About Stories From Behind the Mask - The parts we edit out
Step behind the polished surfaces and curated feeds. This is where we hear the stories we usually keep to ourselves — the doubts, the triumphs, the moments that shaped us. Each episode, I sit down with bold entrepreneurs, creators, and change-makers to uncover the parts they’ve edited out, the truths they rarely share, and the lessons that transformed them.
If you want to see people as they really are — messy, human, and extraordinary — this is your front-row seat.
For decades, Ann wore masks to keep the peace - people pleasing to avoid conflict, performing “I’m fine” while silently carrying the weight of trauma. In her marriage and on stage in her ex’s band, she played roles built on other people’s words, other people’s needs. All the while, her own voice was waiting - patient, persistent, powerful. Her journey through cPTSD recovery, divorce, and finally an ADHD diagnosis has cracked those masks wide open. She’s no longer “broken” or “too much.” She’s...
15 Jul 2026
Episode 19 - Sarah Heron - Personal Brand Stylist
Sarah spent years hiding behind the belief that she had to fit a mould to be taken seriously. She thought success meant being polished, quiet, small, or simply what society deemed “acceptable.” Perfectionism and anonymity behind curated posts became her shields, and she tried to be everything for everyone before allowing herself to fully show up. Over time, she realised that authentic visibility showing her real self was what would truly attract her tribe. Her mask has long been confidence wi...
8 Jul 2026
Episode 18 - Nerissa Heald - Leadership and Empowerment Consultant
Nerissa has spent much of her life hiding behind strength, competence, and perfection. As a manager, a friend, and a leader, she smiled through exhaustion, fear, and self-doubt, believing that being “the strong one” was the only way to be seen, respected, and safe. Her mask projected confidence, resilience, and control - yet beneath it, fear of rejection, invisibility, and not belonging ran deep. Her journey has been marked by people-pleasing, corporate silencing, and health battles, includin...
1 Jul 2026
Episode 16 - Jane Lloyd - Fine Artist
Jane has spent her life hiding behind her art. Her paintings, delicate wildlife, and soft edges have always been her shield - the part of her she lets the world see. But behind the brushstrokes lies a woman who has carried grief, fear, and self-doubt for decades. Losing her mother at 13, a partner to cancer on her 21st birthday, and navigating postnatal depression and mental health challenges, Jane has learned to survive by shrinking herself, being quiet, lovable, and easy. Her mask of calm, ...
24 Jun 2026
Episode 15 - Katie Page - Business & Mindset Mentor For Reflexologists
Katie spent much of her life hiding behind pleasing others, quietly dimming her own voice to make those around her proud. Her mask was subtle but telling - her bangles, a symbol of the persona she showed to the world while her true self stayed in the shadows. The turning point came when she realised she could step out of pleaser mode and allow herself to be fully seen. In that moment, she chose herself over expectation, her authenticity over performance. Since then, Katie has built a life and...
17 Jun 2026
Episode 14 - Nina De Sausmarez - Confidence Coach
Nina has spent her life dimming the brilliance and magnetism she was born with, afraid it might overwhelm others or make them uncomfortable. Behind the humour, boldness, and “zero FCKS” persona lies a woman who actually cares deeply - whose heart has closed at times, but who has always longed to belong and be loved. Her journey wasn’t easy. She struggled at school, leaving without qualifications and carrying years of shame and self-doubt. For a long time, she compared herself to others, resen...
10 Jun 2026
Episode 13 - Gina Trick - Business Strategist & Mentor
Gina spent years hiding behind the “good girl” persona, the one who kept the peace, never rocked the boat, and avoided conflict at all costs. Growing up in a household with a verbally abusive, controlling, and gaslighting father, she learned to stay quiet, never express her opinion, and work tirelessly to meet impossible expectations. She did everything to avoid confrontation, always trying to be perfect, all while knowing it would never feel like enough. Her mask has been achievement. On the...
3 Jun 2026
Episode 12 - Hela Wozniak-Kay - Sister Snog Connectress - Author - Sub stacker
For more than two decades, Hela has been the heartbeat of Sister Snog, the bold, bodacious, tribal brand that has connected extraordinary women across industries. To the outside world, she’s The Connectress: magnetic, stylish, and endlessly generous in the way she celebrates others. But behind the sparkle of the brand and the stage lights of her alter ego, there’s a woman learning to be seen not just as The Connectress, but as Totally Hela. She’s spent years shining the spotlight on others by...
Tracey-Jane has spent much of her life putting others first - her children, her clients, her family, even the storms and dramas of people around her. From early setbacks, like being in a wheelchair as a teenager, through the grief of losing her mum, to financial struggles, business challenges, and the breakdown of her marriage, she often hid behind external circumstances. They became both a reason and a shield - distractions from listening to her own needs. The mask she wore was serenity. Cal...
