The Sacred Startover

In this deeply honest and powerful conversation, I’m joined by Suzanne Edmond, founder of Moxy Communications and former Director of Communications in the UK government.After a 20-year career working across international, corporate, government and charities, in relentless high-pressure leadership roles, Suzanne reached what she describes as a spectacular burnout - the moment that forced her to question who she was without her job, and whether success was worth the cost.Suzanne shares the truth about walking away without a plan, the fear of being judged, and the courage it takes to start again on your own terms.This is a conversation for anyone who feels exhausted by success, trapped by expectations, or quietly wondering if there’s another way to live and work - without burning themselves to the ground.✨ A Sacred Startover isn’t about starting from scratch.It’s about starting stronger - with wisdom, boundaries, and self-trust.ABOUT SUZANNESuzanne Edmond, Founder & CEO Suzanne is a multi-disciplined communications professional with experience working for international FTSE25 companies, Government, and charities and advising senior leaders and Cabinet Ministers on controversial and high-profile issues. Suzanne is an accredited coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation and has experience facilitating workshops and leadership development. Prior to founding her own business Moxy Communications in 2022, Suzanne was Group Director of Communications at the Department for Transport (DfT), where she led communications and marketing for rail timetabling issues, airline insolvencies, Brexit and Covid. She was also responsible for overseeing multi-million-pound campaigns, including THINK!, Go Ultra Low, and It's Everyone's Journey. Suzanne was also Head of Profession for the Government’s External Affairs Profession, which she established in 2018. Before the government in 2016, Suzanne spent over a decade working in energy-intensive industries. She led Centrica Energy’s international communications team across the UK, Netherlands, Norway, and Canada, and advised Shell’s global chemicals business on crisis communications, stakeholder relations, and European policy issues. Earlier in her career, she led public affairs and media relations for the Advertising Association’s Food Advertising Unit and worked at the Cabinet Office.CONNECT WITH SUZANNELinkedin: hereCONNECT WITH MOXY COMMUNICATIONS:Website: hereInstagram: here______________✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul. Do you have a story you would like to share? Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here. WORK WITH SHAUNA: Business Mentoring & Coaching ServicesBook in for a Discovery Call HereLearn more on my website: here

In this final episode of 2025, I’m reflecting on a year of massive change - and sharing the inner work that’s been quietly reshaping everything.We’re talking about self-identity: the subconscious beliefs and emotional patterns that influence how you lead, how visible you let yourself be, how you handle money, success, failure and why you can be “doing all the right things” strategically, but still feel stuck.I share my own experience of moving through identity loss after closing my food brand business, and the deeper realisation that so much of what held me back wasn’t strategy - it was the internal story I was living from.If you’ve ever felt imposter syndrome, capped your growth, procrastinated at the edge of success, or felt like you’re “between versions” of yourself… this episode is for you.We’re pausing for Christmas, and I’ll be back in 2026 with deeper conversations - but for now: go easy on yourself.If this episode landed for you, it would mean the world if you’d follow the show, leave a review, or share it with a founder who needs it.✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul. Do you have a story you would like to share? Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here. WORK WITH SHAUNA: Business Mentoring & Coaching Services Book in for a Discovery Call Here  Book in for 1:1 Business Mentoring & Coaching Here Book in for In-Person Reiki Energy Healing Here

In this solo episode of The Sacred Startover, Shauna explores why mindset matters more than strategy in entrepreneurship - especially for women founders.This isn’t about toxic positivity or “just thinking happy thoughts.” It’s a grounded, evidence-backed conversation on how your beliefs, nervous system, emotional regulation, and self-image shape how you show up when business gets hard.Drawing on neuroscience, positive psychology, and her own experience as a multi-award-winning founder, Shauna explains why two entrepreneurs with the same strategy can end up in completely different places - and how mindset determines whether you grow, burn out, self-sabotage, or quietly give up.In this episode, you’ll explore:What mindset really is (and what it isn’t)Why stress and nervous system dysregulation block clarity and creativityThe mindset skills that support resilience, confidence, and better decision-makingWhy you can’t build a business bigger than the self-image you holdIf you feel like you’re pushing harder but moving slower, this episode is an invitation to stop forcing - and start building from the inside out.In the next episode, Shauna dives deeper into identity and how who you believe you are quietly shapes your business success.✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul. Do you have a story you would like to share? Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here. WORK WITH SHAUNA: Business Mentoring & Coaching Services Book in for a Discovery Call Here  Book in for 1:1 Business Mentoring & Coaching Here Book in for In-Person Reiki Energy Healing Here

