Best Catie Friend Podcasts (2024)

1
Chatting to Jenny Graham

1+ y ago

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Jenny is a joy to chat to. Funny, self aware and full of Scottish banter. We recorded this epsiode about a million years ago but her book as just come out so it’s finally time to release the chat about teenage motherhood, growing up alongside her little boy and re-discovering her own passions. Heavily featured is the world record breaking round the…

1
Annabelle Buckland - on audio obsessions and an adult diagnosis of ADHD 51:31

1+ y ago51:31

51:31

My guest today is a woman I met a couple of years ago whilst wearing a delicious pair of sequinned dungarees and accepting an award at the International Women’s Podcast Awards. Her name is Annabelle Buckland, and she’s an radio host, podcast producer and general audio whizzo. She also has ADHD. We’ve discussed a lot of things on this podcast over t…

1
Jia Wertz - from Forbes and fashion to film-making and fighting for freedom 43:54

1+ y ago43:54

43:54

My guest today has gone from shy wallflower to recipient of international film awards and a column in Forbes. Jia Wertz is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, activist and writer, who, like many of our guests, has had a working life with some unexpected twists and turns. Jia had a super successful career in the fashion industry when she first hea…

1
Samantha Baines, Part 2 - on starring in Magic Mike Live with Channing Tatum and accidentally writing a children's book 41:01

1+ y ago41:01

41:01

This is Part Two of my chat with Sam Baines, my first guest for Season 6 of the podcast, and a woman that I’ve know for a few years after she was shortlisted at the inaugural International Women’s Podcast Awards back in 2021. It’s fitting that she’s first this season, because she’s been the first woman to do a few other things too. Sam is an award-…

1
Chatting to Amy Aed

1+ y ago

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Amy Aed walked the length of the Danube River. It was not the journey she planned. In fact, she hadn’t really planned at all so it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that there were ups and down, stops and re-starts. However, sometimes that makes for the best kind of adventures. Join me as I chat to her about setting off with grand expectations,…

1
Chatting to Laura Collett MBE

1+ y ago

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Since recording this with Laura, more months ago than is polite to still not have published, she has gone on to win Badminton. Listen in though as we talk about early beginnings in horses, a life threatening accident and coming back to win gold at Tokyo 2021. Inspiring stuff! Instagram: @laura_collett…

1
Samantha Baines, Part 1 - on life as a comedian, becoming a deaf activist and the secret bit of Heathrow airport 42:25

1+ y ago42:25

42:25

We're back for Season 6! My first guest is a woman that I’ve know for a few years after she was shortlisted at the inaugural International Women’s Podcast Awards back in 2021. Her name is Samantha Baines, and it’s fitting that she’s first this season, because she’s been the first woman to do a few other things too. Sam is an award-winning comedian,…

1
Chatting to Victoria Evans. Part 2

1+ y ago

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Listen as Victoria Evans relives her voyage across the Atlantic to become the Guinness World Record holder. Recorded quite some time ago, my apologies to Victoria for the delay, but I promise it’s worth the listen! Instagram: @seachangesportBy Catie Friend

1
Season 6 Trailer 1:08

2y ago1:08

1:08

We’ve been away for a little while, but we are back! I’m Naomi Mellor, and I’m delighted to let you know that there’s a new season of Smashing The Ceiling just around the corner, with all sorts of delights awaiting you. In this podcast we chat to women with unusual, interesting and inspiring careers, and we’re kicking off Season 6 with comedian, au…

1
Chatting to Preet Chandi

2y ago

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Preet Chandi was a tennis prodigy from a traditional British Punjabi family, living away from home from a very early age. She left school with very few qualifications, joined the army reserves without telling her family, got into university, became an officer in the regular army, got a masters and decided to go to the South Pole on her own. This is…

1
Chatting to Ursula Martin

2y ago

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Ursula Martin is also known as “One Woman Walks” after she walked thousands of miles across Wales and then across Europe. Her Welsh walk started when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and our conversation takes us all over the place (literally) although actually we talk less about the logistical achievement of crossing Europe on foot during cov…

1
Chatting to Cathy O'Dowd

2+ y ago

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South African mountaineer Cathy O’Dowd was the first woman in the world to climb Mount Everest from both sides. Her most challenging Himalayan epic was as part of team forging a new route on an 8000 metre peak. Her many expeditions provided extensive experience with individuals and teams facing stress, risk and overwhelming challenge. She developed…

1
Chatting to Frankie Dewar

2+ y ago

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Freelance Social Media goto and lover of big days outside, Frankie Dewar is a climber, hiker, skier and general fun seeker Frankie has cycled 3,000km around the UK to interview people older than herself about the outdoors to show that you don't have to "do it whilst you're young". In this conversation, we cover everything from how the podcast came …

