Chloë is best known for her leadership in the creator economy as the founder and CEO of SHFT, a talent agency she grew into a multi-award-winning, 6-figure business while advocating for fairness, inclusivity, and integrity across the industry. In 2024 she was recognised on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her impact in influencer marketing and entrepreneurship.
Last year, Chloë chose to exit her company, take a break and channel her expertise into coaching. She now works as a Mindset and Business Coach, supporting entrepreneurs, leaders, and creatives to build clarity, confidence, and sustainable success.
I don’t think we hear enough empowering stories of successful founders stepping away from their businesses. The narrative seems to simply be that we should build and gain recognition and money - but what happens next? What happens when you outgrow that idea you had in your early 20s, or when you don’t feel challenged or fulfilled anymore? Leaving a successful business means going against the grain of our culture in so many ways - and then what do you do with that newfound space?
In this episode we cover:
Growing up in Peckham & young entrepreneurship
Dance & the creative importance of hobbies
Carving a path in influencer agencies
Black Lives Matter: her turning point
Creating SHIFT , success stories & Forbes 30u30
Waking up unhappy at 30
Autism & ADHD diagnosis
Why and how she left her business
What she did while off social media
Why coaching is her next move
Mentions:
Laban Dance School - https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/
Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli (2001)
Stefanie Sword-Williams is an award-winning founder, speaker and author of the book F*ck Being Humble: Why self-promotion isn’t a dirty word. A global mission, movement and training consultancy inspiring individuals to be unapologetically proud of their achievements and overcome the fear of self-promotion.
She has spoken at the offices of Apple, Netflix, Unilever, Nike, Google, L’oreal and Microsoft, at Universities for the Wharton Business School in New York to London College of Fashion, trained over 700 people in her Side Hustle School programme, has been Forbes 30 under 30, recently won the ‘Future is Female’ LinkedIn award for her positive contributions and impact on the industry and did a TEDx on why the world needs to be less humble.
Stef’s support towards those who were unemployed during the pandemic led to her being invited to become a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts and she continues to reinvest profits and time into community projects to help improve the lives of many.
Her new book is called The Career Comedown.
In this episode we cover:
Mentions:
Surreal - cereal brand
Tiny Experiences by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Links:
Karimah Hassan is a British-Yemeni artist, writer and performer whose practice spans large- scale painting, spoken word, and socially-driven storytelling.
Trained as an architect but called to storytelling, she paints large-scale portraits that vibrate with colour, emotion, and spirit. Her work has been exhibited across London, New York, Toronto, and the Middle East, with collectors ranging from Vogue editors to global institutions. Karimah’s art is an invitation: to belong, to feel, to show up. Through her spoken word performances, poetic newsletters like The Gremlins, and weekly 'poem casts', she explores the complexities of identity, visibility, and healing. Her practice is communal and grounded, often unfolding in public spaces with people watching, contributing, or simply witnessing.
Karimah’s redefinition of success isn’t measured in accolades — but in connection, in creativity without compromise, and in returning again and again to the joy of making. On The Slow Down, she speaks on finding rhythm in chaos, why beauty is an act of resistance, and how to stay soft in a world that demands you harden.
In this episode we cover:
Mentions:
The Artist’s way, Julia Cameron
Letters to a Young Poet - Rilke
Inception (2010)
City of God (2002)
Rothko room at the Tate
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/karimah.hassan/?hl=en
https://www.karimahhassan.com/
Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue.
Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN
New member of the prestigious NatGeo Explorers: listen to Alice Aedy share her journey and mission on climate and social justice storytelling. Saving the planet is now, in part, a communications challenge and Alice Aedy has risen to the occasion.
Alice Aedy is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and co-founder of Earthrise Studio — a creative agency focused on climate and social justice storytelling. With a camera as her entry point into activism, Alice has travelled from refugee camps in Europe to the frontlines of climate change around the world, capturing stories that cut through apathy and ignite action. Her work has been featured in Vogue, The Guardian, and The New York Times, and she’s collaborated with organisations like the UN Refugee Agency and Extinction Rebellion. But beyond powerful visuals,
Alice is also deeply reflective — asking not only what kind of world we’re building, but how we live and work as changemakers within it. In a world addicted to speed and profitability, Alice represents a new kind of leadership: intentional, collaborative, and rooted in purpose. On The Slow Down, she opens up about the personal cost of urgency, her creative process, and how redefining success means honouring your values as much as your voice.
