S1 Episode 8 - Now is Your Time to Shine with Michelle Ford

In this engaging conversation, Michelle shares her journey as a podcaster, voiceover artist and mother navigating the challenges of midlife. The discussion covers her experiences in the podcasting world, the evolution of her career, and the importance of building supportive networks. Michelle emphasises the significance of authenticity, confidence, and embracing opportunities at any age, while also reflecting on her experiences with motherhood and the empty nest phase. The conversation concludes with a light-hearted cocktail question, symbolizing the blend of life experiences and the joy of reinvention.

Michelle Ford is a podcast host, radio presenter and columnist. She co-hosts the midlife podcast Two Women Chatting, now in its 9th season, featuring celebrities and experts on wellness, lifestyle, and reinvention. On Brooklands Radio, Michelle blends music, chat, and real-life stories in her shows, including listener favourite segments like Michelle's Book Club where she interviews acclaimed authors about the stories behind their books.

Takeaways

Michelle's 100th episode features an inspiring guest.

Podcasting requires dedication and resilience.

Voiceover work can be challenging but rewarding.

Motherhood often leads to creative business ventures.

The empty nest phase can be an opportunity for growth.

Confidence can be built through social interactions.

Supportive networks are crucial for success.

Authenticity resonates with podcast audiences.

Book clubs can foster connections with authors.

Life can be a cocktail of experiences and opportunities.

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Get in touch: hearmeroarhere@gmail.com or via our website hearmeroarhere.com

Transcript

Hear Me Roar (00:32)

We've got to get this to about two minutes because we chat for far too long every time. I know, but what can we say? Well, we find each other fascinating. We do find each other fascinating. We find each other very funny and very fascinating.

We have a good laugh, don't we? Right, so you're going to have an awful lot to cut out of this. Well, I'll just cut your bits out it'll be so much better. rude.

So what have you been up to this week, Marie? Right, Yvonne. Well, I'm currently doing a limerick challenge on my Facebook page. I asked my followers if they would like a limerick for their name and I've been swamped So I thought I'd do one. Go on then. All right. This one was for Chris.

There was a young lady called Chris whose meno was taking the piss when flushes were offered and wet knickers proffered said, thanks, but I'll give it a miss. I love your limericks. I've really enjoyed. That's one of the things that you've done that I've really enjoyed. As opposed to all the things I've done that you haven't. ⁓

Shall we move on to our guest this week? Okay. ⁓ this is a great guest this week. Our guest this week is Michelle Ford from Two Women Chatting, which is a midlife podcast. And it's now in its ninth season. So here we come. Little fledgling podcasters. I know. And she's been... podcast virgins. I know.

Been a long time since I was a virgin. Virgin on the ridiculous. Anyway, she's Michelle is a podcast host, radio presenter and columnist So she, she hosts her two women chatting, which features celebrities and experts on wellness, lifestyle and reinvention. So she loves an inspirational lady too. ⁓

She's on, you can find her on Brooklands radio as well, and she plays music, chats to guests, and she loves real life stories in her shows, including listener favorite segments as well, like Michelle's book club, where she interviews acclaimed authors about the stories behind their books. She does, yes. And she is also just such a really...

really nice lady. She's a lovely lady. She gave us a lot of advice when she knew we were starting our podcast. A lady who genuinely goes along with the women supporting women. She's been very supportive to us. She has. She's been fantastic. So let's go and meet Michelle.

Hear Me Roar (03:21)

And today we've got with us Michelle, Michelle Ford from the Midlife podcast, Two Women Chatting. And you've got your own show on Brooklands radio as well, Michelle. Hello.

Michelle (03:35)

I do. Hello

and thank you. I'm so honoured to be on Hear Me Roar I'm so excited for the two of you on this venture. You're so funny together. It's going to be brilliant.

Hear Me Roar (03:45)

I'm actually a little bit in awe of having you on our podcast because you are the queen of the podcast. You have such a successful podcast. You've interviewed some amazing women. So I might get a little bit tongue tied.

Michelle (04:03)

I don't think so. I think that's an impossible thing. No I have been very lucky I will admit I've had some absolutely amazing guests. I honestly don't really know how it's happened most of the time. People always ask me how I get them like I don't know I just ask really.

Hear Me Roar (04:06)

Right.

Well, shy bairns get nowt, if you don't ask, you don't get. Exactly. We have to remember that.

