At 21, Amelia Sordell was a CEO with celebrity endorsements, front-page press, and a fast-growing fashion brand.

By 23, it had collapsed and with it, the identity she’d built around being “the young founder who made it.”

In this powerful and refreshingly honest conversation, Amelia, personal branding strategist shares what it really feels like to lose a business, why failure is not the opposite of success (but part of it), and how resilience is built in the messiest moments.

From Googling “the highest-paid job with the least experience” to transforming her recruitment career through personal branding, Amelia explains how showing up consistently, imperfectly, vulnerably, and authentically changed her life.

Together, John and Amelia explore:

• Why confidence comes after you start, not before

• The three unsexy ingredients behind sustainable success

• Why your personal brand is simply your “reputation at scale”

• The power of 10-second conversations in building confidence

• Why founders must be the face of their business

• What success really means once the money arrives

• And why doing one small thing daily beats any five-year plan

  
  

Amelia challenges the British discomfort around self-promotion, reframes vulnerability as strength, and shares how consistency over seven years built a multi-million-pound business, and a life designed on her own terms.

This episode is a masterclass in courage, identity, authenticity, and the quiet power of simply starting.

If you’ve ever feared failing…
If you’ve ever felt frozen at the first step…
If you’ve ever wondered whether putting yourself out there is worth it…

This conversation will change the way you think about success.

From a council estate to a $100 million exit, Andrew Hulbert’s story is the kind entrepreneurs dream about. But what happens when you actually make it?

In this powerful episode of Extraordinary Life Stories with John Reynolds, Andrew shares the journey from working-class roots and a dream at 15, to building a £50 million turnover facilities management business from his bedroom and retiring at 37.

He opens up about the sacrifices, the grind, the culture he built, and the eight-figure equity pot he gifted to his senior team.

Andrew reflects on preparing psychologically for life after the exit, working with a business psychologist before selling, and why so many high achievers struggle once they reach their “island.”

He talks candidly about missed moments with family, the pressure of leadership, and how annual challenges, from skydives to half marathons, kept him mentally sharp (and yes, how £25,000 worth of donuts helped him win £250 million in sales).

Now 39, financially free and no longer driven by the chip on his shoulder, Andrew is redefining success. Planting forests. Becoming one of the world’s most prolific blood donors. Reconnecting with his wife. Doing the school run. Finding joy in the ordinary.

This episode is about ambition, identity, sacrifice — and the unexpected truth that success isn’t the exit… it’s the cuddle before school.

If you’re chasing the big win, this conversation might just change how you see it.

At 17, James Roffey's dream of becoming a professional footballer was shattered overnight. What followed was a devastating loss of identity, anorexia, bulimia, and a near-death hospitalisation where his parents were asked to sign a do-not-resuscitate order.

But this is not a story about defeat.

It’s a story about rebuilding, from rock bottom to becoming a high-performance and mindset coach helping other men master resilience, discipline and purpose.

In this raw and powerful conversation, James opens up about:

• Losing everything he thought defined him

• The eating disorder that nearly cost him his life

• Masculinity, failure and the pressure on young men today

• Infertility, heartbreak and starting again

• Why resilience isn’t about “manning up” — it’s about doing the work

This episode is about identity, adversity, and the truth that sometimes your greatest setbacks become the foundation of your greatest strength.

If you’ve ever faced rejection, loss, or felt like you’ve lost your way this conversation is for you.

In this episode of Extraordinary Life Stories with John Reynolds, John sits down with Nicola Rabson, partner at global law firm Linklaters, to explore what it really means to lead in high-pressure, high-stakes environments, without losing your humanity.

Nicola describes her work not simply as employment law, but as advising people through their most significant “people crises”: moments that keep leaders awake at night and test organisations at their core. From handling some of the UK’s most high-profile and sensitive cases, including major discrimination, cultural investigations, and reputational crises, to navigating personal illness, parenthood, and the relentless demands of senior leadership, Nicola reflects with striking honesty and humility.

She speaks openly about empathy as a professional strength, questioning rigid rules, embracing change (even when it’s uncomfortable), and the responsibility senior leaders have to support the next generation, particularly women, in the workplace. Nicola also shares her concerns about AI and the future of the legal profession, the mental and emotional toll of complex cases, and the importance of carving out thinking time in a world competing for our attention.

This is a candid, thoughtful conversation about resilience, perspective, leadership, and defining success not by titles or outcomes, but by staying true to who you are along the journey.

In this episode of Extraordinary Life Stories, John Reynolds talks with Rory Sutherland.

Rory is a British advertising executive. He is the vice chairman of the Ogilvy & Mather group of companies and social media sensation.

Sutherland writes a fortnightly column in The Spectator and has written several books, including Alchemy: The Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

In this episode of Extraordinary Life Stories, John Reynolds talks with Damon Hill.

Damon is an English former racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from 1992 to 1999. Hill won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1996 with Williams, and won 22 Grands Prix across eight seasons.

In this episode of Extraordinary Life Stories, John Reynolds talks with Ruby Wax.

Ruby is an American-British actress, comedian, writer, television presenter, and mental health campaigner. A classically-trained actress, Wax came to prominence as a comic interviewer, playing up to British perceptions of the strident American style on television shows including The Full Wax. She was a script editor for the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.

In 2013, Ruby gained a master's degree in mindfulness based cognitive therapy from Kellogg College, Oxford. In 2015, she was appointed a Visiting Professor in Mental Health Nursing at the University of Surrey.

Wax was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Special Honours for services to mental health.

In this episode of Extraordinary Life Stories, John Reynolds talks with Rob Rinder MBE. Sometimes known as Judge Rinder, Rob a British criminal barrister and television personality.