Book Club Meets: First loves and sliding doors, with Clare Leslie Hall

23 year old Brandon is the regional winner of the Enterprise category at the 2025 King's Trust Awards. In this chat with Fearne, Brandon explains how, before starting his braille business with the help of The Trust, he had applied for over a thousand jobs without any success. He always struggled to get past the interview stage either due to a lack of experience or due to his visual impairment.   Fearne and Brandon explore misconceptions about his visual impairment, the importance of supportive mentorship, and why starting a business has to come with some hilarious trial and error!   Plus, Brandon tells the story of how not being able to access shower instructions led to him setting a hotel fire alarm off, proving just how vital it is that public spaces are accessible for everyone.   ...and stick around to the end of the episode because there’s a big surprise in store for Brandon!   All Things Dotty makes accessible products for visually impaired people, their families, and businesses – everything from braille menus and greetings cards, to colouring books and art work. You can visit the website here! Find out more about The King’s Trust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you find yourself running a mental list of what you’ve got to do tomorrow...next month... instead of living in the moment? Comedian and presenter Joel Dommett is getting better at appreciating the present. In this chat, Fearne and Joel debate if it’s a good or bad thing to set career goals, and explore how to focus on the process rather than an outcome. Joel also has some advice about faking confidence in order to build it, and explains why his marathon efforts brought out his shadow side... Plus, Joel justifies some of his more questionable tattoos, and reveals some big behind the scenes gossip from The Masked Singer! Joel’s Happy Idiot tour has been extended into the autumn; get your tickets here.   If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:   Mo Gilligan   Julian Clary   Joanne McNally   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who would you choose to be if you weren’t shit scared about what other people might think about you? Writer and speaker Natalie Lue has noticed that people pleasing is often a response to anxiety. In this chat with Fearne, Natalie explains how when you desperately people please, you’re putting your self-esteem on the chopping block. In becoming disassociated from your “no” you become disassociated from your needs, desires, opinions, and limits. Natalie talks through the five ways people pleasing might show up in your life, including ‘efforting’ (e.g. over-achieving at school and work), and ‘saving’ through trying to fix other people’s problems. Plus, a word of warning that pushing past your mental and emotional limits can lead to physical health issues. Natalie’s book, The Joy of Saying No, is out now. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Saying No: More Boundaries, Less People Pleasing The Good Girl Rebellion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you feel deep injustice at how others treat you? Mel Robbins is an award-winning podcast host and best-selling author; she says if other people want to behave in a shitty way... let them! In this chat with Fearne, Mel explains the difference between saying “let them”, and letting people walk all over you. She talks about how “let them” doesn’t make your problems disappear, but you’ll see them differently so they’re less distressing to you. The phrase will also make you feel more confident in your authentic self-expression. Feeling victimised? Stop hoping you can change a bully’s behaviour. Mel also explains how to use the phrase “let me”. Let me recognise what I can change about the situation or change about how I respond. Remember you have the power to leave any dinner table or any message exchange at any point. Plus, why you should listen to your jealousy; it’s telling you a lot about your desires and ambitions... Mel’s best-selling book, The Let Them Theory, is out now. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: The Good Girl Rebellion Estelle Bingham TJ Power   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two writers are competing for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a famous reclusive heiress. One of them is going to uncover the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th century. The thing is, heiress Margaret is giving each writer different tantalising little pieces of her story... Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry was May’s Happy Place Book Club read. In this chat with Fearne, Emily explains why she’s intrigued by the idea of generational trauma affecting our day to day, and why it’s important to interrogate where your sense of ambition comes from. Is your drive coming from within, or are you trying to prove something to someone? Plus, Fearne and Emily explore why reading fiction is such a brilliant way to examine your own opinions, values, and moral tendencies through how you react to the characters. Thank you to Penguin Audio for the use of Great Big Beautiful Life audiobook, narrated by Julia Whelan. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:   Listen to Book Club Meets: Lorna Tucker   Listen to Book Club Meets: Clare Leslie Hall   Listen to Book Club Meets: Holly Bourne Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.