Awesomely Off-Topic: Books, Brands, Business and Everything Else We’re Not Supposed to Say Out Loud

Taz Thornton and Asha Clearwater
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  • Entrepreneurship

🎙️ Awesomely Off-Topic is the podcast that dives headfirst into the business of being brilliantly, messily, unapologetically you. Hosted by award-winning speaker trainer and business and personal empowerment coach Taz Thornton, alongside publishing powerhouse, book mentor and content coach Asha Clearwater – expect bold conversations about building a business and life that actually fits you, not the other way round. We’ll talk personal brand, visibility without the ick, microbooks with major impact, ADHD-friendly approaches, messy launches, business flops, spiritual sidequests and all the stuff no one told you you were allowed to say out loud. We’re doing this on a shoestring – raw, unedited and totally unscripted. No fancy studio, no big budget, no gatekeeping. Just hit record and go. Real talk. Tangents. Swearing (probably). Useful insights. And a whole lot of permission to do it your way. It’s chaos. It’s clarity. It’s Awesomely Off-Topic.

  1. 🎙️ S2 E15: Stop Asking Everyone – How To Actually Make A Decision

    5d ago

    🎙️ S2 E15: Stop Asking Everyone – How To Actually Make A Decision

    Ever noticed how the second you feel uncertain, you suddenly want everyone’s opinion? We’ve both done it, and it can turn one simple choice into a messy tangle of voices, pros and cons, and “helpful” advice that drags you away from what you actually wanted. We talk about the decision making trap: why the urge to ask a 17th person is often a sign you’ve lost touch with your own clarity, not a sign you need more information. We pull examples from real life and work, from book feedback and beta readers to branding, logos, websites, and the endless tinkering that shows up as “fixing” your LinkedIn bio every few weeks. We also look at the uncomfortable bits: asking people who love you but cannot help you, mistaking loud confidence for expertise, and quietly trying to hand someone else the responsibility so you can blame them if it goes wrong. Then we go deeper into what sits underneath chronic indecision: fear, insecurity, and the way a “wrong” outcome can get fused to identity. For neurodivergent listeners, we explore why self trust can be harder to build, how ADHD decision fatigue makes even tiny choices feel impossible, and how RSD can trigger catastrophising spirals. We finish with practical tools you can try straight away, including journalling before you ask anyone, the 10-10-10 rule, noticing fear versus intuition in the body, and setting a decision deadline. If this lands, hit follow, subscribe, and share it with someone who is stuck in overthinking. Then leave us a review and tell us: what decision are you avoiding right now, and why? Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater

    1h 15m
  2. 🎙️ S2 E14: Atomicon: Lessons On Visibility, Value And Showing Up

    Jun 23

    🎙️ S2 E14: Atomicon: Lessons On Visibility, Value And Showing Up

    Someone can sit in the same room as you, hear the same talks, and still walk away with a completely different turning point. On the drive home from Atomicon in Newcastle, we debrief the moments that actually changed things for us, not just the speaker notes, but the conversations before and after, the little realisations that land when the adrenaline drops. We dig into the pressure to niche down and why we prefer to “niche through”: building one clear thread that runs through confidence work, storytelling, book publishing, podcasting, personal brand coaching, and speaker training. If you’re neurodivergent, multi-passionate, or you have ADHD tendencies, that connected ecosystem can be your strength, not your flaw. We also talk about what “clarity” really means in marketing for small businesses, and how being a generalist can be an advantage when you know how to simplify a message and make it land. Then we go into the messy bit: what happens when you realise someone has taken what you taught them and sold it on, and why that hits so hard when trust is already a tender subject. We unpack rejection sensitive dysphoria, boundaries, and how to turn that emotional punch into a smarter response. We also look at pricing strategy and visibility: if someone else is charging five times more for something similar, is it because they’re better, or because they’re louder and easier to find? We finish with a reminder we both needed: go ahead, underestimate me. If you’re ready to show up more, charge with confidence, and stop being the best kept secret, press play. Subscribe, share this with a business friend, and leave a review so more people can find Awesomely Off Topic. PS: Want to join us for #Atomicon27 in Manchester? We've bagged you the best official ticket prices. Click our SPECIAL LINK HERE to get yours. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater

    49 min
  3. 🎙️ S2 E13: We Let AI Interview Us – It Got Weird

    Jun 16

    🎙️ S2 E13: We Let AI Interview Us – It Got Weird

    An AI handed us a list of “Ask Me Anything” questions and we made the bold choice to answer them cold. That’s how you end up trying to explain bingo to an alien anthropologist, debating why angling feels like a bizarre human ritual, and wondering which completely normal thing should have gone extinct by now. It’s fast, messy, and very us.  We bounce from the ridiculous to the oddly revealing: pointless expertise (card making, macramé and all the hobbies people will defend to the death), conspiracy theories invented purely for entertainment, fictional characters who would be unbearable in real life, and the historical eras that live in our heads rent free. Along the way we hit the big British cultural references, the comfort-watch obsessions, and the strange niche knowledge you collect without meaning to.  Then the chat gets more grounded. We talk neurodivergence, including ADHD and autism, and why open-plan workspaces can feel like sensory torture. We also go seriously into animal welfare, vegan convenience food that still sneaks in eggs and milk, and why breeding brachycephalic dogs and cats to struggle for breath is heartbreaking. If you like a funny podcast that can pivot into real principles without losing pace, this one will land.  If you enjoy it, follow and subscribe, share it with a friend who loves a chaotic Q&A, and leave us a review.  PS: It's time gor a human AMA episode! What question would you ask us next? Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater

    1h 2m
  4. 🎙️ S2 E12: Everyone's Winging It – And Nobody's Admitting It

    Jun 9

    🎙️ S2 E12: Everyone's Winging It – And Nobody's Admitting It

    We walk into the studio doing what we do best: trying something new with zero guarantees it will go smoothly. Two dogs under the desk, a new bit of kit rolling, and a very real reminder that life rarely waits for a perfect plan. From there, we get honest about why “winging it” has become a put-down, and why we think it should be a badge of competence rather than a confession of failure. We pull apart the myth that professionalism equals scripting everything. Whether you’re speaking on stage, running a workshop, pitching a client, or building a business, you can’t control the third-party variables. What you can control is your message, your expertise, and your ability to respond. We talk about how over-rehearsed talks can feel soulless, why the best speakers keep their key points but never repeat a story the same way twice, and how authenticity often lives in the unscripted moments. Then we take it into the practical stuff: planning versus plans, and why rigid structure can be actively counterproductive, especially with ADHD and the need for autonomy. We share how we plan together in a responsive way, what we do with our overflowing notebooks of ideas, and how to avoid the “great ideas graveyard”. We also go on a small social media rant: scheduling can help, but broadcasting the same post everywhere kills trust and connection. Finally, we tackle comparison spirals and the simplest energy-protection move you can make: temporarily unfollow the accounts that drain you. If you’re ready to stop waiting for perfect conditions, hit play, then subscribe, share it with a fellow overthinker, and leave us a review so more people find Awesomely Off Topic. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater

    38 min
  5. 🎙️ S2 E11: What A Very Good Dog Taught Us About Business And Life

    Jun 2

    🎙️ S2 E11: What A Very Good Dog Taught Us About Business And Life

    Tilly was with us for 14 years and eight months, woven into our home, our working days, and the quiet background of so many calls. When she died, we had no interest in pretending everything was “fine” just because we run businesses. Grief doesn’t care about your calendar, and being self-employed doesn’t magically create extra emotional capacity. So we talk honestly about what it feels like to keep moving when your heart has taken a hit, and why it matters to build work that can bend without breaking. We share the practical side too: how we asked clients to shuffle things, why having a client-free week matters, and how planning ahead plus support from a VA can keep the basics running when life throws a curveball. We unpack the hidden mental load of caring for an ageing dependent, the slow creep of poor sleep and constant checking, and the way it can quietly shrink your energy for networking, exercise, and all the “boring” admin that still needs doing. Underneath it all is a bigger point about personal brand and client relationships. When you let people see your real values, you tend to attract clients who understand that life happens. That kind of community becomes part of your resilience. We also leave you with the simplest reminder Tilly kept giving us: take the break, look up, breathe, and remember your business exists to serve your life, not consume it. If this resonates, follow and subscribe, share it with a fellow business owner, and leave us a review so more people can find the podcast. What is one change you could make this month to add real flexibility to your work? Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater

    31 min
  6. 🎙️ S2 E10: Fifty Episodes, One Podcast Show & We’re Just Getting Started

