Smashing The Ceiling

To many people, the world of burlesque may seem distant, mysterious and unknown. You might have heard of Dita von Teese, but how much do you know about the art of it, the glamour, and the people, who are, by all accounts, a brilliant bunch of welcoming human beings?

My guest today is Tigz Rice, who combines her career as a burlesque and boudoir photographer with an ambition to leave her mark on the world creatively. She has shot for Cosmopolitan, and produced work that the HuffPost described as the 'most diverse lingerie shoot of its time'. But like many of my guests, she didn't expect to end up where she is. Tigz harboured a strong desire to be a forensic pathologist, and it was circumstances that led her to art college, then into photography.

She's an amazing advocate for people celebrating their bodies, taking pride and joy in what society may view as physical flaws, but often actually are a sign of strength and resilience. She is storyteller of the highest order, and I hope you enjoy this conversation about her life and career.

Useful Links

Tigz's websites: https://www.tigzrice.com and https://brandingbytigz.com

Follow Tigz on Instagram at @tigzrice and @brandingbytigz

Our website, with details of the International Women's Podcast Awards - www.skylarkcollective.co.uk

Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/theskylarkcollective.co.uk

To open Season 4, I’ve got two guests with me with this week, and if you’re looking for inspiring women in your life, then these two are it.

Kirsten and Aiyven Mbawa are sisters from Northampton, England and they’re 13 and 12 years old respectively. Nothing unusual there. What is unusual is that both Kirsten and Aiyven are published authors and business owners. Their love of reading has driven everything they’ve done so far, and you’ll hear in this chat the effect on their lives that they both attribute to books. Their company, Mbawa Books, produces monthly subscription boxes for teens containing diverse titles with relatable, representative heroes from a wide range of authors, as well as stories written by Kirsten and Aiyven themselves. Their output is prolific, and having tasted success with their first books, which they self-published but subsequently got onto the shelves of Waterstones through their hard work and tenacity, they are well on their way with their next novels.

Kirsten and Aiyven are the face of their brand. They have help from their mum, Ndah, but have themselves appeared on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4 and in various local and national press. Kirsten confidently told me she wants to be prime minister, and I just wouldn’t put anything past these two.

Useful Links

Mbawa Books Website: https://www.mbawabooks.co.uk

Subscribe to Kirsten and Aiyven's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1-zobH5aogUrGF02gIW3lw

Follow Mbawa Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbawabooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbawabooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbawabooks/

My first guest of 2022 is Catie Friend, who says of her adventures that she “will always be a completer rather than a competer”. Given the challenges she’s completed, which include the world’s toughest ski mountaineering race and the half Marathon des Sables, and the things she’s done in her career, completing any of them would be considered a strong achievement as far as I’m concerned.

Catie grew up in south west Scotland, and after travelling solo round the world, she embarked on a career in events management, found her way into radio, and is now a multi-lingual sports commentator, presenter, podcaster and coach. She lives in Verbier, in the Swiss Alps, with her family.

In this conversation we discuss (amongst other things) solo travel as a woman, surviving a difficult boss and a nightmare job, the difference between a ‘job’ and a ‘career’, the paradox of age vs. wisdom, and why sometimes it’s best not to overthink it.

Today's podcast is supported by Fem Foundry, a one-of-a-kind global community for womankind to discover, learn, connect and thrive. One of the key components that sets Fem Foundry apart is their focus on the multi-faceted aspects of a woman’s life, from her career to her wellness, from her spirituality to her mental health. This, along with their founding team and Fem Foudnry’s global partners, mean they are uniquely positioned as a media powerhouse for women’s empowerment on a large scale. With a new improved 2.0 version of the app just launched, Fem Foundry has huge global ambitions, with a mission to become the Bumble of humanised female networking, learning and support. So download Fem Foundry today and have a look.

Useful links

Catie’s website: https://www.catiefriend.com

Listen to her podcast, Chatting To A Friend: https://pod.link/chattingtoafriend

Follow Catie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catiefriend/

Music

The Show Must Be Go by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4509-the-show-must-be-go

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Royalty Free Music from Bensound

Have you ever had a moment when you met someone for the first time, but you felt like you'd known them your entire life? It's a weird and rare but wonderful thing. I had that feeling when I chatted to Nikki Trott prior to this interview, and I knew I had to have her on the show.

Nikki is an entrepreneur, podcaster and coach on a mission with her company, Conscious Accelerator. That mission is to help entrepreneurs with a real purpose in their business to thrive. She believes that purpose and profit don't have to be mutually exclusive (something I wholeheartedly agree with) and that business can be ethical, meaningful and financially successful all at the same time.

But she started her working life singing in a choir and working in Topshop during her teenage years, before beginning her career post-university at a tech startup. She's had huge experience in business development, branding and the tech sector, and has done a variety of different and roles that have led her to where she is today. We talked in this interview about how experience in retail and service early in Nikki's career shaped her attitudes going forwards, why 'success' isn't always what it seems, and how the realisation that her personal values and professional life were poles apart led to some pretty significant changes.

Useful Links

Nikki's website: https://www.nikkitrott.com

Find Nikki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkitrott/

Follow Nikki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkitrott/

Our website, with details of the International Women's Podcast Awards - www.skylarkcollective.co.uk

Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/theskylarkcollective.co.uk

When you think about human rights, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

Maybe it's the treatment of prisoners overseas, or working conditions and pay in a place of employment, or freedom of speech, or the right of an individual to live freely and safely in whatever manner they choose? Maybe it's a multitude of other things, because the subject of human rights is broad and deep. It's also vitally important.

My guest today is Vicki Prais, a human rights lawyer and consultant, podcaster and writer. We love women with adventurous and challenging careers on this podcast, and Vicki has that in spades. She's worked for the UN in Kosovo, Amnesty International, Penal Reform International and the British Government. She's worked in Ukraine, Russia and Armenia, and consulted on cases involving Guantanamo Bay.

"We are all experts in our own little niches" she says. Vicki Prais, welcome to Smashing The Ceiling.

Useful Links

Vicki's Website: https://vickiprais.com

Connect with Vicki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-prais-5862151/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vickiprais?lang=en