In this episode we cover:
Mentions:
Photograph of Alan Kurdi
Photo journalist Anastasia Taylor- Lind
Museum of the UN
Earth Percent
Seat at the Table - Earthrise Studio
The Salt Of The Earth - documentary on Sebastião Salgado
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/aliceaedy/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/earthrise.studio/?hl=en
Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue.
Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN
Sarah Langford is a former criminal barrister turned regenerative farming advocate, writer, and mother of two. After years in the courtroom, she traded legal briefs for muddy boots, returning to her family’s land to learn how to heal both soil and society. Her acclaimed book Rooted weaves personal experience with the future of sustainable farming in Britain and has become a rallying cry for a more conscious relationship with land. Sarah now bridges two worlds—justice and agriculture—bringing insight, clarity, and urgency to conversations around food, climate, and rural resilience. Her legal career is coming full circle as she works and advocates for agricultural justice in Britain.
In this episode we cover:
Mentions:
In Your Defence - Sarah Langford
Sarah’s piece in the FT on wellness culture and farming: https://www.ft.com/content/ba2c3d35-7428-4e3b-9630-468498cdbbca
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahlangfordwrites/?hl=en
Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue.
Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN
‘In my mind, people didn’t change the world by becoming a parent at 22’ - but that’s exactly where Catherine found herself while at drama school and working for the UN.
Catherine Joy White is an award-winning actor, author, filmmaker, gender advisor and Honorary Fellow of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. Her debut 2023 book This Thread of Gold reclaims the narratives of extraordinary Black women throughout history and is currently being adapted into a feature film. She published her second book, Rebel Takes: On the Future of Food in October 2024. Her debut screenplay, the multi-award winning Fifty-Four Days, which she also directed and starred in was selected for over 50 film festivals worldwide, won the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Diversity in Cannes showcase and is now available to watch on all American Airlines flights.
As an actor she is in the upcoming Season 4 of a HUGE Netflix show (to be announced very soon!) and is currently filming Black Samphire - a film raising awareness around water pollution, starring Cathy Tyson and Stephen Fry, with several other projects on the go.
Catherine regularly gives talks on gender and race equality ranging from UK media appearances to international organisations such as the African Union and the UN Human Rights Council. Her work has been featured in Refinery 29, Metro, BBC, Rolling Stone, Variety and the World Humanitarian Forum. She is a proud ambassador for PAPYRUS, the UK's national charity for the prevention of young suicide. Through film, literature, and activism, Catherine is reshaping the cultural landscape with grace and grit, inspiring a new generation to tell their stories unapologetically.
In this episode we cover:
Mentions:
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/catherinejoywhite/
Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue.
Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN
‘I want my GP to be happy. I don’t want them overworked and unhealthy - but that seems like a weird notion in our society.' This was the thought that sent Dr Monika Sharma down a road of discovery, backlash and ultimately personal fulfilment.
Dr. Monika Sharma is a London-based NHS General Practitioner (GP) and certified Level 3 Personal Trainer with a passion for holistic health and well-being. She shares the highs and lows of life in medicine with over 140,000 followers on Instagram. As a health advocate, Dr. Monika bridges the gap between medical advice and real-world application, making healthcare accessible, relatable, and actionable for her community. Known for her honest takes on burnout, boundaries, anxiety and beauty standards, she’s redefining what it means to be a modern doctor.
In this episode we cover:
Mentions:
Severance (TV series, 2022)
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/lifewithdoctormon/
Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue.
Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN
From Freuds, to Bumble to Headspace to CLUE: Louise Troen’s non-linear career journey from PR to mission-driven tech, equity and body autonomy is one you have to hear.