Michelle (04:21)

If I understood what you said

then Marie, I'd probably agree.

Hear Me Roar (04:24)

It's my Yorkshire

coming out. So you've got your hundredth episode coming up Michelle.

Michelle (04:30)

I do and they said it wouldn't last and it almost didn't.

Hear Me Roar (04:33)

But it has, so who have you got coming up on your episode?

Michelle (04:37)

So actually, yeah, my 100th episode is just coming up and I have got an incredible guest. I'm so thrilled to get her. Double gold Olympic champion, Dame Kelly Holmes is joining me for this one. And she is truly, I've already interviewed her. It's in edit stages at the moment. She was just so inspiring and I know she was exhausted. So she had run, I think a half marathon the day before. She'd run an event on

Hear Me Roar (04:48)

Wow.

Michelle (05:04)

the previous Friday that was enormous with loads of people.

talk to her for longer than 30 minutes and there was I listening to her in awe 45 minutes later. just... she just has a way about her and she's so authentic and genuinely inspiring that you know I was just like carry on please just talk and talk and talk even though I know I should have cut it really but yeah so I'm looking forward to that one and as you'll know having done your podcast research very few podcasts make it through even the fifth episode so I know you're doing

brilliantly already. I think only 5 % of podcasts go on to finish a whole season

Hear Me Roar (05:43)

Hope we make it past the fifth episode in this season Because we have got two more seasons planned. We just went and asked loads of people, "season three?" and everybody said yes. I know that's been brilliant.

Michelle (05:56)

There you go, you see, you'll

have your black book full as well before you know it.

Hear Me Roar (06:01)

Eventually, we hope. We hope. But it hasn't always been plain sailing. You haven't always been Michelle the podcaster. am I right? You started out when you were living over in the States.

Michelle (06:14)

Yeah, so back in, it's nearly 20 years ago now, it's kind of a funny story that I was playing tennis with somebody and she happened to be a QVC host, you know the QVC shopping channel, and she's like, wow, Michelle, you have such a cute accent, you should like totally do voiceovers. And I'm like, yeah, okay then, where do I start? Where do I sign up for that? I'll give that a go, because my kids were really young, but they were just starting school at that stage and I'm

Hear Me Roar (06:24)

Mm-hmm.

Michelle (06:41)

pretty much game for anything and I thought, yeah, why not? So I did, I signed up in Philadelphia where I was living at the time and I went to a casting agent and I started training and I really loved it. And you know, I think it's much harder to get going as a voiceover actor here because well, we all sound like each other, don't we? But over there, I did sound like I had a different voice and it was quite useful for anybody who was looking for sort of that authoritative sort of academic RP kind of.

Hear Me Roar (06:43)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Michelle (07:09)

kind of tone to their voice. So I trained in New York and I've been doing it ever since. I've done hundreds of audio books and commercial stuff. I mean, even, you know, every week I get a little bit in, but I don't do as much now as I used to. But I have to say, great career when your kids are, you know, going to school and I was in a different country. Then I moved my booth across to Singapore.

Hear Me Roar (07:29)

hmm

Michelle (07:33)

and I carried on there, because I don't need much. I literally started off with a duvet over my head in my closet.

Hear Me Roar (07:38)

Sorry, a duvet over your head? Is that a technical piece of equipment?

Michelle (07:41)

Yeah, because you needed to create

that sort of acoustic space, that silence. So I had, you know, I just went into my closet, know, in America you've got a little bit more room, a bit more of a walk-in closet, and I just surrounded myself with duvets and pillows until I got the right sort of ambient sound. And that's what I did. I've been known to record in hotel wardrobes when I've been away.

Hear Me Roar (08:01)

And I suppose.

The mics have come on a bit and with these days there's a lot of digital help in getting the sound right but it must have been hard when you started to learn all that stuff.

Michelle (08:18)

It was, and I'll tell you the first book that I ever got, the first whole book, was quite a challenge and gosh I can't even remember the title at the moment. so I do all the accents as well and this particular book had an awful lot of accents. In fact at one stage there was five Indian men talking to one another in a room and they all had to sound different and they were all from different religions. So had a Sikh, a Hindu,

Hear Me Roar (08:29)

wow.

Michelle (08:43)

a Muslim, somebody from northern India, someone from southern India. Well, that was a stretch, I'm not gonna lie. And sounding like a man is harder than you think. That was definitely one of the criticisms thrown at me when I first got going is that my voice sounded too feminine. And I mean, if you just drop it like this, it's just not gonna sound realistic, you know? So I had to find some way of conveying that I was talking as a man, but not being a comedy man, if you see what I mean.

