Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man

Mark Grimes

Life doesn’t always go as planned. Unexpected challenges, setbacks, and major life pivots can leave us feeling lost—but they don’t have to define us. In this inspiring YouTube series, I sit down with incredible guests who have faced life’s toughest moments—career changes, personal struggles, and unforeseen obstacles—yet have found a way forward. Through resilience, determination, and a shift in perspective, they’ve turned adversity into opportunity and discovered new paths to happiness and success.

  1. 1d ago

    Luke & Adam Mortimer: Courage, Family & The Big Push | Chewing the Crust

    This is Luke Mortimer's story. But it has never been Luke's story alone.Behind Luke is the Mortimer family: dad Adam, mum Christine and brother Harry. A family whose lives changed beyond recognition in 2019, and who have faced everything that followed together. Christine and Harry have also been involved in the family's challenges and fundraising.In this episode of Chewing the Crust, I'm joined by Luke and his dad Adam to talk about the family behind a story that has inspired people across the country.Luke contracted meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia in December 2019 and survived catastrophic sepsis, ultimately losing all four limbs. But this conversation isn't simply about what happened to Luke. It's about what happened afterwards.We talk about family, humour and adapting when life changes overnight. We talk about the small victories that nobody else sees, the difficult days, giving something back, and what happens when a family refuses to allow the worst thing that's happened to them to become the thing that defines them.There have been some extraordinary moments along the way. Luke has raised money for other children and disability-related causes, received a Prime Minister's Point of Light award and won the Pride of Britain Child of Courage Award, which resulted in a rather special surprise meeting with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.And now the Mortimers are looking forward again with Luke's Big Push, an extraordinary challenge involving Adam and a team pushing a specially prepared Peugeot 207 more than 130 miles from Sheffield Children's Hospital to Silverstone for CarFest.What struck me most during our conversation wasn't simply Luke's courage.It was the family around him.The humour. The determination. The love. And their decision to take something unimaginably difficult and use it to make life a little better for somebody else.This is Luke and the Mortimer family.And I think you'll rather like them.Support Luke's Big Push:lukesbigpush.ukIf you enjoy the conversation, please like, subscribe and share it. Every share helps us introduce another person to Luke, the Mortimers and what they're trying to achieve.Look after yourselves and each other.

  2. Apr 10

    Boxing Saved Me | Lita Mae Button on Trauma, Strength & Starting Again

    What do a 300-acre Canadian farm, professional boxing, and a podcast called Dildo Dilemma have in common?Lita Mae Button.In this episode of Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man, Mark sits down with Lita Mae Button, a professional boxer, coach, and founder of Punch Positive, to explore a life shaped by resilience, adversity, and transformation.After becoming a young mother, facing an abusive relationship, and navigating her son’s life-threatening medical diagnosis, Lita found something unexpected…Boxing.Not as aggression, but as discipline, control, and healing.Today, she helps people over 50 reclaim their health through her F.I.S.T method, and hosts the podcast Dildo Dilemma, using humour and storytelling to raise awareness and drive action around violence against women.This is a conversation about:• Turning trauma into strength• Boxing as a tool for mental health• Surviving abuse and rebuilding confidence• Why it’s never too late to start again• Humour as a way to face life’s hardest truths• The power of community and personal growthAs Lita says:HOPE = Hold On, Pain Ends🎙 Watch more episodes here:Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Manhttps://www.youtube.com/@ThePieEatingMan🥊 Follow Lita Mae Button:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libuttonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachlita/YouTube (Punch Positive): https://www.youtube.com/@punchpositive📘 My Book:The Pie Eating Man’s Guide to a Healthy Mindhttps://amzn.eu/d/9jNqAjB💬 If this episode resonated, share it with someone who needs it.#BoxingSavedMe #TraumaRecovery #WomensHealth #Podcast

