The Unstoppable 5%

Laurie Drummond

This podcast explores why some people do what others won't. I'm Laurie Drummond, and each episode dives into the psychology, decision-making and identity shifts that separate the 5 percent from the rest. I sit down with people who have taken bold action, navigated uncertainty and built momentum when it would have been easier to stay comfortable, as well as experts who study the science behind human behaviour and performance. These conversations go beyond motivation and surface-level success. We unpack how people think under pressure, why most hesitate when it's time to act, and what actually helps individuals move through fear, resistance and self-doubt. If you're building something, facing a crossroads, or trying to understand what drives execution and resilience, this show will give you a deeper lens on what it takes to move forward when others stall. New episodes every two weeks.

  1. May 15

    E66: She Lost $10M, Both Hips, and a Baby. She Rebuilt Anyway | Samantha Williams

    If you've ever looked at someone who's rebuilt from nothing and wondered what they actually have that you don't, this episode is going to answer that question. Samantha Williams has had more full-stop moments than most people have excuses. Wall Street trader. UK's first female trampoline park owner. A business that hit $10M in two years, then fell apart. A toxic partnership that forced her out of something she built. Both hips replaced. Perimenopause. A late ADHD diagnosis that reframed her entire life. And through all of it, she kept building. She's now an EOS Implementer based in Abu Dhabi, one of only two in the UAE,  helping entrepreneurial teams get clear on where they're going and how they'll actually get there. And she's starting over again in a new country, in a new market. This conversation goes deep. We talk about what it felt like to be forced out of a company she founded, why she thinks her ADHD was her superpower before she even knew she had it, and what it means to redefine success when you've already hit the top and watched it disappear. The question I kept coming back to throughout this episode: what is it in someone that defaults to rebuild instead of retreat? Sam answers it, and she doesn't give you the polished version. What we cover: Navigating Wall Street as the only woman on the floor, and closing a $2 billion deal The personal loss that made her walk away from banking Building Rush Trampoline Parks to $10M and being forced out by her business partner Simultaneous hip replacements, perimenopause, and launching a new brand The ADHD diagnosis and why it changed everything EOS, Abu Dhabi, and what she's building now Her definition of success and why it's completely changed Connect with Sam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthawilliamsofficial/ Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/samantha-williams/ Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review, it genuinely helps more people find the show. Follow Laurie:  Instagram: @laurie__drummond LinkedIn: Laurie Drummond Website: https://laurie-drummond.com/

    1h 3m
  2. May 15

    E65: Why HR Has an Image Problem (And How to Fix It) | Natalie Cairns

    Why HR Has an Image Problem (And How to Fix It) | Natalie Cairns Most people think HR is there to protect the company. And that's exactly why it has an image problem. In this episode of The Unstoppable 5%, I sit down with Natalie Cairns, who's spent over 20 years inside HR… and chose to do it differently. We talk about the moment that changed everything for her, losing her father, and the one question from her manager that completely reshaped how she saw leadership, work, and people. From there, we get into what's really going on inside organisations: Why HR is often seen as the corporate dumping ground, and how to change it What "human first" actually looks like when policy says something else And why doing things differently isn't just a brand, it's a decision you make in real time This isn't a conversation about policies. It's about how you show up for people when it actually matters. About the Guest Natalie Cairns is an HR professional with over 20 years of experience and the founder of HR, Done Different. She's known for challenging traditional approaches to HR and putting people at the centre of decision-making, especially in the moments that matter most. Instagram: @nataliecairnsdonedifferent Website: https://nataliecairns.com/   Connect with Me Instagram: @laurie__drummond LinkedIn: Laurie Drummond Website: https://laurie-drummond.com/ Subscribe New episodes every 2 weeks with real conversations, hard-earned lessons, and stories from people who choose to show up differently.

    32 min
  3. E64: She sat with people at the end of their lives. Here's what they taught Hannah Lucy about living.

    Apr 2

    E64: She sat with people at the end of their lives. Here's what they taught Hannah Lucy about living.

