The Positive Habits Podcast

What happens when you take a team of lawyers out of the office and put them in a freezing cold lake together?
In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Whitemore and Catriona Ralls from Warner Goodman - lawyers, colleagues and regular members of our Women Who PLNGE community.
We explore the power of human connection - at work and in life and how shared experiences, vulnerability and simple positive habits have helped strengthen their team culture and the relationships they build with their clients.
But we also go deeper into relationships, counselling, community, cold-water swimming, the expectations we place on others and taking responsibility for our own happiness.
We explore:
Why human connection matters at work
How vulnerability and shared experiences can strengthen teams
Why relationships can be a competitive advantage
The power of community and taking responsibility for our own happiness
Small positive habits that help us feel and perform at our best
And we finish with an important reminder:
Stop searching for the red flags and start searching for the glimmers.
The small moments of good are everywhere. Sometimes we just need to get better at noticing them.
ABOUT THE GUESTS
Sarah is Creator of Peace of Mind - the fixed-fee employment law service Sarah founded 20 years ago to make legal advice accessible, proactive and human. She has grown it from a solopreneur's idea into a 12-strong specialist team supporting 475+ organisations and delivering Peace of Mind to employers across the south coast and beyond.
Catriona is an Associate Solicitor and Legal Advisor within the Peace of Mind Team at Warner Goodman.
ABOUT HOST KAT, HUMAN PERFORMANCE EXPERT
I help organisations build future-ready, high-performing teams equipped with the skills, habits and behaviours to perform in a rapidly changing world.
www.katthorne.com

In this episode of the Positive Habits Podcast, I’m joined by career coach and diversity & inclusion expert Sally for a brilliant conversation about women, careers, confidence and the power of backing yourself.
After more than 20 years in the corporate world, Sally had reached the room she'd worked so hard to get into only to realise it wasn't where she wanted to be. She took the leap, left corporate life and built a career helping other women accelerate their careers, navigate change and create work that actually works for them.

We talk about why so many capable women believe they have a confidence problem, when there is often something much deeper going on - from self-worth and self-advocacy to workplace culture and the environments we're trying to succeed in.

We also explore that mid-career moment when you've seemingly done everything "right" - built the career, earned the salary, reached the title but still find yourself asking: Is this it?

Sally shares a simple but powerful piece of advice if something in your life or career feels off:
Don't suppress it. Get curious.

We talk about using journaling to imagine what you actually want your life and work to look and feel like, why investing in yourself can be such a powerful move, and why growth inevitably requires us to get uncomfortable.

And, of course, I ask Sally about her number one positive habit.
Which I thought would be exercise, but it was something quite different.

In this episode we talk about:

Why Sally walked away from a 20+ year corporate career
The barriers still preventing women from progressing at work
Why a "lack of confidence" might not actually be the problem
The importance of investing in yourself
Why discomfort is part of growth
The mid-career "Is this it?" moment
Using journaling to get curious about what you really want
The importance of female communities and support

If something doesn't feel right, don't ignore it.
Give yourself 10 minutes with a notebook and ask:

What do I want my life to feel like?

You don't need to have all the answers. Just give yourself the space to start listening.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Sally Spicer is the Founder of Talent Included and a career and business coach who helps ambitious people navigate pivotal moments in their careers and businesses. Drawing on more than 20 years' experience across recruitment, talent, inclusion and leadership, she helps people step out of delivery mode, recognise the value and potential they already have, and make more intentional decisions about what comes next.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyspicer/

About Kat, Human Performance Expert

I help organisations build future-ready, high-performing teams equipped with the skills, habits and behaviours to perform in a rapidly changing world.
www.katthorne.com

What happens when life forces you to stop?

In this episode of the Positive Habits Podcast, Kat is joined by wellness industry expert Clair Davidson, who shares the extraordinary story of being unexpectedly diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer and the mindset that helped her navigate treatment and come out the other side with a very different perspective on life.

Clair had spent more than 30 years working in the wellness, spa and hospitality industry. But like so many of us, while she was busy looking after, supporting and helping other people, her own health often came further down the list.

After going to hospital with pain she initially thought could be appendicitis, doctors discovered a large mass on her ovary. Clair was later diagnosed with stage 3b ovarian cancer and went on to complete 18 rounds of chemotherapy.