1
Justine Nagaur - on holistic care, spiritual healing and recovering from chronic pain 38:59

2+ y ago38:59

38:59

If you’re into meditation and healing, you may know what a Tibetan sound bowl is. If not, you’ve got a treat in store, as we’ll be digging deep into the world of holistic health in this episode. My guest today is Justine Nagaur, a spiritual healer, teacher, mentor, and creator of bespoke crystal malas. I met Justine a couple of years ago, and she’s…

1
Caroline Kremer - on healing injuries, unexpected circumstances, and career re-invention 50:41

2+ y ago50:41

50:41

How often do you think about your own breathing? I bet you are right now. How fast do you breathe? How deeply? Most of the time it’s completely unconscious. We just do it, and we rarely consider how we breathe unless we’re exercising and out of breath, or ill and out of breath, as many of us have been during the pandemic.It’s only when our capacity…

1
Dot Zacharias - on sleep deprivation, life at a tech startup and the power of yoga Nidra 48:44

2+ y ago48:44

48:44

This week, we’re talking, amongst other things, about sleep. My guest today is Dot Zacharias, COO and co-founder of Nourish, a wellbeing app designed for busy mums to find a little calm in their lives, which aims to protect maternal mental health and provide support. But that description doesn’tquite cover Dot’s career. After starting her working l…

1
Chatting to Lucy Bartholomew

2+ y ago

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Running began for Lucy when she was 15 years old as a way to spend time with her Dad. When he decided to run a 100km race through the blue mountains 5 years ago she trained alongside him for every step of the way. On race day, she ran from place to place to see him and accidentally ran her first ultra. Then she decided that she wanted to complete a…

1
Sinéad McGrath - on endometriosis advocacy, becoming a golf influencer and women in the law 30:44

2+ y ago30:44

30:44

My guest this week is endometriosis advocate, golf influencer and brilliant lawyer Sinéad McGrath - as you might imagine, the subjects we covered in this conversation are many and varied. Sinéad sits on the Executive Committee of the Junior Lawyers' Division at The Law Society, and after saying ‘no’ for many years, she started playing golf a couple…

1
Catie Friend - on unexpected career challenges, solo travel and life in the mountains 50:02

3y ago50:02

50:02

My first guest of 2022 is Catie Friend, who says of her adventures that she “will always be a completer rather than a competer”. Given the challenges she’s completed, which include the world’s toughest ski mountaineering race and the half Marathon des Sables, and the things she’s done in her career, completing any of them would be considered a stro…

1
Chatting to Victoria Evans - part one

3y ago

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At the time of the episode release (January 2022) Victoria Evans is about to depart in February to become the 8th British woman to solo row the Atlantic Ocean. Setting off from Tenerife, she will row 3000 miles over the course of nearly two months to reach Port St Charles in Barbados. It’s a challenge that’s been 3 years in the making, with Victori…

1
Chatting to Monika Sattler

3y ago

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Originally from Germany, Monika moved after high school to the US to play volleyball for a university team. After an uncomfortable start at one college, she graduated from another with a summa cum laude and was accepted with a full scholarship to the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. After graduation, she worked for the Internatio…

1
Chatting to Dot Bekker

3y ago

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At 58 Dot Bekker left an unhappy marriage determined that with her 35 plastic crates she would start life from scratch. At 60 she drove, on her own, through West Africa to return to the country of her birth, Zimbabwe. Since then, she has written a book about her journey, is raising scholarship funds for girls to ensure they escape early marriage an…

1
Chatting to Tracie May

3y ago

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Born and raised in NY, Tracie May grew up being influenced by artist’s work she had the opportunity to encounter as a child. From Picasso’s Guernica to Basquiat, and the Egyptian exhibits of King Tutankhamun at the Met to Salvador Dali, and contemporary artists of the Whitney Biennial, she was exposed to a wide variety of creative geniuses starting…

1
Chatting to Caroline George

3y ago

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Caroline George is a passionate alpinist and internationally certified mountain guide who has worked and played all over the world with a penchant for ice climbing, in which she competed on the world cup circuit for three years. She is a mother to a little girl, which has empowered her to use the mountains as a vector for more equality and inclusiv…

1
Chatting to Belinda Kirk

3y ago

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Belinda Kirk is an explorer and the leading campaigner promoting the benefits of adventure on wellbeing. She is the author of the first book to explain why adventure is essential for our wellbeing: 'Adventure Revolution'. The life-changing power of choosing challenge. It’s the first book to explain why adventure is essential to wellbeing. Drawing o…

