I'm Fine! - The Truth Behind the Smile

About I'm Fine! - The Truth Behind the Smile

Exploring why caring people struggle to care for themselves and why we say "I'm fine" when we are not. Through expert conversations, the podcast supports listeners in overcoming compassion fatigue and rebuilding resilience.

Publisher

Jayne

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Apr 2026

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

26 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   #26 Frances Alcock from Nurse to Funeral Director: Caring, Grief & the Courage to Change

   Jayne Ellis on I'm Fine - The Truth Behind the Smile welcomes Frances Alcock, an independent funeral director and former nurse, for an honest conversation about nursing, career change, grief, transferable skills, emotional resilience and finding the courage to do things differently. Frances spent 30 years in nursing, beginning in oncology before moving into district nursing, nurse practitioner roles and finally becoming a multiple sclerosis specialist nurse. She shares what drew her to community nursing, why she preferred working one to one with patients, and the pressures of a healthcare system stretched by staff shortages and limited resources. After retiring from nursing she took an unexpected new direction and founded her own independent funeral business, Opals, which she has now run for around 10 years. The catalyst was the funeral of her beloved uncle: feeling his life had not been properly represented, she began researching the industry and asking whether she could offer families something different. She talks openly about the journey from nurse to funeral director: training as a celebrant, overcoming her fear of public speaking, and learning to run a business from scratch. She explains why nurses have an extraordinary range of transferable skills, from listening and problem solving to managing teams, and reflects on the emotional parallels between nursing and funeral directing. Together, Jayne and Frances explore facing death from a young age, the patients and families who stay with you long after the working day ends, and why some losses hit hardest. Frances shares how she protects her wellbeing through exercise, friendships, walking, holidays and, increasingly, allowing herself proper time away from work. They also discuss the changing face of funeral directing, towards giving families the freedom to create a funeral that reflects the person they have lost. At the heart of it is a simple reminder: saying 'I'm fine' and putting on a smile isn't always enough. Frances's message to anyone considering a change is to think outside the box, because your skills may be more transferable than you realise. Connect with Frances: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-alcock-b9b656109/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-alcock-b9b656109/) Find out more about Opals Funerals: https://www.opalsfunerals.co.uk/ (https://www.opalsfunerals.co.uk/) Follow Opals on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opalsfunerals/ (https://www.facebook.com/opalsfunerals/) EF training exists because nobody should have to pour from an empty cup, founded by Jayne Ellis who learnt the hard way so you don't have to. Subscribe, share and leave a review to help more caring professionals find us. To be a guest, or just to say hello, reach us at info@eftraining.co.uk (mailto:info@eftraining.co.uk) Learn more about Jayne Ellis and our Compassion Fatigue and Emotional Resilience training at http://eftraining.co.uk (http://eftraining.co.uk) Content note: this episode discusses death, dying, bereavement and funeral directing, which some listeners may find upsetting. This podcast is for education and support only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. If you are struggling, please contact a qualified professional or your GP. Views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of EF training Ltd. Guest content is shared in the spirit of open, honest conversation.

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   #25 Poppy Mardall Breaking Taboo Around Death: Compassion, Boundaries and Looking After Yourself

