Embracing New Beginnings with Sam Walker

By being joined by the incredible podcast producers Sam Walker , award-winning broadcaster , presenter , host , lots of other things .

Yeah , I decided ages ago to come back to the UK for the first time since we moved for Christmas to see friends and family in London and then , of course , in Manchester and Leeds , so had a brilliant time there .

But then my mum has lived in Australia for the last 25 years and I thought you know what I'm kind of that side of the world , I'm going to go and see my Mars . My Mars not been very well for a while so I really wanted to make sure that I spent some time with her , you know one-on-one .

So headed down from London on the Dreamliner to Perth 17 hour flight man alive , goodness me , I know . Then back to London for Christmas and round Cambridge and then Manchester for New Year Went to see people in Leeds . Just amazing to see people . You know , living in the States has been an amazing , amazing experience .

But I really do miss people and I miss that northern warmth . I mean Americans are very warm people actually . I know they've kind of got different reputations depending on which part of the country they come from .

But you know , in the Southwest where I live , really warm , really friendly , that Southern hospitality but walking into like Sainsbury's in Manchester on the other tape being there , and just going , you all right , lovey , you all right , ah , love it , missed it , missed it a lot .

Someone once said to me when I was doing a podcast about parenting , that this is the era of the potted plant parenting , where you basically have to be like a potted plant in the corner of the room . The kids need to know that you're there , but they don't want you to actually interfere and do anything .

So it's that kind of weird where you're kind of on call and you have to be present and you're you know how was your date ? Fine , I'm not going to get out of them . You know I walk into my 16-year-old's room and she'll just look up from her computer as if say yes , and I'm like hi , darling , you all right ?

She's like yep , and she's how's that poised , look , and I'm like you just waiting for me to leave , aren't you ? She's like yep , and I'm like okay , I'm here if you need me .

So I think , even though they don't need you in the way that small children need you , still having that time on your own and being away and being on a plane , I'm thinking no one's going to ask me for anything , no one's going to ask me for the password to the Netflix account or where the sports kit is or anything like that , and so having that kind of

clarity of space is really good in those times . But you're right , I've also thought a lot and I think 2023 has been an insane year . I've had some amazing , amazing times . I've stepped out of my comfort zone in ways I never , ever thought I would .

I've had some really difficult times and continue to have some tough times , but you know , such is life , right , and we're all at the age now where I think , when we hit a hard season of our lives , we go , oh , I've been here before , it'll be okay , I'll get through it , and I know I'll get through to the other side .

But I think you know one thing I've done on those flights recently is do a lot of writing , and I remember I don't know if you remember , but the first time , I think I presented the Northern Power Women Awards back in Manchester . I talked about the fact I was writing a screenplay . And guess what ?

I'm still writing the screenplay , but I tell you what I had a huge hiatus in the middle . It's something I felt really passionately about . It's always I wanted to tell .

And then this year , I think , with everything else that's gone on and other ways that I've stepped out of my comfort zone and done things that terrified me , it's also given me that impetus to carry on with this and now I'm now calling it the screenplay that needs to get picked up because I don't have a pension .

So that's suddenly become this very urgent thing that not only do I need to finish writing , but someone needs to buy it because I don't have a pension . So it's kind of like when people go on and I think it was one of the oh , what's his name is a Scouse comedian , john Bishop .

He went on a tour , I think he said the wife needs a new kitchen , and that's what he called the tour and that's what I feel I'm in now . I'm in that I don't have a pension . I need to write this screenplay . Phase of my life .

I've always been a lent girl . I've always felt like New Year is not really realistic . But is that , is that kind of one of your goals ? Is that ? You know you've given it a name now .

I was not a runner , did not consider myself a runner , and then I was offered this opportunity and I just thought , if not now , then when , and if not me , then who ? It really was one of those moments of just got to grasp this now and just go for it .

And I did it and I ran the London marathon and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life . The training was horrific . I doubted myself all the time . I found it incredibly difficult . I didn't sort of reach a point where I went oh yeah , I get this , it's easy .

I found it so , so difficult and it was one of the greatest , greatest things I've ever done and that made me realize if you set your mind to something , you can pretty much do anything and I know it's a huge cliche and we can all say that , can't ?

