Angelique Marya Bolding
“It is creative resilience that has allowed me to share, express and feel.” My name is Angelique Marya Bolding. When we are asked, ‘who are you?’ We often answer who we are as professionals or what we do in our careers. I get caught up because I’m so many different things… I’m an artist, creator, […]
Andy Hall
Trigger Warning: Suicide “Life is about living and suffering” My name is Andy Hall, I am a dad, a husband, a mentor and a public speaker. I grew up the youngest of a large and complicated family on a council estate in Oldham. I didn’t much like education. One day, the career guidance counsellor made […]
Emma Hine
“ If you’re happy doing something you love, you’re going to grow a successful business around that ” I am Emma Hine and I am a business strategist. I work with people to grow their business on their own terms. I live in the Staffordshire moorlands and I’m a mum of three and just living […]
Ije McDougall
“Unashamedly Occupy Space” My name is Ije McDougall, I am a mum, a sister, a friend, a human resources professional, a family court magistrate, a motivational speaker and charity worker. Most importantly however, I unashamedly occupy space as a black woman living in the UK. I grew up in Nigeria as the eldest of three […]
Sandeep Saib
Trigger Warning: Suicide ‘to move forward you have to go backwards’ I am Sandeep Saib and I am a living experience mental health advocate. I really emphasise the ‘living’ in that title because I am still going through my own mental health journey. I am a philanthropist, public speaker and professional marketeer too and I […]
Matthew Smith
Trigger Warning: Suicide ‘There is life after suicide’ My name is Matthew Smith and I am from Durham. I am 28 now, and have lived in the same village all my life. It’s the kind of village where everybody knows each other. I look back at my childhood with fond memories, I was the middle […]
Kerry Boland
Trigger Warning: Domestic Abuse & Rape “What was once a void is now a value” I’m Kerry Boland. I am from Stockport in Manchester. I work with female entrepreneurs on their sales strategies and I’m a mother of three. I grew up in Reddish as the eldest of 4 children. My dad always drilled into […]
Hayley Xenophontos
Trigger warning: Sexual Abuse “A hairdresser is a position of trust” My name is Hayley and I live in the Stockport area. I run a hair and wellbeing centre, where I specialise in hair loss solutions for women. I’m also an advocate for mental health. I do workshops including mindfulness, confidence and meditation. I was […]
Steph Marie
Trigger warning: Child Abuse and Bullying “Learning that my disability doesn’t define me” My name is Steph Marie, I am from Bury and I am a social influencer, chat show host and a historian and I also have cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy means that the part of the brain that sends signals is damaged. It […]
Sam Smith
“Every time a door is closed in your face, you’re closer to another door opening”. My name is Sam Smith, and I was born in Bolton in 1972 where I grew up. I came from a single-mother family where there were four kids and each of us had different dads. I didn’t ever get to […]