   What happens when your job is to care for people at one of the hardest moments of their lives? In this powerful episode of I'm Fine - The Truth Behind the Smile, Jayne Ellis is joined by Poppy Mardall, founder of Poppy's Funeral Directors in London, for an honest conversation about death, grief, compassion and boundaries. Poppy came to funeral directing from the art world, driven to do things differently after seeing poor standards of care in the sector. What began as a wish to give grieving families better care has grown into a team dedicated to helping people feel 'held and heard'. She is honest about the toll of such demanding work, and says her biggest lesson has been learning to look after herself. In the early days she gave everything, on call through the night and driving paperwork across London, until she realised that approach wasn't sustainable. Together, Jayne and Poppy explore boundaries, why caring professions make it so hard to recognise our own needs, why we should talk more openly about death, and the rituals that help us process loss. Poppy shares how swimming, walking and her support network keep her well, and why looking after yourself isn't selfish, it's what makes sustainable care possible. Find out more about Poppy's Funeral Directors: https://www.poppysfunerals.co.uk/ (https://www.poppysfunerals.co.uk/) Connect with Poppy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poppy-mardall-b1215117/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/poppy-mardall-b1215117/) and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/poppy_mardall/ (https://www.instagram.com/poppy_mardall/) You can also follow Poppy's Funerals on social media: https://www.instagram.com/poppysfunerals/ (https://www.instagram.com/poppysfunerals/) https://www.facebook.com/poppysfunerals (https://www.facebook.com/poppysfunerals) https://www.linkedin.com/company/poppy-s-funerals/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/poppy-s-funerals/) EF training exists because nobody should have to pour from an empty cup. Founded by Jayne Ellis who learnt the hard way so you don't have to. If today's conversation resonated with you, please subscribe, share and leave a review - it helps more professionals who care find this community. If you or someone you know would like to join the conversation and be a guest on our podcast, please get in touch. Connect with us at info@eftraining.co.uk (mailto:info@eftraining.co.uk) Visit us at http://eftraining.co.uk (http://eftraining.co.uk) for more information about Jayne Ellis and learn about our Compassion Fatigue and Emotional Resilience Training for Organisations and Individuals. Content note: This episode discusses death, dying, bereavement and funeral directing. Some listeners may find these subjects difficult or upsetting. Please note: This podcast is intended for education and supportive purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support. If you are struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional or contact your GP. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, values or position of EF training Ltd. Guest content is shared in the spirit of open conversation, learning and intended as a safe space for honest dialogue.

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

   #24 Adrian Blake: ADHD, Belonging & Creating Spaces Where People Can Thrive

   Jayne Ellis on I'm Fine, The Truth Behind the Smile welcomes educator, coach and award-winning school leader Adrian Blake for a personal conversation about neurodivergence, inclusion, identity and creating environments where people can be themselves. Adrian shares an unexpected journey from wanting to join the army, through acting, into education and school leadership. Having had to engage with Educational Psychologists from primary school, he was eventually diagnosed with ADHD in his early twenties, and he reflects on growing up in a system that didn't understand neurodivergence, and how the right environments, structure and opportunities helped him thrive. From Headteacher of ArtsEd to using his experience as a Master Practitioner Coach with the EMCC to coach neurodivergent young people, Adrian explains why what holds people back often isn't their dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia or autism, but how they feel about themselves. He talks openly about being labelled and misunderstood at school, the toll of masking, and why performing arts can be such a powerful home for neurodivergent young people, where creativity and individuality become strengths rather than things to hide. Together, Jayne and Adrian discuss what parents should look for when choosing a school, why happiness and learning how to learn matter as much as academic results, and how to create genuinely neurodivergent-friendly workplaces through psychological safety, flexibility and space for creativity, recognising that progress doesn't always happen in a straight line. Jayne asks the question at the heart of the podcast: how does someone who spends his time supporting others look after himself? Adrian's answer is revealing: family, martial arts, exercise and purpose, and he reflects on why every organisation is, at its heart, a people organisation. Perhaps the most powerful moment comes when he explains that at ArtsEd, people knew that 'I'm fine' rarely meant 'I'm fine'. An uplifting, thought-provoking conversation about what happens when we stop trying to make people fit the system and start creating systems that let people thrive. A must-listen for parents, educators, leaders, employers and anyone who wants to understand what it really means to create belonging. Connect with Adrian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-blake-5bb06560/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-blake-5bb06560/) EF training exists because nobody should have to pour from an empty cup, founded by Jayne Ellis who learnt the hard way so you don't have to. Subscribe, share and leave a review to help more caring professionals find us. To be a guest, or just to say hello, reach us at info@eftraining.co.uk (mailto:info@eftraining.co.uk) Learn more about Jayne Ellis and our Compassion Fatigue and Emotional Resilience training at http://eftraining.co.uk (http://eftraining.co.uk) This podcast is for education and support only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. If you are struggling, please contact a qualified professional or your GP. Views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of EF training Ltd. Guest content is shared in the spirit of open, honest conversation.

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Guest appearances

Books guests

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