Hear Me Roar (08:48)

Wow. Yeah. ⁓

Yeah, yeah,

yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, my mind's just boggled now at the thought of you trying to do all these male voices at the same time.

Michelle (09:16)

it was crazy. I often use

a clock face if I've got lots of characters and I'll give somebody like one o'clock, three o'clock, four o'clock in terms of sort of volume and pitch and I kind of, that's how I remember each person is where they are on my clock face. Sounds a bit weird, I guess, but works for me anyway.

Hear Me Roar (09:31)

Wow.

Gotta find a way to make it work, I suppose. Find your own system and go with it. yeah, because listeners, especially in audiobooks, they'll immediately pick up any inconsistencies.

Michelle (09:36)

Yeah, absolutely.

and they're not shy in coming forward with that either. I will never, ever do another Scottish romance novel ever again.

Hear Me Roar (09:47)

No, it'll be all over Audible. ⁓

⁓

Michelle (09:57)

Give me Bridgerton any day of the week.

Hear Me Roar (09:59)

⁓ now you're talking. Yeah, definitely. bit of Bridgerton. I know. So you've done, I think you've worked in Radio One production. Yeah.

Michelle (10:01)

haha

Yeah, that was almost

my first job out of school. I went to work in the production pool at Radio One. my first DJ I worked for was Gary Davis. And he is as absolutely lovely as he seems to be. He really was an absolute charmer. Really, really nice. But I worked for all of them at different stages. Dave Lee Travis, Philip Schofield, Mike Reid, all of them.

Hear Me Roar (10:19)

I used to love him when I was a teenager.

Michelle (10:35)

Nikki Campbell was there at the time as well. it was, it was, you know, it sounds like it's really fun to go and work at Radio One. And it was in certain ways, because I had more concert tickets than I knew what to do with. But it's also kind of, you know, pluggers who are coming in to promote a record and so on. They can be chatting to you like, Michelle, how are you? It's been so nice to see you. And they'll spot somebody famous or a DJ behind you, like dropped like a stone.

Hear Me Roar (10:37)

Wow.

Michelle (11:01)

And the girls were like that sometimes too. I found it quite hard. I'm a bit fragile like that, I like to be liked. And it's sometimes a little hard in an environment like that. I found radio drama much easier, much more lovey and just nicer to be a part of. So I didn't stay at Radio One for that long, but it certainly gave me lots of career ideas

Hear Me Roar (11:07)

Yeah, well,

Michelle (11:25)

So it was a lot of fun.

Hear Me Roar (11:26)

Yeah, yeah. So you definitely come from a media background in your career and you've done all sorts of things within that, lovey, darling. Yes. So you had your career going and then you had children, which obviously put something of a break on that. Did you manage to keep anything going while the children were little? Keep your toes in the water, so to speak?

Michelle (11:32)

yes darling. Yes.

Well, I suppose that's when I started the voiceover when my youngest was four. But before that, I don't know about you, when you bring your kids up. And I actually met somebody in a gift shop who was growling about this the other day. It was a guy and he was in there to buy the 19th birthday gift of that season of parties. And we used to find it so stressful going to, with three children, going to different parties every week and people trying to outdo themselves with this, that and the other.

Hear Me Roar (12:06)

Yeah.

Mm.

Michelle (12:16)

that I thought, well

I set up a party business. So I did that with a friend when the kids were really little. I used to have literally 75 balloons in my Volvo as I'm trying to back out the driveway. Couldn't see a thing. I'm amazed I didn't have an accident. But so what I did was I got paid to take the stress out of parties for other people. I would come up with all kinds of wacky ideas

Hear Me Roar (12:32)

Mm-hmm.

Michelle (12:35)

I used to sing, I used to bring fairies, I used to arrange the cake and the party bags. I wouldn't do it for myself, but if I'm paid to do it, it's a different thing altogether. But yeah, so I used to do that and I've always kept my sort of my head in the game, I suppose, by doing voiceovers or I used to work on like commercials and things like that as, you know, in production things. Whatever came along, really. I'm not much of a sit stiller.

Hear Me Roar (12:40)

Wow. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

And then you've come full circle now because you're now empty nester. are you enjoying the chance to do your own thing or are you missing those babies and want them back home?

