Life at this stage? It’s a paradox.

It’s brilliant and brutal. It’s laughter that makes your eyes leak and pressure that makes your chest tight. It’s rich tea biscuits when you really want a caramel hobnob.

It’s dropping kids at uni, holding parents through illness, running businesses, leading businesses, keeping homes together and still showing up with grit, humour and a grin that hides the whisper of “what the actual fck” under your breath.

Today's episode is how I'm feeling; it's raw and real. It's unfiltered because that what I promised this podcast would be.

I’m talking about the relentless load we carry - the caregiving, the never-ending shoulds, the hormonal rollercoaster, the separation anxiety of even the blinking dog, the anticipation of the grief that I know is coming and the pure, heart-bursting joy that still breaks through.

Because all the things can be true at the same time.

It’s unrelenting. And still… we crack the on.

✨ In this episode, I share:

• The invisible emotional weight women carry and why it’s so often unseen.
• The duality of life right now: joy and ache, ease and unease, noise and solitude.
• Why women 40+ need scaffolding, not platitudes, if we’re going to thrive (not just survive).
• How adulting is less about “nailing it” and more about rewriting the bloody manual.

This one is for every woman holding the sky up while craving five quiet minutes with a brew. You are unstoppable, unbreakable, unrelenting. I see you, my friend - and we ride together.

Sarah is the founder of FoundHer Fire—a membership space for experienced women in business who know real success isn’t just about strategy, it’s about self; a place, a space, a community where women find their fire, for women who aren't done yet and who are ready to write their own rules of success. Sarah also co-founded The Plot Twist (un)Awards, celebrating female founders and women smashing through glass ceilings with purpose, passion and joy.

Find out more about me and how I can work with you:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On the Web
• Or drop me an email sarah@mindthegap.academy

From NHS burnout to llamas in bow ties… Celia Gaze’s story is one hell of a plot twist.

Celia didn’t set out to be a founder. She set out to survive stress. But what started as a piece of coursework about wellbeing turned into The Wellbeing Farm – a wedding and events venue in Bolton where the llamas wear bow ties (yes, really) and joy is stitched into the brand.

In this conversation we get into:

• How burnout sneaks up on us and why we need to notice the “small creaks” before the big crash.
• Why proving yourself is a never-ending treadmill and owning your worth is the real liberation.
• The power of tiny, quirky decisions (like bow ties on llamas) to transform a business.
• Celia’s “Book of Joy” – a running list of the little and big things that make her feel alive and why every woman needs one.
• Declaring your boundaries out loud – to yourself as much as anyone else – and the permission it creates.
• Why space, solitude, and saying no are not indulgences but essential checks and balances if you want to crack on without burning out.

Celia’s six-word memoir? “Burnout, bow ties on llamas, chose conscious.”
And that sums it up perfectly.

🔑 Key Takeaways

1. Burnout isn’t a badge of honour. Stress creeps in through the little things until suddenly you’re gripping the steering wheel wondering if it’s a heart attack. Catch it early.
2. Declare it. Boundaries only stick when you declare them – to your team, your family, but most importantly, to yourself.
3. Joy needs scheduling. Whether it’s buying flowers, walking in nature, or sitting with a brew – joy doesn’t just happen. Make it intentional.
4. The quirks are the differentiators. A bow tie on a llama turned The Wellbeing Farm from “just another venue” into something unforgettable. Your small, authentic quirks are your brand edge.
5. Legacy > busyness. Building the business is only half the story. What you’re remembered for goes beyond the spreadsheets.

Sarah is the founder of FoundHer Fire—a membership space for experienced women in business who know real success isn’t just about strategy, it’s about self; a place, a space, a community where women find their fire, for women who aren't done yet and who are ready to write their own rules of success. Sarah also co-founded The Plot Twist (un)Awards, celebrating female founders and women smashing through glass ceilings with purpose, passion and joy.

Find out more about me and how I can work with you:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On the Web
• Or drop me an email sarah@mindthegap.academy

Hello, hello you bloody lovely humans. Today I’m dismantling my long-term love affair with self-deprecation - the jokes I used to make so nobody else could beat me to it and I’m showing you how I swapped being the punchline for backing my bloody brilliance.

Why this matters (the science bit):

• Self-deprecation ≠ strategy: It can boost likeability but tanks perceived competence (the old competence–likeability bind).
• Self-perception theory: We believe what we hear ourselves say. Keep saying “I’m just winging it,” and guess what sticks.
• Neuroplasticity: Confidence is a trainable skill; every time you back yourself out loud, you wire that pathway in.
• Persistence effect: Speak up, hold the floor, try again — credibility rises with visible persistence.

What’s inside:

• The Millie Tant nickname and why I laughed instead of led.
• The night I told an L&D CEO I was the “queen of bullsh*t”… and what changed after my stomach fell through the floor.
• How I re-wrote my inner code so my outside world caught up.
• Five practical ways to back yourself today (no vision boards required).

Five practical plays to try this week:

1. Swap your opener. Retire the “just…” and the joke. Write a grown-up intro you can actually say out loud.
2. Evidence folder. Screenshots, testimonials, wins. Title it ALLOW and read it when you wobble.
3. Thought flip. When “Who do you think you are?” pops up, answer: “Someone who’s bloody earned this.” Add three receipts.
4. Best-mate test. If you wouldn’t let anyone speak to your best mate like that, you’re not allowed to speak to you like that.
5. Borrow belief. Until your brain catches up, stand under someone else’s scaffolding (coach, mate, Collective).

Sticky soundbites:

• Brilliance doesn’t need a punchline. It needs backing.
• Likeable is lovely. Credible pays the bills.
• Confidence requires evidence — start saving yours.
• Stop auditioning for rooms that were never built for you.

Listener challenge:
What’s one phrase you’re retiring this week and one bold sentence you’re using instead? Tell me on LinkedIn or Insta so we can cheer you on (and keep you honest).

Six-word memoir for this episode:
No more shrinking. Back Your Brilliance.

Sarah is the founder of FoundHer Fire—a membership space for experienced women in business who know real success isn’t just about strategy, it’s about self; a place, a space, a community where women find their fire, for women who aren't done yet and who are ready to write their own rules of success. Sarah also co-founded The Plot Twist (un)Awards, celebrating female founders and women smashing through glass ceilings with purpose, passion and joy.

Find out more about me and how I can work with you:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On the Web
• Or drop me an email sarah@mindthegap.academy