In this episode of The Sacred Startover, I sit down with Alex Clapp, founder of Claritee - the UK’s first alcohol-free corporate events company - to talk about addiction, recovery and what it really takes to rebuild your life.Alex is a seasoned entrepreneur and wellbeing advocate, with over 25 years of business leadership experience. As Managing Director of County Cost Consultants and Founder of Claritee, the UK’s trailblazing alcohol free corporate events company, Alex is pioneering a cultural shift in how businesses approach workplace wellbeing and socialising.His journey is deeply personal, after facing an undiagnosed eye condition and battling alcoholism, Alex turned adversity into purpose. Now three years sober, he uses his story to inspire others through keynote speaking, podcasts and events such as The SHINE Awards, the UK’s first alcohol free awards ceremony.Passionate about inclusivity, mental health and authentic leadership, Alex continues to challenge outdated workplace norms and advocates for new ways of connecting and socialising, showing that wellbeing and success go hand in hand.He opens up about the moment he knew he needed to beat addiction, and the frameworks, tools and self-awareness that keep him clean and sober 3 years later.You’ll also hear how Claritee was born - from alcohol-free events and sober congas to Claritee 2.0, a wellness hub connecting people to alcohol-free events, retreats, movement, breathwork, community and more. This is a conversation about choice, self-responsibility, and the truth that it’s never too late to start again.Listen in if you’re curious about recovery, questioning your relationship with alcohol, or supporting someone you love through addiction - and don’t forget to follow The Sacred Startover for more stories of endings, reinventions and everything in between.Connect with Alex and Claritee:Website: https://www.clariteegroup.co.uk/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clariteegroup Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clariteegroup/✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul. Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here. WORK WITH SHAUNA: Business Mentoring & Coaching Services Book in for a Discovery Call Here  Book in for 1:1 Business Mentoring & Coaching Here Book in for In-Person Reiki Energy Healing Here

In this episode of The Sacred Startover, I’m joined by Suzie Gillespie - co-founder of sustainable hair and body care brand Moo & Yoo - for a story of true reinvention.Suzie went from following the “sensible” path into business studies, travel and events… to running a wedding planning business… to finally backing herself in her 30s, retraining as a hairdresser, opening her own salon, and later launching an eco-conscious product range with her daughter Olivia.We talk about what it really looks like to pivot more than once in your career, why it’s never too late to start over, and how Moo & Yoo has navigated some serious curveballs - from a lab going into liquidation in their first year to launching just before COVID and then Brexit.Suzie shares honestly about resilience, values, and what it takes to build a B Corp-certified brand that refuses to compromise on ethics.If you’re feeling stuck, sitting on an idea, or wondering if you’ve “missed your chance”, this conversation will remind you that you absolutely haven’t - and that one brave step can change everything.Listen in, then share this episode with another founder or friend who needs proof that it’s not too late to start over.Connect with Moo & YooWebsite: www.mooandyoo.comInstagram: @mooandyooFacebook: MooandYooTikTok: MooandYooYouTube: Moo & YooSign up to their newsletter on the website for a welcome discount if you’re ready to try the range – especially the Miracle Milk leave-in treatment and their hair mask.✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul. Do you have a story you would like to share? Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here. WORK WITH SHAUNA: Business Mentoring & Coaching Services Book in for a Discovery Call Here  Book in for 1:1 Business Mentoring & Coaching Here Book in for In-Person Reiki Energy Healing Here

In this episode, I sit down with Jenna Zhang - founder of Sip Zen, the lightly sparkling functional tea brand inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine.Jenna went from corporate law to creating a drink that actually helped her body feel balanced after being diagnosed with PCOS and Hashimoto’s. When Western medicine presented three options that felt more like symptom-management rather than healing, she turned back to the ancient practices she was raised with - and discovered a philosophy that shifted everything:You’re not sick - you’re out of balance.We talk about the moment her health forced her to slow down, how she rebuilt her routines through botanicals, why she believes we need to track our energy not just our KPIs - and how Sip Zen went from an idea in her kitchen to selling out her first batch and being stocked in premium stores.This conversation is about purpose, identity, and choosing a path that actually supports your body - not just your career.Connect with Jenna and SipZen:Instagram: @sipzen_drinksTik Tok: @sipzendrinksSipZen website: https://drinksipzen.com/ ✨ Subscribe to The Sacred Startover for inspirational stories and strategies to help you rebuild with clarity, courage, and soul.Do you have a story you would like to share? Apply to be a guest on The Sacred Startover Podcast here.WORK WITH SHAUNA:Business Mentoring & Coaching ServicesBook in for a Discovery Call Here Book in for 1:1 Business Mentoring & Coaching HereBook in for In-Person Reiki Energy Healing Here

This episode is all about the nervous system, intuition, and the practices that helped me move through one of the biggest transitions of my life.For almost 20 years, I lived in autopilot - reacting, rushing, firefighting - without checking in with how I actually felt. At a retreat in Cornwall, everything shifted. I discovered what it felt like to start my day from regulation instead of reactivity - and it has changed everything about how I start my day.Inside this episode, I’m sharing the exact practices I now do every morning - yoga, breathwork, meditation, journaling, daily walking, weight training, and Reiki - and I explain WHY they matter… not just spiritually, but biologically.Because you can’t build long-term success from a dysregulated nervous system.Your inner world matters just as much as your outer strategy.Do you have a story you would like to share? Apply to be a guest here.

Have you ever had a moment where it felt like the universe was sending you a message loud and clear? Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe it was just a gut feeling, or a sliding doors moment where everything changed based on one decision.  In today's episode, Shauna takes you on a journey deep into a temperate rainforest in Cornwall - to a retreat that would change everything.What began as an escape to rest and reset became a powerful moment of awakening during a single soundbath.Through sound, silence, and surrender, Shauna experienced a moment that shifted how she saw herself, her business, and what success truly means.This episode isn’t about giving up; it’s about letting go.It’s about learning to pause long enough to hear the quiet voice of your soul again._____________Connect:Sacred Startover Instagram: @TheSacredStartoverLinkedin: www.linkedin.com/ShaunaBlairApply to be a podcast guest: Click here.Check out my website here.