Geordie Pride: Voices from the North East

About Geordie Pride: Voices from the North East

Welcome to Geordie Pride – the podcast where we celebrate the incredible individuals from the North East of England! Dive deep into heartfelt conversations as we spotlight the achievements, challenges, and stories of Geordies who have made a positive impact in their communities and beyond. From philanthropists to entrepreneurs, artists to sports stars, we're here to amplify the voices of those who embody the true spirit of the North East. Join us to discover the inspiring tales of passion, resilience, and Geordie pride that have shaped the lives of our remarkable guests. Whether you're a fellow Geordie or simply curious about the vibrant culture and people of the North East, this is a podcast journey you won't want to miss! USEFUL LINKS: Website: https://www.geordiepride.co.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geordiepride/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwqLKLmpFMu6E1lmVzcY2YA

Publisher

Hayley & Angela

Category

society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

10 Feb 2024

Latest episode

23 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

34 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Jan 2026

   Sophie Milliken MBE: From Longbenton to Windsor Castle

   In this week's episode of Geordie Pride: Voices from the North East, we're joined by Sophie Milliken MBE, and it feels like the perfect conversation to close out what's been a brilliant Season 3. Sophie wears many hats. She's the founder and CEO of Moja Group, a personal branding agency based in Newcastle, chairs Smart Works North East, co-founded City Ladies Networking, and sits on the North East Combined Authority Business and Economy Board. From starting her career at John Lewis and commuting to London, to building and selling a successful business, starting again, and creating opportunities right here in the North East, Sophie opens up about the realities of ambition, money, independence and confidence, and why community and networking can make all the difference. We chat about: ✨ Wearing lots of hats - and making it all work 💼 Building businesses, selling up, and starting again 🤝 Why your network really matters (and how to find your people) 💷 Money, independence and the freedom it brings 👗 The life-changing work of Smart Works North East 🏰 The full story behind Sophie's MBE - from the unexpected email to Windsor Castle This episode is a powerful reminder of what's possible when you back yourself, work hard, and surround yourself with the right people. A fitting final episode to round off Season 3 of Geordie Pride. 🎧 About Sophie Milliken MBE Sophie Milliken MBE is the founder and CEO of Moja Group, where she helps entrepreneurs and executives raise their profiles and become recognised authorities in their industries. A multi award-winning businesswoman, proud mum, and passionate advocate for the North East, Sophie is the co-founder of City Ladies Networking, hosting events in Newcastle, London and Paris. She also chairs Smart Works Newcastle, where she has doubled the number of unemployed women supported with interview coaching and clothing, and is a Founding Ambassador for Every Child Needs a Mentor. Sophie serves on the North East Combined Authority Business and Economy Board and is a Non-Executive Director at the North East Business and Innovation Centre. She hosts the hit podcast Beyond the Bio, and her third book, From Unknown to Unforgettable is out now. She was awarded an MBE in 2023 for services to business and education. 🌐 Connect with Sophie 📘 Sophie's new book: https://rb.gy/bqq137 (https://rb.gy/bqq137) 🎤 TEDx Talk – The Truth Behind The Showreel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woZ_d3WTtR4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woZ_d3WTtR4) 💼 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-milliken 🐦 X / Twitter: https://x.com/Moja_Sophie (https://x.com/Moja_Sophie) 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moja_sophie/ 🌍 Websites: https://thisismoja.com (https://thisismoja.com/) https://www.sophiemilliken.co.uk (https://www.sophiemilliken.co.uk/) 🌍 More from Geordie Pride: 🎧 Website: www.geordiepride.co.uk 📺 YouTube: Geordie Pride Channel 📸 Instagram: @geordiepride 💌 Apply to be a guest or sponsor an episode: geordiepride.co.uk/apply 📮 Want a shoutout? Tell us what you love about the North East: geordiepridepod@gmail.com

2. 