Louise Troen is the CMO of Clue - the female-founded cycle and fertility tracker, with over 100 million downloads to date. Previously, Louise was VP of Marketing at Bumble and Headspace where she led international growth, Global brand marketing and strategic communications. She is passionate about women’s rights to health equity and body autonomy, and has been vocal throughout her career on the role brand and marketing play in creating a more equitable world for all.
In this episode we cover:
Moving to LA to do PR for Paris Hilton, Afrojack and Jean Simmons (KISS).
The ‘just start’ mentality
The power of naivety
The tendency to overwork when you love the work
Detoxing between work sprints
The practicality of work-life balance
What if women worked with their period cycles?
Mentions:
Make the Ordinary Come Alive - William Harris
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/clueapp/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-troen-1895a235/
Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue.
Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN
Meet solo female founder Valentina Milanova. Creator of the Diagnostic Tampon and the CBD Tampon.
After years of hard work in an underfunded industry - Valentina shares her experience and desire to 'de-glamorize' the founder experience.
She is the founder and CEO of Daye, a gynae health, research and development company seeking to close the gender health gap with proprietary medical and diagnostic devices aimed at common, yet under-served gynae health conditions, ranging from period and pelvic pain to cervical cancer prevention. Valentina's research has been published in The Journal of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders as well as The Journal of Human Reproduction. Valentina was featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 two years running (!), and The Daye Diagnostic Tampon was named as Invention of the Year by TIME Magazine in their 2024 list.
In this episode we cover:
Being brought up to be the ‘perfect little immigrant’
Starting a business using credit card debt
The harrowing experience of launching during COVID
Healing trauma as a company
Ending Cervical Cancer by 2040
Seed Syncing for your cycle
Being a recovering workaholic
Mentions:
East of the West - Miroslav Penkov
Anastasia - Disney Film
Ophelia - painting by Sir John Everett Millais
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-milanova-🇺🇦-13899564/
https://time.com/7094682/daye-diagnostic-tampon/
Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue.
Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN
I have something unusual for you today. An interview with me!
I was interviewed on Asim Amin’s podcast Immigrants Building Companies. It was an opportunity to really reflect on my immigrant experience and what it offered me: the good, bad and ugly. I also share my full career journey, my burnout experience and my turning point for a desire to re-define success for myself.
Asim Amin is a wonderful listener and incisive interviewer. No pre-shared questions, just a natural flow. If you like this episode check out his podcast, Immigrants Building Companies, and if you’re listening on Spotify - leave a comment. Enjoy.
Sam Lee is a Mercury Prize-nominated folk singer, conservationist, and founder of The Nest Collective, an organization dedicated to revitalizing folk music and connecting people to nature through cultural experiences. Renowned for his rich baritone voice and commitment to preserving traditional songs, Sam's work bridges the gap between ancient folk traditions and contemporary audiences, fostering a deeper appreciation for cultural heritage and environmental stewardship.
In this episode we cover:
Entry into the world of folklore
The importance of mentorship
Finding ways to tell stories that move people to action
Singing with Nightingales
Mentions:
Stanley Robertson
Fire in the Mountain Festival
Nest Collective
Singing with Nightingales
Canadian Film Board 80s anthropology documentary
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/samleesong/
http://samleesong.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/singingwithnightingales/
Tamu Thomas is the author of Why Women Work So Much and a passionate advocate for joyful living, boundaries, and sustainable success. She challenges the burnout culture and toxic productivity that so many women find themselves trapped in and explores how we can redefine ambition, rest, and self-worth beyond productivity. As a qualified social worker, somatic coach and public speaker, Tamu challenges the pervasive culture of burnout and advocates for a more balanced approach to ambition and self-care.
