Stories From Behind the Mask - The parts we edit out
Step behind the polished surfaces and curated feeds. This is where we hear the stories we usually keep to ourselves — the doubts, the triumphs, the moments that shaped us. Each episode, I sit down with bold entrepreneurs, creators, and change-makers to uncover the parts they’ve edited out, the truths they rarely share, and the lessons that transformed them.
If you want to see people as they really are — messy, human, and extraordinary — this is your front-row seat.
Stories From Behind the Mask - The parts we edit out
Episode 2 - Charlotte Saunders - Breathwork Coach
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Rebellion, Breath & Becoming Fully Visible
For much of her life, Charlotte Saunders wore the “good girl” mask - compliant, over-giving, striving to be palatable and approved of. On the surface, she was a successful bookkeeper and business owner. Underneath, she was quietly suffocating a deeper truth: that she was here to heal, guide, and walk others home to themselves.
In this episode of UNMASKED, Charlotte shares the long, layered journey that brought her back into alignment with her soul. Charlotte speaks candidly about how these moments didn’t shrink her - they sharpened her. They became the compass that led her away from conformity and towards rebellion in service of healing.
We explore her radical career shift from forensic psychology into breathwork, firewalking, and embodied transformation - sparked by a single, life-altering breathwork session that cracked her open and changed everything. Now a breathwork coach and firewalking instructor, Charlotte is stepping into her next evolution: training others to do this work while completing her Master Healer studies.
Together, we talk about unmasking at midlife - what it really means to stop performing, stop pleasing, and start prioritising self-alignment. Charlotte reflects on embracing her neurodivergence without labels, finding deep acceptance within her family, and the profound symbolism of physically creating and removing a mask during the UNMASKED experience. A moment of full visibility. No pretence. No apology.
This conversation is about visibility as liberation. About dropping roles. About choosing authenticity - slowly, bravely - and trusting that the right people will meet you there. Charlotte’s story is a reminder that living in alignment with your soul isn’t just transformative… it’s freeing.
If you'd like to follow Charlotte or get in touch her links are below
www.lottiesaunders.com
www.instagram.com/charlottesaundersbreathandfire
https://www.facebook.com/charlotte.saunders.96
www.joannawoodphotography.co.uk
www.instagram.com/joannawoodphotography
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-wood-photography-6747a7235/
https://www.facebook.com/joanna.wood.13/