LUCY LOVES

As well as having a weekly podcast I'm also a life coach, which is actually a very broad term in the coaching world. Along my coaching journey, I've had the privilege of meeting, working with and interviewing a brilliantly diverse mix of coaches.

And this week's guest is no exception. Lucy Higgins not only has the most heartwarming smile, she is a transformational coach helping women thrive at home and work. Having suffered from anxiety all her life I really admire how she has used her own experience to not only transform her life but to help the lives of others.

Behind most people's smiles is a story and I'm so looking forward to hearing more about Lucy’s.

Here are the highlights:

(01:06) What Lucy Higgins is currently working on

(05:29) Lucy discusses patriarchal motherhood

(13:03) Lucy’s proudest moment

(17:04) Lucy talks about suffering from “mum guilt” around cooking for her children

(23:15) Lucy describes the books she enjoys reading

(26:04) The nicest compliment Lucy has received

(33:05) Lucy’s Instagram and website links

Lucy’s book recommendations:

The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com

Georgia Flower, otherwise known as Gigi’s Cakes, is an extremely clever and talented individual whose ambition is clear: to create the ultimate piece of edible theatre for your event.

I discovered Gigi’s work after seeing it showcased on ‘egg&co’ ‘s Instagram page and was totally blown away. ‘Contemporary’ best describes her work but she is perhaps most well known for her speciality in hyperrealism; celebrating organic textures and vibrant colours, with proportions that give designs a clean, elegant look.

Not only is Georgia a specialist novelty cake designer, but has also recently been introduced to her first child and has gone through the trials and tribulations of developing a new business through a pandemic so there is a lot more to her than meets the eye.

Here are the highlights:

(01:49) Moving house, baking cakes and having your first child

(07:52) How Gigi got into novelty cake making

(10:35) Dealing with her clients’ most challenging requests

(13:06) Gigi’s best creations and the wedding industry picking up again

(20:36) Keeping a note of all the compliments you’ve received

(24:58) Being put down by her head teacher and how it motivated her

(32:52) Where to find Gigi’s Cakes online

Gigi’s book recommendations:

Debbie Brown’s Party Cakes – Debbie Brown

The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com

In this episode I’m joined by the undeniably talented floral stylist Graeme Corbett. Graeme’s business ‘Bloom & Burn’ has flourished in recent years; leading him to move studio where he now teaches workshops and is in the process of creating his own cutting garden.

I really admire people with a colourful and creative talent, yet I also understand the hard work and determination it takes to turn a passion into a business. This is most definitely the case with Graeme, as he has overcome many obstacles in his life and career to get where he is today – to the point where he now provides his creativity and designs for clients such as Jamie Oliver and National Geographic.

There is so much more to Graeme than filling our Instagram feeds with beautiful floral designs and I’m thankful I got the chance to discover this for myself.

Here are the highlights:

(01:16) Setting up a cutting garden to support the use of local flowers

(04:45) Moving from London to the countryside

(07:19) How Graeme got into the flower industry and the style he’s created

(13:46) Buying flowers for a florist and where ‘Bloom&Burn’ came from

(15:39) The importance of Graeme’s relationship, being an anxious person and ways of managing stress

(24:17) Reading ‘suburban misery’ and books that hold a special place in Graeme’s heart

(29:06) Where he gets his inspiration from

(35:10) Graeme’s Instagram and website links

Graeme’s book recommendations:

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com

On this episode, I speak to Premiership rugby and European rugby championship winner Will Fraser. Since his retirement; Will has remained involved with his club: Saracens - and in 2020 set up ‘100 & First’: a programme born from the realisation of the power of incredible real-life experiences and how the learnings from them are applicable to any person or environment.

Will is passionate about driving and creating change and brings with him 10 years’ experience of playing professional sport at the highest level with a successful transition into the business world.

Devoted husband, father and family man with a generous heart; I feel very lucky to count Will as one of my friends and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him more in this podcast.

Here are the highlights:

(01:54) The story behind 100andfirst.com

(05:59) Where the name came from

(10:51) Will’s 3 proudest moments

(13:16) Retirement from Rugby

(14:54) Sweet, savoury and Will’s love for roasts

(16:43) His brother’s response to injury and how that impacted his life

(21:18) Book recommendations and series to watch

(27:35) Where to find out more about 100andfirst.com

Will’s book recommendations:

Turn The Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers – David Marquet

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com

This week’s guest is someone who I find very inspiring and I have huge admiration for, Jo Fairley. Jo is a knowledgeable voice in the beauty industry, co-founder of Green and Black's chocolates, a public speaker, an author, a serial entrepreneur, and a champion of small businesses. We have a delightful conversation about her love of writing, how and why she became a founder of Green and Black’s chocolates, her brilliant book recommendations and how she struggles to cut onions!

Here are the highlights:

(05:11) Jo describes her love of writing

(10:19) Jo’s proudest moment

(12:44) How she became a founder of Green and Black’s chocolates

(20:04) Who does the cooking in Jo’s house

(26:03) Jo’s book recommendations

(33:06) What makes Jo’s heart smile

Contact Jo:

https://www.josephinefairley.com/

https://www.beautybible.com/

The Penguin article: https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2021/december/easy-reading-hack-habit-read-more.html

Jo’s book recommendations:

Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paper-Palace-Miranda-Cowley-Heller/dp/0241470714/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1650643782&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unsettled-Ground-Shortlisted-Womens-Fiction/dp/0241457467/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=unsettled+ground+claire+fuller&qid=1650643857&sprefix=unsettled+ground%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lessons-Chemistry-Debut-Bonnie-Garmus/dp/0857528122/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2COLZ2123ZXSR&keywords=lessons+in+chemistry&qid=1650643898&sprefix=lessons+in+chemistry%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1

Find out more about Lucy and listen to more episodes at http://lucygourlay.com