#15 - Shane McHugh - Learning to thrive with chronic illness and sobriety in your 20's

My guest this week is Lucy Chewins, an online coach and business owner. Having graduated from uni feeling lost and unsure of what career path to go down, Lucy found herself working in sales until Covid hit and she was made redundant. Fast forward a few years, and being made redundant might just be the thing she needed to give her the push to pursue her passion. In this episode we discuss Lucy’s journey to get to where she is now, the importance of taking calculated risks, what you need to start a business, how to live without regret, how diet culture impacted our generation and why Lucy is working to change this, the benefits that come with being your own boss and why discipline is key, why we can’t rely on motivation to succeed, what success looks like and why this often changes as we get older and the all important question: what advice Lucy would give to her younger self. Plus much more!This is our last episode for a while as we take a little trip down under. I've adored launching this podcast and meeting some incredible people. Thank you for all the support!! We'll be back!Becca x As always, you can follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_ and you can find Lucy on Instagram at @lovelucyfit_Music from Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: 35VQPLVG2KHQYBWJ

Welcome back to the Twenty Something Podcast. Our guest this week is a veteran of the pod, returning for a second episode. Welcome back Conor Bull!If you haven’t already, check out Conor’s first episode where we discuss his entrepreneurial journey from a PE teacher to a 26 year old business owner.In this episode, we deep dive into Conor’s life as a young entrepreneur, discussing his do’s and don’ts for anyone starting a business, knowing where to start when thinking of launching a business, why commitment is key, the need to have a vision AND a plan, becoming resilient and taking accountability, when you know you’re ready to expand your business, the importance of reinvesting in your business, why we should all make decisions quicker and the importance of dreaming big and putting in the work! This episode is really inspiring for anyone looking to start a business or anyone who already has. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or review!As always, you can follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_ and you can find Conor on Instagram at @conorbull_ and @cb_trainingclubMusic from Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: JBZNRPQGKTXRGULS

This weeks guest is one that is super important to me, my partner Shane. I’m biased but he’s a pretty awesome person and i’m sure you’ll agree once you listen to this episode. Shane is an advocate for people living with chronic and invisible illness, having been diagnosed at 23 with a chronic condition. Shane is also super passionate about his sobriety, sharing his story online to help others experiencing issues with alcohol. There’s so much stigma around both of these subjects and I think talking about them is so important. In this episode we discuss why a diagnosis is so important, the spoon theory, how you can advocate for yourself, what it’s like living with chronic illness, the power of positivity and his advice for others going through a similar experience. Shane also openly discusses his issues with alcohol, from his days of not knowing when to call it a night to going sober at the age of 25. We discuss the challenges that come with being sober in your 20’s, the benefits of giving up drinking, his advice for anyone wanting to change their relationship with alcohol and how we have navigated sobriety in our relationship (including my initial thoughts when I realised Shane was sober!!) I’m sure a lot of people will be able to relate to this episode and I hope it reminds us all that you never know what someone may be going through, so always, always be kind! If you’d like to follow Shane’s journey you can find him on Instagram at @chronically.sober and you can also follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_ Music from Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: Y7NBOOF56SSJ0JKH

Conor Bull is the founder and coach at CB training gym. Connor's journey is really motivating, from being a PE teacher to the entrepreneur he is today, especially as he is only 26. In this episode we discuss how Conor got into fitness, why he launched his business, what he’s learnt as an entrepreneur, the importance of building small habits, creating discipline, why we should focus on improving ourselves daily, why you shouldn’t hit the snooze button, how to build confidence, his advice for new entrepreneurs, why productivity is a form of self care and why we should all make the most of every single day. I’ve had a few entrepreneurs on the podcast so far, and I find it really interesting to hear their different perspectives, how they got into the specific field, the highs and lows and their advice for anyone else in their 20’s or beyond who is on a similar journey. You can also follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_ and you can find Conor on Instagram at @conorbull_ and @cb_trainingclubMusic from Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: DBIDN0XRGEBE7FDT

After losing her mum and heading towards burnout from a career in law, Grace trained to become a health and nutrition coach, turning her loss into something positive.In this episode we discuss Grace’s ‘unexpected’ 20’s as she describes them, from being on the corporate treadmill that lead to burnout, dealing with her own health issues, caring for both her parents through their cancer treatment before tragically losing her mum, leaving a successful law career to set up her own business and pursuing her passion of helping others. We also dive into the topic of stress, understanding what stress is, why we feel it, how stress can be addictive, how physical, environmental and personal factors all play a part in it, how we can avoid burnout, the impact stress can have on our gut health, a step by step guide on what we can do to manage stress, and how we can all live a balanced life without having to sacrifice the things we enjoy. This episode really inspired me, seeing how Grace turned her loss into something so incredible. It also taught me so much about the impact stress can have on my own health and what I can do to improve it!I’d really appreciate it if you could rate this podcast and leave a review so we can keep bringing you your favourite guests! Thank you :)You can also follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_ and you can find Grace on Instagram at @g_documented Music from Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: 2EIZHEYKLHF7AMNH