In this episode we cover:
The immigrant experience
Anxiety attacks & how we get there
How to approach your relationship with work differently
Effort precipitates ease - create systems for success
How to Slow Down but also pay the bills
Why productivity hacks for men don’t work for women
The myth of the martyr mother
How to self-regulate
How to part with compassion
Mentions:
Why Women Work So Much - Tamu Thomas
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Life is What you make it - Frighty & Colonel Mite
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/tamu.thomas
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamuthomas/
Cover photo image credit: Vicki Knights photography
Douglas McMaster is a pioneering British chef renowned for championing sustainable dining. His culinary journey includes tenures at esteemed establishments such as St. John, The Fat Duck, and Noma. In 2014 he opened the world's first zero-waste restaurant, Silo, initially established in Brighton and later relocated to London's Hackney Wick. Silo operates on a pre-industrial food system, utilizing techniques like fermentation, pickling, and preserving to ensure every ingredient is fully utilized. Beyond the kitchen, he shares his philosophy through public speaking engagements, including a TED Talk titled 'Waste Is a Failure of the Imagination,' and contributes as a faculty member at the MAD Academy, inspiring future culinary leaders to rethink food systems and sustainability.
In this episode we cover:
A digression on our TEDx talks
Being raised in a house without electricity
What it means to feel psychologically ‘full’
How not feeling good enough can fuel you
From pot-washer to chef at St John, The Fat Duck and Noma
Why neurodivergence is so common in kitchens
The risks that come with diverging from the norm
World tour of restaurants that think differently
What happens when someone sees potential in you and stokes it
Why does waste exist and how to get rid of it?
The best shortbread of his life
What Douglas has been building with Silo
Leading with creativity and innovation
Why there is no such thing as cheap food
The power of storytelling for business
Building a new system within a broken system
Mentions:
Restaurants: St John’s, The Fat Duck, Noma
Joost Bakker - Australian zero-waste activist, artist and designer
The One Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/mcmasterchef/
https://www.silolondon.com/
Molly Johnson-Jones is the co-founder and CEO of Flexa, a platform that showcases companies offering flexible working environments. Her personal experience of being dismissed from a finance role after requesting flexible work (working from home one day a week) accommodations for her autoimmune condition led her to establish Flexa in 2019. The platform now serves millions of users globally and collaborates with major corporations like Mars UK and Microsoft UK to promote transparency in workplace flexibility.
In this episode we cover:
Graduating from Oxford - but at what cost?
How her autoimmune condition got her fired
How overachieving can internalize sexism
Being in a relationship and running a business together
Work-life blend
Having a non-visible disability
Making FLEXA the first port of call for job searching
Why freedom is success
Taking life in phases & normalising career breaks
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-johnson-jones/
https://flexa.careers/
Hector Hughes is the co-founder of Unplugged, a company offering off-grid cabin retreats designed to help people disconnect from digital life and reconnect with nature.
After experiencing burnout in the tech industry, Hector went on a silent repreat in the Himalayas and recognised the need for digital detox solutions. Since its inception in 2020, Unplugged has grown rapidly whilst promoting intentional rest in a hyper-connected world.
In this episode we cover:
Being the dyslexic twin
The part alcohol plays in our culture
Learnings from a silent retreat in the Himalayas
The reality of building a business
What locking your phone in a box for 3 days can do for you
Practicing what you preach
Approaching problems with compassion
Mentions:
Stop Drinking Now - Allen Carr
The Myth of Normal - Gabor Maté
Awareness - Anthony De Mello
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/unplugged.rest/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-hughes-10082195/
Chrissy Rutherford is a writer, consultant and mental wellness advocate. She was a digital editor at Harper’s Bazaar.com for 9 years, from 2011-2020, in New York City- spearheading the magazine’s instagram account - which got over 4 million followers under her influence- along with writing fashion and celebrity articles, styling, producing and hosting their Youtube series Heel Hunters. Since departing Harpers, Chrissy is now a writer and digital content creator working with brands like J Crew, Caudalie, JW Marriott Hotels, DeBeers and American Express . She has a newsletter called FWD JOY which is dedicated to the journey of self-discovery, self-care, and self-investment.