Michelle (13:16)

You

know what? So my youngest graduated from school, secondary school during COVID, and it was tough time, really tough time. But what was also strangely lovely about lockdown, and I think a lot of us felt this, was that our kids were at home with us, and we have lovely memories of the shows that we watched or the ping pong that you played in the back garden or the walks that you went on.

Hear Me Roar (13:25)

Mm.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Michelle (13:42)

And it brought us together at a time when an 18 year old boy would ordinarily be out partying and having a few beers. So that was just a really lovely time. So by the time I knew he was about to leave, knew watching Strictly Come Dancing was never going to be the same again. My pal was leaving. Worse, he was leaving to go and study in Washington, DC. So that's the trouble.

Hear Me Roar (13:49)

Mm-hmm.

Aww.

⁓ wow.

Michelle (14:07)

when you've lived around the world, these kids become so independent and so globally minded that they think nothing of just like going off to study in the States, which is what he did. And I thought, what am I going to do? Because I've always been busy at school. I was arranging like the whole of senior year and...

bringing in food trucks because nobody could, know, nobody could, the parents couldn't go into the school and get involved. I was trying come up with all these creative ideas and it took up all my time. So I knew come the day that he graduated that I'm gonna have this massive amount of emptiness, I suppose, like a real empty nest as many of us would have at that time. And that is when I bumped into my neighbor Liz and we got chatting. She was facing the same thing.

Hear Me Roar (14:39)

Yeah.

Michelle (14:49)

And we thought about a sort of a business idea, a bit like you two, like, you know, just coming together and finding a bit of a soulmate in that area of your life at that time. And we used to laugh so much about different things. And one of our kids just said, you two should do a podcast. And that's how it came about really. So Liz had no experience of doing anything in production or behind a mic, but hats off to her. She really pushed herself to.

to learn how to interview and how to, like you're doing, you know, with the admin behind a podcast as well. It doesn't just show up on your podcast platform without an awful lot of work behind it. And that's what we did. So we worked on that together for a couple of years. And then last year she said, you know what, it's not really me. You know, I'm 60 now, I wanna play more golf. I wanna potter in the garden. I don't really want to push myself to interview people.

Hear Me Roar (15:23)

No.

you

Michelle (15:39)

and she is still living two doors away from me. She still helps me put my bins out if I'm away. So we get on great. It was a really mature way of handling it actually that I think we're both quite proud of. We didn't push it until we couldn't stand the sight of each other. We just were really honest and said, you know what, it's not really working for me. And that was it. And actually I kind of have, I'm really bad on taxes. Don't tell my husband, I'm hopeless, you know, keeping

Hear Me Roar (15:54)

No.

No.

Michelle (16:06)

records of finance and invoicing and all that stuff. But what I do love is chatting to people and interviewing them and talent booking and all that fun stuff and going to events. So yeah, I'm wagging my tail now. I'm having a really, really good time.

Hear Me Roar (16:12)

Yeah.

You

that's absolutely brilliant because it just sounds like you've found yourself, you've found your niche, you've found something that's for you that you're great at and that's filled that sort of empty space now that your children no longer need you type thing. And I must admit, I worry about.

Michelle (16:39)

and I'm proud of myself for that.

Sorry.

Hear Me Roar (16:42)

I was going to say, worry about what we're going to be like when our kids leave, not you, myself and my husband. We haven't got kids. Yeah, when Marie and I's kids leave. No I worry because all of a sudden it's just two of you and nobody else. you know, at the moment our son still lives at home and there's always cooking to be done, something to be done. I mean, yesterday we were...

all out, his girlfriend as well, and we all went out for the day. I think I'm going to really miss those things when he goes. really am. Well, you're not because you've got me and we're doing this. So we filled our empty nest before we've even gained the empty nest.

Michelle (17:20)

And you know what, if anybody's listening to that, or listening to this episode, I'd advise them to do the same thing. I've written a lot about the empty nest and finding the positive of it and being honest about those feelings that you are really sad, but you are allowed to feel really excited as well because all of a sudden, as you get used to not setting that extra place at the table, and it's just perhaps the two of you or one of you or whatever it is, you think,

Hear Me Roar (17:42)

Yeah.

Michelle (17:45)

I don't have to cook tonight. We can have a takeaway or we could have a city break because I don't have to be around for football on a Saturday anymore and I don't have to do this and I mean bigger kids, bigger problems of course you know when they go there's different things that could go wrong but it's also such a great time to find your relationship again and I really like you're doing by preempting the empty nest.