We obviously set your mind to it , but actually doing it , actually walking the walk is very , very different from talking the talk , and you know , also this year I started to embrace more creativity in my life . So , yeah , my writing very much part of it .

I still love making podcasts , love running my business , what goes on media , but I started to do more creative things . So I took up the piano , I started writing a lot more and I started doing improv and acting courses and it's something I'd always thought about doing when I was younger .

But oh , why me and I want to be interested and you know all those voices in your head that come along and tell you to shut down that thing . You've always had a niche to do , so I ended up this year getting on stage and actually performing with other improvisers in America , which was just incredible , in front of audiences .

You know , it was all the terrifying things all at once and I've loved it and I thought you know what ? 2024 ?

I need to lean into all of this and just do more of the things that really do scare the pants off me , because when I do those things , I know now that's when I feel my best , I feel most myself and it's quite frustrating that I don't feel most myself when just sitting on the sofa watching tele-eating chocolate , because that would be much easier , but it

turns out I feel most myself when doing things that absolutely terrify me . So there you go . That's what I want to keep doing , and you talk about the marathon training about .

I couldn't run in the summer in Arizona , which really frustrated me , because it's 47 degrees . It drove me insane . And I can't run on a treadmill because nothing in life would make me more unhappy than running on a treadmill .

Um , but for me it was the let's keep seeing if I can get to the top of the mountain , even though every single step is really painful , because I just want to see if I can get to the top . And when I got to the top I realized every single step was worth it , every single step .

Running around London for five and a half hours in April last year was just one of the greatest . I can't even begin to explain it to you . It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life . Everyone is screaming your name . The crowd is just egging you on . They are , I mean we're not talking about . Oh , go on , sam , you can do it . We're talking .

Come on , sam , look at me , you can do it . These are like people you don't know . We're just like staring you in the eye , grabbing your arm , really egging you , and you're like this is incredible . Running over Tower Bridge , running past the house as a parliament . It's just the most amazing feeling .

And I remember it really struck me when I turned the corner on Birdcage Walk , just down from Buckingham Palace , and I saw the end line , the finish line of the bloody London Marathon in my sight . It was there , something I thought I would never get to , and the instant feeling I had in my head was oh no , it's gonna be over .

And that just knocked me for six and I went oh my gosh , I don't want this to end . Even though it's agony , you know , it's dreadful , I didn't want it to end . And crossing that line , it was euphoric and amazing , but I was also devastated because I was like can I do it again ? Can I do it again ? Can I do it again ?

And so that's what I'm trying to remind myself of . And I ran 10 miles the other day in 32 degree heat here in Australia , with no shade , and a venomous snake was on the path in front of me and it was awful . I was thinking what am I doing this for again ? But I know why I'm doing it because it's for that feeling and I can't wait , can't wait .

I forgot the name of the snake now , but I was like oh great , I looked it up and it was like you've got 15 minutes from when you get bitten . I'm like fine , I'm not fazed by snakes because of our own , but still I saw it and I was like give me a break . But I think the main thing to remember is don't be surprised when you're scared .

People say feel the fear , and do it anyway . You actually have to feel the fear and guess what that's frightening . And I think people go oh you're so brave , oh you're so courageous .

To somebody who does something outside of their comfort zone or climbs some incredible mountain or starts a business and puts their life savings into everything or whatever it might be , that person's scared . Being brave doesn't mean you're not frightened . Every single person who does something like that is really scared .

So when you start to feel that fear , don't think oh , there's something wrong here , because I shouldn't be feeling afraid . I should be feeling empowered or excited . No , you absolutely should be feeling afraid . Don't let that put you off , because that's what's gonna drive .

But somewhere in my head I would be invited to a party and there'd be a piano , when I'd play Beatles songs and everyone would sing and I'd be really happy . So that was this little silly vision I had in my head . With the improv , I mean , for the last 10 years , I mean , I did acting at university . I loved it so much I just fell out of it .

I was interested in improv , never got into it because I probably couldn't do it . You know what would I have to say ? I can't think of anything to say . And the whole time was in Manchester .

Every three or four months I would look up acting courses , improv courses , the whole time , and there would always be a reason not to do it , always be a reason I'm too busy , I've got too much on all my works and , predictable , I'm on the radio , I don't know when I'm gonna finish , blah , blah , blah .