In this episode we cover:
What it took to get an Editor’s job at Harper’s
And what it took to leave
Living with your parents as an adult
Pulled back from digital activism after going 5.4m+ viral on a post
The joys of being 39 and single
Why you should move around in your career
Mentions:
A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
Notes from the Universe (app)
Clueless (1995) directed by Amy Heckerling
The Places That Scare You - Pema Chodron
Links:
https://chrissyrutherford.com
https://www.instagram.com/chrissyford
Dan Murray-Serter is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor (85 startups), and advocate for mental health. He co-founded Heights, a brain care supplements company, following personal struggles with insomnia and anxiety. Dan also co-hosts the acclaimed Secret Leaders podcast, where he has interviewed over 500 prominent figures, amassing more than 50 million downloads. He shares insights on success and well-being through his newsletter, "The Science of Success."
In this episode we cover:
- When ADHD meets creative entrepreneurship
- Do hard things, build up dopamine
- The successes and failures of start ups
- Curing insomnia
- Building Heights in a few way
- Getting investment for a 'slow down' company
- Annual life audits
Mentions:
The Dose Effect - TJ Power
The Molecule of More - Daniel Z. Lieberman and Mike Long
Building A Story Brand - Donald Miller
Awareness - Anthony De Mello
Joy (2015) directed by David O Russell
The Defiant Ones (2017) Documentary by Allen Hughes
Links:
Marine Tanguy was the youngest gallery manager in Europe before founding MTArt Agency, the first talent agency dedicated to visual artists. They represent top visual artists and integrates their art into various contexts, from digital platforms to public art projects. She is also the author of her new book The Visual Detox - challenging the dominance of commercial imagery in public spaces.
In this episode we cover:
- What visual literacy means
- What you can do to become a more conscious visual consumer
- How an image of her used in a slander campaign became on of the most viewed images on Le Monde
- Raising boys
- How visuals can catalyse important conversations
- Taking a “30 minute holiday” every day
Mentions:
At 21 Marine was the manager of Steve Lazarides Gallery (Banksy and other street art)
Marine’ gallery she opened at 23 was called De Re Gallery (named after the island she came from in France) on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles
Marine was mentored by Michael Ovitz , co-founder of CAA
Tineye.com - reverse image search
BBC Verify
Pina (2012) documentary by Wim Wenders on choreographer Pina Bausch
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/marinetanguyart/
Sharmadean Reid MBE, is a British entrepreneur, author, and cultural innovator best known for founding WAH Nails, a nail salon that redefined beauty culture in London, and The Stack World, a platform empowering women through networking and business tools. Sharmadean's new book, New Methods for Women: A Manifesto for Independence, features 49 essays that provide actionable advice and personal insights on navigating life, work, relationships, and personal growth. Drawing from her own experiences as an entrepreneur, leader, and co-parent, Sharmadean offers readers practical tools to thrive while advocating for systemic change to better support women's empowerment.
In this episode we cover:
How to be a contributor to your city
The difference between founding and entrepreneurship
How praise can reinforce negative behaviours
Finding a career that gives you pleasure
Why two baths a day is true luxury
Equity: the next wave of feminism
How to centre yourself every day
Bringing the healing home
Mentions:
Street Haunting: A London Adventure (1927) by Virginia Woolf
New Methods for Women (2024) by Sharmadean Reid
Boomerang (1992) Film by Reginald Hudlin
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/sharmadeanreid
https://www.newmethodsforwomen.com/
Sarah Ann Macklin is a British nutritionist, model, and mental health advocate, known for blending science and compassion in her work. After a successful modeling career, she transitioned into the field of nutrition, earning a first-class degree in Human Nutrition. Her personal experiences, including being diagnosed with dyslexia during her studies, inspired her to explore how nutrition supports mental health and conditions like ADHD and autism. She also hosts the popular podcast Live Well, Be Well, which focuses on evidence-based nutrition and mental health strategies. Sarah has spoken internationally, including at the European Parliament, and contributes to publications such as Women’s Health and Harper’s Bazaar.
In this episode we cover:
What happens when we are told we are successful at a very young age
What being hospitalized by burnout means
Relearning self-compassion
True success is when you overcome something huge in yourself
Discipline and the myth of work-life balance
Wellness culture’s latest trends and traps
Why wellbeing starts with the mind
Links:
https://sarahannmacklin.com/