Stop Playing Small: Tara Mohr on Conditioning, Fear, and Finally Taking Up Space

If you're looking for Out of Hours coaching - get in touch!Why do so many brilliant, ambitious women still hold back, play small, and second‑guess themselves?This episode is for people who are:Are ambitious but secretly plagued by self‑doubtHave a side project idea you can’t stop thinking aboutAre tired of over‑editing emails and apologising for taking up spaceWant a more compassionate, grounded way to begin “playing big”In this episode, I’m joined by Tara Mohr—author of the best‑selling book “Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead.” Tara has coached thousands of women worldwide and created the global Playing Big leadership program, helping women move past self‑doubt and step into their real power.We get into the reasons women stay small—and how to change that in practical, doable ways. In this conversation, we talk about:The “good girl / good student” trapHow being the star student at school can secretly sabotage you at work, in leadership, and in creative life.The two kinds of fear you must learn to tell apartThe ancient concepts of pahad (projected, catastrophising fear) and yirah (the sacred fear of expansion) and how to know whether you’re in danger or on the edge of growth.Why we self‑blame when things go wrong Side projects, callings and why you don't need to “make it your job”How to start if you feel like you “don’t have a calling”The key question Tara prefers instead of “What is my purpose?” and what to do with that one idea that has been quietly nagging at you for years.Minimising language and email habits that keep you smallThe subtle phrases that undermine you (and simple ways to fix it)Redefining success so you actually take risksIf you’ve ever felt like you have more to say, more to build, or more to become - this episode will give you language, frameworks, and practical steps to finally play bigger on your own terms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast I am joined by the legendary Stuart Trevor - founder of AllSaints. And now his latest project Stuart Trevor.I wanted to speak to Stuart because this podcast is about living before you run out of hours - and Stuart embodies this more than most. He started All Saints in the 90s and built it into a cult brand - dressing rockstars like Kings of Leon, The Who, Depeche Mode, Placebo and Destinys Child and Gwen Stefani - at its peak it had over 200 stores worldwide across 25 countries, with hundreds of millions of revenue.But he went on to sell it. Stuart had previously been scouted by two of the biggest fashion brands at the time - Paul Smith and Reiss - and ended up joining Reiss and working under David Reiss’ tutelage for a while until he plucked the courage up to start his own brand.The shop has changed a lot now, it’s a world away from the All Saints that Trevor poured his love and soul into - so this is a story of building what should exist, letting go, and moving on to a new passion in your next chapter. It’s also a story of what happens when you seek to optimise JOY and FUN and not just productivity and efficiency. Much needed in today’s world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast we are joined by Hector Hughes, the founder and CEO of Unplugged. Unplugged offers you the opportunity to get completely offline - for a few days. They have over 55 offline cabins in nature across the UK and Spain, all close to the major cities.In this episode, we go beyond the polished founder origin story of Unplugged to explore burnout, addiction, shame, and the deeper search for meaning. We unpack how dopamine dysregulation, phone addiction, and suppressed emotions show up in modern life, and why numbing becomes our default. We also explore the power of subtraction, digital detox, spirituality, and emotional honesty as routes back to joy, presence, and a kinder way of being in the world.Unplugged aims to offer a sanctuary away from screens, stress, and scrolling. In just a few years, they’ve helped tens of thousands of people go offline - when staying guests have to literally lock their phones away, and switch off. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear more from us by signing up to the newsletter!Today on the podcast I am joined by Viv Groskop - writer, podcaster and comedian.Her podcast How to Own the Room has reached millions of downloads - and counts guests like Hilary Clinton, Margaret Atwood, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and is the biggest resource for public speaking in the world.But she didn’t start as a public speaker. She was more known for her words than her voice, beginning as a journalist for publications like The Guardian and The Observer. She then ventured into the world of stand up comedy, taking on a crazy project project of 100 gigs in 100 days, all with 3 children under 6 - we talk about that today.I wanted to talk to Viv as I am quickly realising that one of the most important things to do is to become better at speaking. It helps you confidently share what you care about in the world, and put yourself out there. So many of us hold back, and I love to coach people on this 1-1.In this conversation, we’ll talk about how you can get better at public speaking, what encouraged Viv to take up comedy as a second career, the downsides of fame and parasocial relationships, why stand up comedy isn’t actually scary and lots lots more.Hear more from us by signing up to the newsletter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An apology, rant, and note to my future self on the madness of putting pressure and guilt on creative projects that are designed to be fun.I hope it is a good reminder to the many, many people I speak to who I know put on the same pressure.Stop putting pressure on creativity. Find the joy, find the compassion and then find the consistency.Next episode soon!Website here, coaching here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast we have Franco Fubini, the founder of Natoora.Natoora can be seen as a ‘premium greengrocer for the best produce’. They have direct relationships with farmers and offer some of the world's best seasonal produce. Working with over 2,000 of the world’s most influential chefs in restaurants in London, Paris, New York, Miami, Copenhagen, Malmö & Melbourne. They also offer their produce to taste-conscious home chefs, and have four London stores.Natoora’s big-picture mission is to revolutionise the food system. Franco is also an adjunct Professor of Sustainability Management at Columbia university and the author of “In Search of the. Perfect Peach” his book which talks about food supply and why flavour is so key in our diet.Natoora did not start on the side, but as a response to a life long passion and a decision that this thing needed to exist in the world.I wanted to speak to Franco as this podcast is all about following your curiosities and passions and making them your life’s work - something Franco has done, but in a different way. In this episode we’ll talk about why the food system is so broken and what we can do about it, why he moved from finance to groceries and why a gnawing sense of dissatisfaction every four weeks at work drove him to make changes, and the surprising things he learnt from a lunch with the founder of Patagonia. I hope you enjoy!P.S. We recorded this in their shop on an early morning in Bermondsey, surrounded by Radiccio and blood oranges. You can see some video footage from this morning on Out of Hours' Instagram. I’ve done what I can with the audio, but you might still hear some background sounds... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Hirsch is a powerhouse, who has defined her own unique path. She is the founder of LA's beloved Empowered Yoga Studio - the culmination of a yoga journey she started a long time ago while being at business school in London - which now has two sites in California.She is also an investor - founder of Wellness Growth Ventures, where she partners with visionary female founders who are transforming the wellness industry.Rachel has built her life at the intersection of wellness and investment. From her early days at UBS Investment Bank and Tiger Global, to collaborating with Lululemon as an Ambassador. Part investor, part yogi, and full-time community builder - Rachel's story is an honest, relatable and inspiring account of following your authentic path.On this episode - we get personal. We talk about everything from not being able to see your own success, to how to start a yoga studio on the side, how to start a proper studio, why she's passionate about supporting female founders, and why she doesn't feel the need to choose between finance and wellness. It's an inspiring episode for anyone looking to make the leap into the scary unknown and come out with a deeper knowledge of yourself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everyone and welcome back! Thanks for your patience with this episode - it’s been a busy few weeks. Today on the podcast we have Rory Sutherland, the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK and the founder of the behavioural science practice at Ogilvy. Rory doesn’t have a side project that we discuss, but he does have some of the sharpest insights on creative thinking and how to stay creative.Rory is arguably one of the most influential behavioural scientists in the world - his TED talks have over 7 million views. He also writes a column for the Spectator, serves on the advisory board of The Evolution Institute, and is the former President of the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising). Rory is a master of creative thinking and new ideas. He’s written a best selling book called Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense - all about how irrational ideas matter in the age of the rational. In this podcast we talk about all sorts of things - if you’ve come across Rory before you’ll know quite how unwieldy conversation with him becomes. We talk about why he would love to sell air conditioners, why Elon musk should build a modern day trailer business, why he thinks the Industrial Revolution was largely because of good marketing, the homogenisation of modern society, and if he believes AI can ever replace an irrational human mind, and how to sell climate solutions that change behaviour. It’s quite the conversation, let me know what you think via comments!Looking for coaching to help you find your own voice and be more creative? Head to outofhours.org/coaching Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the show we have Tommy Lewis (@TommyRunPT).He's an ultra-athlete, coach and founder of That's Runnable, a brand new community for runners. I speak to Tommy at a really interesting time. Tommy has just quit his job to go full-time on this passion of inspiring others to run. But his journey has not been linear. He started his running side project three years ago, and he's been slowly building up his following from 250 followers to hundreds of thousands.His story is an inspiring one, one built on passion, love and authenticity, and also one of false starts. Tommy quit his job prematurely when he decided to train as a personal trainer and moved to Bristol. But getting sick and not making enough money, he eventually admitted defeat and moved back to London to work at a startup. But not one for the corporate life, he applied lessons from his previous bold start and has built a plan and a savings pot so he can continue on his mission to get people outdoors and running for the benefit of their mental health and fitness.In this episode, which is a little longer than normal, we talk about the anatomy of going viral, how he films his famous videos, what powers him to run ultramarathons, how to avoid running burnout, how he got over his fear of posting online, and his plans for that's runnable. This really is a must listen for anyone wanting to get more into running, or to build an Instagram or TikTok following, or just to be inspired by Tommy's attitude to life. I hope you enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast we have Imme Ermgassen co-Founder of Botivo, the award winning aperitivo. Botivo is hard to describe, it’s labelled a Botanical Aperitivo. It’s a small batch product, made on a farm, and is a great alcohol-free. Botivo puts it plainly saying it will “blow your mind once you taste it”. The product was started by Imm’s co-founder Ben who ran a business creating new drinks concepts and ran a bar service at high end events. In Lockdown, when everything was closed, he had the chance to tinker on an idea he’d had for a while - a unique non-alcoholic aperitif. He eventually bottled it.On a chance encounter, that we talk about in this podcast, Imme joined him a few months later to turn Botivo into what it is today. A brand builder by trade - having led major brands across multiple categories, she joined Botivo as co-founder - and helped bring it to market - from restaurants like the River Cafe to chains like Waitrose, to raise capital and hire a team. In this show, we talk about everything from how to run a business when you have a family, the secret to distribution and her killer playbook formula for perfect brand positioning - whatever you are building,. It’s a perfect episode for anyone who’s ever considered bottling one of their own creations, or wondered how to build a brand that stands out. I hope you enjoy the episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.