Rather than focusing only on what she couldn't control, Clair made a conscious decision to focus on what she could.
She used breathwork, movement, music, humour and the support of an incredible community around her to help her through treatment - even reframing her chemotherapy sessions as her own "spa therapy treatments."

Kat and Clair talk openly about the role mindset played in Clair's personal experience, while recognising that everyone's experience of cancer and serious illness is different.
But this conversation goes far beyond cancer.

It's about how easy it is to ignore the signals our bodies are giving us. To say I'll deal with it tomorrow. To look after everyone else before ourselves. And to wait until something happens before we finally make our own health a priority.

In this episode, Kat and Clair discuss:
Why she chose to focus on what she could control
The role of mindset, breathwork, music and movement during her treatment
How a 60-person WhatsApp group helped her feel supported throughout her journey
Why community matters during difficult times
The danger of constantly putting your own health to one side
Why people working in wellness can still struggle to prioritise their own wellbeing
How demanding jobs, travel and shift patterns can make healthy habits difficult to maintain
Learning to listen to your body before it forces you to stop

We shouldn't have to wait until we lose our health to start valuing it.
A gentle note: This episode includes discussion of ovarian cancer, chemotherapy and women's health. Clair is sharing her personal experience rather than medical advice. If you're worried about symptoms or changes in your body, please speak to an appropriate healthcare professional.

About Guest

Clair Davidson is a Global Strategic Business Consultant who helps brands, luxury hospitality, hotel groups, owners, spa and wellness businesses unlock opportunities, accelerate growth and build meaningful partnerships through commercial strategy, business development and genuine human connection.

Connect with Clair https://www.linkedin.com/in/clair-davidson-92760313/
Macmillian https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/worried-about-cancer

About Kat, Human Performance Expert

I help organisations build future-ready, high-performing teams equipped with the skills, habits and behaviours to perform in a rapidly changing world.
www.katthorne.com

Cold Water Isn't the Transformation. It's the Teacher.
In this solo episode, Kat explores why deliberately choosing discomfort can change the way you respond to every challenge life throws at you.

Using the science behind cold water exposure, she explains how stepping into discomfort teaches your brain that difficult doesn't always mean dangerous.

Whether it's a cold plunge, a difficult conversation, starting a business, speaking in public or making a big life decision, the lessons are exactly the same.

This episode isn't really about cold water.
It's about becoming the kind of person who keeps promises to themselves.
In this episode you'll discover:
Why your brain reacts to cold water in the same way it reacts to many everyday challenges.
The difference between discomfort and danger.
How cold exposure trains your nervous system to stay calm under pressure.
What the latest research says about cold water, stress resilience, mood, focus and recovery.
Why confidence is built through evidence, not affirmations.
The surprising reason cold water communities create such strong human connection.
A simple challenge to help you step outside your comfort zone this week.
Key Takeaway
Cold water isn't the magic.
It's simply a practice ground.
Every time you deliberately choose discomfort, you prove to yourself that you're capable of more than your brain initially believes. And every promise you keep to yourself becomes another piece of evidence that builds confidence, resilience and trust.

How many opportunities have you talked yourself out of because of a thought that wasn't actually true?

In this solo episode, Kat reflects on nearly five years since taking the leap to start The Morning GameChanger and reveals the invisible battle that almost stopped her before she even began.

From believing "Who's going to listen to me?" to building an international speaking business and a podcast listened to around the world, Kat shares why your biggest obstacle is rarely your ability - it's the stories you tell yourself.

If you've ever wanted to start a business, launch a passion project, improve your health, or simply make a positive change, this episode will help you recognise the thoughts that may be keeping you stuck - and show you one simple habit that can help you move forward.
In this episode you'll discover:
Why your thoughts are often your biggest barrier - not your circumstances.
The limiting beliefs that almost stopped Kat from starting her business.
How journaling helped separate facts from fear.
Why action creates evidence that challenges self-doubt.
Why "failure" is often just valuable feedback pointing you in the right direction.
A simple question to ask whenever your mind tells you you can't.

You are not your thoughts.

Your thoughts are often stories. When you learn to notice them instead of believing them, you create space to choose a different response, take action, and build the life you truly want. Small actions create evidence. Evidence builds confidence.