Life After I Left

About Life After I Left

Welcome to Life After I Left. A podcast about the moments that change us, hosted by Cat Dunn, speaker, mentor, and founder. This is a community where women share the stories they once thought they had to keep hidden. Expect vulnerable conversations, practical insights, dark humour, deep reflections, expert advice, and the kind of honesty that makes you sit in your car after an episode finishes. New stories every Thursday. Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

Publisher

Cat Dunn

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

30 Apr 2025

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

76 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   75: Marian Aranda Bravo on Life After… Chasing Success: Listening to your body, starting again at 29 & redesigning life abroad

   What if the life that looks like success from the outside is the very thing making you sick? Marian Aranda Bravo is a business mentor and consultant who helps women entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses that support the lives they actually want to live. Originally from Spain, Marian built a career in luxury hospitality in the UK and, by 28, had ticked every box on her version of success. Then her body started shutting down, doctors couldn't find a cause, and she realised the life she'd built no longer felt like hers. In this episode, we chat about: Why the version of success we inherit in our 20s often isn't ours to keep Building a luxury hospitality career abroad, and the 12-hour shifts, six days a week, it took to keep it The unexplained illness and five days alone in a UK hospital that became Marian's biggest wake-up call Going back to university at almost 29 to study Japanese translation How COVID derailed her plans to move to Japan and led her into the online business world How Marian reads her body (throat vs stomach) when making big decisions Why the real risk isn't failure; it's staying where you are because you've convinced yourself it's too late Marian's story is a reminder that success isn't a fixed checklist; it's something you're allowed to redefine as many times as you need to. Whether your body is whispering or shouting, it might be time to stop and ask yourself the question you've been avoiding. What does success look like for you today? Connect with Marian: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marian.businesscoach/ (https://www.instagram.com/marian.businesscoach/) Website: https://www.itsvirtualfreedom.com (https://www.itsvirtualfreedom.com) Beyond the Offer (the expat entrepreneur edit) - Marian's newsletter with behind-the-scenes business wins and lessons, tips to refine and expand your offers, Spotlight Q&As, and the odd voice note or surprise treat: https://www.itsvirtualfreedom.com/beyond-the-offer/ (https://www.itsvirtualfreedom.com/beyond-the-offer/) Connect with Cat: Join my mailing list: https://catlouisedunn.myflodesk.com/mailing-list (https://catlouisedunn.myflodesk.com/mailing-list) Life After I Left Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/) Cat's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catlouisedunn/ (https://www.instagram.com/catlouisedunn/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catlouisedunn (https://www.facebook.com/catlouisedunn) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catlouisedunn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/catlouisedunn) Website: https://catlouisedunn.com (https://catlouisedunn.com) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-after-i-left/id1815891092 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-after-i-left/id1815891092) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@catlouisedunn (https://www.youtube.com/@catlouisedunn) Support the show: New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you're subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's). And we'd love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most. ❤️ Remember: Don't be silent. Be unstoppable.

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   74: Teri Busse on Life After… Tragedy: Sobriety, narcissistic abuse & her son Rylee's legacy

