Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait

For years, Helen Masters worked in environments where she was the only woman in the room.From the high-pressure world of corporate sales to professional football, she found herself surrounded by cultures built on power, performance and fitting in. But while others played the game, Helen refused to compromise who she was.This is a conversation about resilience, loyalty, identity and the courage to stand your ground when the easier option would be to stay quiet.Because sometimes the hardest thing you can do is refuse to become someone else.In this episode:The "fit in or f**k off" culture of male-dominated industriesThe reality of working behind the scenes in professional footballRaising children as a single mum while building a successful careerWhy Helen walked away from alcohol after years of living life at full speedThe importance of staying true to your values, even when it comes at a cost---Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa---Connect with LisaInstagram: Follow LisaFacebook: Follow LisaYouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait

In this episode, I explore the difference between healthy reflection and destructive overthinking - and how the stories we create in our own minds can quietly damage our confidence, relationships and sense of self.After rerecording an entire podcast episode I believed had gone terribly wrong, I realised something important: the version in my head wasn’t the reality at all.This is a powerful conversation about self-awareness, inner dialogue, confidence and learning to trust yourself again.Because sometimes the harshest judgement we face… is our own.---Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa---Connect with LisaInstagram: Follow LisaFacebook: Follow LisaYouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait

Millions watched Leah Tyrer on Married At First Sight and saw someone calm, confident and emotionally strong.But behind the scenes, she was masking anxiety, struggling privately and slowly losing herself.In this honest conversation, Leah opens up about the emotional pressure of reality TV, feeling misunderstood in relationships, late neurodivergence diagnosis, people pleasing and the moment she realised she’d spent years protecting herself instead of truly being herself.She also reveals what viewers don’t see off camera, how filming affected her mentally, and why watching the show back completely changed the way she saw herself.This isn’t just a conversation about reality TV.It’s a conversation about identity, confidence, emotional overwhelm and what happens when you finally stop pretending you’re okay.---Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa---Connect with LisaInstagram: Follow LisaFacebook: Follow LisaYouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait

Do you constantly replay conversations in your head? Worry you said the wrong thing? Or feel like you’ve spent years trying not to be “too much”?In this coaching episode, I’m unpacking how the labels we’re given as children and young adults can quietly shape the way we think, behave and show up in the world for years afterwards.I share how being told I was “too outspoken” and had “a big mouth” slowly changed my confidence, my decisions and even the direction of my life - without me fully realising it at the time.We explore:How people-pleasing and self-doubt are connectedWhy so many women stop recognising themselvesA simple coaching framework to challenge negative thought patternsThis episode is designed to help you reflect on the thoughts, stories and identities you may still be carrying - and start reconnecting with who you really are underneath the overthinking. ---Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa---Connect with LisaInstagram: Follow LisaFacebook: Follow LisaYouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait

If you’ve ever felt underestimated, behind in life, or like your brain works differently to everybody else, this episode is for you.At school, Clinical Psychologist Dr Lucy Shoolbred was told she was “thick and lazy”.She couldn’t read properly, felt constantly underestimated, and genuinely believed she wasn’t clever enough to succeed.Years later, she’s working behind some of the biggest TV dramas in the world - including the Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning Netflix series Adolescence.But this episode isn’t just about success.It’s about what happens when a child grows up believing the labels adults gave them.In this conversation, Lucy reveals:what it actually feels like growing up severely dyslexicthe moment she realised school had got her completely wronghow she now protects child actors filming traumatic scenesand why some of the people who struggle most in school end up seeing the world differently to everyone else.Lucy also mentions the incredible work being done by Made By Dyslexia - a charity helping people better understand dyslexic thinking and why different brains should never be underestimated.---Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa---Connect with LisaInstagram: Follow LisaFacebook: Follow LisaYouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt unsure of the woman staring back at you, this episode will leave you reflecting on where that feeling really began.Many women over 40 reach a point where they quietly wonder… how did I end up feeling so disconnected from myself?In this deeply personal solo episode, I reflect on the comments, expectations and life experiences that slowly shaped who I became - and how, over time, I started shrinking parts of myself just to fit in, feel accepted and avoid judgment.From being labelled “too outspoken” as a child to realising how much outside noise had influenced my confidence, relationships and choices, this episode explores the hidden reasons so many women begin to feel lost in midlife.But this conversation isn’t about blame or reinventing yourself. It’s about understanding how years of conditioning, people-pleasing and self-doubt can slowly pull us away from who we truly are - and how awareness is the first step back.In this episode, we explore:Why so many women lose confidence over timeThe impact childhood comments can have on adult identityHow people-pleasing slowly changes who we are ---Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa---Connect with LisaInstagram: Follow LisaFacebook: Follow LisaYouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait

If you've ever felt like you had to make yourself smaller to be accepted, this episode is for you.For years, Sophie Jane Lee looked like she had it all together.A successful career. A beautiful home. Ambition. Status. Achievement.But behind the scenes, she was battling addiction, toxic relationships, deep shame, and a painful belief that she was never truly good enough.In this powerful conversation, Lisa sits down with brand strategist, journalist and author Sophie Jane Lee to unpack the truth about internalised misogyny - and the subtle ways women are conditioned to shrink themselves, compete with one another, stay “palatable”, and abandon who they really are.Together, they explore:why so many women struggle with self-worththe hidden ways misogyny shows up between womenpeople pleasing, perfectionism and burnoutSophie also opens up about the life-changing moment that forced her to confront the truth about herself - and the journey that inspired her book, Beyond Palatable.This is an honest, challenging and deeply important conversation about identity, conditioning, confidence, and what it really means to reclaim your voice as a woman.---Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa---Connect with LisaInstagram: Follow LisaFacebook: Follow LisaYouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, emotionally disconnected, overwhelmed or like life has made you smaller, this episode is for you.Somewhere along the way, I stopped recognising who I was.I became everything to everyone else - showing up, holding everything together, carrying the load, constantly rushing through life - until one day I realised how disconnected I’d become from myself.In this honest coaching episode, I talk about the quiet ways we lose our identity through overwhelm, routine and always putting other people first. I share the questions that helped me reconnect with myself, alongside a powerful realisation that changed the way I see my life:Maybe we don’t need to reinvent ourselves… maybe we just need to remember who we are again.---Discover mid-life coaching with Lisa---Connect with LisaInstagram: Follow LisaFacebook: Follow LisaYouTube: The only place to watch every episode of Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait