The Next Chapter by Ellie Barker 6ah3l

Kylie Pentelow says she grew up in a big family which was filled with love and a strong hard working ethic.   This she says provided the foundation to her career as a journalist - and what a career. From the Bath Chronicle to the BBC and then to ITV where she not only presented ITV West Country’s 6 o'clock show but the national ITN news as well.    But when Kylie became a mother her whole outlook on life and work changed. She decided to go freelance and today, alongside looking after her son Edward, she regularly presents BBC News, Radio 4’s Woman’s hour and BBC Radio 5 live.   In this conversation we discuss what it really feels like to present the national news, the importance of accepting setbacks and how a hot air balloon changed Kylie’s life.    Kylie spends much of her time interviewing people, so for me it was an honour to interview her – and what an interviewee she is. She’s warm, open, raw, brilliant and funny. I’ve known Kylie for many years now and I’ve personally learned such a lot from her – so I’m delighted now to be able to spend some time with her and you.  To learn more about Kylie you can find her here: https://www.instagram.com/kyliepentelow/ If you'd like to keep in touch and I'll send you weekylish notes of Next Chapter inspiration. You can sign up here and learn all about my own books too here:  www.elliebarkerwrites.com  If you'd like to keep in touch and I'll send you weekylish notes of Next Chapter inspiration. You can sign up here and learn all about my own books too here:  www.elliebarkerwrites.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kathy had a huge job in advertising which took her all over the world. But behind the glamour and fabulous hotels Kathy was suffering from burnout. One routine trip to the doctors changed everything. This change she found was in vegetables. Yes, vegetables! Gorgeous, colourful, wonderful veg.  Kathy is now a food writer and photographer. Her latest memoir, Rough Patch – How a year in the garden brought be back to life – is out now and is just brilliant. If you’d like to listen to the full interview with Kathy you can find it in Series 11, Episode 3. You can find out all about Kathy at: https://www.kathyslack.com/ And just in case you were wondering you can find me and my books at elliebarkerwrites.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louise Ross loved reading and storytelling as a child but she had her heart set on being a lawyer. She became a barrister and while she loved helping people -she started to feel it was time to do something else. Louise published her first book Holy Island with her husband James in 2015. Since then more than thirty of her novels have taken the no 1 spot on Amazon and she’s sold more than 10 million copies. Here she begins with telling us how she knew needed a change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you live in the West Country the chances are you know Kate. She’s been a weather presenter for ITV for more than 25 years. Her sunny forecasts have brightened our televisions, no matter what the weather is actually doing.   Kate has for a long time been interested in mental health, and a few years ago she started to train as a therapist. Her idea – you talk, she listens and together we find a new way.   But it was while she was training and still working as a weather presenter Kate was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma which had spread through her body. A mother of teenage twins, married to her husband Mark, and a friend and colleague loved so much by us all – this was a devastating time.   Kate has now been given the all clear, we all watched in awe as she tackled her diagnosis with her usual determination, ion and love for life. She is now a qualified therapist and is using her dark moments to help others see there is always another way.   In this conversation we do touch on some darker sides of life, but just like Kate and her forecasts she shows there’s always sunshine behind those clouds . Kate is open, honest, humble and funny – she shows how her family’s love and her love for life helped her through. I’m very lucky to call Kate my friend, and I’m delighted I can now introduce her to you. To learn more about Kate and her wonderful work you can find her here: https://www.katehaskell.com/ Cookie (my golden lab) and I would love you to keep in touch - as we navigate our Next Chapter living together. We'll send you weeklyish notes with 3 pieces of inspiration. You can sign up here : https://www.elliebarkerwrites.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monty Saul says she had an idyllic childhood – she describes her roots as ‘working class and filled with love.’ Then one night, a drink in a nearby pub in Cookham, Berkshire changed everything. Monty was spotted by a photographer, and not just any photographer, a world-famous fashion photographer. Before she knew it, she found herself being whisked away to the world of Vogue and Dior. I’ll let Monty tell you everything that happened (it’s an amazing story!) but Monty shows that by taking a chance, well, who knows where it will take you? For Monty she became a model for Dior, travelled around the world and then she met her husband Roger. He was busy creating his own business- you know the one - Mulberry. Together they continued creating their brand and not only that, a wonderful home for their 3 boys and family which is now also a walnut farm. In this Next Chapter we hear how Monty began working at Dior and the day she modelled for our late Queen. To listen to the full episode you can find it in Series 13 Episode 10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Victoria always loved books, she didn’t want to write them, she just wanted to read them. She worked in hotels after she left school, and then as a receptionist but it was when she had her daughter she started to wonder if there was a way she could make a living by reading books. The answer is yes. Not only that, Victoria had no idea how going to a live Big Brother eviction would change everything. I will let Victoria explain all but this is a story of how it really is possible to create your dream job, change worlds and help others. Victoria also shares some very personal insights – which shows we are never alone, even when sometimes we feel we are. She is brilliant, brave and kind and I can’t wait for you to meet her. https://www.thebookparty.co.uk/ https://www.instabooktours.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I felt as a mother I’d failed.” When Sarah Lou’s daughter became unwell with her mental health, Sarah Lou saw there was no for parents and family in these most difficult of times. So, she founded Parental Minds. What started as a coffee morning has led to her and her team helping more than 1,000 families. If you have any concern for your child or anyone’s mental health in your family, I can’t recommend listening to Sarah-Lou’s conversation enough, and her team may be able to help. Sarah Lou’s story shows it is possible to find that sunshine again.