Luis Lopez-Smith: Heal your Hurts, Turn Them Into Gold

Raechel Kelly is the founder of The Liminality, a consultancy and community to support individuals and businesses towards a more climate conscious way of living and working. Her passion and belief in how we can all make a solid daily difference and shift from horror stories to one of love for our planet is contagious; change is indeed possible. Hear how Raechel remains ever hopeful in what can sometimes feel an overwhelming world, where change is most definitely coming. https://theliminality.co.uk   Welcome to Leaven Podcast. It’s a series of conversations with people who have been through something formative and navigated a mad old path, yet done so with courage, holding on to hope. We elevate what it means to be human, voices of wisdom and models of lived experience, thinking, speaking, and living life regardless of what’s shaped you. Join us on socials @thisisleaven www.thisisleaven.com

Saba Ali is a PA to individuals whilst balancing and giving back through her work as a trustee and ally for Galop, a charity supporting LGBTQ+ folk who are victims of abuse. Through her personal experiences, Saba highlights the lack of support available to young people on issues with cultural identity, racism, homophobia and transphobia. Also on the Crown Prosecution Service panel for hate crime, Saba holds on to hope in her daily work and life, whilst raising awareness around incredibly important issues. @sabacelebritypa Welcome to Leaven Podcast. It’s a series of conversations with people who have been through something formative and navigated a mad old path, yet done so with courage, holding on to hope. We elevate what it means to be human, voices of wisdom and models of lived experience, thinking, speaking, and living life regardless of what’s shaped you. Join us on socials @thisisleaven www.thisisleaven.com

Luis Lopez Smith is a textile designer, consultant, university lecturer and activist who runs Tottex. Luis has created a space that holds his professional practice , whilst supporting grass roots community projects too. Luis was shaped by experiences which led to establishing the inclusive space, with zero tolerance approach to any form of discrimination and champions equity. Very much true to Luis himself. Hear how Luis has evolved, what lifts him, keeps him grounded and positively giving his best self. https://tottex.co.uk @tot_tex Welcome to Leaven Podcast. It’s a series of conversations with people who have been through something formative and navigated a mad old path, yet done so with courage, holding on to hope. We elevate what it means to be human, voices of wisdom and models of lived experience, thinking, speaking, and living life regardless of what’s shaped you. Join us on socials @thisisleaven www.thisisleaven.com

Rabya Lomas is a photographer, activist, coach and podcaster who creates space for marginalised folk, influencing inclusion across social media and in the workplace. I discovered Rabya’s work at when seeking women who looked like me and who were holding their own on what I saw as a very homogeneous space of Instagram.  Rabya’s work immediately resonated with me and it’s been wonderful to follow her creative practice and evolution. Rabya has driven the ethnicity pay gap petition, whilst supporting the community with her creative gifts always ensuring that those normally side lined or ignored are represented. Hear how Rabya has found her path and how we connected through our life experiences with mixed heritage and identities.     Welcome to Leaven Podcast. It’s a series of conversations with people who have been through something formative and navigated a mad old path, yet done so with courage, holding on to hope. We elevate what it means to be human, voices of wisdom and models of lived experience, thinking, speaking, and living life regardless of what’s shaped you. Join us on socials @thisisleaven www.thisisleaven.com

Gail Love-Schock is an Inter Faith Minister & Prosperity teacher who offers counsel and guidance to the spiritually curious. Gail is the ultimate example of no matter what you’re going through, there is a way through, having taken her past success and life in performing arts, her heartaches through personal grief and trauma and forged a path right back to where her heart and whisperings began as a child; being curious about faith and supporting the community with her gifts. Gail’s joy and wonder is infectious, her voice and manner soothe and inspire all at once and I was thrilled she was able to share some of her story with me. Hear how Gail found her path home, as we delved in the nature of being human and how much is all before us, if only we could simply see it and hear it. Welcome to Leaven Podcast. It’s a series of conversations with people who have been through something formative and navigated a mad old path, yet done so with courage, holding on to hope. We elevate what it means to be human, voices of wisdom and models of lived experience, thinking, speaking, and living life regardless of what’s shaped you. Join us on socials @thisisleaven www.thisisleaven.com

Penny Wincer, is a photographer, podcaster and author, raising a neurodiverse family in London. Through her book published last year, Tender, the Imperfect Art of Caring, Penny has raised awareness and amplified voices of those whose lives involve caring for someone dear to them. Penny is making a huge difference in not only sharing her story and experiences of what it means to be a carer, but also championing what it truly means to ensure ultimate self care as a woman and as a mother.  Find Penny https://www.pennywincerwrites.com Find Carers Support here https://www.carersuk.org   Welcome to Leaven Podcast. It’s a series of conversations with people who have been through something formative and navigated a mad old path, yet done so with courage, holding on to hope. We elevate what it means to be human, voices of wisdom and models of lived experience, thinking, speaking, and living life regardless of what’s shaped you. Join us on socials @thisisleaven www.thisisleaven.com  

Ruth Ridgeway is a designer & business strategist and we have bizarre parallels. We have both had our worlds shattered by events in 2014. Ruth’s partner had an accident which left him with impactful life changing injuries and nothing has been the same ever since. We have never spoken properly nor met, yet have an affinity of knowing. Ruth is a wonderful soul who has held things together through the power of love, whilst caring and using creativity to guide herself through, something I wholeheartedly relate to.  Learn more about Ruth or get in touch directly ruthxo.com Welcome to Leaven Podcast. It’s a series of conversations with people who have been through something formative and navigated a mad old path, yet done so with courage, holding on to hope. We elevate what it means to be human, voices of wisdom and models of lived experience, thinking, speaking, and living life regardless of what’s shaped you. Join us on socials @thisisleaven www.thisisleaven.com

  Kishen Parmar, a Designer and Founder of Design The Future, a start up lab and accelerator. Honoured to be able to support Kishen, to share his heart and experience of trauma in the death of his son. It is not an easy listen for anyone, let a lone those of us who are parents, so if you feel this may be challenging, go lightly. I implore that it should be listened to though. Kishen speaks of death and the loss of a little one, to make it more possible for people to speak of their pain and normalise death and grief. Learn more about Kishen or get in touch directly via [email protected] SLOW support groups for child loss here  Welcome to Leaven Podcast. It’s a series of conversations with people who have been through something formative and navigated a mad old path, yet done so with courage, holding on to hope. We elevate what it means to be human, voices of wisdom and models of lived experience, thinking, speaking, and living life regardless of what’s shaped you. Join us on socials @thisisleaven www.thisisleaven.com  

Like all best laid plans, things went awry for the final episodes and my original planned guests. In the absence of closure for this series, I have stepped up to fill the void. This conversation is with me, myself and I; Syreeta. A deeper insight into my world, why this podcast exists, through to what brings me joy all shaped by questions fielded by my lovely Instagram followers through Moments Of Sense & Style. Recorded in one take, my thoughts for you.

Lauren Mahon is a broadcaster, presenter, writer, charity campaigner; a force of good. Through her award winning social enterprise, Girl VS Cancer, Lauren has paved the way for women finding themselves in the midst of trauma of diagnosis, creating a space that she lacked during her own experiences of breast cancer. Lauren shares her experiences of her treatment, how she has gone from strength to strength now on the other side. A powerful and uplifting conversation with a wonderful woman.