaching feels right for you.
Book your free call with me here.
---
Connect with me
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to Stop One Comment Ruling Your Life
A comment someone made years ago can stay with you far longer than they ever intended.In this episode, I share the words I heard growing up that made me question my voice, hold myself back and gradually become …
Notas do episódio
A comment someone made years ago can stay with you far longer than they ever intended.
In this episode, I share the words I heard growing up that made me question my voice, hold myself back and gradually become a quieter version of myself. I explore how those old labels can shape the way we show up in our relationships, careers and everyday lives - often without us even realising it.
If you have ever wondered when you stopped trusting yourself, or whether you are living as the person you truly want to be, this is a chance to reflect on where those patterns began and start finding your way back to yourself.
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Coaching Session: Why Childhood Labels Still Fuel Your Overthinking
Were you given a label as a child that has stayed with you ever since? Perhaps you were told you were too loud, too much, or that you said the wrong thing - and now you find yourself replaying conversations …
Notas do episódio
Were you given a label as a child that has stayed with you ever since? Perhaps you were told you were too loud, too much, or that you said the wrong thing - and now you find yourself replaying conversations, holding back in meetings or questioning your own instincts.
In this coaching session, I share how old labels can quietly fuel overthinking and shape the way we show up in our relationships, careers and everyday lives.
I’ll help you explore where those thoughts may have come from, how to challenge the negative narrative they create, and start reconnecting with the person you were before you learned to doubt yourself.
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Coaching Session: Why You Stay Quiet and Don’t Speak Up in a Room Full of People
If you have ever wanted to speak up but found yourself staying quiet, this coaching session is for you.I explore why speaking out can feel so risky - even when something does not sit right - and why this is …
Notas do episódio
If you have ever wanted to speak up but found yourself staying quiet, this coaching session is for you.
I explore why speaking out can feel so risky - even when something does not sit right - and why this is often about more than confidence.
From worrying about the fallout to fearing how others may see you, I look at the hidden reasons we tolerate behaviour that crosses our boundaries.
I’ll also help you recognise when you are dismissing your own instincts and begin setting boundaries in a way that feels clear, calm and non-confrontational.
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Here’s How to Stop Tolerating What No Longer Feels Right
What are you currently putting up with that, deep down, you know isn’t right?In this short episode, I explore the things we learn to tolerate and normalise - even when they no longer feel right or fit who we’ve …
Notas do episódio
What are you currently putting up with that, deep down, you know isn’t right?
In this short episode, I explore the things we learn to tolerate and normalise - even when they no longer feel right or fit who we’ve become. Through a series of powerful questions, I invite you to pause, reflect and recognise what may need to change.
Whether it means setting a boundary, speaking up or walking away, change begins when you finally see what you’re no longer willing to accept.
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Why Women Feel Guilty for Choosing Themselves
Why do so many women find it easier to care for everyone else than to choose themselves?In this episode, Lisa speaks with wellness podcaster and retreat curator Alexandra Simms about guilt, burnout …
Notas do episódio
Why do so many women find it easier to care for everyone else than to choose themselves?
In this episode, Lisa speaks with wellness podcaster and retreat curator Alexandra Simms about guilt, burnout, people-pleasing and the hidden cost of constantly putting yourself last.
Alexandra shares her personal journey through depression, caring responsibilities, recurrent miscarriage, emotional eating and breast cancer - and explains why her diagnosis became the moment she could no longer ignore what her body had been trying to tell her.
Together, Lisa and Alexandra explore why successful, capable women often struggle to rest, step away from their responsibilities or spend time and money on their own wellbeing. They also discuss the fear that can come with slowing down, particularly when being busy has become part of your identity.
Alexandra shares simple ways to calm an overwhelmed nervous system, including breathwork, grounding, time in nature and creating small moments of pause within everyday life.