1
Chatting to Sunny Lawrence

3y ago

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Sunny Jo Lawrence is a Utah native and has a college degree from Utah Valley University in the field of Psychology. She married James Lawrence (the Iron Cowboy) in December of 2000. They have five children: four daughters and one son. She has always loved being a mum, as well as James’ #1 supporter through all his accomplishments. Sunny has been an…

1
Siobhan Daniels - from nursing to broadcast journalism to pro-age campaigning, and life in a campervan 49:27

3y ago49:27

49:27

Siobhan Daniels grew up in a care home as one of eight children amongst the elderly people her family looked after. She's subsequently had an incredibly varied and colourful life, first working as a nurse in the NHS before joining the BBC as a trainee in broadcast journalism. Siobhan spent 30 years as a presenter, reporter and producer at the BBC, …

1
Chatting to Jane Harries

3y ago

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Jane Harries is a “soft” adventurer, a magazine editor, a former lawyer and a survivor of a prophylactic double mastectomy that went horribly awry. She has travelled the world doing adventures including the Camino de Santiago, the Marathon des Sables, crossing the Karakorum Highway and white water rafting in the Zambeze river, settling in Australia…

1
Chatting to Ingrid Mackinnon

3y ago

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Originally from Canada, Ingrid Mackinnon is a dancer, movement director, choreographer and teacher. Her movement direction credits include Regents Park, Royal Shakespeare Company, Arcola Theatre and Lyric. She teaches at dance and actor movement at schools such as Guildhall, Mountview and Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. As a performer her c…

1
Vicki Prais - on international human rights and a lifetime of advocating for others 38:24

3y ago38:24

38:24

When you think about human rights, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe it's the treatment of prisoners overseas, or working conditions and pay in a place of employment, or freedom of speech, or the right of an individual to live freely and safely in whatever manner they choose? Maybe it's a multitude of other things, because the subjec…

1
Kirsten and Aiyven Mbawa - on the power of imagination, and teen entrepreneurship 32:26

3y ago32:26

32:26

To open Season 4, I’ve got two guests with me with this week, and if you’re looking for inspiring women in your life, then these two are it. Kirsten and Aiyven Mbawa are sisters from Northampton, England and they’re 13 and 12 years old respectively. Nothing unusual there. What is unusual is that both Kirsten and Aiyven are published authors and bus…

1
Tigz Rice - on burlesque, boudoir and her unique photography career 42:06

3y ago42:06

42:06

To many people, the world of burlesque may seem distant, mysterious and unknown. You might have heard of Dita von Teese, but how much do you know about the art of it, the glamour, and the people, who are, by all accounts, a brilliant bunch of welcoming human beings? My guest today is Tigz Rice, who combines her career as a burlesque and boudoir pho…

1
Hannah Roper - on life as a country musician, teacher, policeman and survivor 54:19

3+ y ago54:19

54:19

Hannah Roper is an incredible woman with a varied career forged out of a combination of inspiration and necessity. Not many people can say that they've worked as a teacher, a policeman, a country music singer and an entrepreneur. Hannah has worked in both primary and secondary education, founded a country music festival, been on the beat and with s…

1
Elizabeth Ogabi - on becoming a changemaker and progressing your side hustle 42:06

3+ y ago42:06

42:06

We hear so much about side hustles and entrepreneurship and it seems that every second person on social media is starting a successful new business and scaling it to 7 figures from their kitchen table. But if you've had an idea, how do you get started? How do you balance your day job and the need to earn a living with launching a new venture? What'…

1
Nikki Trott - on conscious business, the value of service and selling umbrellas 48:30

3+ y ago48:30

48:30

Have you ever had a moment when you met someone for the first time, but you felt like you'd known them your entire life? It's a weird and rare but wonderful thing. I had that feeling when I chatted to Nikki Trott prior to this interview, and I knew I had to have her on the show. Nikki is an entrepreneur, podcaster and coach on a mission with her co…

1
Chatting to Jenny Wordsworth

3+ y ago

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Jenny Davis is a lawyer turned professional athlete. She spends her time travelling the globe to compete in some of the world’s toughest races, events and expeditions. Most recently she completed a solo and unassisted trek to the South Pole. For the last 100km, she was suffering from polar thigh, a condition that caused her flesh to start to rot an…

1
Victoria Jenkins - on life as an adaptive designer, disability advocate and unexpected entrepreneurship 53:36

3+ y ago53:36

53:36

My guest this week is an incredible woman, whose life and career were turned upside down by circumstances. We talk often on this podcast about how circumstances shape the careers of women, but in the case of Victoria Jenkins, the circumstances were becoming disabled in her mid twenties. Before becoming ill, Victoria was forging a successful career …

