How To Become A...

Grace Stevens
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You don’t have to be rich or famous to be successful and we’re here to prove it. ‘How To Become A…’ gives insights into everyday success stories. Each episode, Grace Stevens chats to real people about how they actually got to where they are today. From their first steps and “what am I doing?” moments, to big decisions and what’s next. It’s honest, unfiltered, and (hopefully) makes figuring out your own path feel a little less overwhelming. Follow us on Instagram (@howtobecomea__) and TikTok (@howtobecomea__) for more stories 🎙️ Want to be on the show? Email hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

  1. 13h ago

    Financial Advisor: I Did 18 Exams in 21 Months… Then Nobody Would Employ Me

    What does a financial advisor actually do and is being “good with numbers” really the most important part? In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace speaks to Eliana about a career that she describes as being surprisingly close to counselling: understanding what people actually want from their lives, challenging their decisions and helping them use money to make those goals possible. Eliana’s route into finance was anything but conventional. She originally wanted to be an actress, studied English, spent nearly 18 years in tech and initially walked away from financial services because she hated its sales-driven culture. Years later, she retrained completing an incredible 18 exams in just 21 months only to discover that despite all those qualifications, nobody wanted to employ her. So she started her own business instead. We get into: What financial advisors actually doWhether AI could replace financial adviceWhy money is really about what you want from lifeStarting a financial advice business with no clientsWhy Eliana deliberately built her business around helping womenRisk, investing and why knowledge can change how risky something feelsSupporting people through divorce, illness, dementia and bereavement Eliana also shares how her husband becoming seriously ill and unable to work changed her own relationship with money and ultimately shaped the type of financial advisor she wanted to become. This episode is a brilliant reminder that financial planning isn't just about becoming richer. Sometimes, it's about giving someone the freedom to spend their remaining time on what actually matters. Note from Eliana: Client Stories: References to client cases are shared for illustrative purposes. Financial advisers don't provide legal representation or legal advice - in complex situations like divorce, Eliana works hand-in-hand with her clients' legal teams every step of the way. Industry Stats: During our chat, Eliana mentions 2009–2010 estimates that only around 12% of UK financial advisers were women. According to FCA and Personal Finance Society (PFS) data, female advisers have made up just 12–18% of the profession since the mid-2000s, remaining underrepresented today at around 16–18%. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  2. Sep 30

    Immersive Show Director: They Didn’t Know They Were There to Watch a Sacrifice…

    What happens when an injury ends the career you’ve worked towards your entire life? In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace speaks to Roxy, an immersive show director and founder of her own creative agency, about going from professional dancer to creating extraordinary live experiences. After performing professionally for seven years, an injury forced Roxy to rethink everything. Two weeks after her final show, she stepped into the corporate events world, without even knowing how to put on an out-of-office. Since then, she’s gone on to create experiences for major brands, including Rolex product launches, and build her own immersive creative studio. We get into: Reinventing yourself when your dream career endsGoing from performer to creative directorWhat an immersive show director actually doesStarting your own creative agencyThe huge amount of work audiences never seeCreating experiences people genuinely want to be part ofWhy resilience and hustle matter in the events industryPlus, Roxy shares one of her favourite projects — taking guests into the woods for a night involving fairies, a protection spell, a sacrifice, a feast over fire and, eventually, a huge rave. A brilliant episode about creativity, career pivots and turning the skills from one chapter of your life into something completely new. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  3. Sep 23

    Ecologist: Saving Habitats, Working With Developers & Why Nature Is Everyone’s Business

    What does an ecologist actually do and can we really balance building more homes with protecting nature? In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace speaks to Evie about her career in ecology and the surprising relationship between conservation, farming and development. Evie explains how ecologists work with developers and landowners to protect and restore habitats, including the new world of Biodiversity Net Gain, which requires developments to leave biodiversity in a better state than before. We get into: How to start a career in ecologyWhy finding your niche is so importantWorking with farmers, developers and protected speciesThe reality behind the £100m HS2 “bat tunnel”How AI is changing ecology and the skills it can’t replaceWhy communication can be just as important as science Plus, Evie shares the environmental realities that should make all of us pay attention, including warnings around the future of our soil and the impact climate change is already having around the world. A fascinating look at a career working at the intersection of nature, people and the future of our planet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  4. Sep 16

    Live Seller: I've made £500k in two years selling second hand clothes

    What exactly is a live seller and how do you turn selling clothes from your wardrobe into a business generating over £500,000 in sales? In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace speaks to Connor about his journey from logistics and the British Army to becoming a full-time live seller on Whatnot. What started with his own wardrobe, charity shop finds and car boot bargains has grown into 70,000 items sold, around 50,000 followers and a business run almost entirely by himself. We get into: How live selling and Whatnot work Going from side hustle to full-time business Why he starts every item at £1 Building an audience that comes back for him The reality of sourcing, selling, packing and shipping thousands of items Why leaving the Army gave him the family life he wantedFrom serving in the Army to running livestreams watched by over 1,000 people at once, it’s an unexpected career journey and proof that sometimes you don’t need a five-year plan. You just need to start. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  5. Sep 9