This is an honest conversation about self-sacrifice, emotional exhaustion and learning to choose yourself before your body forces you to stop.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Zoe Ball Gave Me Confidence When My Book Launch Flopped
After a disappointing book launch left Maddy Alexander-Grout feeling like a failure, an unexpected message from Zoe Ball helped her find her confidence again.In this mini episode, Maddy opens up about grief …
Notas do episódio
After a disappointing book launch left Maddy Alexander-Grout feeling like a failure, an unexpected message from Zoe Ball helped her find her confidence again.
In this mini episode, Maddy opens up about grief, losing herself and rebuilding her life around her values. We also discuss why community matters, how to recognise when life is becoming too much and why we shouldn’t have to reach rock bottom before asking for support.
Listen to the previous episode for my full conversation with Maddy.
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My Spending Addiction Left Me £40,000 in Debt by Age 23 - Then I Made the Same Mistake Again
Maddy Alexander-Grout was £40,000 in debt by the age of 23 after developing a spending addiction. After paying it all off and building a successful business, she found herself £65,000 in debt all over again.In …
Notas do episódio
Maddy Alexander-Grout was £40,000 in debt by the age of 23 after developing a spending addiction. After paying it all off and building a successful business, she found herself £65,000 in debt all over again.
In this episode, Maddy shares how undiagnosed ADHD, impulsive spending and a personal guarantee contributed to her financial struggles, the devastating collapse of her business and the nervous breakdown that followed.
She also opens up about her experiences of motherhood, postpartum psychosis and receiving diagnoses of ADHD and autism later in life. Maddy explains how understanding her brain helped her make sense of her past, rebuild her life, clear her debts and create a six-figure business.
This is an honest conversation about money, neurodiversity, failure and finding the resilience to start again.
Maddy’s book, Mad About Money: Managing Finances (and Life) with ADHD, is an unfiltered and practical guide to understanding your brain, managing money and navigating life as a neurodivergent person.
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What Really Happens When You Get An MBE At Windsor Castle
You won't believe what really happens when you’re invited to Windsor Castle to receive an MBE.In this bonus episode, Lucy McCarraher shares the surreal story of receiving the letter she initially feared might …
Notas do episódio
You won't believe what really happens when you’re invited to Windsor Castle to receive an MBE.
In this bonus episode, Lucy McCarraher shares the surreal story of receiving the letter she initially feared might be a tax demand, before discovering she was being recognised with an MBE.
From arriving at Windsor Castle with her family to learning exactly how to approach Prince William, where to bow and how many steps to take backwards, Lucy takes us behind the scenes of an experience very few people ever get to have.
You can hear Lucy’s full interview in the previous episode of Real Women’s Stories.
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My Life Fell Apart At 40 - Then I Reinvented Everything
At 40, Lucy McCarraher MBE’s life seemed to fall apart. Her marriage ended, her father died, a new business failed and she found herself having to start again.But that wasn’t the end of Lucy’s story. It was …
Notas do episódio
At 40, Lucy McCarraher MBE’s life seemed to fall apart. Her marriage ended, her father died, a new business failed and she found herself having to start again.
But that wasn’t the end of Lucy’s story. It was another reinvention.
In this episode, Lucy joins me to talk about the many different lives she has lived - from working in television in Australia and raising a family, to rebuilding her career, becoming an author and publisher, and eventually stepping into her current role as Publisher at Forbes Books.
We talk about starting again when life doesn’t go to plan, why success doesn’t have to happen when you’re young, and how every experience - even the ones that feel like failures at the time - can lead you somewhere unexpected.
Lucy also shares why she believes women often reinvent themselves throughout their lives, the importance of finding the confidence to put yourself forward, and why sometimes the biggest opportunities arrive when you stop trying to force what comes next.
A conversation about resilience, self-belief and proving that it is never too late to begin another chapter.
