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

    Your Thoughts Are Not Facts: Burnout, Rebuilding and Redefining Success — Michelle Doan

    Michelle Doan founded Emani in 1998, a clean, vegan beauty brand that now exports to 17 countries. She built it out of a problem nobody would solve for her: more than a decade of cystic acne, and no products that didn't make it worse. So she started phoning cosmetics companies to ask why they were making products that broke her out. Then 2020 hit. Her two biggest distributors were in China and Italy, and over two years she lost close to 80% of her business. In this episode of Successful AF, Michelle shares what rebuilding after that looked like. It wasn't a new strategy. It was a new relationship with the thoughts in her own head. We talk about burnout, resilience, redefining success, and why so many high achievers find it easier to give help than to receive it. She also talks about how crossing the ocean on a fishing boat at nine years old shaped the resilience she's leaned on ever since. In this episode, you'll discover: How an esthetician's ring binder changed the course of Michelle's life, and what it taught her about the impact of so-called ordinary jobsWhat happened when Michelle told a chemist at Merck she didn't have the experience, and why saying yes anyway changed everythingHow Emani went clean before clean was a category and vegan before anyone knew what that meant on a label, plus the three Ps Michelle uses to judge any skincare productThe book that got her through losing close to 80% of her business, and the "roommate" in your head it taught her to stop obeyingThe difference between happiness and joy, and what Michelle means by her zen gardenWhy we're taught to give but rarely taught to receive, and the free habit she stacks onto making her morning coffee that turns ordinary moments into extraordinary onesIf you're rebuilding after a setback, stuck in a loop of self-critical thoughts, or you're the person everyone leans on who never asks for help, this conversation is your reminder that your thoughts are not facts. Connect with Michelle: Emani: emani.com | Instagram: @emanicosmetics Books mentioned: The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer, The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh, Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and the work of Louise Hay Before you go: What's Actually Yours is a half-day retreat for women on Saturday 10 October at Ripley Village Hall, Surrey. It's one morning, with a maximum of 12 places, and includes movement, cacao and the Load Audit. Places are £111. Details at kalicoaching.co.uk. 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

  2. Sep 21

    You Can Always Start Again: Career Change, Redefining Success & When to Move On — Jo McGowan

    At 21, before she'd even graduated, Jo McGowan bought a dance school. Nine years later she'd roughly doubled the number of pupils. Since then she's built a children's party business that was fully booked within six months, run a small business hub, kept a charity going digitally through Covid, and worked in university events. Now she's CEO of Hello Dorking, the town's business improvement district. She calls it a wiggly career, and it's the best argument I've heard for why a non-linear path isn't a detour. In this episode of Successful AF, Jo and I talk about career change, redefining success, and knowing when it's time to move on. She shares how she built and sold businesses, why integrity and joy matter most to her, and how every strand of her career ended up in one role. If you've ever worried about how a pivot looks from the outside, this one's for you. Whether you're mid-career change, rebuilding after a hard season, or quietly wondering if it's too late to try something new, this conversation is your reminder that you can always start again. Before you go: What's Actually Yours is a half-day retreat for women on Saturday 10 October at Ripley Village Hall, Surrey. It's a one-morning retreat with a maximum of 12 places, and it includes movement, cacao, and the Load Audit. Places are £75 until 30 September, then £111. Details at kalicoaching.co.uk. 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

  3. Aug 29

    Whose Perspective Are You Successful From? Depression, Career Change and Rebuilding — Aron Jameson

    How do you rebuild a career after depression takes the one you had? Aron Jameson was fifteen years into corporate life — trainee to Head of Operations in London — when depression arrived and took roughly a fortnight to dismantle all of it. He quit. No notice period plan, no next role, no sick leave. What almost nobody talks about is the bit that came after: three to six months of not leaving the house, not answering messages, and no clear route back. This episode is about that route. Aron rebuilt his career into a bodywork and wellness practice across Norwich and London, training in six countries across massage, breathwork, sound healing, Reiki, NLP and EFT — and he did it in a deliberate order that he explains properly here. Body first, mind second, and a strategic reason for both. If you're burnt out, mid-career, and quietly wondering whether the thing you'd rather be doing is allowed — this is a practical, unglamorous look at what actually happens when someone does it. What we cover: The early signs of Aron's depression that he only recognised in hindsight Embarrassment as the real obstacle in career change: winning clients and still dreading bumping into an ex-colleague on the trainWhat finally shifted it, and why it wasn't the business getting more impressiveHis case for regulating the wellness industry, and the modalities he refuses to teachThe word his mentor banned him from using about his own corporate years — and what changed when he stoppedWhat a successful day looks like now: half ten start, a book, a mochaFind Aron: aronjamesonwellness.co.uk | Instagram: @aronjamesonwellness Got your own version of this story? Email me at successfulafpod@gmail.com — I read every single one. If this episode gave you something, please rate and review wherever you're listening, and send it to the friend who keeps saying "I wish I could do that." 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

  4. Aug 15

    Readiness Is a Myth: Confidence, Comfort Zones and Doing It Scared — Kerry Harrison