My guest this week is Sean Willers. In this episode we discuss his 20’s and early 30’s - and what a journey it was! From being in the military, to becoming a global DJ playing in some of London and Berlin’s biggest nightclubs, his alcohol and drug addiction, sobriety and his transformation to becoming health and fitness coach.We chat about what Sean learnt from his time in the military which included a 6 month tour in Afghanistan, the discipline he still lives by now, how he became a DJ and how his career came to an end, his sobriety following addiction, his advice for anyone exploring sobriety, the key things you need to take control of your life and to break a destructive cycle, how to unlock your potential and why action is so important when setting goals. This episode demonstrates the power we all have to make a change in our lives and how we can learn from the more difficult times to create the best future going forwards. I hope you enjoy this episode! I’d really appreciate it if you could rate this podcast and leave a review so we can keep bringing you your favourite guests! Thank you :)You can also follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_ and you can find Sean on Instagram @willersfitnessMusic from Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: 2LWY9WWGZI2Z6QL4

I’m honoured to be joined this week by two time Olympian Jo Jennings. Jo represented Team GB in the women's high jump in both the Seoul and Barcelona Olympics, and was just 19 years old at her first Olympic Games. Jo is also a Commonwealth silver medalist, representing England at the 1998 games in Kuala Lumpur. Her professional career spanned over 15 years, a huge achievement for an athlete. Following her retirement, Jo went on to have a career at British Athletics supporting upcoming athletes including Matthew Hudson Smith, Dina Asher Smith, Josh Kerr, Laura Muir and many others who are representing Team GB in Paris. In this episode we discuss the early days, from knowing she had something special to qualifying to represent Great Britain at just 15 years old, missing her University freshers week to compete at the Olympics, why mindset, determination and self-belief are so important, what it was like to experience the Olympics for the first time and then again four years later, overcoming injuries and building resilience for a long career, what an Olympic training regime looks like, what we can all learn from our 20’s and the all important question…what it takes to be an Olympian!I don’t know about you but i’ve been obsessed with watching the Olympics this year so I was super excited to record this episode. I was also blown away to learn that only 1 in 500,000 people are an Olympian which makes it even more special - I hope you enjoy it!As always, please follow and rate this podcast so we can keep bringing you your favourite guests! Thank you!You can also follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: HAQMJR8T39M2GD1G

My guest this week is Shane Stewart. Shane has shared his journey with grief since losing his dad in 2023. He has since founded a run club, Step by Steppers helping others to navigate grief. In this episode we discuss the taboo around grief, why Shane wanted to share his journey to help others and how it has helped himself. We also discuss grief triggers, how grief impacts different people, why grief feels so unfair when grieving the future life someone has missed out on, and anticipated grief surrounding terminal illness. Shane discusses the importance of community and the power in people which led him to start his own run club, his advice for supporting someone going through grief, the importance of showing up and getting back to ‘normal’ life after grief. We finish the episode by hearing Shane’s advice for his younger self, and listeners, including why we should chill with our parents if we are lucky enough to be able to.Grief is something we ultimately will all experience in our lives but there’s no guide book in how to live with it. I hope by having discussions like these we can help just one person. A big thank you to Shane for sharing his story.As always, please follow and rate this podcast so we can keep bringing you your favourite guests! Thank you!You can also follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_You can find Shane on Instagram at @officialshane and follow his run club at @stepbysteppersMusic from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: TPT42KAIKAKURGUY

TW this episode discusses topics including eating disorders.My guest this week is Holly Lucatello. Holly is a personal trainer and online coach, focusing on women's health.Holly worked for one of the UK’s biggest fashion brands before taking the leap three years ago to set up her own business. She works with a holistic programme, focusing on building strength, empowerment and confidence, free from diet talk and body shaming. Holly shares her own journey online and is brilliant at helping women to feel amazing both physically and mentally. This episode dives into topics that I don’t think we were taught enough about at school, including how to look after your health and what happens during the different stages of your menstrual cycle. We also discuss Holly’s path to working at ASOS, the internal battles she faced growing up, how she used what she went through to help other women, the steps to take if you are looking to change your career, the benefits of exercise that go beyond physical appearance, if we should train differently during the four stages of our cycle, why protein is key, why we should all be strength training, how to set fitness goals and how we can all achieve balance when it comes to our health and fitness. This episode is filled with loads of great knowledge and I hope you take something away from it!As always, please follow and rate this podcast so we can keep bringing you your favourite guests! Thank you!You can also follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_You can find Holly on Instagram at @holly_health.first.fitnessMusic from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: 9GQ8WNFJSA3WVUBU

This weeks guest is my lovely dad, Joe. My dad is the most amazing dad, grandad, entrepreneur and former business owner of over 25 years. I know this is the Twenty Something Podcast, and my previous guests have been in their 20’s or just past, but I wanted to share a different experience. And dad’s always given me the best advice, so I thought why not share it with you all!In this episode we discuss the early days and finding that fire in your belly to achieve more, how he got into construction, what it was like to build Canary Wharf, the events that made him want to start his own business, his advice for entrepreneurs who are just getting started, why balance is so important and his recommendations if he were to go back in time, the fundamentals to running a business, why your self belief is the most powerful tool you can have, how you can benefit from having a strong partner by your side, his love of traveling and the advice he’s give to his 20 year old self.And for the first time, we answer questions sent in by you, our listeners! I was so proud to have my dad on the podcast, I really hope you enjoy this one!Please follow and leave a review if you liked this one! You can also follow us at @twenty_something_pod and @becca.oneill_Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/richard-smithson/high-lifeLicense code: E8EOTKWZUH4CQHGY