20 May 2026
Episode 10 - Rachel Dunford - The Impact Specialist
For years, Rachel hid behind a navy logo - safe, professional, but silent about who she really was. The moment her brand finally reflected her colour, passion and love for her work, everything shifted. She began to show up as herself. Bright, bold, visible. But appearances can be deceiving. Known for her confidence and sociability, Rachel often battles with social anxiety behind the scenes. Networking rooms, events, even simple gatherings could feel overwhelming, and yet she learned to manage...
13 May 2026
Episode 9 - Dr Jenny Gordon - The Mother in Lawsome, Communication Specialist
Jenny has spent much of her life hiding pain, loss, and betrayal behind a brave, sunshiny face. Behind that optimism lies the story of a broken marriage, a lost home, and the slow erosion of her true self while trying to please others. She learned to shine despite the darkness, seeking the light in difficult times and finding glimmers of hope every day. Her journey has been one of owning both shadow and light - facing unbearable emotions without running, while simultaneously showing up for th...
6 May 2026
Episode 8 - Precious Zumbika MBA - Construction & Infrastructure Advisory/Impact & Expert Keynote Speaker
Precious Zumbika, a business owner and founder of Karis Advisory Services, shares her journey from Zimbabwe to the UK, where she became a prominent figure in construction despite initial challenges as one of the few female professionals on site. She discusses her transition from a corporate role to entrepreneurship, focusing on two main pillars of her business: built environment advisory and leadership consultancy. Precious explains her upcoming launch of an Inner Circle Global Leadership Pla...
Rachel has long hidden behind polishedness, strength, and independence - the mask of the “expert,” the emotionally regulated coach who seems calm and composed even when quietly winging it. Behind that exterior lies a life of raw grief, trauma, and invisibility: a cancer journey that stole parts of her identity, the pain of separation and heartbreak, and the daily choices of mothering through it all while rebuilding herself again and again. Her mask allowed her to be seen, to perform, and to s...
22 Apr 2026
Episode 6 - Sarah Brason - Grief Navigator
Sarah spent years climbing into boxes with neat little labels - Mother, Wife, Creative Director, Designer, Mentor. Each role gave her a mask, a way of being seen. But inside, she knew they were restrictions, disguises that diluted her truth and her power. The chapters she rarely shared are the ones that shaped her most: walking home at 19 and being raped; the devastating loss of her second daughter in 2015. These weren’t just traumas, they were crucibles. Each one forged her, carving resilien...
For most of her life, Gwenne didn’t know she had ADHD. At 57, sitting at a women’s ADHD conference, everything finally clicked. Words like rejection sensitivity, time blindness, and now & not now weren’t abstract concepts; they were her life. What she had always been accused of being late, disorganised, emotional, messy suddenly had context. The shame and self-doubt she had carried for decades cracked open into relief, belonging, and compassion for herself, her mum, and her gran, wh...
Mel has spent much of her life behind the scenes, quietly keeping everything running smoothly while remaining largely invisible. Calm, competent, and polished, she mastered the art of making life work for everyone else, often at the expense of not being seen herself. The invisibility that once fueled self-doubt became a quiet armour - a way to stay safe while still making things happen. For years, she wore the mask of control and capability, of always having it together. Onlookers saw efficie...
1 Apr 2026
Episode 3 - Sheila Smith - Founder of Behomed
Sheila has spent much of her life behind a mask of polish and control, showing up as confident, competent, and in command - even when inside she wrestled with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Fear of judgment and the need to appear flawless often weighed on her, but she refused to let it stop her from stepping into her purpose. A pivotal moment came in 2002, when she travelled solo through Burma (Myanmar) under military rule. Meeting Mr Book, a former teacher and underground bookseller, open...
24 Mar 2026
Episode 2 - Charlotte Saunders - Breathwork Coach
Rebellion, Breath & Becoming Fully Visible For much of her life, Charlotte Saunders wore the “good girl” mask - compliant, over-giving, striving to be palatable and approved of. On the surface, she was a successful bookkeeper and business owner. Underneath, she was quietly suffocating a deeper truth: that she was here to heal, guide, and walk others home to themselves. In this episode of UNMASKED, Charlotte shares the long, layered journey that brought her back into alignment with her sou...
17 Mar 2026
Episode 1 - Joanna Wood - Your Host
Hi, I'm Joanna and this is Stories from Behind the Mask, the parts we edit out. Every week I'll be sitting down with entrepreneurs who've built businesses, created legacies and dare to show up in the world and we talk about the stories they usually keep to themselves. The doubts, the wins, the personal challenges, the moments that changed everything. This is about being seen, unpolished and completely real. So if you're ready for honesty and truth, it's time to share today's story...
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