  3. Feb 14

    Addiction Is a Family Disease | I’ve Lived Every Side of It

    Addiction does not affect just one person. It affects the entire family.In this episode of Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man / @thepieeatingman I’m joined by Jennifer Chase, a woman in long term recovery, life coach, daughter of an alcoholic, and mother of a recovering addict.Jennifer has experienced addiction from every angle. She grew up around it. She struggled with it herself. And she faced the devastating moment of discovering her son had become addicted in her own home.We talk openly about:• Addiction as a family disease• Generational trauma and breaking cycles• Codependency and control• Setting boundaries with someone you love• Recovery beyond sobriety• Shame, guilt, and self trust• Healing without losing yourselfThis is an honest, serious conversation about what addiction really does to families, and how recovery is possible even when it feels impossible.If this resonates, please like, subscribe, and share. It genuinely helps the podcast reach people who may need it.Jennifer’s website:https://www.riseaddictionlc.com🎧 More conversations about resilience, mental health, and life pivots:Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man / @thepieeatingman 📘 My BookIf traditional self help has never felt written for you, my book The Pie Eating Man’s Guide to a Healthy Mind is for everyday people living real lives.Available here:https://amzn.eu/d/9jNqAjB#AddictionRecovery#FamilyAddiction#RecoveryJourney#Codependency#MentalHealth#Healing#BreakingTheCycle#Podcast#ChewingTheCrust#Podmatch

  4. Jan 31

    “Rescued” into Slavery, A Childhood of Abuse, Survival and Healing | Pamela Michaux

    What happens when a 7 year old child is “rescued” from civil war by their father, only to be placed into slavery?Pamela Michaux was sent from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Belgium at the age of seven, promised safety and a better life. What followed was years of abuse, racism, exploitation and silence.In this conversation, Pamela shares how survival became normal, how identity was fractured, and how healing only began once the truth was faced.Her book, Mundele Diaries, is not written to shock or accuse. It is written to reclaim a voice, to break generational cycles, and to speak for anyone who has ever felt unseen, unwanted, or trapped in survival mode.This episode of Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating Man is an honest conversation about trauma, resilience, forgiveness, and the courage it takes to choose a different ending.🔗 LINKS📘 Mundele Diaries, Pamela Michaux👉 https://amzn.eu/d/5keIA8R🎙️ Chewing the Crust with The Pie Eating ManYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChewingTheCrustSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0kaXkXpvAn3OiGPBugrmIC?si=d62bb48ad6a14b0fBook (The Pie Eating Man’s Guide to a Healthy Mind): https://amzn.eu/d/9jNqAjB👤 Pamela MichauxInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mundelediaries/Website: https://mundelediaries.com/#ChewingTheCrust#RescuedIntoSlavery#PamelaMichaux#MundeleDiaries#MentalHealth#LifeStories#TraumaRecovery#Healing#Resilience#Podcast#PodMatch#ModernSlavery#Slavery#Abuse#racial abuse#race#strongwomen#inspirationalwomen

  5. Jan 17

    Feel Better, Straight Away | The Fastest Happiness Hack with Cathy Nesbitt

    If you’re feeling flat, overwhelmed, or just a bit worn down by life, this conversation might help you breathe again.In this episode of Chewing the Crust, I’m joined by Cathy Nesbitt, educator, environmentalist, and laughter yoga leader, for a warm, honest conversation about laughter, nature, mental health, and why feeling better does not always need to be complicated.Cathy’s journey is anything but ordinary. From building a business around worm composting, to working in mental health, to discovering laughter yoga as a powerful tool for wellbeing, her story is full of unexpected turns and gentle wisdom. We talk about boredom, phones, play, being present, reconnecting with our bodies, and why laughter can be one of the fastest ways to shift how we feel.This is not about forcing positivity or pretending life is easy. It’s about permission. Permission to pause, to breathe properly, to play, and to remember that we are human first.If you’ve ever felt disconnected from yourself or the world around you, I hope this conversation helps you feel a little lighter.Find Cathy here: Cathy Nesbitthttps://www.cathysclub.comMy bookThe Pie Eating Man’s Guide to a Healthy Mindhttps://amzn.eu/d/9jNqAjBPodcastChewing the Crust with The Pie Eating ManAvailable on YouTube and all major podcast platforms#FeelBetterStraightAway#FastestHappinessHack#MentalHealth#Wellbeing#LaughterYoga#MentalHealthPodcast#FindingJoy#ChewingTheCrust#ThePieEatingMan#PodMatch

About

Life doesn’t always go as planned. Unexpected challenges, setbacks, and major life pivots can leave us feeling lost—but they don’t have to define us. In this inspiring YouTube series, I sit down with incredible guests who have faced life’s toughest moments—career changes, personal struggles, and unforeseen obstacles—yet have found a way forward. Through resilience, determination, and a shift in perspective, they’ve turned adversity into opportunity and discovered new paths to happiness and success.