1
Chatting to Veronica Rojas

3+ y ago

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By Catie Friend

1
Mira Patel - on learning the value of hard work, and why teenagers need a helping hand 42:12

3+ y ago42:12

42:12

We've often talked on this podcast about how our upbringing shapes our attitudes to work, ambition and success. Mira Patel's parents ran a newsagent, and she started working in the shop at an early age, before forging a successful career in HR. She understands the value of hard work and determination in building a business. She stepped away the HR …

1
Chatting to Cath Wallis

3+ y ago

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Cath Wallis is an Australian ultra endurance athlete who has completed some of the world’s toughest foot races. She is also a mother of three with a busy career and those had been her passions and her focus for many years. It was during a step up in her career, aged about 40, when she realised she had nothing interesting to write in her bio for the…

1
Imogen Tinkler - on foraging, fairytales and altered career aspirations 52:28

3+ y ago52:28

52:28

When you're in a box career-wise, it can be hard to get out of it. Sometimes it's pressure from others, or from society that keeps you in that box, or sometimes it's your own internal monologue telling you that you can't do anything else. Sometimes, life events send you on a different path. Imogen Tinkler is a total inspiration in this area. After …

1
Chatting to Mimi Anderson

3+ y ago

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Mimi Anderson began running at 36 very quickly discovery her love of running silly distances. Mimi is a multiple Guinness World Record Holder taking part in races around the world running across Deserts, mountains, jungle, surviving the freezing temperatures of the Arctic and the extreme heat of Death Valley in America setting records and on occasi…

1
Chatting to Rea Kolbl, Martina Valmassoi and Grace Staberg

3+ y ago

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Rea Kolbl is a professional athlete, competing in obstacle course racing, adventure racing, trail running, mountain biking, and ski mountaineering. She is the current Spartan Ultra World Champion, 2x World’s Toughest Mudder champion, and undefeated at endurance OCR for race distances 30 miles or longer. She loves outdoor adventure, multisport proje…

1
Chatting to Annabel Abbs

3+ y ago

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Annabel Abbs is a writer and hiker, whose latest book, WIndswept: Walking in the Footsteps of Remarkable Women, looks at how distance walking in wild places changed women of the past and asks why we know so little about them. In this entertaining and fascinating chat, we cover her wild and unconventional childhood in the wilds of Wales and her pare…

1
Anita Whittaker - on sex positive parenting, and life as a pirate DJ 52:49

3+ y ago52:49

52:49

Here’s a question for you. Would you describe your mum as sex positive? My guest today, Anita Whittaker, garnered the term “the sex positive mum you all wish you had” after appearing in Channel 4 show ‘Mums Make Porn’. This happened after a television company read her original blog, Only Boys and A Tomboy, describing her family life in Harlesden in…

1
Monique Hodgson - on a glittering international career, and her mission to redefine motherhood 38:24

3+ y ago38:24

38:24

Sometimes you meet someone whose energy, creativity, and drive just blows you away, and Monique Hodgson is one of those people. Monique is a Latin American trailblazer, on a mission to redefine motherhood through her company, Mumble Forum. Monique established in 2019 as a platform to unite women through motherhood with the objective of creating soc…

1
Chatting to Emily Woodhouse

3+ y ago

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Emily Woodhouse is an award-winning adventure travel writer, published author and Guinness World Record holding adventurer. Founder of Intrepid Magazine, she works to help break stereotypes about women in the outdoors. Previous expeditions include walking all the tors on Dartmoor and cycling to Switzerland and back. She holds the Guinness World Rec…

1
Amanda Ogen - on making it in Hollywood, and why persistence pays off 47:09

3+ y ago47:09

47:09

If like me, you had a misspent youth watching as much Friends, Sex and the City and The O.C. as you could, you’ll probably love today’s guest, Amanda Ogen. Amanda was obsessed with film and TV from a young age and despite being from New Jersey, couldn’t wait to move to Hollywood. After interning at Nickelodeon, she is now a freelance casting agent,…

1
Chatting to Jo Moseley

3+ y ago

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Jo Moseley, 56, is a Mum of two sons, aged 24 & 20. She lives on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Jo describes herself as a beach cleaner, joy encourager & midlife adventurer. In August 2019, Jo became the first woman to SUP (stand up paddleboard) coast to coast 162 miles along the Leeds Liverpool Canal, picking up litter, fundraising and raising a…

1
Chatting to Rosemary Brown

3+ y ago

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Rosemary J Brown is a London-based journalist and author. An avid traveller, she is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Churchill Fellow. In her quest to put female adventurers ‘back on the map’ she speaks at the Globetrotters Club, Women of the World festivals, Women's Institute and schools. She helped to organise the first-ever Herit…

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Catie Friend Podcasts

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