Welcome to Conversations in Wellbeing, Series 3, Episode 5 with Zoe James. Zoe is the owner of Blooming Bamboo Yoga based in the North East but also offers her services online so delivering much wider a field.

I met Zoe a few months ago at a networking meeting and she is an example of how you can just 'connect and click' with other people. I loved her energy and what she stood for on the day and was honoured that she agreed to be a guest on my podcast after meeting the first time! This conversation is a beautiful reflection of how life offers twists and turns, throws us curves balls and how we develop resilience and strength during those challenging times. From the North East to London and back, discovering yoga and learning to prioritise her wellbeing, and how difficult sometimes it is being a women and a business owner.

If you would like to connect with Zoe please check out her website here https://bloomingbamboo.co.uk/wp/ with links to her socials and next year's yoga and hiking retreat. And if like me you are a business owner, I'd encourage you to check out 'High Vibe Monday's' too, I've signed up and absolutely loving it!

Welcome to conversations in Wellbeing, Series 3, Episode 4…Paul ‘Rocker’ Robson, a member of Wearside Triathlon and works in Cycle World.  For those who live in or around Sunderland and are involved in Triathlon’s or cycling you will probably know Rocker, and maybe you’ve been subject to his ‘Yoda mind trick’!  Or as Rocker says “if you have the itch, all I do is show you how to scratch it”.

I learnt a lot about Rocker in this conversation but also a lot about BMXing, skateboarding, and triathlons.  You don’t have to like any of the above to listen this, Rocker’s passion and enthusiasm for all of the above is what makes this so interesting for me.

If you’d like to connect with Rocker you can find him in Cycle World where he will be able to help you with all things bike or probably talk you into a triathlon!  Or connect with him on Instagram @paul.robson.rocker

Thank you to my new followers and thank you for the feedback too via my socials…a share if you like this episode would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to conversations in Wellbeing, Series 3, Episode 3…with Chris Nicholas, a Triathlon Coach, a swim teacher, owner of NXY Multisport and he also runs Ice Guys a local group for men around mental health centred around open water dips.  I’ve never met Chris before, but what an interesting guy with such a passion to help people whether that’s in helping improve their sport performance or mental health.

I love finding out about people’s journey to how they have arrived at where they are now, and Chris’ story about walking into Cycle World to buy a bike after doing a lot of overtime is a perfect example of how a conversation in time can lead you to an amazing opportunity that can change your life.  As Chris says, “find your thing…that’s not going to have a negative impact you”.

If you’d like to connect with Chris and find out a bit more about NXY or Ice Guys, please do so through www.nxymultisports.co.uk or iceguysnortheast@outlook.com and if you think someone else could benefit from what Chris offers, please do forward this podcast so they can listen or maybe go along with them to take part in an Iceguys dip soon.

Thank you to all my new existing subscribers, and thank you for the feedback too via my socials…please share this episode with anyone who you think might need to hear the messages.

Welcome to conversations in Wellbeing, Series 3, Episode 2…with Nicola Jayne Little, a mentor, a role model and friend.  I’ve known Nicola for over 5 years now and she is truly an incredible human being with so much passion, empathy and energy for small businesses, the north east and supporting other people that I feel incredibly honoured to know her personally.

Today’s episode is recorded at The HUB, Nicola’s newest adventure based in Consett and it provides quite literally a hub for the community, a retail space, a work space, a café, a training space, a safe space and an office space for MINT Business Club and Celebrate Difference.

We talk about the importance of finding a blend in work and life…is the elusive work life balance ever achievable?  We discuss as small business owner’s if you’re not ‘ok’ then your business suffers.  We also talk about Nicola’s ADHD journey to diagnosis and how that led to establishing Celebrate Difference, and we share some personal accounts of challenges that we both relate too…all with humour because how could we do it any other way? 

If you would like to connect with Nicola you can do so via her LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/nicolajaynelittle and/or check out Mint Business Club https://www.mintbusinessclub.co.uk/ Celebrate Difference https://www.celebratedifference.co.uk/ and The HUB https://www.thehubconsett.co.uk/

Thank you to my new followers and thank you for the feedback too via my socials…please share this episode with anyone who you think might need to hear the messages.

