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Scotland's Women

SCOTLANDS WOMEN, OUR LIVES, OUR STORIES


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  • 5. Champagne and Legacy

    44:53||Season 6, Ep. 5
    She ran bars from Glasgow to Abu Dhabi, modeled language patterns from NLP masters, and turned her husband's final champagne night into a leadership framework — all by trusting the process.In this episode, we sit down with Fiona Campbell-Arrands — author, coach, and founder of The Professional Growth Company — for a conversation that spans grief, adventure, language, and legacy. Fiona opens up about losing her husband Duncan to terminal illness and how that loss became a catalyst for finishing her book, Working with Trust. She describes the strange chemical armor that grief provides in its early months, and the deeper, quieter wave that arrived in the second summer without him — a wave she chose to trust rather than fight.Fiona's path to coaching was anything but linear. She left school at sixteen, became the youngest air traffic control assistant in the UK, hitchhiked to Greece with thirty pounds in her pocket, ran the bar at London's original Comedy Store, managed a hotel bar in Abu Dhabi, helped launch Xerox across the Middle East, and spent twenty-five years in sales — all before training as a clinical hypnotherapist and NLP master practitioner. She breaks down three language models that shaped her coaching philosophy: the NLP Meta Model for information gathering, the Milton Model for ambiguous, trance-like language, and Meta Programs for understanding what truly motivates people. Along the way she shares a brilliant story about a manager at Yellow Pages who instinctively used "away from" motivation to keep her on target.The heart of the episode is the Trust Framework — born from a six-hour champagne-fueled session with Duncan during his final days, where he challenged her, laughed with her, and helped her outline what would become the foundation of her book. Truthfulness, transparency, respect, understanding others, support, and timeliness — the pillars they identified together — are now part of a leadership programme Fiona delivers worldwide. She reflects on whether anyone can be a leader (only those who genuinely want to be), why companies are bringing back experienced "gray beards" as AI falls short on human connection, and how it felt to pour fourteen-hour days into finishing the manuscript after Duncan passed.Pour a cup of something, settle in, and meet a woman who turned her last champagne night into a gift for every leader who'll come after her.Working with Trust is available worldwide on Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Working-Trust-compassionate-empathic-leadership/dp/1918123101?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLEYou can find Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionacampbellarrand/ or visit theprofessionalgrowthcompany.com.

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  • 5. Champagne and Legacy - TRAILER

    04:49||Season 6, Ep. 5
    "Some women survive their story. This one turned hers into a legacy."What happens when you lose the person who believed in you most, and the only way to honor them is to finish the work you started together? In this episode, we meet a woman who left school at sixteen with no plan, no qualifications she thought mattered, and no idea she was smart — and then somehow became the youngest air traffic control assistant in the UK, ran bars on three continents, helped launch a global tech brand across the Middle East, and spent twenty-five years in sales before reinventing herself entirely.She opens up about the night that changed everything — a final champagne-fueled conversation with her husband during his last days, where together they sketched out a framework built on trust. She talks about what grief really feels like when the chemical armor wears off, why she questioned whether knowing a death is coming is harder than losing someone suddenly, and how she found the energy to work fourteen-hour days to finish what they started.She also breaks down the hidden patterns in the language we all use every day — patterns that reveal what people truly want, what they're avoiding, and what motivates them to act — and shares why the companies that let go of their most experienced people are now scrambling to bring them back.It is a conversation about trust, loss, reinvention, and the legacy one woman built from the hardest chapter of her life. If you have ever had to start over — this one is not to be missed.Working with Trust is available worldwide on Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Working-Trust-compassionate-empathic-leadership/dp/1918123101?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLEYou can find Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionacampbellarrand/or visit theprofessionalgrowthcompany.com.
  • 4. The Final Show

