Successful AF Pod

Jessica West
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Successful AF is a podcast about redefining success on your own terms. Host Jess West — a leadership and burnout coach who's circled the drain on burnout more than once — sits down with people who did everything right, ticked every box, and still found themselves asking "is this it?" Through honest, unfiltered conversations about burnout recovery, career change and reinvention, her guests share how they stopped borrowing someone else's scorecard and started authoring success for themselves. If you've ever chased a version of success that was never built for you, this one's for you.

  1. 1d ago

    You Can't Bubble Bath Your Way Out of Burnout

    Another solo one, and this time I'm getting into something I talk about all the time in my coaching but haven't really unpacked on the pod: burnout isn't a bubble bath problem. It's a nervous system issue. It's a belief system issue. And no amount of journaling, breathwork or gong baths is going to fix it if the thing underneath — the constant performing, the chasing of a version of success you never actually chose — doesn't change. I share my own story (hello, optimising-to-the-max era, habit trackers and all) and the moment lockdown forced me to stop and realise I had no idea how to climb back down the mountain. Then a few questions I want to leave you with: When did you last feel peace? Joy? Free? And what were you doing? Because how you live your days is how you live your life. Kudos if the fast cars and designer whatever is genuinely what you want — but if it isn't, consider this your invitation to reevaluate. Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature. Connect with Jess: Instagram: @kalicoaching.co Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

    9 min

  2. Jul 4

    Dancing With Pain: Living With Chronic Illness and Learning to Surrender — Lorraine Ansell

    Lorraine Ansell spent 40 years in pain without knowing it. Waking up feeling like she'd been "hit by a plane," feet that hummed, a body that bruised at the slightest touch — she assumed everyone felt that way. It wasn't until lockdown, a TikTok algorithm and a very thorough letter to her GP that she was finally diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and four decades of unanswered questions suddenly made sense. In this season three opener of Successful AF, host Jess West sits down with Lorraine — author of The Surrender Agenda, voiceover artist and dancer — for an honest, surprisingly funny conversation about what happens when there's no cure. Lorraine's radical idea isn't to fight her chronic pain, but to dance with it: to surrender, accept, learn and ultimately love the body she has. In this conversation, you'll hear: How decades of symptoms got dismissed as "growing pains" — and why women so often aren't believed by the medical systemWhat it took to finally get a diagnosis after 40 years, and how to advocate for yourself with your GPWhy "surrender" is a position of strength, not weakness or failureHow Lorraine reframes chronic pain as a dance partner rather than an enemy to defeatWhy rest is "revolution time," and how stripping life back changed her relationship with successThe case for bringing pain "out of the shadows" the way we've started to with mental healthThis one is for anyone living with chronic pain, invisible illness or an undiagnosed condition — and for anyone exhausted by the battle of trying to outrun something that lives inside them. The Surrender Agenda by Lorraine Ansell is available online, on Kindle, and as an audiobook in Lorraine's own voice. Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature. Connect with Jess: Instagram: @kalicoaching.co Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

    59 min

  3. Jun 27

    Season 3: Stop Borrowing Someone Else's Scorecard — Jess Goes Solo

    In the first ever solo episode of Successful AF, host Jess West kicks off season three with a reset on what this whole show is really about. After 21 conversations with guests redefining success on their own terms, Jess pulls together the threads — and gets honest about her own story: circling the drain on burnout more than once, chasing a version of success she'd never actually authored for herself. This is a short, unfiltered reflection on why we spend so long chasing the big house, the title and the fancy watch — a version of success that, as Jess puts it, was designed for none of us — and what changes when you stop borrowing someone else's scorecard and start defining success for yourself. In this episode, Jess explores: Why success is self-authored, not inherited — and how to stop chasing someone else's definitionThe gap between knowing you're successful and actually feeling itUnlearning the conditioning: why your first thought is programming and your second thought is choiceThe power of walking away, and why grit and relentless optimisation aren't the whole storyHer own burnout story — chasing a promotion, ignoring the warning signs, and what she found on the other sideWhy how you live your days is how you live your lifeWhether you're navigating burnout recovery, a career change, or just the quiet sense that you've ticked every box and still feel like something's missing, this episode is an invitation to live differently — and to give yourself permission to define success on your own terms. New episodes all season. If the show resonates, follow, rate and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature. Connect with Jess: Instagram: @kalicoaching.co Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

    10 min

  4. May 29

    Money, Mindset & Multi-Passion: You Can Have It All, Just Not at Once – Jessie Leong

    What if the reason you feel bad about money has nothing to do with how much you have? Jessie Leong is a marketing manager by day and the founder of How I Fund This by night — a personal finance community of over 80,000 people built on one simple but radical idea: that financial confidence isn't about perfection, deprivation, or having it all figured out. It's about understanding your relationship with money well enough to make it work for the life you actually want. In this episode, Jess and Jessie get into the real stuff — the anxiety, the shame, the seasons where money feels impossible — and why being honest about all of it is the first step to feeling better. In this episode you'll learn: Why money is an emotional topic first and a practical one second — and why that changes everythingHow to work out what you actually value (and spend accordingly, without guilt)The case for building an emergency fund — and how to start even when the end goal feels out of reachWhy small, consistent habits will always outperform a one-off financial overhaulHow to be multi-passionate and build something meaningful alongside a full-time jobWhat Jessie would tell her younger self about mistakes, permission, and peace of mindConnect with Jessie: Instagram: How I Fund This | Substack: For What It's Worth Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature. Connect with Jess: Instagram: @kalicoaching.co Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

    51 min

  5. May 16

    Can You Be Ambitious Without Burning Out? Riah Patel on Networking, Mentorship & Slowing Down to Succeed

    Riah Patel has the career, the drive, and the results to prove it. A senior leader and surveyor in the real estate industry, she's spent a decade building an impressive career through sheer intentionality — moving from graduate scheme to business development, team leadership and strategy, while becoming one of the most respected networkers in her field. But the most interesting part of her story isn't the promotions or the business development wins. It's what she discovered when she finally gave herself permission to slow down — and realised her results actually got better. In this episode of Successful AF, Riah gets refreshingly honest about the cost of always being full throttle, what sustainable ambition really looks like in practice, and why she still does power poses in work bathrooms before big presentations. In this conversation, you'll hear: Why career networking doesn't have to feel transactional — and how to build genuine human connection in professional spacesWhat Riah learned when she stopped working at full speed (spoiler: she didn't fall behind)How she finds and works with mentors — including why her longest-standing mentor wasn't who she expectedThe confidence-building habits that actually work, from coaching to body languageWhat burnout prevention really looks like when you're wired to be competitiveWhy her definition of success has shifted — and what "complicated" really meansThis one is for anyone who's ever wondered whether ambition and sustainability can actually coexist. Turns out, they can. You just have to be intentional about it. Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature. Connect with Jess: Instagram: @kalicoaching.co Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

    39 min

  6. Mar 8

    When Your Doctor Won't Listen: Risa August on Brain Tumours, Radical Reinvention, and What Success Really Feels Like

    What if you spent seven years knowing something was wrong with your body — and every doctor told you nothing was? Risa August is a two-time Ironman athlete, cyclist, author, and one of the most quietly compelling people I've ever spoken to. For seven years, her body was changing in ways she couldn't explain. She was dismissed, minimised, and told to drink more water — while completing Ironman triathlons. It was only when Risa demanded her own MRI that doctors discovered a large tumour on her pituitary gland and a rare condition called acromegaly that had been reshaping her body for years. What followed was brain surgery, radiation, lifelong medication — and six months later, Risa had signed up to cycle from Meixco to Canada, cycling 1,845 miles down the Pacific Coast Highway to Mexico. She had injections shipped to remote locations along the route. Because that's just who she is. But this isn't really a story about physical feats. It's about what happens to your identity when the version of yourself you've built everything around is no longer available to you — and who you find when you stop trying to get her back. In this episode, you'll discover: ✨ How to advocate for your own health when medical professionals aren't listening (and why women are disproportionately dismissed)  ✨ What identity collapse really feels like — and the surprising first step Risa took toward recovery (spoiler: it wasn't getting back on the bike)  ✨ Why receiving help used to feel like weakness — and the mindset shift that changed everything  ✨ How to find forward motion when you can barely get to the front door  ✨ What success feels like when you stop measuring it in achievements and start measuring it in days that just flow  This episode is for you if: You've been dismissed by doctors and are looking for validation that you know your own bodyYou're a high-achiever going through a health crisis, burnout, or major life disruptionYour identity is deeply tied to what you do — and that's starting to feel fragileYou're rebuilding after loss and wondering what the first step looks likeYou want to redefine success on your own terms, not someone else'sAbout Risa August: Risa August is an athlete, author, and speaker who has competed in two Ironman triathlons, completed a 1,845-mile Pacific Coast cycle six months after brain surgery, and channelled her experience of acromegaly and pituitary tumour diagnosis into her debut book, The Road Unpaved: Border to Border with a Brain Tumour and a Bike. You can find Risa at risaaugust.com. Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature. Connect with Jess: Instagram: @kalicoaching.co Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

    56 min

  7. Feb 22

    From Invisible to Unstoppable: Building a Business That Heals with Marcela from On A Sew