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My Husband Took On More Childcare While I Built My Business - Here’s Why It Works
In this mini episode, Liv Parkes explains how she and her husband created a partnership that allowed her to pursue her ambition while he took on more of the childcare. She shares why their different attitudes …
Notas do episódio
In this mini episode, Liv Parkes explains how she and her husband created a partnership that allowed her to pursue her ambition while he took on more of the childcare. She shares why their different attitudes towards work complement each other, how they divide family responsibilities and what their sons are learning from seeing both parents contribute equally.
Liv also opens up about the guilt that can come with long working days, missing school pick-ups and wondering whether her children understand why she works so hard.
Listen to the previous episode to hear Liv’s complete story.
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I Closed My Business, Took On Debt And Started Again With Two Young Children
This is a story about resilience, motherhood and having the courage to begin again.In this episode, I’m joined by Liv Parkes, Founder and CEO of AI styling platform Persi.After more than 15 years working with …
Notas do episódio
This is a story about resilience, motherhood and having the courage to begin again.
In this episode, I’m joined by Liv Parkes, Founder and CEO of AI styling platform Persi.
After more than 15 years working with brands including Reiss, House of Fraser, Monica Vinader and Missoma, Liv decided to build something of her own.
She shares the reality of closing her first business, losing investment and starting again with no income and two young children to support. We talk about selling leftover jumpers to cover costs, pitching to investors shortly after giving birth and questioning whether pursuing her ambition was putting too much pressure on her family.
Liv also opens up about working-mum guilt, being judged for how she dressed and why she refused to make herself smaller to fit into the business world.
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Here's What It Was Really Like Working On The Generation Game In The 90s
In this Brucie bonus episode, I’m chatting to Sandi Birch about what it was really like working behind the scenes on The Generation Game in the 90s.From swapping vodka and Evian bottles during a studio drinking …
Notas do episódio
In this Brucie bonus episode, I’m chatting to Sandi Birch about what it was really like working behind the scenes on The Generation Game in the 90s.
From swapping vodka and Evian bottles during a studio drinking game, to accidentally causing a BBC evacuation over a cake left under her car, Sandi shares the kind of chaotic, hilarious and nostalgic TV stories you simply couldn’t make up.
A lighter, behind-the-scenes bonus from our conversation - full of old-school telly memories, studio madness and the moments that made Sandi realise these stories needed writing down.
Listen to my full conversation with Sandi in the previous episode.
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Two Policemen Knocked On My Door… Then I Had To Rebuild My Life
This is a conversation about loss, resilience, hope, and learning how to live again after the unimaginable.Three weeks before her wedding, Sandi Birch opened the door to two police officers - and in that …
Notas do episódio
This is a conversation about loss, resilience, hope, and learning how to live again after the unimaginable.
Three weeks before her wedding, Sandi Birch opened the door to two police officers - and in that moment, her whole life changed.
Her partner Griff had been killed in a car crash on his way to work, leaving Sandi suddenly widowed, a single mum to their six-month-old baby, and facing a future she had never imagined.
In this deeply moving episode, Sandi shares the shock of that day, the grief that followed, and the reality of trying to survive when everything you had planned disappears overnight. She opens up about burnout, loneliness, financial pressure, and the brave steps she took to rebuild her life - including walking through the corridors of the BBC with her baby, asking for help when she had nowhere else to turn.
Now, 25 years later, Sandi has found purpose in helping others through grief, trauma and emotional pain through her work in Pranic Therapy.
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YouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait
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We Were Building Businesses In Dubai When The Drone Attacks Started… Here’s What We Learnt About Ourselves
This is a conversation about Dubai, business, resilience - and what we learn about ourselves when life does not go to plan.When we recorded our mini-series in Dubai, the energy was high. Businesses were …
Notas do episódio
This is a conversation about Dubai, business, resilience - and what we learn about ourselves when life does not go to plan.
When we recorded our mini-series in Dubai, the energy was high. Businesses were growing, opportunities were opening up, and our guests were building bold new lives in the UAE.
Then, just days later, the drone attacks started.
