Excel against the Odds

About Excel against the Odds

Inspiration and advice about work and self-employment for people with chronic illnesses

Publisher

Sarah Berthon

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Feb 2021

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

65 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Working with a Chronic Illness - Interview with Imali Chislett, co-founder of Inkfire

   In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Imali Chislett, the co-founder of Inkfire, a disabled-led digital design agency for accessible design. Imali is a disabled entrepreneur specialising in helping disabled people find meaningful work that accommodates their needs, not the other way around! She's a very creative person and a lover of coffee and sparkle. This was a very interesting conversation and I particularly enjoyed learning about how she runs her agency in an accessible way, something that a lot of companies could learn from. Discover more at inkfire.co.uk (inkfire.co.uk) and https://maliandme.co.uk/ (https://maliandme.co.uk/) Connect with Imali www.instagram.com/inkfire (www.instagram.com/inkfire) www.instagram.com/maliandme (www.instagram.com/maliandme) Excel against the Odds: Website: https://www.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk (https://www.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk) Workbook for running a successful business with a chronic illness: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/eato-workbook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/eato-workbook) One to One Power Hour: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://start.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/strategypowerhour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://start.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/strategypowerhour) To join the Entrepreneurs against the Odds Facebook group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/groups/entrepreneursagainsttheodds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/entrepreneursagainsttheodds) Linked In: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/excel-against-the-odds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/excel-against-the-odds)

2. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Working with a Chronic Illness - Interview with Hortense Julienne, founder of Miss Nang

   In this episode of the Excel against the Odds podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking to Hortense Julienne the founder of Miss Nang Hortense Julienne is a Franco-Cameroonian who moved to the UK  2001. Her love of food has shaped much of her journey, taking her from food blogging and cookbooks to entrepreneurship and sustainability. In 2013, Hortense launched her first food blog, documenting a journey through Lent. In 2014, she published her first cookbook, The Bank Cook, a collection of recipes created with food bank users in mind. Visit  (http://www.thebankcook.com/)www.theBankCook.com (http://www.thebankcook.com/). The book led to numerous print media features, radio appearances and podcast interviews, as well as a serialised recipe feature in a print magazine. It also led to Hortense hosting a year-long radio programme dedicated to cooking well on a budget, alongside her food platform,  (http://www.madebyhortense.com/)www.madebyhortense.com (http://www.madebyhortense.com/). Hortense later became a finalist in a cookbook competition organised by Red Magazine and HarperCollins. Her passion for making plant-based food exciting led to Plant-Based Ideas For Carnivores, a vegan cookbook created for people who believe there is no life without meat. One of its recipes was published in The Independent on Sunday. Hortense continued her plant-based food journey with another edition of the cookbook, published in 2022. Hortense has always loved nuts. After years of turning them into her signature homemade gifts, she transformed that passion into a business, launching Miss Nang Treats in 2016. Today,  (http://www.missynang.com/)www.missynang.com (http://www.missynang.com/) is home to an artisan range of gourmet nuts, seeds and plant-based snacks, including sweet and savoury treats, crackers and accompaniments. Miss Nang champions attainable sustainability, thoughtful sourcing, small-batch production, zero-waste thinking and eco-conscious packaging. The brand has received recognition including Great Taste and Women in Food industry awards, and was most recently a finalist in a national sustainability award for Sustainable Businesses: Good Waste & Circular Economy. Behind the business is a story of resilience. Hortense has twice faced a rare form of hybrid cancer, resulting in the loss of a rib and part of her shoulder blade and leaving her with visible and invisible disabilities. Her Christian faith has remained an important source of strength. Away from business, Hortense is also a committed volunteer in her community and church community. Discover more about Hortense at  (http://www.hortensejulienne.com/)www.hortensejulienne.com (http://www.hortensejulienne.com/). Excel against the Odds: Chronic Empowerment Hub: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/eato-chronic-empowerment-hub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/eato-chronic-empowerment-hub) Workbook for running a successful business with a chronic illness: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/eato-workbook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/eato-workbook) One to One Power Hour: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://start.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/strategypowerhour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://start.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/strategypowerhour) To join the Entrepreneurs against the Odds Facebook group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/groups/entrepreneursagainsttheodds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/entrepreneursagainsttheodds) Linked In: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/excel-against-the-odds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/excel-against-the-odds)

3. 

   1 Jun 2026

   When Chronic Illness Changes Your Career Path

   Host [Host Name] explores the emotional journey of career change due to chronic illness, offering insights on grief, identity, and sustainable adaptation.

Who has been a guest on Excel against the Odds

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Sara Jubb
• Georgina Colman
• Natalie Edwards
• Zoe Chapman
• Debbie-Lyn Connolly Lloyd

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

39

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

30

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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