    Marcela spent years feeling invisible—so she built a business where everyone is seen, heard, and valued. Marcela's story is one you'll want to listen to twice. She grew up speaking only Spanish after moving from Columbia to the UK at the age of 2, struggling to find her voice in a system that didn't see her. Picked on by classmates, dismissed by teachers who accused her of cheating when she excelled. Fast forward to motherhood—postnatal depression, isolation, mistaken for a nanny by other mums who wouldn't give her the time of day. But instead of staying small, Marcela taught herself to sew. And then she built On A Sew—a sewing school where adults and children don't just learn a craft, they find their voice, their confidence, and their community. In this episode, you'll discover: ✨ How to build a business from lived experience (not credentials or formal education) ✨ Why taking it slow actually accelerated Marcela's growth (she went from one class a week to a thriving school without burning out) ✨ The real difference between teaching a skill and creating transformation ✨ How Marcela uses her past pain to heal others—including apologising to children on behalf of adults who failed to listen ✨ Why surrounding yourself with people who see you is non-negotiable for success ✨ The non-negotiable boundary that protects her from burnout (and why saying no became her superpower) This conversation is for you if: You've built something meaningful, but still feel invisible You're starting a business without traditional qualifications and wonder if you're "enough" You've experienced loneliness, isolation, or postnatal depression and want to channel it into purpose You're a creative entrepreneur looking to build community, not just customers You want to see what sustainable, slow-but-steady business growth actually looks like About Marcela: Marcela is the founder of On A Sew, a sewing school in London where she teaches adults and children the art of sewing—but more importantly, helps them find confidence, community, and creative expression. A self-taught sewist with no formal education past age 16, Marcela has built her thriving business purely from lived experience, patience, and an unshakeable belief that everyone deserves to be seen and heard. Connect with Marcela: Instagram: @on.a.sew Website: onasew.co.uk Connect with Jess: Instagram: @successfulafpod Website: kalicoaching.co.uk Love this episode? If Marcela's story resonated with you, screenshot your favourite moment and tag us on Instagram @successfulafpod and @on.a.sew. I'd love to hear what landed for you. And if you're ready to build something meaningful without burning out, subscribe to Successful AF so you never miss a conversation that might just change everything. How to build a business without a degree Creative business ideas Self-taught entrepreneur success story Postnatal depression and entrepreneurship Building community in business Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature. Connect with Jess: Instagram: @kalicoaching.co Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

    39 min

  8. Jan 18

    Breaking Cultural Expectations: From the Singapore Dream to Strategy Consulting - Clara Ho

    Clara Ho crossed international borders with a passport every day just to get to school. Six hours round trip on the worst days. She was raised on the "Singapore Dream"—five C's that defined success: cash, credit card, condo, country club, and car. This episode of Successful AF is about what happens when you stop asking for permission. Host Jess West sits down with Clara, now a strategy consultant at Roland Berger in Dubai, for a conversation about breaking cultural expectations and career transitions. From selling Louis Vuitton whilst studying pre-law, to becoming head of operations in Bangkok at 27, to taking a career sabbatical in Cambodia and Central America that horrified her grandmother—Clara's journey is about doing the hard things. Clara's unflinching honesty about toxic conditioning hits hard. Being taught to suppress every feeling. The favouritism towards boys. The narrow success markers that left no room for being human. But she also shares how she unlearned it all through solo backpacking, therapy, and building the muscle of being different. She redefined success entirely: breaking through self-imposed limitations whilst maintaining integrity. No permission needed. Perfect for listeners navigating career pivots, cultural expectations, or anyone tired of asking permission to live their own life. About Clara Ho Clara Ho is a strategy consultant at Roland Berger in Dubai. Born in Malaysia, raised between Malaysia and Singapore, she studied law in Wales before pivoting into education and eventually strategy consulting. She spent a transformative year teaching at the Harpswell Foundation in Cambodia and learning Spanish in Central America before her career change into consulting, whilst her family questioned why she wasn't earning money. Key Takeaways Your body is wiser than your brain - Listen to every signal you've been taught to suppressSuccess needs two pillars - Breaking self-imposed limitations AND doing it with integrityYou don't need permission - If you feel you do, ask whose voice is in your headDo hard things constantly - Comfort breeds complacency; discomfort drives successFace your fear gremlins daily - Even small, uncomfortable things countBeing different is a muscle - You build tolerance for being the odd one out Reflection Questions Whose voice is in your head when you think you need permission?What cultural expectations are you carrying that don't belong to you?Are you honouring how far you've come, or only measuring where you think you should be? Love this episode? Hit subscribe and leave us a review! And if you know someone who's redefining success on their own terms, nominate them at successfulafpod@gmail.com - we're always looking for incredible people to feature. Connect with Jess: Instagram: @kalicoaching.co Website: www.kalicoaching.co.uk

    59 min
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About

Successful AF is a podcast about redefining success on your own terms. Host Jess West — a leadership and burnout coach who's circled the drain on burnout more than once — sits down with people who did everything right, ticked every box, and still found themselves asking "is this it?" Through honest, unfiltered conversations about burnout recovery, career change and reinvention, her guests share how they stopped borrowing someone else's scorecard and started authoring success for themselves. If you've ever chased a version of success that was never built for you, this one's for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Jessica West
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Successful AF Pod
  • Show Website
    Successful AF Pod