In this final episode, Maria, Sara and Amber come back together to talk honestly about what life has been like since - from cancelled bookings and disrupted businesses, to sleepless nights, uncertainty, resilience and the reality of trying to keep going when everything around you suddenly changes.
They share how the attacks impacted their work, their mindset, their communities and their plans for the future, while reflecting on what this period taught them about courage, adaptability and the strength it takes to keep building when the world feels uncertain.
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I Was Betrayed By A Friend While Building A Business In Dubai… Here’s How I Rebuilt Myself
If you’ve ever been hurt by someone you trusted, doubted your own judgement, or wondered how to rebuild after being knocked down, Amber’s story is a powerful reminder that painful chapters can still lead you …
Notas do episódio
If you’ve ever been hurt by someone you trusted, doubted your own judgement, or wondered how to rebuild after being knocked down, Amber’s story is a powerful reminder that painful chapters can still lead you somewhere stronger.
In this episode of Real Women’s Stories, I sit down with Amber Proctor, founder of Hen And The City, a Dubai-based hen party planning brand helping brides celebrate in style.
Amber moved to Dubai with ambition, drive and a vision to build something of her own. But while creating a women’s community with a friend, she experienced a painful business betrayal that left her heartbroken, guarded and questioning whether she even wanted to stay in Dubai.
Amber opens up about what happened when friendship and business collided, how she discovered boundaries the hard way, and why she now refuses to let betrayal stop her from building the future she wants.
This is a conversation about female friendship, trust, resilience, entrepreneurship, starting again abroad, and learning how to protect yourself without losing who you are.
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I Was Mocked For Starting A Car Wash Business In Dubai… Here's Why I’m Having The Last Laugh
If you’ve ever felt stuck, underestimated, or laughed at for wanting more from your life, this episode is for you.In this episode of Real Women’s Stories, I sit down with Maria Pruna, a Romanian-born …
Notas do episódio
If you’ve ever felt stuck, underestimated, or laughed at for wanting more from your life, this episode is for you.
In this episode of Real Women’s Stories, I sit down with Maria Pruna, a Romanian-born entrepreneur who left corporate life behind, moved to Dubai, and built a car wash business in one of the most male-dominated industries.
After going through a divorce and starting again, Maria decided to bet on herself. With no traditional business background, she helped build and sell her first car wash in Belgium before moving to the UAE, where she has since grown two businesses from scratch.
But the journey hasn’t been easy.
Maria opens up about being rejected, underestimated, and even laughed at during a networking event when she proudly shared what she was building. Instead of letting that moment break her confidence, she turned it into fuel - and her story went viral.
This conversation is about rebuilding your life, taking up space, starting again, and refusing to let other people’s opinions decide what you are capable of.
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I Felt Stuck In The UK… Here’s The Truth About Starting Again In Dubai
Formula 1 Racing was the dream Sara Essa could see from the grandstand - but getting there meant completely rebuilding her life.After feeling stuck, low and unfulfilled in the UK, Sara moved back to Dubai …
Notas do episódio
Formula 1 Racing was the dream Sara Essa could see from the grandstand - but getting there meant completely rebuilding her life.
After feeling stuck, low and unfulfilled in the UK, Sara moved back to Dubai determined to start again. What followed was not the glossy expat success story people often imagine. It was loneliness, financial pressure, grief, weight loss, self-belief, and the brutal reality of chasing a career in sports presenting.
In this episode, I speak to Sara Essa about leaving the UK, building a new life in Dubai, losing 35kg, creating a women-in-sport community, and finally getting the Formula 1 opportunity she had been working towards.
But just as her dream started becoming real, life tested her in a way she never expected.
This is a conversation about ambition, reinvention, resilience, and the truth about starting again when no one else can do it for you.
This episode was recorded in February 2026.
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I Didn't Realise How Much I Was Tolerating... Until I Started Setting Boundaries
How many times have you stayed quiet to keep the peace?Maybe you've laughed something off. Bitten your tongue. Ignored a comment that didn't sit right. Or convinced yourself it wasn't worth saying anything …
Notas do episódio
How many times have you stayed quiet to keep the peace?
