{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6502ec015032c7001167fc64/69922f7212f3a83d1572df2a?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"One Wild and Precious Life: Hattie’s Long Road to Her Flower Farm Dream","description":"<p>In this episode,&nbsp;Hattie&nbsp;shares the winding, courageous journey that led her to becoming a&nbsp;full-time flower farmer&nbsp;living on a smallholding in the countryside.</p><p>She talks with&nbsp;Michelle&nbsp;about:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Childhood upheaval and&nbsp;losing her family home at 11</li><li>Surviving&nbsp;bacterial meningitis at 15&nbsp;and a&nbsp;serious car crash at 19</li><li>Working in&nbsp;waste management,&nbsp;landfill, and&nbsp;wildlife conservation</li><li>Career pivots into&nbsp;events,&nbsp;volunteering, and&nbsp;charity leadership</li><li>Quietly carrying a “one day” dream of a&nbsp;flower farm and wedding flowers</li><li>Finally backing herself during the pandemic to&nbsp;rebuild life around nature</li></ul><p><br></p><p>We explore how Hattie’s life “tapestry” was woven from&nbsp;life shocks, resilience, and micro joys, and why she believes purpose, not speed or status, is the truest measure of success.</p><p><br></p><h2>Key Takeaways</h2><ul><li>Dreams can take a decade (or more) and still be worth it</li><li>Hattie spent over&nbsp;10 years&nbsp;moving through different roles and industries before landing in the life she’d imagined—proof that slow progress is still progress.</li><li>Life shocks can create deep resilience and clarity</li><li>Losing her home, surviving meningitis, and a near-fatal car accident all became pivotal points that sharpened her sense of what really matters.</li><li>Your career is a tapestry, not a straight line</li><li>Each “random” job—waste management, conservation, city of culture, leadership programs—gave her skills she now uses daily on the farm (from land management to events to people skills).</li><li>Purpose beats prestige</li><li>A lecturer’s challenge—<em>“Do you want low pay doing good, or big money defending harm?”</em>—anchored her to roles with&nbsp;meaning and social/environmental impact.</li><li>Nature is medicine</li><li>Time outdoors has been central to Hattie’s&nbsp;healing from grief and burnout. Her farm is designed as much for&nbsp;wildlife and immersion&nbsp;as for flowers.</li><li>Micro joys can rebuild a broken season of life</li><li>Instead of chasing big highs, Hattie learned to collect&nbsp;tiny, daily joys—a robin in the garden, a bird sighting, a small moment of beauty—and use them to slowly climb out of difficult years.</li><li>You’re allowed to change your mind—and your career</li><li>Hattie repeatedly “started again” in new sectors. Each leap was scary, but reinforced the idea that confidence often comes&nbsp;after&nbsp;you jump, not before.</li><li>Listening to your gut is a skill, not fluff</li><li>From saying yes to the podcast invite to finally starting the flower farm, following her gut has been Hattie’s compass—even when fear and imposter syndrome show up later.</li></ul><p><br></p><h2>Timestamps</h2><ol><li>00:00&nbsp;– Welcome to the show &amp; Hattie’s “She Dares Wins” intro</li><li>02:30&nbsp;– Tapestry vs chapters: how Hattie views her life story</li><li>04:45&nbsp;– Losing her home at 11 and joining a new school mid-year</li><li>06:30&nbsp;– Contracting meningitis at 15 and the “life is short” wake‑up</li><li>09:00&nbsp;– The near-fatal Land Rover crash and a new sense of spirituality</li><li>18:30&nbsp;– From landfill and waste to wildlife conservation and values</li><li>26:40&nbsp;– Pandemic reflections and the decision to finally start a flower farm</li><li>34:50&nbsp;– Nature, micro joys, and inviting others to heal on the farm</li></ol><p><br></p><p>Join Dare Club Now:</p><p><br></p>","author_name":"Michelle Hands"}