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really take to create a great pub? Charlie Luxton had no idea a chance conversation would lead him to a job setting up Soho House - a super-cool private club in the centre of London that would become a global brand. He also had no idea a chance conversation would lead him to create his own group of pubs and restaurants around Wiltshire and Somerset. The brilliant Charlie explains in this episode why it’s so important for us all to follow our hearts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline says she was a perfectionist as a child and she continued living life like this way into adulthood. A straight-A student, she worked as an airline stewardess travelling with British Airways as part as Tony Blair’s cabin crew. But when her marriage fell apart Caroline says she found herself at rock bottom. A single mum and 80 thousands pounds in debt she says she was suffering from anxiety and depression - and then her house was repossessed. She could only think how had she ended up here? But slowly Caroline, through therapy, began to learn more about her marriage and patterns she hadn’t even questioned were actually abuse. The more she learned, the stronger she became. She rebuilt her own life into something bigger and better than she could ever have imagined and now she’s helping other women do the same. Today Caroline works as a trauma therapist and author. Her podcast Narcissistic Abuse and Trauma Recovery has been more than 3 million times. She has hundreds of thousands of followers across social media and her work is being featured on shows all over the world. In this conversation we discuss: The difference between normal and ups and downs and when it becomes something else The power that comes from recognising our own patterns How Caroline believes we can all create lives we truly love and thrive - with the right help What to do if you’re worried about yourself or someone else Now, this might be a tougher conversation, but there are still lots of laughs and so much hope too. Caroline says she could never have imagined she could feel as happy as she does and she wants to help as many other women feel the same. To learn more about Caroline's work you can find her here: https://carolinestrawson.com/ This is of course an educational episode - it is not a substitute for professional help. If you are worried about yourself or anyone you know the Samaritans are available here: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/-samaritan/ To keep in touch with me and my Next Chapter community - I'd love it if you did - you can find me here: https://www.elliebarkerwrites.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony Anderson had no idea a random job he got at a job centre would lead him to create a life bigger than he could ever imagine. He loved sport and in his own words, was 'rubbish with money’ but today he owns Anderson Financial Management, helping all different people make their financial ambitions and dreams come true. In this episode we discuss: Why it’s natural to have fears around money and earning what we think we’re worth How money is all about ‘building a muscle’ just like everything else in life Why ‘hustle’ should never be a dirty word The importance of having the right people around you Tony is so honest and open about the negative beliefs he sees every day around money. He believes fear of rejection is what holds so many of us back, but by applying some simple tricks and looking at why we feel the way we do - earning more money doesn’t have to be as difficult as we may think. To learn more about Tony's work, click here: https://www.andersonfinancial.co.uk/ To my Next Chapter Community, click here: www.elliebarkerwrites.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was when Nicola worked with her dad at the Liverpool fish markets as a teenager, she learned all about grit, hard work and having the courage to speak up for herself. She had no idea then these lessons would be the foundation of an extraordinary career. Nicola started out in journalism and went on to work at places like ITN and GMTV. But when her working life wasn’t suiting her personal life – she created her own talent agency. Eventually she sold this – but carried on with working in the industry at James Grant Management. Over the years Nicola has worked with huge names like Ant and Dec, Claire Balding and Gabby Logan. But then she decided she’d have another next chapter and yes, she created another company. Now she runs her executive search firm, Ibison Media placing people in leadership roles in huge television and media companies all over the world. In this episode we discuss: How to overcome the nerves we all feel. What it’s really like working with those superstars. How a chance (little bit drunken) conversation with Anthea Turner’s sister, Wendy changed everything. What to do when your work life and personal life no longer match. What happened when Nicola was sent to look for a one-legged duck. Nicola believes so much comes down to being kind and ive to others. She says everyone feels nervous, but sometimes we just have to take a deep breath and pick up the phone. To learn more about Nicola and her fabulous work you can find her here: https://ibisonmedia.com/ And I'd love it if you kept in touch . I'll send you little notes about these conversations and much here - you can sign up here: https://www.elliebarkerwrites.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nancy, whose real name is Amanda (she writes under a pseudonym) claims she was a little annoying at school. But it was this curiosity and spirit that took her into the world of tabloid journalism where she worked on huge investigations for papers like the News of the World. But then life took Amanda along a path she didn’t expect. Her husband was diagnosed with a head and neck cancer and at the same time she found herself on her own IVF journey. Amanda used writing to help her (and others) navigate this hugely difficult time - using her humour and thoughts in a column about her experience. She had no idea this was going to take her to the world of fiction and writing saga novels. Her Shipyard Girls books have sold more than half a million copies and have reached No. 2 on the Sunday Times Bestsellers list. In this conversation we discuss: What it was really like working for tabloids like The News of the World What happened when Amanda and her husband had to face a cancer diagnosis and IVF at the same time Why we can never be sure where life will take us, but why Amanda believes it’s essential we all know what we really love. Amanda is open, brave and funny in this conversation, I felt like I’d known her for years. I hope you’ll love meeting her as much as I did.  To learn more about Amanda and her Nancy Revell books you can find her here: https://amandarevellwalton.co.uk/ To learn more about my books and to my Next Chapter community (and I would SO love that!) you can find me here https://www.elliebarkerwrites.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Claire Davis is a Coach, Personal Trainer and Nutritional Advisor. She’s also one half of the award-winning Midlife Mentors who help people transform their lives through their retreats, workshops and podcast. She’s back by popular demand on The Next Chapter, this time answering your Christmas questions about the not-so-perfect parts of this magical time of year. In the conversation we discuss: * How to cope with difficult relatives over the festive season (when your stomach is in knots.) * What to do if you don’t even like your in-laws. * What to do if Christmas isn’t what you imagined it to be. * How to enjoy all the treats without feeling terrible. * What happens when you’re given a present you just don’t like. Plus so much more. Thank you so, so much to everyone who asked a question and if you didn’t, I’m pretty sure the answers will help you in some way. If you’re wrapping or feeling a little overwhelmed, Claire is a wonderful person to have in your ear. www.elliebarkerwrites.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenextchapterbyelliebarker.substack.com