Welcome to Conversations in Wellbeing and a new Series!! It's a bit crazy that I have reached a 3rd series, and that I haven't got bored doing it! That may sound like a strange thing to say, but as you'll hear in this episode for the first time I openly reflect and talk about a new 'phase' of my wellbeing, waiting for an ADHD diagnosis...because I finally got round to telling my parents about it.

Future episodes will still focus on individuals Wellbeing journey, what wellbeing means to them and for them, how they create and also how they are paying it forward in their business (a weighted focus on self employed and small businesses) and will also allow me to now openly talk about my current journey without the fear of rejection. Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) is a real thing and until I started down this journey I never knew it existed...or I experienced it.

If this episode raises any questions please reach out and ask them, I stand by the saying 'Shy bairns get nowt' and believe that there is no stupid question, just the odd funny one!

Thank you as always to all my regular listeners and subscribers, I do this because I hope through sharing other people's journeys it will open up new possibilities for you or others that you know, and highlight just how unique we all are and one size of 'wellbeing' doesn't fit everyone.

Be kind to you and others around you and I hope you enjoy future episodes as much as previous ones.

Welcome to conversations in Wellbeing, Series 2, Episode 13…with Senga Kean, an incredible business women, and one half of an amazing couple that not only work together in their business, the play together too…and can often be seen on their social media away at weekends in their camper van with their gorgeous dog.

I’ve known Senga for over 7 years and we have both been cheerleaders for each others business and support in general.  I noticed Senga had started to share more about her personal wellbeing activites during Covid and as a small business owner thought what a perfect guest to have on my podcast.

I loved the part of the conversation where we talked about giving ourselves permission to have time out on our own and not feel guilty for it.  Is this something that you do?  Or something that struggle with doing?

Hello and thank you to my new listeners in Croatia and Sweden, I hope you are enjoying the podcast. If you have any questions or comments please reach out through my socials or leave a comment at the end of the episode.  I read them all.  Thank you to everyone who currently subscribes and has shared with their friends and family too.

If you would like to connect with Senga you can do so via her LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/sengacrosby or the website http://www.dodio.co.uk

Series 2, Episode 12...a conversation with Gabby

I love a serendipitous meeting as it's exciting when you then explore interests, beliefs and from a small business perspective, opportunities to Collab! Gabby's energy is infectious and I loved walking and talking with her along the river Wear discovering her journey to wellbeing and how she is now paying that forward with something she is passionate about and helping people 'moving out of their head and into their heart'.

Please connect with Gabby on Instagram to find out more about the reiki and breathwork sessions she offers at @well_withgabrielle on a personal level, and she also offers group sessions too.

As always, thank you for your support and following me and my journey. Please share this episode with someone who you think could benefit or be interested in finding out more about breathwork and reiki. And if you can subscribe and give my podcast a rating that would be amazing too.

Feel free to send any questions or comments on my socials @kath4te or kathryn@kathrynforte.com as I love to read them.

🌟 Conversations in Wellbeing 🌟Series 2, Episode 11...with Ben Holmes

"Wellbeing is the bringing together of body and mind..."

Travelling to Tromso on my own, I knew I would meet and connect with others out there participating in the Midnight Sun Marathon. A connection of like minded individuals, a community of interest. But I didn't really expect to connect to such an interesting and inspirational person to hang out with. I guess that's what happens when you put your phone done and become interested in people. I think on the last things we said as we left Pust Kafe on the Saturday was 'whats your name?'.

Ben suffered a brain injury last year and in the podcast reflects on his journey to recovery and how wellbeing has become an important aspect of his life. Looking at him you wouldn't guess he had a brain injury and I think that's another lesson that we forget on a daily basis...we never know what is going for someone else. Their lived experience of life is so different to yours, be compassionate if a stranger is having a bad day, forgive quickly and smile always. You might just make someone's day by not judging them.

If you'd like to connect with Ben or his dog Lily, you can find them both on Instagram at @benholmes110 and @lily_the_collie_ and if you'd like to support Ben in his fundraising you can find his page on JustGiving at Ben's Parish Walk Fundraiser or https://www.justgiving.com/page/ben-holmes-1687334989792iom

I hope you enjoy this podcast, I enjoyed recording it and feel very blessed to have connected with a new friend. He helped to make my Tromso trip a little bit more special from artic dipping, hiking and doing snow angles!

Please give my podcast a follow and share so other people can be inspired by the amazing guests I've had on. If you'd like to give me feedback you can do via my socials or email me at kathryn@kathrynforte.com