   16 Jan 2026

   Jackson Payne & Jack Newsworthy: Best Mates with Big Music Dreams

   In this week's episode of Geordie Pride: Voices from the North East, we're joined by Jackson Payne (from Season 2) and he's brought along his best mate Jack Newsworthy too! If you want to listen to Jacksons episode from Season 2, check it out here: bit.ly/gpjackson The lads have been friends since primary school, bonding over music from a young age, and it's clear from the off just how naturally they work together. From sharing headphones in PE to writing and rehearsing songs together, their friendship and shared love of music runs right through this chat. We talk about: 🎶 Growing up in the North East and finding your people through music 🎹 Teaching yourself piano, learning by ear and playing multiple instruments 🎤 What it's really like performing while your voice is changing 🎸 Influences like Queen, Sam Fender, Michael Jackson and classic 80s music 🏟️ Big dreams of touring, playing gigs across the region and one day getting close to St James' Park 🥐 And of course… Greggs orders and Dec vs Ant! This episode was recorded just before Christmas - and just days after Sunderland beat Newcastle - so you might hear a couple of cheeky football nods along the way too! This episode is a brilliant reminder of the incredible young musicians coming through our region. 🎶 Connect with the lads: 📸 Jackson Payne Instagram & Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/jacksonpayne_music/ (https://www.instagram.com/jacksonpayne_music/) https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574020501551 📸 Jack Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nezza.music/ 🌍 More from Geordie Pride: 🎧 Website: www.geordiepride.co.uk 📺 YouTube: Geordie Pride Channel 📸 Instagram: @geordiepride (https://www.instagram.com/geordiepride/) 💌 Apply to be a guest or sponsor an episode: geordiepride.co.uk/apply 📮 Want a shoutout? Tell us what you love about the North East: geordiepridepod@gmail.com

3. 

   5 Dec 2025

   Nicola Farndell: Redundancy, Rock Bottom & Midlife Reinvention

   In this week's episode of Geordie Pride: Voices from the North East, we're chatting with Nicola Farndell - a women's health and menopause coach who has rebuilt her life from the ground up after years of anxiety, burnout and big life changes. Nicola shares her powerful story of going from decades of panic attacks, hiding her struggles at work, and feeling completely disconnected from herself… to finding confidence, purpose and a new career supporting women through midlife, health and menopause. After being made redundant from Nike during the pandemic, Nicola reached a huge crossroads. Instead of going back to the life that was draining her, she chose to transform it - and now helps women understand their bodies, their hormones and their habits so they can feel strong, calm and in control again. We chat about: 🔥 How panic attacks shaped her life for over 20 years 💼 Working at Nike while hiding her anxiety from everyone around her ⚡ Redundancy, reinvention and rebuilding her self-worth 💛 Why women hit a "midlife crossroads" and why it can actually be a turning point 🧠 The difference between confidence and self-worth (and why that distinction matters) 🧯 Why so many women are 'firefighting' through life instead of feeling in control 🌙 How menopause impacts identity, relationships and everyday life — far beyond symptoms ✨ How tiny habits, mindset work and self-awareness can create real long-term change It's honest, emotional, inspiring, and full of the kind of real talk that so many women need to hear - especially at midlife. 🎧 About Nicola Farndell Nicola Farndell is a women's health and menopause specialist, keynote speaker, and founder of Life Now Coaching. After two decades in senior leadership at Nike, Nicola hit burnout, anxiety, and perimenopause head-on - and turned that experience into a mission: to help midlife women reclaim their energy, confidence, and wellbeing with clarity and compassion. Through her RESET method - built on mindset, movement, nutrition, sleep, and stress - Nicola helps high-achieving women ditch the surface fixes and create habits that genuinely last. She also works with organisations across sport, law, and finance to make menopause and women's health a cultural priority, not a tick-box exercise. Whether she's on stage, on a podcast, or coaching 1:1, Nicola brings a grounded, real-world approach to health that helps women feel strong, focused, and empowered - not just in midlife, but for life. Connect with Nicola 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifenow_coaching/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolafarndell/ 🎧 Podcast – Women's Health Unwrapped: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/womenshealthunwrapped 🧭 The Midlife Reset Quiz: https://nicola-w4qugfu9.scoreapp.com 📚 Book Mentioned – Worthy by Jamie Kern Lima: https://amzn.eu/d/gf5xpS5 🌍 More from Geordie Pride: 🎧 Website: www.geordiepride.co.uk 📺 YouTube: Geordie Pride Channel 📸 Instagram: @geordiepride 💌 Apply to be a guest or sponsor an episode: geordiepride.co.uk/apply (https://www.geordiepride.co.uk/apply) 📮 Want a shoutout? Tell us what you love about the North East: geordiepridepod@gmail.com

Who has been a guest on Geordie Pride: Voices from the North East

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

• Laura Richards
• Jackson Payne
• Tolu A Akinyemi
• Ophelia Balls

Reach and audience

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

YouTube views

681

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100

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

Quality

61

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

51

Contact Geordie Pride: Voices from the North East

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

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