Maybe you've laughed something off. Bitten your tongue. Ignored a comment that didn't sit right. Or convinced yourself it wasn't worth saying anything because speaking up felt more uncomfortable than staying silent.
In this coaching episode, I explore the hidden ways we tolerate behaviour that doesn't align with our values, and why so many women find themselves shrinking in certain situations, even when they know something doesn't feel right.
This isn't really about confidence. It's about boundaries.
It's about trusting your instincts, recognising what you've been accepting for far too long, and deciding what you will no longer tolerate.
If you've ever left a conversation wishing you'd said something, this episode is for you. It might just change the way you show up in the room.
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YouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why I Refuse To Fit In Or F**k Off As The Only Woman In The Room
For years, Helen Masters worked in environments where she was the only woman in the room.From the high-pressure world of corporate sales to professional football, she found herself surrounded by cultures built …
Notas do episódio
For years, Helen Masters worked in environments where she was the only woman in the room.
From the high-pressure world of corporate sales to professional football, she found herself surrounded by cultures built on power, performance and fitting in. But while others played the game, Helen refused to compromise who she was.
This is a conversation about resilience, loyalty, identity and the courage to stand your ground when the easier option would be to stay quiet.
Because sometimes the hardest thing you can do is refuse to become someone else.
In this episode:
- The "fit in or f**k off" culture of male-dominated industries
- The reality of working behind the scenes in professional football
- Raising children as a single mum while building a successful career
- Why Helen walked away from alcohol after years of living life at full speed
- The importance of staying true to your values, even when it comes at a cost
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Why We Replay Conversations In Our Heads
In this episode, I explore the difference between healthy reflection and destructive overthinking - and how the stories we create in our own minds can quietly damage our confidence, relationships and sense of …
Notas do episódio
In this episode, I explore the difference between healthy reflection and destructive overthinking - and how the stories we create in our own minds can quietly damage our confidence, relationships and sense of self.
After rerecording an entire podcast episode I believed had gone terribly wrong, I realised something important: the version in my head wasn’t the reality at all.
This is a powerful conversation about self-awareness, inner dialogue, confidence and learning to trust yourself again.
Because sometimes the harshest judgement we face… is our own.
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I Looked Confident On Married At First Sight… But I Was Struggling
Millions watched Leah Tyrer on Married At First Sight and saw someone calm, confident and emotionally strong.But behind the scenes, she was masking anxiety, struggling privately and slowly losing herself.In …
Notas do episódio
Millions watched Leah Tyrer on Married At First Sight and saw someone calm, confident and emotionally strong.
But behind the scenes, she was masking anxiety, struggling privately and slowly losing herself.
In this honest conversation, Leah opens up about the emotional pressure of reality TV, feeling misunderstood in relationships, late neurodivergence diagnosis, people pleasing and the moment she realised she’d spent years protecting herself instead of truly being herself.
She also reveals what viewers don’t see off camera, how filming affected her mentally, and why watching the show back completely changed the way she saw herself.
This isn’t just a conversation about reality TV.
It’s a conversation about identity, confidence, emotional overwhelm and what happens when you finally stop pretending you’re okay.
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How To Stop Overthinking What People Think Of You
Do you constantly replay conversations in your head? Worry you said the wrong thing? Or feel like you’ve spent years trying not to be “too much”?In this coaching episode, I’m unpacking how the labels we’re …
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Do you constantly replay conversations in your head? Worry you said the wrong thing? Or feel like you’ve spent years trying not to be “too much”?
In this coaching episode, I’m unpacking how the labels we’re given as children and young adults can quietly shape the way we think, behave and show up in the world for years afterwards.
I share how being told I was “too outspoken” and had “a big mouth” slowly changed my confidence, my decisions and even the direction of my life - without me fully realising it at the time.