Monty Saul says she had an idyllic childhood – she describes her roots as ‘working class and filled with love.’ Then one night, a drink in a nearby pub in Cookham, Berkshire changed everything. Monty was spotted by a photographer, and not just any photographer, a world-famous fashion photographer. Before she knew it, she found herself being whisked away to the world of Vogue and Dior. I’ll let Monty tell you everything that happened (it’s an amazing story!) but Monty shows that by taking a chance, well, who knows where it will take you? For Monty she became a model for Dior, travelled around the world and then she met her husband Roger. He was busy creating his own business- you know the one - Mulberry. Together they continued creating their brand and not only that, a wonderful home for their 3 boys and family which is now also a walnut farm. In this conversation we discuss: * What it’s really like to be a fashion model in your teens * What happened when she was chosen to model for our late Queen in Buckingham Palace in a first-of-its-kind private show. * How she coped with all the scrutiny and knock-backs of the fashion industry and why she believes we should never feel intimidated by anyone. Monty’s story shows what can happen when you’re prepared to work hard, take risks, follow your heart and be true to yourself. She humble, open and down to earth – it’s easy to see why her home today is still filled with all that love. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenextchapterbyelliebarker.substack.com

(I know, I know it’s me again but this is the last of the special series…) This is the 3rd of 3 different recordings to mark reaching 100 episodes of The Next Chapter podcasts. It’s just me and around 18 minutes long. But I thought it might help if I shared what I’ve learned. I’ve listened to all these conversations more than once and I pick up something new every time which really helps me with my own wobbles. What I’ve always tried to do with the podcast is show I’m with you all the way. We can do this together, whatever Next Chapter you’re facing and even in the midst of storms, doubt and wondering where we should step next… there is always another way. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenextchapterbyelliebarker.substack.com