   Content warning: This episode discusses domestic violence and narcissistic abuse, alcohol addiction, murder, grief and depression. Please take care when listening, or skip this episode if it feels triggering. What happens when you finally get sober, leave the relationship, and believe the hardest part is behind you, and then the police call looking for your son? Teri Busse is a retired paramedic and fire officer, award-winning author, speaker, psychology student and the host of the 13 Days of Silence podcast. After her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2016, Teri numbed her grief with work and alcohol, then found herself trapped in a relationship with a narcissist. Just six months into her sobriety, her 21-year-old son Rylee was murdered, and what she has built since is nothing short of extraordinary. In this episode, we chat about: How losing her husband left Teri raising young children alone, and why alcohol became the way she numbed the pain The love bombing that had her selling her home and moving in with a narcissist within weeks Hiding the abuse behind a "Facebook happy" smile, including the injury that ended her paramedic career Getting sober, then learning her son Rylee had been murdered, and refusing to let alcohol take one more thing from her Finding real love after narcissistic abuse, and how self-sabotage made that harder than anyone admits Writing her award-winning books, becoming Classic Miss Colorado 2026, and founding the Rylee James Memorial Welding Scholarship Why everyone deserves a digital footprint, and the podcast and free tools Teri has created so no griever feels alone Teri is proof that pain may become part of your story, but it does not have to define your future. She holds nothing back, from the drinking to the choices she isn't proud of, because she knows someone out there is sitting in the same shame and thinking they're the only one. If you've ever felt like a failure for not coping "well enough", this conversation is a reminder that you're not alone, and that it is never too late to start again. Connect with Teri: Website: https://teribusse.com (https://teribusse.com) Connect with Cat: Join my mailing list: https://catlouisedunn.myflodesk.com/mailing-list (https://catlouisedunn.myflodesk.com/mailing-list) Life After I Left Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/) Cat's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catlouisedunn/ (https://www.instagram.com/catlouisedunn/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catlouisedunn (https://www.facebook.com/catlouisedunn) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catlouisedunn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/catlouisedunn) Website: https://catlouisedunn.com (https://catlouisedunn.com) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-after-i-left/id1815891092 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-after-i-left/id1815891092) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@catlouisedunn (https://www.youtube.com/@catlouisedunn) If you need urgent support: 1800RESPECT - National sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service Phone: 1800 737 732 (24/7) Text: 0458 737 732 Website: https://www.1800respect.org.au (https://www.1800respect.org.au) Safe Steps - Family violence response centre (Victoria) Phone: 1800 015 188 (24/7) Website: https://safesteps.org.au (https://safesteps.org.au) Lifeline - Crisis support and suicide prevention Phone: 13 11 14 (24/7) Text: 0477 13 11 14 Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au (https://www.lifeline.org.au) Beyond Blue - Mental health support for anxiety and depression Phone: 1300 22 4636 (24/7) Website: https://www.beyondblue.org.au (https://www.beyondblue.org.au)

3. 

   30 Sept 2026

   73: Sara Reyes on Life After… Redundancy: Pregnancy, backing yourself & redefining your version of success

   What would you do if you were made redundant at 28 weeks pregnant, in the middle of a pandemic? Sara Reyes is a VA business coach and the founder of Nook Collective, a co-working space on the Sunshine Coast designed for working parents. In 2020, after 14 years thriving as an EA and PA, Sara was made redundant while pregnant with her first child - and that same afternoon, she emailed her employer to say she wouldn't be coming back and started her own VA business. Within four weeks she was fully booked, and within 12 months she had doubled her corporate income. In this episode, we chat about: Losing a job, and an identity, at 28 weeks pregnant during COVID The messy middle: undercharging, saying yes to every client and battling imposter syndrome The skills stay-at-home mums already have, and why you don't need another course to get started Letting go of misaligned clients, and why Sara eventually let go of all of them to focus on coaching How motherhood completely redefined Sara's version of success Nook Collective, community, and why parents shouldn't have to choose between career and family This episode is a reminder that the hardest season of your life can become the beginning of the life you've been wanting to build. Sara didn't have it all figured out - no contracts, no insurance, just a decision to back herself. If you've been sitting on an idea and waiting to feel ready, this is your sign to just start. Connect with Sara: Website: https://www.assistbysara.com (https://www.assistbysara.com) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/assistbysara/ (https://www.instagram.com/assistbysara/) Nook Collective Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nook.collective/ (https://www.instagram.com/nook.collective/) The Freedom Kickstart Roadmap: https://sara-reyes.mykajabi.com/the-freedom-kickstart-roadmap (https://sara-reyes.mykajabi.com/the-freedom-kickstart-roadmap) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-reyes-ilton-4a8206122/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-reyes-ilton-4a8206122/) Connect with Cat: Join my mailing list: https://catlouisedunn.myflodesk.com/mailing-list (https://catlouisedunn.myflodesk.com/mailing-list) Life After I Left Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/) Cat's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catlouisedunn/ (https://www.instagram.com/catlouisedunn/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catlouisedunn (https://www.facebook.com/catlouisedunn) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catlouisedunn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/catlouisedunn) Website: https://catlouisedunn.com (https://catlouisedunn.com) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-after-i-left/id1815891092 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-after-i-left/id1815891092) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@catlouisedunn (https://www.youtube.com/@catlouisedunn) Support the show: New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you're subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's). And we'd love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most. ❤️ Remember: Don't be silent. Be unstoppable.

Who has been a guest on Life After I Left

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

• Justine Stuckings
• Kobe Clarke-Jacobs
• Elisha Tamasi
• Hayleigh Watson
• Jacqui Maloney

Reach and audience

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

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 22 / 100

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

Quality

45

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0