Hear Me Roar (17:51)

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Michelle (18:13)

it won't come as a drop off the cliff. It'll come as something that, okay, I'm ready for this because I am me and I'm proud of what I'm achieving. And I bet your kids are really proud of you too, Yvonne. I bet they're like, they look at you think, yeah, my mom's a podcast host and an author and an influencer on Facebook. So I think it's really important to get out there and show your kids that you're not moping around at home.

Hear Me Roar (18:16)

No.

you

Michelle (18:39)

 you don't have to become a podcast host. In fact, please don't everybody because we've already got enough midlife podcasts going on. But you know, go out and join a bike club or, you know, cold water swimming or find your tribe is what I'm trying to say. And there's, you know, it doesn't have to be the parents that you've been standing at the school gate with. You know, I always think that friends are there for a reason or a season and

Hear Me Roar (18:51)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Michelle (19:03)

You might, yeah, you two have come to know each other in the past, what, year and a half or something. Two years, but you'd think you'd known each other forever, right? Because you've been in your lives and you're doing so much together. But you can't foresee what you don't know. There's friends and opportunities and activities and exciting things to do that you've got no idea yet, but you have to keep the door open. So if you stay at home and binge watch TV, you're not going to find those new friends and hobbies and things that you would...

Hear Me Roar (19:07)

Two years. Yeah. ⁓

you

No.

Mm-hmm.

Michelle (19:32)

you know, talk to your kids about instead of saying, I really, really miss you. I don't go out anymore. I miss you. I miss you. They don't want to hear that. They want to hear that. Mommy's a podcaster or mom is, you know, taking on a new hobby and doing archery or, you know, training from couch to 5k. All of those things doesn't have to cost a lot of money either. It can just be something that maybe you sidelined because you've put

Hear Me Roar (19:36)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Michelle (19:55)

you as a priority low on the ladder for so many years and that's a great opportunity too at this time of our lives is that finally you know things that we may have thought I'm never going to get to do that well we're halfway through we're not halfway done I've said this before is that you know we've got lots of lots of years and decades to live so if you're just going to put everything down and start playing bingo well that's a choice. ⁓

Hear Me Roar (20:08)

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

It is.

Very wise. A lot of women, once we sort of hit 50, do lose confidence and do start to feel very invisible. And I think you have to fight almost to go against that and to decide that, I'm not going to be invisible and I am going to grab opportunities. I I'm always saying that on my page. Grab opportunities, whatever comes your way, just go for it. Say yes. Don't think, oh, I'm too old now. I can't do it.

Michelle (20:34)

Yeah.

Hear Me Roar (20:47)

So where do you think your confidence came from to launch into this this reinvention almost?

Michelle (20:52)

Well, it's funny you should say that because I'm not

always confident. In fact, I went to an event today and I have to steel myself to go to social things. I don't love walking into anything on my own. I really hate it. And, you know, I definitely like, my phone is my friend. Yeah, gosh, what a very, very interesting thing I can look at. I'm so important. I really need to look at all my messages right now. But I have pushed myself to...

I'm kind of competitive with myself too. Like, all right, go in there, say hello to three people. If you don't like any of those three people, you can go home. But you've got to go in there and say hello to three people and get three names. And then you can go. And usually when I've gone in there and I've taken a deep breath and I've looked for the open body language, I did a whole episode on how you do feel.

Hear Me Roar (21:26)

Mm.

Michelle (21:39)

awkward walking into a room and how to make small talk and how to look for that open body language and who is going to speak to you and how to get away from the ones that are really boring. Because you need to know that too, right? And I just think do that and then you can have a slice of cake or whatever you want to do. You can go home and read a book and not socialise. And today I met two or three, I met a couple of really nice people that I wasn't expecting to meet and

Hear Me Roar (21:49)

Yes.

Michelle (22:04)

I think the other thing that you need to know is that most people do not want to hear about you and once you're okay with that, ask them about them because that's what they really want to talk about is them and the more you talk about them the more likely you're going to find things that you have in common with them like, your kids are also at university at this age or wow you can, you you're a tightrope walker too, that's incredible. There'll be some like weird overlap that you think, they're not so bad after all, you know.

Hear Me Roar (22:09)

No.

Easy.