    May 26

    🎙️ S2 E10: Fifty Episodes, One Podcast Show & We’re Just Getting Started

    We went to the London Podcast Show expecting to feel like the newbies who’d been getting it all wrong, and we came home with the opposite feeling: we’ve already built a lot of the foundations, and now we know exactly which levers to pull next. If you’re building a podcast, a personal brand, or a content engine for your business, this chat is our honest download of what actually stuck from the biggest podcasting event in the UK and how we’re applying it to Awesomely Off Topic. One idea flips our old journalism instincts on their head: start with the thumbnail. Not the story first, not the edit first, but the scroll-stopping image and the promise. From there we get into headlines and hooks, including a surprisingly helpful method of drafting the biggest, brashest claim you’d never publish, then dialling it down until it lands in your integrity. It’s a fast way to generate stronger titles, sharper social media copy, and clearer episode angles without drifting into clickbait. We also unpack the trust piece: the EAT framework (expertise, authenticity, trust) and our own REAL version (relatability, expertise, authenticity, loyalty). That leads into a big question for podcasters: do you really need guests to grow, or can “pure podcasting” build a stronger host identity and community? We talk formats that are working right now, why consistency matters more than most people admit, and the stats that prove word of mouth and social media are still doing the heavy lifting for podcast discovery. If you enjoy this one, subscribe so you don’t miss what we’re testing next, share it with a podcaster friend, and leave us a quick review so more people can find the show. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater

    1 hr
  7. 🎙️ S2 E9: How We Nearly Lost Everything – And Built Something Better

    May 19

    🎙️ S2 E9: How We Nearly Lost Everything – And Built Something Better

    Some stories sound dramatic until you have lived them. We’re talking about the moments that almost broke us as a couple and the very real ways stress can turn love into a battleground: paranoia, spiralling thoughts, silence that feels safer than honesty, and the gut-wrenching fear that the person you trust most might leave. We share a turning point on a trip to Vancouver, how suspicion escalated into searching for “evidence”, and why one badly handled truth can echo for years even when nothing happened.  We also go behind the scenes of building a business together, watching it fly, and then feeling it crack under burnout, overwhelm, perimenopause, and ADHD realisations. We explain what it looks like when one partner can no longer keep up, how over-helping can accidentally disable someone, and why we made the terrifying decision to sack our biggest paying clients to protect health and keep the business alive. Along the way we touch on MS relapse, grief, pet loss, intimacy drying up under pressure, and the financial shock that can follow when you are simply trying to survive.  This is a conversation about trust, long-term relationships, mental health, and the unromantic mechanics of staying together: counselling, evidence-checking, brutal honesty, and choosing to talk when you’d rather bolt. If you’re navigating jealousy, menopause changes, neurodiversity, business partnership strain, or the feeling that the hard times are starting to outweigh the good, we hope you leave with steadier ground under your feet. Subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave us a review if this helped. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater

    54 min
  8. 🎙️ S2 E8: We Were The Secret: Feelings We Couldn’t Safely Say Out Loud

    May 12

    🎙️ S2 E8: We Were The Secret: Feelings We Couldn’t Safely Say Out Loud

    WARNING: Episode contains mentions of suicidal ideation and emotional trauma.  We’re going to take you back to a time before dating apps, before video calls, and before “out” felt like something you could say without scanning the room. Our love story starts with a UK lesbian magazine, a Dial-a-Diva message line, and a meeting plan so romantic we both ended up at the wrong service station. But the real point of what we’re sharing is bigger than how we met. We talk about hiding and masking as a survival skill: performing a version of yourself that keeps you safe while costing you energy, joy and honesty. We connect the dots between closeting and the daily micro-decisions people rarely see, like fudging weekend stories, calling your partner a “friend”, or still wondering in 2026 whether it’s safe to hold hands. We also name the wider UK context, including Section 28 and the uncomfortable truth that progress can slide backwards when politics turns cruel. We get personal about what it did to us, including anxiety, depression, and the way ADHD masking and hyperfocus can intensify crushes, friendships, and heartbreak when you cannot name what you feel. We share stories of being harassed, of losing people we loved, and of the relief of small, ordinary freedom when it finally arrives. Underneath the laughs, our takeaway is simple: be kinder than you think you need to be, because you never know what someone is carrying in silence. If this resonates, subscribe so you don’t miss what comes next, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. Something you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show ✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater

    54 min
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About

🎙️ Awesomely Off-Topic is the podcast that dives headfirst into the business of being brilliantly, messily, unapologetically you. Hosted by award-winning speaker trainer and business and personal empowerment coach Taz Thornton, alongside publishing powerhouse, book mentor and content coach Asha Clearwater – expect bold conversations about building a business and life that actually fits you, not the other way round. We’ll talk personal brand, visibility without the ick, microbooks with major impact, ADHD-friendly approaches, messy launches, business flops, spiritual sidequests and all the stuff no one told you you were allowed to say out loud. We’re doing this on a shoestring – raw, unedited and totally unscripted. No fancy studio, no big budget, no gatekeeping. Just hit record and go. Real talk. Tangents. Swearing (probably). Useful insights. And a whole lot of permission to do it your way. It’s chaos. It’s clarity. It’s Awesomely Off-Topic.

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