    Hannah Lucy spent 16 years in corporate, working her way from carer to Chief Operating Officer, managing £2 million worth of services and leading a team of 50+ staff. From the outside, she had it made. But it was the quieter moments, sitting with people at the end of their lives, carrying grief no job title could prepare her for, that shaped who she was becoming. In this episode of The Unstoppable 5%, Laurie sits down with Hannah to explore the real story behind the pivot: a divorce, a bodybuilding stage, a coach who pushed her in the wrong direction, and a grandmother whose life made Hannah determined to live bigger. Hannah is now the founder of The RECLAIM Method, a 12-week transformation program built around the belief that strong in body is strong in mind is strong in business. If you've ever wondered whether you've spent years building a life for everyone else while quietly putting yourself last, this episode is for you. Key Themes •   Career reinvention and identity beyond the job title •   End-of-life care and the perspective shift it creates •   Using fitness as a vehicle for personal reclamation •   Why high-performing women are often the worst at investing in themselves •   Building a business that reflects your values, not someone else's rules •   Legacy, mortality and how to live a life worth talking about About Hannah Lucy Hannah Lucy is a Body and Lifestyle Transformation Coach and founder of The RECLAIM Method. After a 16-year corporate career in the care sector, culminating in a COO role,  Hannah pivoted to coaching after recognising how many women, herself included, had spent years looking after everyone else while neglecting their own health, confidence, and identity. Her 12-week program helps women lose fat, build muscle, and create sustainable habits that work around real life. Find Hannah •   hannahlucyofficial.com •   @hannahlucyofficial on Instagram

    39 min
  4. E62 When words don't match behaviour, with Lori Warren

    Mar 18

    E62 When words don't match behaviour, with Lori Warren

    In this episode, Laurie sits down with her good friend Lori Warren, a former FBI agent, polygrapher, and crisis negotiator, for an honest conversation about human behaviour, deception, manipulation, and trust. It's a conversation about the subtle signals we often sense but talk ourselves out of… in business, relationships, leadership, and everyday life. Drawing from decades of experience sitting across from people under pressure, Lori shares what she noticed again and again, not in a technical way, but in a deeply human one. Together, we explore how deception and manipulation actually show up in everyday conversations, why confidence can be misleading, and how learning to trust what you notice can change the way you make decisions. In this episode, we talk about: Why most people don't know what to look for when someone isn't being fully honest The importance of knowing someone's baseline behaviour Subtle body language cues people give away under pressure Voice tone, over-explaining, and storytelling patterns that signal evasion Why exaggeration and avoidance are more common than outright lying How manipulation often shows up through guilt, anger, or control The behaviours behind narcissism and why they're impossible to unsee once recognised Why calm leadership matters in high-stress situations How negotiation and influence work when the goal is safety and trust The red flags of toxic and controlling relationships, and when it's time to walk away This episode is for anyone who's ever thought something feels off, but couldn't quite explain why. Because most of us notice more than we think, we just don't always trust it.   https://youtu.be/LKlMs7b5l-M

    44 min
  5. Jan 30

    E61: When Coping Stops Working with Naima Spencer

    Welcome to another episode of The Unstoppable 5% You are smart, capable, and motivated. So why does it feel like you're just treading water? In this episode, Laurie sits down with Naima Spencer, a mindset facilitator for high-performing leaders, to answer a critical question: What separates the people who actually move forward from the ones who stay stuck in the "safe" zone? Naima argues that success is 80% mindset and only 20% strategy. She shares her own powerful story of self-sabotage, turning down a life-changing career opportunity because she didn't feel "good enough", and reveals the neuroscience behind why we default to fear, perfectionism, and "primal" survival modes even when we want to grow. This conversation unpacks: •The 80/20 Rule of Success: Why more strategy won't save you if your mindset is stuck. •Primal vs. Powerful States: How to identify when you are operating out of survival mode vs. alignment. •The "3R" Framework: A practical roadmap to Realise, Release, and Rise above limiting patterns. •Identity Shifts: Why we often fear success because we are afraid to "kill off" who we used to be. •Rewiring the Brain: How to stop treating your beliefs as facts and start treating them as decisions you can change. This episode is for the entrepreneur or leader who feels like they are running on autopilot, achieving on the outside, but battling overthinking, anxiety, or a sense of "stuckness" on the inside.

    47 min

About

This podcast explores why some people do what others won't. I'm Laurie Drummond, and each episode dives into the psychology, decision-making and identity shifts that separate the 5 percent from the rest. I sit down with people who have taken bold action, navigated uncertainty and built momentum when it would have been easier to stay comfortable, as well as experts who study the science behind human behaviour and performance. These conversations go beyond motivation and surface-level success. We unpack how people think under pressure, why most hesitate when it's time to act, and what actually helps individuals move through fear, resistance and self-doubt. If you're building something, facing a crossroads, or trying to understand what drives execution and resilience, this show will give you a deeper lens on what it takes to move forward when others stall. New episodes every two weeks.