Do you find that people's attitudes to you have changed now that you're doing your podcast, you've interviewed a lot of famous people? Have other people's attitudes to you changed at all?

Michelle (22:48)

That's a good question isn't it because women can be funny like we want to rise each other up but actually when we do women think you think you're all that and a bag of chips don't you? We're a funny bunch because really we should be leaving the ladder down we should be saying hey look I'm up here come with me there's  room for everybody and one of the books that I listened to recently was The Let Them Theory have you heard about that one by Mel Robbins?

Hear Me Roar (22:59)

Yeah. ⁓

Hmm.

No.

Michelle (23:14)

Fabulous, fabulous book. I listened to it as an audio book in the car and it's really about, you can only control yourself and you can only, you can't control others at all, whether that's your husband, your kids or your friends or your family, whatever it is. And once you come to terms with that, it's like an enormous release. And I think in some ways,

that puts a smile on my face literally just remembering some of the words that she says because it released me. I'm always looking at myself thinking people don't like me, ⁓ I got such imposter syndrome for many years like I you know they're gonna not like me because you know I've had different people on my show I don't care anymore I don't care I'm really really proud of what I've done and the people that are proud of me they're my friends and

Hear Me Roar (23:45)

Hmm.

Yeah.

Yes.

Michelle (24:02)

they

are the supporters. if you're going to be toxic or talk behind my back, know, take a hike because I only want really and that's the other thing we in our fifties, we can make that choice. I think we're much, much better at valuing friendships that are real and less of them. I don't need 50 people or even 20 people to go to dinner with. If I can go to lunch with one good friend or two good friends that

Hear Me Roar (24:08)

Yeah.

Yes.

Michelle (24:28)

is more valuable to me than anything and I'd rather surround myself with less people and stop trying to people please all the time and fit in with everybody's arrangements and just sit in the garden with a glass of rose and chin wag with a real good friend. So I think that was like a remarkable release that I had earlier this year and it's taken me ages to realize that but I mean to your question do people treat me differently?

Hear Me Roar (24:37)

Yeah.

Michelle (24:55)

not really. mean, weirdly some people say, I know you from somewhere don't I? Like, I don't know, maybe. maybe it's because I was on that weight loss program on the telly but God that's so embarrassing. Yes, so embarrassing. The before picture. Did you know I did the Jane Plann ad?

Hear Me Roar (25:04)

Hahaha!

I know you were involved with Jane Plan. I didn't see you doing it. So the ad was on the telly.

Michelle (25:16)

No,

for the last three, four months, yeah, on like all the major networks. I never saw it once, neither did my mother. We are both furious. But all my friends did, they said, or worse, her friends at the residential homes did, and they were like, yeah, I saw you on the telly. She's like, I haven't. I know it's on the chaser, but I still haven't seen it. She was so mad.

Hear Me Roar (25:25)

you

Right,

get phone out and Google Jane plan advert.

Michelle (25:42)

well, lots of new things that I've, like you, just thought, why not give it a go?

Hear Me Roar (25:41)

Oh, do you feel it? you?

Yeah. One of the things I find weird when having done all the Facebook stuff and then when I became an author is when people go, yeah, I know who you are. I Googled you. I'm like, when people Google me, I find that really, really strange. Hey, you've made it when people are Googling you. I mean, you really have, you know.

Michelle (26:10)

Look at your platform! Between the two

of you, you're over 100,000 followers. You two are absolutely incredible.

Hear Me Roar (26:16)

We have good fun with it, we really do. And I feel really fortunate because I think that one of the things that tipped me into doing it was listening to my friends who were going, you should do it. Start a Facebook blog. And I was so glad that I listened to them. And so when other opportunities have come up and people said, you should go and do this.

I've consciously tried to listen to them. Yeah, just do it. Yeah. And I think as well, having that kind of cheerleading squad around you really, really helps. It really gives you the confidence. So when people say, I don't feel confident enough to do something, I will say build your cheerleading squad. Yes. Yes. Keep. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. A support group of

Michelle (26:59)

Yes. Yeah, your support group is so important, isn't it?

Hear Me Roar (27:07)

genuine people and genuine friends who really do want you to succeed and do want the best for you. Because that's not always a guarantee. Not everybody in your life is going to want that. And as you say, you get to the point where you can make these choices about who you want to spend your time with. And, you know, luckily for you, I've chosen you. So we're all good there. I feel so privileged. You are privileged, love.