    Property Stager: The trick that will sell a property faster and for more money

    What does a property stager actually do and can styling a home really help it sell faster? In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace speaks to Sallie about her unconventional journey from law to entrepreneurship, furniture design and eventually property staging. After training as a lawyer and spending six years in the profession, Sallie realised the career she'd worked so hard for wasn't making her happy. She wanted something more creative and that decision eventually led her to build her own furniture company from scratch. She explains: What a property stager actually does How staging differs from interior design Why empty properties can actually look smaller How she designs spaces specifically to attract buyers Why creating an emotional connection can help sell a homeShe also shares: Her journey from law → advertising → entrepreneurship Starting a furniture business with no design training Going from selling one product a month to around 500 Building the business while working another job—and while pregnant Why professional photography completely changed her business If you’re interested in: Property and interiors Starting your own business Changing careers Home staging Interior design Building a creative career Starting again in your 40 This episode is a brilliant reminder that changing direction doesn’t mean everything you’ve done before was wasted and sometimes your previous careers give you exactly the skills you need for the next one. 👇 Would you stage your home before putting it on the market? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  6. Sep 2

    Podcaster: From Burning £10 Million to Building a Podcast People Actually Love

    What does it actually take to build a successful podcast and what happens when your first media business burns through millions? In this episode of How To Become A…, Grace speaks to Jack, founder and host of The Upshot, the sports podcast and newsletter dedicated to the funniest, wildest and most ridiculous stories from the world of sport. Jack’s journey started long before podcasting. After being rejected from the role he wanted on his university newspaper, he decided to launch his own publication, The Tab, which quickly grew beyond one university and eventually attracted millions in investment. But rapid growth came with some expensive lessons. Jack talks candidly about raising millions, expanding to America, building a 50-person team and ultimately spending around $10 million before selling the business for far less than he once imagined. We get into: Going from aspiring sports journalist to media founderBuilding The Tab from a university side projectRaising millions without really knowing how to run a businessWhy relying on Facebook traffic nearly destroyed the companyThe painful 18-month process of trying to sell itStarting again with a completely different approachGrowing The Upshot newsletter from 10,000 to 100,000 subscribers in six monthsTurning a newsletter into a successful podcastWhy consistency matters more than instant growthHow to grow on YouTube, social media and other platforms without spreading yourself too thinWhy imperfect, personality-led media might be exactly what audiences want It’s a refreshingly candid conversation about success, failure, algorithms, entrepreneurship and why sometimes the biggest mistakes give you the blueprint for what to do next. If you want to start a podcast, build an audience, work in media or turn an idea into a business, this episode is packed with lessons from someone who has done it twice—with very different results. 👇 Would you rather raise millions to grow quickly, or build slowly and keep control? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  7. Aug 26

    Multi Hyphenate Creative: I refused to pick just one career

    What if you don't want to choose just one career? In this episode of How To Become A..., Grace speaks to Lize about building a career as a multi-hyphenate creative, working across photography, writing, creative direction and more. Growing up in Lagos, Lize originally thought she'd become a doctor, scientist or psychologist. Creativity was always part of her life, but for years she saw it as a hobby rather than a realistic career. That changed when she took a chance on a writing job at university and realised people were willing to pay her for something she genuinely loved doing. She shares: How she discovered her creative career almost by accidentWhy you should follow your curiositiesBecoming a self-taught professional photographerFinding her niche in boudoir photographyUsing photography to help women build confidence and self-worthThe realities of marketing an intimate photography businessBuilding workshops and mentoring other photographers We also get into Liz's journey as an author, including how the idea for her novel The Returnees came to her and how she navigated the publishing world without an established writing career. Plus, Liz shares her advice for anyone with multiple passions: you don't have to put yourself in one box—but you do have to learn how you work best. If you're interested in: Creative careersPhotographyBecoming an authorBoudoir photographyCreative entrepreneurshipFinding your purposeTurning hobbies into a careerBuilding multiple income streams This episode is a brilliant reminder that your career doesn't have to follow one straight line—and sometimes the things you've treated as hobbies are exactly where your future is hiding. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  8. Aug 18

    Impact Campaigner: I reached out to Leonardo Dicaprio & Ricky Gervais, they answered

    How do you actually get people to care about the world's biggest problems? In this episode of How To Become A..., Grace speaks to Paul about his unconventional journey into impact campaigning and how creativity, entertainment and storytelling can be used to create real-world change. From starting his own company at just 16 to working across marketing, comedy, comics, TV and film, Paul eventually found a way to combine his creative skills with his passion for helping animals. He explains: What an impact campaigner actually doesWhy great campaigning is about making things simpler, not more complicatedHow marketing, comedy and storytelling can create social changeWhy listening to your audience matters more than shouting at them He also shares the incredible story behind The Most Important Comic Book on Earth, which brought together names including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ricky Gervais, Jane Goodall and Ian McKellen and helped raise millions for conservation. Plus, we get into: Sending thousands of emails to make a huge idea happenUsing social media to reach audiences traditional campaigning couldn'tHelping campaigns that contributed to environmental changeCombining entertainment and charity through filmWhy curiosity and understanding people are essential skillsHis advice for anyone who wants to make a difference# At the heart of the episode is one brilliantly simple lesson: make it easy for people to help. If you're interested in: Charity and nonprofit careersEnvironmental campaigningAnimal conservationMarketing and advertisingCreative careersSocial impactStorytelling and filmmaking This is a fascinating look at how the skills you already have could be used to make a much bigger difference than you think. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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About

You don’t have to be rich or famous to be successful and we’re here to prove it. ‘How To Become A…’ gives insights into everyday success stories. Each episode, Grace Stevens chats to real people about how they actually got to where they are today. From their first steps and “what am I doing?” moments, to big decisions and what’s next. It’s honest, unfiltered, and (hopefully) makes figuring out your own path feel a little less overwhelming. Follow us on Instagram (@howtobecomea__) and TikTok (@howtobecomea__) for more stories 🎙️ Want to be on the show? Email hello.howtobecomea@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Grace Stevens
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 HOW TO BECOME A LTD
  • Show Website
    How To Become A...

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