What we cover

• Turning 40 life was great, Emma composed a 40 things at 40 list
• How Emma was just starting back to work after a long Maternity leave with her youngest, when she received a devastating blow
• Feeling sad for her children and the fear for them possibly having to grow up without a mum
• How having 2 young children kept her going through sick leave as it got her up in the morning
• Having Chemo enabled Emma to live one day at a time and taught her to slow down
• Turning her journal in to a book as a reminder of her thoughts and to help anyone else who is going through a tough time or supporting someone through a tough time

More about Emma

Emma lives with her husband Darren, small humans Chloe and Toby and fur baby Arthur in Devon. Lawyer by day, representing nurses subject to fitness to practise proceedings, she is now an author by night having written and shared here story following an unexpected triple negative cancer diagnosis in 2019. Throughout her cancer treatment Emma found it cathartic to journal as a way of emptying her head. She was also sending weekly mini blogs to her friends and family and after calls of ‘You should write a book’ she thought ‘I bloody will’. And has. ‘Take my hair (but not my humour): one mum’s journey seeing off breast cancer’ was self-published on the 1st October 2020. It’s a ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ style journey of Emma’s journey through breast cancer treatment sharing the highs, the lows and everything in-between. Wanting to give back to FORCE Cancer charity (a fantastic charity that helped both Emma and her mum through ‘the shit sandwich situation’) she donates £2 from every paperback sold. Emma hopes that by sharing her stories she can hold the hand of others going through similar big life experiences but also their loved ones who may be looking in and wondering how they can help. Emma’s eBook became an Amazon number 1 best seller. You can buy special edition copies, with photos, directly from Emma by emailing her emma@lightboxblogger.co.uk. You wont get that from Amazon!

Contact details:

 @lightboxblogger

https://www.lightboxblogger.co.uk

Mpower resources

Discover Mpower’s free Bounce Back resources here - www.mpower.academy/freeresources

For more information on Mpower and your host Nicola Huelin Mpower founder, business coach & mentor, TEDx speaker and author of The Invisible Revolution visit www.mpower.academy/about

If you’re interested in being a guest on the show visit: www.mpower.academy/podcastguest

In collaboration with...

Bounce - Living today, protecting tomorrow

When I met Ashley, the CEO of the insurance company Bounce, and Rachel Brookes, the Network Development Manager, it was clear from the start that Bounce and Mpower share similar values around empowering others (particularly mothers) and creating opportunities to flexibly combine earning a great living with motherhood.

Bounce not only provides people with the right insurance products to protect their families, health and business they are also hugely passionate...

What we cover

• Overcoming the feeling of isolation whilst pregnant in hospital for 159 days and knowing what was going on but not being able to do anything
• In 2016 Ruth was diagnosed with a bad case of the flu, however after fighting to be referred, this turned out to be a lump in Ruth's throat
• 2020 saw Ruth going back on the front line in nursing, however 2 weeks later Ruth was infected with Covid which in turn infected her son. Ruth felt an enormous guilt when her son was infected and had to find the strength to get better and to rebuild her life
• Turning these tough times into something incredible
• Remembering that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness 

More about Ruth

Ruth Oshikanlu is The Pregnancy Mindset Expert and enables women (and their partners) who are have had pregnancy loss or assisted conception, enjoy their pregnancy without fear. A multi award-winning expert nurse, midwife, health visitor and parenting coach, she has supported thousands of women from preconception, pregnancy, labour and childbirth, the postnatal period and beyond. Ruth previously roles include: working as a HIV specialist midwife and Family Nurse on The Department of Health’s Family Nurse Partnership programme. She is passionate about supporting marginalised groups supporting parenting before conception. Ruth is the author of Tune In To Your Baby: Because Babies don’t come with An Instruction Manual. She is a speaker, mentor, has presented at numerous national and international conferences and guest lectures at several universities on the subject of parental-foetal attachment. Ruth is a Queen’s Nurse, Fellow of The Institute of Health Visiting, Fellow of The Royal College of Nursing and Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts. She is the recipient of several national healthcare and business awards. Ruth is a regular columnist and has published several feature articles in numerous national nursing and healthcare journals. She also judges on numerous healthcare and business awards. Ruth was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year 2019 Honours List for being an Ambassador for the Health Visiting Profession and for services to Community Nursing, Children and Families. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship. Ruth is a solo and soulful mama with an infectious smile.

Contact details:

https://www.tuneintoyourbaby.com

@RuthOshikanlu

Mpower resources

Discover Mpower’s free Bounce Back resources here - www.mpower.academy/freeresources

For more information on Mpower and your host Nicola Huelin Mpower founder, business coach & mentor, TEDx speaker and author of The Invisible Revolution visit www.mpower.academy/about

If you’re interested in being a guest on the show visit: www.mpower.academy/podcastguest

In collaboration with...

Bounce - Living today, protecting tomorrow

When I met Ashley, the CEO of the insurance company Bounce, and Rachel Brookes, the Network Development Manager, it was clear from the start that Bounce and...

What we cover

• How love at first sight and moving in with the man who claimed to love and care for Sam quickly turned into her being abused, controlled and manipulated
• Losing the job Sam loved due to being locked inside her flat
• How Sam felt that by doing everything perfectly for her abuser meant she was safe for another day
• The impact of being controlled and abuse left Sam losing her identity, friends, family and her job
• How being slapped whilst holding her 10 month old daughter was Sam's breaking point
• The importance of raising awareness of domestic abuse and how recognising the subtle signs could help save someone else

More about Sam

Abused, controlled and manipulated by the man who claimed to love her. Sam Billingham lost her job when her perpetrator locked her in the flat and threw her mobile phone out of the window. She was timed when she went to the toilet, there were always consequences whenever she contacted her mum, her clothes cut up and perfume sold if she dared to leave. Her perpetrator slapped her for the last time in November 2006 when he split her lip as she held their 10-month-old daughter in her arms. She was dragged through the Family Court when the violent alcoholic applied for contact and parental responsibility. Sam had to undertake an alcohol, substance misuse and psychological test - even though she was a victim of domestic abuse and her perpetrator was using his own daughter as a weapon to still control her. In May 2009 Sam set up her own support group called SODA, which provides ongoing aftercare and support to those who have experienced domestic abuse. She donates her time and experience to raise awareness and reduce isolation. Sam has many platforms where she shares her personal experience to raise awareness for others. She writes a regular column for a local newspaper, she is an Ambassador for a local domestic abuse charity and soon will have her own weekly radio slot, whilst still running her online support group. Sam is now in a happy place as a full time mum and part time administrative assistant.

Contact details:

https://www.sodahq.uk

@sammieb1980

Mpower resources

Discover Mpower’s free Bounce Back resources here - www.mpower.academy/freeresources

For more information on Mpower and your host Nicola Huelin Mpower founder, business coach & mentor, TEDx speaker and author of The Invisible Revolution visit www.mpower.academy/about

If you’re interested in being a guest on the show visit: www.mpower.academy/podcastguest

In collaboration with...

Bounce - Living today, protecting tomorrow

When I met Ashley, the CEO of the insurance company Bounce, and Rachel Brookes, the Network Development Manager, it was clear from the start that Bounce and Mpower share similar values around empowering others (particularly mothers) and creating opportunities to flexibly combine earning a great living with motherhood.

Bounce not only provides people with the right insurance products to protect their families, health and business they are also hugely passionate...