Michelle (27:35)

Well you're very lucky because you know I think

I would never have started the podcast actually without Liz. And so I owe her big time for that because I needed a wing woman to keep me on track because sometimes it is hard and you know sometimes you do feel like what am I doing this for? You know I used to feel that a lot you know when you're building up an Instagram profile and you know social media can be really quite tough sometimes and if you've got a good friend who says pay it no mind don't worry about it we'll just do us this is it'll be fine.

Hear Me Roar (27:41)

Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Mm-hmm.

area

Michelle (28:07)

or

you know, it'll get better. And you do need somebody who's sort of in your boat with you, don't you? And I know that I'm quite a giver-upper. I've had like so many jobs over my lifetime. And I think that's partly to do with ADHD. And it's taken until my 50s to stick at something. Even my husband can't believe that I'm still doing this and I'm now in my ninth season. But I think it's because, you know, I finally understand myself a bit more. And I know

Hear Me Roar (28:14)

Yeah.

Michelle (28:35)

I can either be really busy and dynamic and achieve a ton in about an hour or I can be horizontal for four and play Candy Crush Saga and I have like nothing in between. I'm either full on turbocharged, everything can be achieved or I'm...

Hear Me Roar (28:51)

Thank

Michelle (28:56)

lazy as any it's not really lazy it's just I divert myself I you know things become overwhelming I can't even like pick a sock off the ground and my daughter says that and I never really understood and I thought yeah I walk past things all the time and I don't see them because they're not of interest to me you know zero interest but if something is of interest and I am so so passionate about the podcast and the radio that I now do though I just think yes I'm so into this

Hear Me Roar (28:57)

Yeah, just a bit checked out. Yeah.

Michelle (29:24)

and it's for me. I'm doing it because I love it and no one's expecting me to pass or fail. It's all down to me as to what I do with it.

Hear Me Roar (29:25)

Hmm.

Yeah, you've got you've got the book club as well, haven't you? And you come across because I've listened to your book club and you come across as just so interested and you've really done your research for those people for. So for somebody with ADHD, you're you're out there, you're doing quite detailed research.

Michelle (29:37)

Yes.

Hear Me Roar (29:55)

on your guests and particularly around the book club stuff because presumably you have to read all those books as well.

Michelle (30:02)

Can I tell you secret? There was one

interview when I hadn't read the book.

Hear Me Roar (30:06)

Shame, shame.

Michelle (30:07)

or least I hadn't finished it.

I finished it afterwards but I'd only got the book like a day before the interview so thank you chat GPT. I love you.

Yeah

Yeah, I can't believe how the book club has taken off actually because and I also I'm not setting myself out there to be some kind of I was actually sitting next to an event two or three days ago. I sitting next to the Sunday Times book reviewer, FT reviewer, the Telegraph, Daily Express, But I'm like, these are cerebral book reviewers. They they're academics. They know what they're talking about. But actually, that's not my that's not my thing. I'm there because I like books.

I like a good book and and I'm only ever going to come and talk to an author about

what lights me up, like what makes me cry at the end of a book, what makes me feel joy or what makes me see a movie or what makes me see a character come to life. So I'm not trying to be clever. but I'm just trying to be 50 year old me who likes a book on the beach or when I'm on a plane or something. So I hope that that comes across that that's, you know, I'm not trying to find like the underlying metaphor. I'm not trying to find

Hear Me Roar (31:09)

You're... It does.

No.

Michelle (31:16)

you know something clever about this. I'm just like it's a really good story and I really loved it.

Hear Me Roar (31:21)

And that's what I think most people read because they want to be entertained. and they want some emotions to be evoked from reading. So you wanna be excited, you wanna be happy, you wanna be sad, all those things.

Most people who reading a book are not sitting there, as you say, looking for the underlying metaphor. Doing a critique. Yeah. Like 99 % No, exactly. And most authors are not writing for those people. Some will and they'll go on, they'll win prizes, they'll do wonderful things. But the majority of authors, they just want to write a cracking story that people will love. that's, they are so happy.

Michelle (31:45)

We're not doing an A level on this stuff, are we?

Hear Me Roar (32:04)

that their books are being read. That's all they want. And I would imagine that the people who listen to your book club just want to know, did you enjoy it? Why did you enjoy it? And think, would I enjoy it? Would you recommend it? And they don't want it critiqued and pulled apart. They just want to know, is this a good book? Will I enjoy it? Yeah.

