The one thing you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision.
— Neil Gaiman, Make Good Art
My friend Sophie May was recently interviewed by Tasha Hargreaves for the Bold Brave Business Owners podcast. You can listen to the episode (“It’s more about progression than perfection”) here on Spotify. Sophie and I are relatively new friends, having met online a few months ago. I was fascinated to learn more of her personal journey and the digital marketing business she began earlier this year. Her hopes, vision, and passion came across powerfully and will undoubtedly be of interest and help to many. I look forward to showcasing more of her story and experience here at Gum on My Shoe in the near future.
It occurred to me that many of our friends and readers haven’t met me or Fran in person and may never have heard our voices. I thought it would be fun to share a few of our favourite speaking engagements. There’s a full list on our portfolio page so check that out if you’d like to hear more.
Radio Interview, Mentally Sound, Gravity Radio
In best Mary Poppins tradition let’s start at the very beginning. My interview with Steven Hesse and Sharon Race on the Mentally Sound radio show in May 2015 was the first time I’d spoken publicly about mental health, my friendship with Fran, or the book we were writing together. I was incredibly nervous but Steve and Sharon put me at my ease and I had a great time. My section begins at 27:00 but listen to the whole show because there’s some great content including poetry from the late Jules Clare aka The Jewelster. Jules shared some of his work here on our blog in a post appropriately titled Positivity Rules!
Steve must have thought I did okay — or at least that our story was interesting — because he invited me and Fran to appear on his personal podcast Geek Apocalypse. You can catch those episodes here and here. Our section of the latter episode starts at 2:00:40.
Book Readings at Newcastle Literary Salon
I read from our book on three occasions at the Newcastle Literary Salon in June, July, and September of 2016. The June event was the first time any of our book had been aired in public and my first open mic experience. The Literary Salon is no more but I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to share our words and message of hope and support.
Podcast Interview With Diane Atwood
In September 2015 Fran and I were interviewed by award-winning health writer and blogger Diane Atwood for her blog Catching Health. Diane interviewed us again in November 2016 after the publication of our book for the Catching Health podcast. That podcast episode is my personal favourite of the speaking engagements Fran and I have done together.
Guest Speaker for Talking FreEly
In November 2017 I attended the Talking FreEly event in Ely, UK as a guest speaker. The sound quality of the recording isn’t great but I want to include it because it was my first outing as a guest speaker at an event. It’s also a rare opportunity for you to see me looking halfway decent in a nice jacket! The theme of my talk was how you can be a supportive friend to someone living with mental illness, whether you live in the same town or thousands of miles apart. It was based on an article originally written for the No Stigmas Project and republished by The Mighty as 10 Ways to Support a Friend with Mental Illness When You’re Apart.
Podcast Interview with Sarah Fader
The final piece I’d like to showcase is with our friend Sarah Fader who interviewed us in September 2018 for her podcast This Is What Anxiety Feels Like. I love listening to this one. There’s a great dynamic between the three of us as Fran and I discuss our friendship and our book. Sarah, thank you. You brought out the best in us!
Further Listening
If you’d like to hear more of us check out our portfolio page and our YouTube channel.
Photo by Matt Botsford at Unsplash.
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