    Readiness Is a Myth: Confidence, Comfort Zones and Doing It Scared — Kerry Harrison Kerry Harrison's whole job is making people feel seen. She's a business brand photography specialist who's spent sixteen years helping founders show up in their businesses — which is funny, because when she started out, she was the classic photographer hiding behind her own lens: one photo of herself on the website and a firm belief that surely that was enough. In this episode of Successful AF, Kerry shares how she walked away from a well-paid senior design career to build a business from scratch, and everything she learned the uncomfortable way about confidence — including the two truths she now builds her work around: confidence is not an innate quality, and readiness is a myth. If you've ever caught yourself saying "I'll do it when I feel ready," this one's going to sting in the best possible way. And yes, there's a beginners' tap class at forty-seven in here that ends exactly where Kerry swore it never would. In this episode, you'll discover: Why readiness is a myth — and the bit of basic brain science that explains why you'll never feel ready before you do the thingThe three-step move Kerry uses on imposter syndrome thoughts the moment they show up: recognise, acknowledge, then compete with factsWhy your business needs your face more than your portfolio — and what happened when the photographer had to get in front of the lensThe loss at twenty that quietly rewrote Kerry's definition of success, and the perspective it took her a decade to nameHow "get comfortable being uncomfortable" actually works in practice — networking rooms, stages, and projects launched without an endingKerry's new passion project for midlife women — and why she's giving the middle finger to anti-ageing culture, shrinking yourself, and waiting for permissionWhether you're hiding behind your own version of the lens, waiting to feel ready, or wondering if it's too late to try something completely new — Kerry's answer is the same: you can feel uncomfortable and still do really good things. You are imperfectly perfect, just as you are. Connect with Kerry: Website: kerryjphotography.co.uk Instagram: @kerryjphoto The Middle Finger Project: @the_middle_finger_project Connect with Successful AF: Got a thought on this episode? Email me at successfulafpod@gmail.com — I read every single one. Follow the show on Instagram @successfulafpod If this episode landed, leave a rating and review — it genuinely helps more people find the show. 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

  5. Jul 31

    Stop Saying No to Yourself: Imposter Syndrome, Career Change and Leading AI — Professor Shushma Patel

    Stop Saying No to Yourself: Imposter Syndrome, Career Change and Leading AI — Professor Shushma Patel Shushma Patel built a world-class career — a PhD in dermatology, decades of research, leadership across computing, engineering and business schools. And the whole time, whenever the next big room opened up, she talked herself out of walking in. "I've only been here a year." "Someone else has been here longer." She's now Pro Vice-Chancellor for Artificial Intelligence at De Montfort University, in a role thought to be the first of its kind in the sector — and she'll tell you, completely straight-faced, that she still feels like an imposter. In this episode of Successful AF, Shushma shares how a career that started in a dermatology lab became a leading role in AI — not through a five-year plan, but through a single golden thread: the belief that the skills you build transfer anywhere, and that no one should hem their life in at sixteen because they picked three A levels. First in her family into higher education, and one of very few women in tech in almost every room she's entered, Shushma has spent her career pulling women in behind her — and she's brilliantly clear on how the rest of us can do the same. In this episode, you'll discover: Why a non-linear career is a strength, not a failure — and the "golden thread" that connects every role you've ever hadThe crucial difference between mentorship and sponsorship: one keeps the ladder down, the other pulls you up itWhat "keeping the seat warm" really means — and why time served is the worst reason anyone ever got promotedHow imposter syndrome shows up even at the top, and what actually builds confidence over a career (spoiler: it isn't waiting to feel ready)What AI literacy really means for your job — plus the one thing you're doing every time your phone rings that could hand your voice to an AIWhat success looks like when you stop measuring it in money and start measuring it in impactWhether you're contemplating a career change, battling self-doubt in rooms where no one looks like you, or wondering whether it's too late to pivot — this conversation is your permission slip. Stop saying no to yourself. Save your no for the things that drain you. 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

  6. Jul 18

    Relentless: From 'Starving Artist' to Successful AF with Camille Bieber

    “You don’t have to deserve rest.” — Camille Bieber on relentlessness, authenticity, and redefining success My guest this week is Camille Bieber — photographer, videographer, and founder of Lila & Co, a creative business helping wellness brands tell their story through visuals. But for years, Camille didn’t think the word “success” applied to them at all. Their old Facebook bio literally read “starving artist.” They arrived in the UK at 25 with two suitcases, one acquaintance and no network — a second-generation migrant, entirely self-taught, who’s never had an office job in their life. In this episode you’ll discover: What being “relentless” actually looks like day to day — and why there’s no such thing as an overnight successHow Camille’s business took off at the exact moment they decided to give up on itWhy rest is something you never have to earn (“if you’re not gonna rest for yourself, rest for your clients”)How running a business unearths exactly where you need healingThe permission Camille wants to give you to stop masking and be your weird self publiclyWhy success, right now, looks like a walk on the beach in HoveWe talk redefining success on your own terms as a queer, second-generation migrant and self-taught entrepreneur — and what it takes to build something from nothing without losing yourself in the process. Find Camille on Instagram @lilaand.co, at lilaand.co, and on their podcast The Winding Way. Got a story about redefining success on your own terms? I’d love to hear it — email successfulafpod@gmail.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

  7. Jul 11

    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

  8. 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

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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
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Successful AF Pod
  • Show Website
    Successful AF Pod

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