Michelle (32:22)

Exactly, no spoiler alerts. Yeah,

will I enjoy it on the beach? Will I enjoy it on the train?

and I, probably actually wouldn't have one on there that I didn't enjoy. So it's pretty much going to be a fairly positive, uplifting conversation between me and an author where I'm like, I like what you did there. It was really, really nice characters that you build and you know, why did, what gave you the inspiration to talk about astronomy or how did you do your research with? I've got one coming on, next week actually. And I know this won't go out for a while.

But,

The thing with authors, they are so wonderful about sharing their book because they want to get to another audience. And I had an idea for VE80 with the station, with the radio station, to celebrate with lots of listener memories and to do all sorts of war themed content. And I thought, The Alice Network, such a good book about female spies in France. wonder if she'd talk to me. She lives in Maryland outside of DC.

I

contacted her via her publicist. managed to track her down. That was on Thursday. By Monday, she was having an interview with me. I thought, you absolute star, you know, you've given up your time to be with me for a little radio station in Surrey, but you're willing to, you know, put yourself out there for the afternoon and have a chat with me about a book that actually didn't, you know, it hasn't, been out for seven or eight years now. So she's well moved on from all of those things. And that's what I love. The authors of

Hear Me Roar (33:30)

Wow.

Mm.

Michelle (33:50)

without

question just being so lovely to talk to.

Hear Me Roar (33:54)

And also you'll be giving her the chance to possibly bring her book to a new audience who might not have discovered it. True, yeah, very true.

Michelle (34:02)

Hopefully.

Hear Me Roar (34:03)

So we just need to know, Michelle, our quirky cocktail question. If you were a cocktail.

Michelle (34:07)

Yuck.

Hear Me Roar (34:10)

what would you be called and what would be your main ingredients and why and let me get my pen out to write this down because at some point we are going to make this so I hope you've not made it too powerful and toxic

Michelle (34:19)

how fun, I've got it here.

No,

no. So, yes, I was thinking about what I wanted it to be. So I thought my cocktail would be a mic drop martini. So it would be fun and bold, glamorous because of a gorgeous martini glass and ⁓ loosens the tongue for some great chat.

Hear Me Roar (34:34)

wow, that's great!

Hmm?

Hahaha!

Michelle (34:46)

And I would make that with vanilla vodka because it's got less calories than loads of wine, passion fruit puree because I've got a passion for life, a bit of lime juice because I have no filter, a little bit of simple syrup and then I would top that with a splash of Prosecco because who doesn't like life without bubbles?

Hear Me Roar (34:49)

⁓ nice.

one

You

Wow, I love it. It's like a porn star martini on steroids. We'll definitely be making that one. We definitely, think I'll like that one. Yeah. If I hadn't come today in the car, we'd have been making it now, frankly.

Michelle (35:14)

Yes.

I know I'm sitting

here with a glass of water thinking what I really want is a mic drop martini. I'll save that for another night.

Hear Me Roar (35:28)

Yeah, yeah, I love that name. Yeah,

Mic Drop Martini. Love it. Absolutely love it. Well, thank you so much, Michelle. We've learned a lot today and we've really enjoyed chatting to you because you just sit there and wise words come out. Yeah, fascinating to listen to.

Michelle (35:46)

I don't know about that, that's very kind. I just

don't stop. It's like verbal diarrhoea, I think. I just don't stop talking.

Hear Me Roar (35:52)

⁓ no,

not at all. Not at all. You are are truly are an inspirational woman. You've reinvented yourself. You've not shrunk away. You've blossomed into this new career. And it's so inspirational, isn't it?

Michelle (36:07)

You know, never ever did I think I would be a podcast host or on the radio in my 50s. So I think anybody can do anything if they put their mind to it.

Hear Me Roar (36:14)

No, but that's what's, yeah,

that's what's so inspirational. And just you think, you know, things don't have to end at 50 crack on, grab the opportunities. And as this episode is called, now is your time to shine and you are definitely shining. Get your fan out love. All right. Well, thanks very much.

Michelle (36:34)

I'm just a bit hot actually.

So lovely to talk

Hear Me Roar (36:42)

Michelle. Thank you.

Michelle (36:42)

to you too. You're going to have such a wonderful season and thank you for inviting me on. It's been an absolute pleasure to chat to you.

Hear Me Roar (36:49)

Thank you for joining us. Bye.