Real Women's Stories with Lisa Quait

In this Brucie bonus episode, I’m chatting to Sandi Birch about what it was really like working behind the scenes on The Generation Game in the 90s.From swapping vodka and Evian bottles during a studio drinking game, to accidentally causing a BBC evacuation over a cake left under her car, Sandi shares the kind of chaotic, hilarious and nostalgic TV stories you simply couldn’t make up.A lighter, behind-the-scenes bonus from our conversation - full of old-school telly memories, studio madness and the moments that made Sandi realise these stories needed writing down.Listen to my full conversation with Sandi in the previous episode.---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

This is a conversation about loss, resilience, hope, and learning how to live again after the unimaginable.Three weeks before her wedding, Sandi Birch opened the door to two police officers - and in that moment, her whole life changed.Her partner Griff had been killed in a car crash on his way to work, leaving Sandi suddenly widowed, a single mum to their six-month-old baby, and facing a future she had never imagined.In this deeply moving episode, Sandi shares the shock of that day, the grief that followed, and the reality of trying to survive when everything you had planned disappears overnight. She opens up about burnout, loneliness, financial pressure, and the brave steps she took to rebuild her life - including walking through the corridors of the BBC with her baby, asking for help when she had nowhere else to turn.Now, 25 years later, Sandi has found purpose in helping others through grief, trauma and emotional pain through her work in Pranic Therapy.---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 been hurt by someone you trusted, doubted your own judgement, or wondered how to rebuild after being knocked down, Amber’s story is a powerful reminder that painful chapters can still lead you somewhere stronger.In this episode of Real Women’s Stories, I sit down with Amber Proctor, founder of Hen And The City, a Dubai-based hen party planning brand helping brides celebrate in style.Amber moved to Dubai with ambition, drive and a vision to build something of her own. But while creating a women’s community with a friend, she experienced a painful business betrayal that left her heartbroken, guarded and questioning whether she even wanted to stay in Dubai.Amber opens up about what happened when friendship and business collided, how she discovered boundaries the hard way, and why she now refuses to let betrayal stop her from building the future she wants.This is a conversation about female friendship, trust, resilience, entrepreneurship, starting again abroad, and learning how to protect yourself without losing who you 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 stuck, underestimated, or laughed at for wanting more from your life, this episode is for you.In this episode of Real Women’s Stories, I sit down with Maria Pruna, a Romanian-born entrepreneur who left corporate life behind, moved to Dubai, and built a car wash business in one of the most male-dominated industries.After going through a divorce and starting again, Maria decided to bet on herself. With no traditional business background, she helped build and sell her first car wash in Belgium before moving to the UAE, where she has since grown two businesses from scratch.But the journey hasn’t been easy.Maria opens up about being rejected, underestimated, and even laughed at during a networking event when she proudly shared what she was building. Instead of letting that moment break her confidence, she turned it into fuel - and her story went viral.This conversation is about rebuilding your life, taking up space, starting again, and refusing to let other people’s opinions decide what you are capable of.---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

Formula 1 Racing was the dream Sara Essa could see from the grandstand - but getting there meant completely rebuilding her life.After feeling stuck, low and unfulfilled in the UK, Sara moved back to Dubai determined to start again. What followed was not the glossy expat success story people often imagine. It was loneliness, financial pressure, grief, weight loss, self-belief, and the brutal reality of chasing a career in sports presenting.In this episode, I speak to Sara Essa about leaving the UK, building a new life in Dubai, losing 35kg, creating a women-in-sport community, and finally getting the Formula 1 opportunity she had been working towards.But just as her dream started becoming real, life tested her in a way she never expected.This is a conversation about ambition, reinvention, resilience, and the truth about starting again when no one else can do it for you.This episode was recorded in February 2026.---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

How many times have you stayed quiet to keep the peace?Maybe you've laughed something off. Bitten your tongue. Ignored a comment that didn't sit right. Or convinced yourself it wasn't worth saying anything because speaking up felt more uncomfortable than staying silent.In this coaching episode, I explore the hidden ways we tolerate behaviour that doesn't align with our values, and why so many women find themselves shrinking in certain situations, even when they know something doesn't feel right.This isn't really about confidence. It's about boundaries.It's about trusting your instincts, recognising what you've been accepting for far too long, and deciding what you will no longer tolerate.If you've ever left a conversation wishing you'd said something, this episode is for you. It might just change the way you show up in the room.---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

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