    39:55||Season 6, Ep. 4
    The Final Show: When the Last Curtain Falls, the Real Story BeginsImagine stepping on stage night after night -- sequins, feathers, a packed crowd -- while your father is seriously ill. Nobody in the audience knows. That's the reality Kim Chapman lived for a year, and in this episode of Scotland's Women, she tells it in her own words.For 20 years, Kim was Missy Malone -- a name she created at 18, inspired by old Hollywood glamour and her Irish heritage. She rode the wave of the burlesque boom from 2005 and produced her own touring show for a decade. But behind the stage makeup and costumes, life was hitting hard.When her dad was diagnosed with cancer, Kim moved in with her parents and became a carer. She kept performing because it was the purest escapism she could find. She'd paint her face, become someone else for an hour, and breathe. She describes the makeup as armor -- when she didn't see her own vulnerable face staring back, she felt stronger. She was also filming a Scottish TV series during his final year, commuting between Edinburgh and home, terrified of being away at the wrong time. Parts of that period are still blurry.When her dad passed, everything changed. She came out the other side a different person, with a new urgency about life. She decided to pursue acting properly -- at nearly 40, with no drama school training, when most people would say the boat had sailed. She also gave burlesque the goodbye it deserved: a year-long farewell tour, 45 dates across Europe, the UK, and America, timed with her 40th birthday. She says it was one of the most joyful years of her life -- fully present for the first time, knowing it was the last time.Then something unexpected happened. While filming the second series of Crime, she met actor David Elliot. Her story came pouring out, and after seeing her final show, he said: "I think you should tell your own story." The result is Goodbye Honey Henderson, a short film inspired by Kim's life -- the glamour of the stage set against the raw reality of grief. Filming to begin in October 2026 - follow the film insta to find our more. As a Cabaret vs Cancer ambassador for over 15 years, Kim speaks movingly about how the charity's work took on new meaning after she lived through loss herself. She'll fly their flag forevermore. And at the end, Kim shares the Scottish quote her mum used to say, now framed on her wall: "What's for you it'll no go by you." How true and fitting that is to Kim's story and our's. Connect with Kim:Instagram: @kimchapmanactorFilm Instagram: @goodbyehoneyhenderson
  • 4. The Final Show - TRAILER

    04:57||Season 6, Ep. 4
    Sometimes the bravest thing a woman can do is take off the mask and let the world see what's underneath.Kim Chapman joins Scotland's Women to tell her story. For twenty years, she performed as burlesque star Missy Malone — a name that took her across Europe and America, into dressing rooms full of women who became family, and onto stages where nobody knew what was really going on behind the sequins. Because while Kim was dancing, she was also watching her father get sick, holding everything together for her mum, and learning that life doesn't wait for you to be ready. She talks about grief that changes you into someone you don't recognize, about the stage becoming both an escape and a lifeline, and about the farewell tour that turned out to be one of the most joyful years of her life. Kim also shares how a chance friendship on a TV set led to something she never imagined — a film inspired by her own story, one she's now brave enough to tell herself. It's honest, it's raw, and it's for any woman who has ever had to keep performing when her world was falling apart. 'The Final show' Full episode coming soon.Follow Kim : https://www.instagram.com/kimchapmanactor/Goodbye Honey Henderson: https://www.instagram.com/goodbyehoneyhenderson/
  • 3. Jems Fight For Justice - PART THREE

    27:58||Season 6, Ep. 3
    Your voice matters. Your story matters. And the abuse was never your fault — no matter what anyone made you believe.This is Charlene's story, part of the limited series JEMS Fight for Justice.Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of abuse, sexual violence, and trauma.If you or anyone you know that has or is affected by sexual violence, please contact Rape Crisis Scotland https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/help-local-rcc/In this deeply personal episode, Charlene opens up about the aftermath of her abuser's conviction and the devastating blow of learning he had appealed both his conviction and his sentence. She describes the terror of being blindsided by the appeal process, standing before four judges in the Supreme Court to defend the truth, and the agonizing six-month wait from June to December wondering what basis the appeal was founded on. The appeal was ultimately denied, but the emotional toll of having to relive the court process all over again left her unable to rest or feel at peace.Charlene also shares the broader context of her ordeal — groomed from the age of 13 into a manipulative and abusive family dynamic that lasted nearly 12 years. She recounts how the family used intimidation, isolation, and control to keep her trapped, how they turned her against her closest friend who was being abused in parallel, and how meeting her husband became the turning point that helped her recognize what had been done to her was anything but normal. She speaks candidly about the moment the police came to her door, the overwhelming relief of finally speaking out, and the fear she carried for years that people would blame her for staying.Looking ahead, Charlene reveals that additional family members are due to be arrested, meaning she faces yet another court case that could take another two to three years. Despite the weight of what lies ahead, she remains steadfast in her belief that this chapter will eventually close and that she will find peace.The episode also touches on the ongoing work of JEMS — Justice for Every Mistreated Survivor — including the arrest of fellow member Ellie Wilson after accusations from her own rapist, and the continued harassment the group faces from another organization. Through it all, Charlene reaffirms what JEMS stands for and why she continues to speak out: because every survivor deserves justice.If you or someone you know has been affected by abuse, please don't suffer in silence. Healing isn't a straight line, and there is no timeline — but you don't have to walk this road alone.Follow JEMS on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jems.justice.for.s?lang=en-GB
  • 3. Jems Fight For Justice - PART THREE - TRAILER

    03:56||Season 6, Ep. 3
    JEM's Fight for Justice – Part Three: Charlene's Own Story | Trailer Full episode coming soon.Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of abuse, sexual violence, and trauma.If you or anyone you know that has or is affected by sexual violence, please contact Rape Crisis Scotland https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/help-local-rcc/In this powerful third part, Charlene opens up about her own experience of abuse, grooming, and manipulation that began when she was just 13 years old. She shares how she was drawn into a family that systematically isolated her, controlled her, and made her believe that what was happening to her was normal — and how it took over 12 years before she was finally free.Charlene speaks candidly about the moment everything changed, the courage it took to let people in, and the overwhelming relief of no longer having to hide. She reflects on what it felt like to stand in front of her family as they heard her truth for the first time, and the unconditional love that met her there.She also opens up about the harrowing appeal process that forced her back into court just months after finally getting justice, and the strength it took to fight back — again.Raw, honest, and deeply moving — Charlene's story is one of survival, resilience, and the unshakeable belief that every survivor deserves justice. Her message to anyone going through something similar is one that will stay with you long after you stop listening.The full episode drops soon. Don't miss it.Listen to JEMS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE PART ONE:- https://scotlandswomen.com/episode/jems-fight-for-justice-part-onePART TWO:- https://scotlandswomen.com/episode/jems-fight-for-justice-part-twoFollow JEMS on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jems.justice.for.s?lang=en-GB
  • 2. She Never Lies

    38:43||Season 6, Ep. 2
    Your body has never lied to you — but the system has.In this raw and deeply moving episode, Candice McKenzie, founder of Endo Warriors West Lothian, opens up about more than 30 years of fighting to be believed, referred, and seen within a healthcare system that consistently failed her.Her story begins at age nine — dismissed as growing pains, chronic constipation, and "just a bad period" — before finally receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis at 21, only after collapsing in her garden, grey and doubled over, while a neighbour recognised what her doctors had not.Since that diagnosis in 1999, Candice has had 16 surgeries and a pelvic clearance, and has spent nearly nine years on Letrozole — a drug prescribed to advanced breast cancer patients — because endometriosis continues to make its own estrogen even after her reproductive organs were removed. The episode goes deep into what that has done to her body, her femininity, her teeth, her hair, her heart health, and her sense of self.From the miracle of carrying two children through near-impossible pregnancies, to the invisible poker face that chronic pain forces women to wear in public, to what it truly means to no longer feel at home in your own body — Candice holds nothing back. And she is clear: "endo warrior" is a title none of them asked for.But this episode is also about action. Candice breaks down why Scotland's average diagnosis time sits at 10 years and two months, how she has been lobbying the Scottish Government through MSPs, and why she believes the UK figure of one in ten women affected is a serious undercount. The conversation covers Jess's Law in England, the urgent need for a holistic approach to pain management including access to medical cannabis, and the 1,400-strong global community she has helped build.Endometriosis affects an estimated 190 to 200 million women worldwide. This episode is for every single one of them — and for everyone who loves them.Find Endo Warriors West Lothian on Instagram at @endowarriorswl, @endowl, or search Endo Warriors West Lothian.