And in the end it was actually my husband who you know , a year or so ago , bought me a course . And I can't tell you what I said when I opened up that envelope and it said there's a improv course . I actually went explicit , explicit , explicit , because I then realized I was gonna have to do it Because he'd paid for it and he'd bought it .

And I thought , oh no , oh no , I'm gonna have to do it . And I walked in and I was the only person over 25 . I was the only English person . There was all this kind of creative 20 year olds and I was thinking what this is a disaster and I just thought just do it , just do it , just do it for the experience and see how you go .

And then it turns out . I'm quite good at it . I didn't , you know . It took me a while , but I started to just really enjoy it and love it . And then I was approached by a professional level class who went no , it's invitation only , but this is in profit performance , so we have to perform at the end of it .

It's not just a class you're doing for the fun of it , there's a show . Would you like to do it ? And I thought , oh no , why would I wanna do that ? Stand up in front of people . Anyway , I did it anyway because I just really loved it . And before every single show I literally think why am I doing this , why am I doing this ? This is a terrible idea .

Who's my ? Oh , this is awful . And then I do it and I love it and it just brings me great joy . So I think again , you've just got to choose the things that bring you joy , with no agenda of this is going to lead here or do this , or make me into this person , just do it because you love it .

Your vision of success , your version of success is not the same as somebody else's . Someone might say it took you five and a half hours to run the London marathon . Oh , I did it in four . Oh , you're on your hands and knees , oh , you use . You know , I literally don't care less what anyone else did in the London marathon .

I ran a bloody marathon , I did it , and that for me . I don't care how long it took me . And this really realization came to me quite late in life and I remember when I was still on five live presenting there and I spoke to a woman who's photo went viral because she was a woman in her later 40s and she'd never done any exercise in school .

You know , so many girls drop out of sport in school and then don't really get back to exercising again . And she decided to do a park run and it's a five kilometer park run . And she did it and it took her absolutely ages that was her own words .

And then when she crossed that finish line , the look on her face , she was absolutely euphoric and that photo went viral . And I said , and she said , oh , I just love it now because I just go out and enjoy it . She said , oh , and I walk .

All right , if I'm feeling a bit tired , I might walk the whole 5K , or I might run the whole 5K , or I might run in a bit of a walk . And she said , because it's my time and I get to choose what to do with it .

And I think that's the thing , and I think I'd held myself to this ridiculously high standard that if I didn't run in marathon in under four and a half hours , what's the point of doing one ? Or if I was gonna do a park run , if I couldn't run all the way , what's the point of doing it ?

If I didn't go to the gym five times a week and only went twice , what's the point of doing it ? Who's saying these standards ? Who's deciding ? These are the rules and regulations ? Nobody but you . So actually give yourself a break every time . Sometimes I've gone out on a run . I went to the run . The other day it was six miles .

After two and a half miles , I felt awful and I thought you know what . You don't need to prove anything . Go back home , you've done enough for today . Your body's telling you I don't wanna do anymore today . I can't do anymore today , not like oh , this is hard , but I can't do anymore . Listen to yourself and I would come .

I'm not beating myself up because I still ran two and a half miles . I mean hello . So again , find your reason that you wanna do something . Does it make you feel alive ? Does it give you time away from your family ? Does it give you some headspace ? Does it make you feel physically stronger or mentally stronger ?

Find your reason , and once you have your reason to do something , that's all you ever need . There's nothing else that needs to be considered .

I love these little quotes and soundbites . We feel like we need a whole tote bag and t-shirt range or some of the top tips and advice .

Sam , thank you so much for joining us today and wishing you the most magnificent and powerful 2024 for you . Happy New Year to you , mrs . It's lovely to see you All right back at you and I hope that you loved hearing some of Sam's top tips , advice and guidance and how to ace not even how to ace how do you do you on your 2024 New Year resolutions .

Thank you so much for listening . Please do stay connected on all of our socials at North Power Women on Twitter and Northern Power Women on all the other ones . Leave us a review podcast at northernpowerwomencom and sign up and find out everything that we've got going on across Northern Power Women and the Power Collective at our digital hub . We are powernet .

We cannot wait to keep sharing our great inspiration with you each week on our podcast during 2024 . Thank you so much . My name is Simone . It's the Northern Power Women podcast . What goes on media production .