As I type this I am cringing, going red, wanting to watch 10 Hallmark films back-to-back and pretend I haven’t done this - but then, well that’s hardly the essence of Next Chapter living, now it it? As part of our week of special recordings at Flowerpot HQ to mark our 100th episode of The Next Chapter - for one week only - today’s guest is well… me. I battled with this idea for a long time, but then a conversation with a former guest and friend Nick Hounsfield, founder of The Wave, changed my mind when he gave me some great advice/a little talking to you. “Ellie, if you don’t explain you, your story and what you’re trying to do, nobody will understand.” Therefore - I handed over the microphone and podcast to fellow journalist/also my husband Rob Murphy. I hope you will see in this conversation that my true belief that it is possible to create a life we love, and when it doesn’t work our the first (or gazillion other times) there is always another way. We discuss: * How rejection has been a very big theme in my life and why I believe it’s so important * The importance of the love and people you have around you * Why I know you absolutely have what it takes to live a life you love * Top of the Pops, Robbie Williams and meeting my GMTV heroes for the first time (And yes I did make my normally hard-hitting crime correspondent husband Rob Murphy say “hello gorgeous person.. it was part of the deal…obvs) I hope you enjoy the conversation and it helps in some way. Normal business will resume next week. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenextchapterbyelliebarker.substack.com

As The Next Chapter by Ellie Barker reaches its 100th episode, I wanted to share with you just a few short words about it: * Why I started The Next Chapter podcast * Why I think you’ll love it * What I’ve learnt from the podcast episodes * The potentially devastating effect on our mental health when we don’t live lives we love * How these conversations can at the very least help with your first steps I have 100 inspirational episodes with people who have changed their lives, taken a risk, started a Next Chapter and they want to share their lessons with you. You can find more here: https://www.elliebarkerwrites.com/podcast-1 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenextchapterbyelliebarker.substack.com

Will Chase grew up on a small family farm in Herefordshire called Tyrrells Court. He says it was idyllic but describes himself as a bit of a ‘brute’ at school. All he wanted was to be a farmer and in his 20s he secured a huge loan to buy his family farm. But then he went bankrupt. He ran away, but then he returned and thank goodness he did because it was while he was back selling potatoes to supermarkets he had his Eureka! moment. What if he turned them into crisps instead? So, they became Tyrrells crisps - you know the ones. They were loved and sold all over the world and just six years later he sold the business for a reported 30 million pounds. You could say that was enough of a Next Chapter. But no. He went on to create Chase Vodka which he later sold to Diageo for an undisclosed sum. And now his Next Chapter living continues as he steps into the wellness industry with Willy’s Apple Cider Vinegar. In this episode we discuss: * Why we can never substitute experience * How he turned his bankruptcy into a multi-million pound business and the lessons he learned * The importance of staying true to yourself and your values throughout it all and what happens when you don’t. * How he still wakes up and worries at 3.30am Will talks about why he believes so many of us have got it wrong, looking for something on the outside when really it’s how we live our life that matters. Plus it’s really all about who we become as we face the ups, downs and struggles Life inevitably throws our way. He believes you don’t have to have amazing exam results or lots of money behind you to build a life you love - just curiosity, a willingness to learn and the ability to treat people well along the way. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenextchapterbyelliebarker.substack.com

Miranda always loved books and stories as a child. But what Miranda didn’t know then was this love of books would help her create her very own empire. Miranda worked in publishing for 20 years and ended up at Penguin Random House with the huge job of Editorial Director and then Senior Commissioning Editor too. But when a change came in Miranda’s home life, she left the corporate world. It was when she was considering what to do next she came across the inspirational Do Lectures, she sent an email and everything changed. She founded the Do Book Company and these little pocket books are now inspiring people all around the world. I’ll let Miranda explain everything but in this conversation we discuss: * What it really takes to create a best-selling book * How simple actions like sending an email can change your life * What to do when your life isn’t working for you * Is it really a career change we need, or is it something else? This is a fascinating look at behind the scenes of the publishing world, but it’s also an honest, fun and insightful story of how one woman created a life she loves all around her ion - which now suits her and her family.   To learn more about Miranda and the Do Books: https://thedolectures.com/speakers/miranda-west/ To keep in touch with me (and to receive Free Chapters from my latest romance novel Do We Really Have To Do This? click here:  https://www.elliebarkerwrites.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenextchapterbyelliebarker.substack.com

Susan Lewis has written 56 books. She’s written in different genres and her novels are enjoyed by readers all over the world. You can listen to her whole story in S9: Ep 4. But what does it take to be so creative? Now Susan is back to answer your questions. In this episode we go deep into the ins and outs of Next Chapter living. We discuss: * The importance of setting boundaries * The real reason we must carve out time for what we love * How it all comes down to self-belief and how we can nurture this * Romance - in and out of her books. Susan’s latest book Nothing To See Here is out now. To learn more about her books you can find her at https://susanlewis.com/ To learn more about me and my books you can find me at https://www.elliebarkerwrites.com/bookshop This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenextchapterbyelliebarker.substack.com