We explore:
- How people-pleasing and self-doubt are connected
- Why so many women stop recognising themselves
- A simple coaching framework to challenge negative thought patterns
This episode is designed to help you reflect on the thoughts, stories and identities you may still be carrying - and start reconnecting with who you really are underneath the overthinking.
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Connect with Lisa
YouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait
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I Was Called “Thick and Lazy” at 7… Now I Help Shape Netflix Dramas. Here’s What My Teachers Missed
If you’ve ever felt underestimated, behind in life, or like your brain works differently to everybody else, this episode is for you.At school, Clinical Psychologist Dr Lucy Shoolbred was told she was “thick and …
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If you’ve ever felt underestimated, behind in life, or like your brain works differently to everybody else, this episode is for you.
At school, Clinical Psychologist Dr Lucy Shoolbred was told she was “thick and lazy”.
She couldn’t read properly, felt constantly underestimated, and genuinely believed she wasn’t clever enough to succeed.
Years later, she’s working behind some of the biggest TV dramas in the world - including the Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning Netflix series Adolescence.
But this episode isn’t just about success.
It’s about what happens when a child grows up believing the labels adults gave them.
In this conversation, Lucy reveals:
- what it actually feels like growing up severely dyslexic
- the moment she realised school had got her completely wrong
- how she now protects child actors filming traumatic scenes
- and why some of the people who struggle most in school end up seeing the world differently to everyone else.
Lucy also mentions the incredible work being done by Made By Dyslexia - a charity helping people better understand dyslexic thinking and why different brains should never be underestimated.
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Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa
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Connect with Lisa
YouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Real Reason So Many Women Over 40 Feel Lost
If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt unsure of the woman staring back at you, this episode will leave you reflecting on where that feeling really began.Many women over 40 reach a point where they …
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If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt unsure of the woman staring back at you, this episode will leave you reflecting on where that feeling really began.
Many women over 40 reach a point where they quietly wonder… how did I end up feeling so disconnected from myself?
In this deeply personal solo episode, I reflect on the comments, expectations and life experiences that slowly shaped who I became - and how, over time, I started shrinking parts of myself just to fit in, feel accepted and avoid judgment.
From being labelled “too outspoken” as a child to realising how much outside noise had influenced my confidence, relationships and choices, this episode explores the hidden reasons so many women begin to feel lost in midlife.
But this conversation isn’t about blame or reinventing yourself. It’s about understanding how years of conditioning, people-pleasing and self-doubt can slowly pull us away from who we truly are - and how awareness is the first step back.
In this episode, we explore:
- Why so many women lose confidence over time
- The impact childhood comments can have on adult identity
- How people-pleasing slowly changes who we are
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Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa
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Connect with Lisa
YouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Women Sabotage Other Women and Themselves
If you've ever felt like you had to make yourself smaller to be accepted, this episode is for you.For years, Sophie Jane Lee looked like she had it all together.A successful career. A beautiful home. Ambition …
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If you've ever felt like you had to make yourself smaller to be accepted, this episode is for you.
For years, Sophie Jane Lee looked like she had it all together.
A successful career. A beautiful home. Ambition. Status. Achievement.
But behind the scenes, she was battling addiction, toxic relationships, deep shame, and a painful belief that she was never truly good enough.
In this powerful conversation, Lisa sits down with brand strategist, journalist and author Sophie Jane Lee to unpack the truth about internalised misogyny - and the subtle ways women are conditioned to shrink themselves, compete with one another, stay “palatable”, and abandon who they really are.
Together, they explore:
- why so many women struggle with self-worth
- the hidden ways misogyny shows up between women
- people pleasing, perfectionism and burnout
Sophie also opens up about the life-changing moment that forced her to confront the truth about herself - and the journey that inspired her book, Beyond Palatable.
This is an honest, challenging and deeply important conversation about identity, conditioning, confidence, and what it really means to reclaim your voice as a woman.
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Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa
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Connect with Lisa
YouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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