Citizen Femme's Podcast - Passport to...

Our final episode of Season 4, Episode Eight of Passport to… deep dives into the intricacies and magic behind some of the most iconic family run hotels. With Carla Sersale of the renowned Le Sirenuse in Positano, Italy and Lydia Forte of Rocco Forte Hotels, Sheena talks about their journey hospitality and how they continue to maintain a historical legacy that means so much to travellers around the world.

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In this episode, nemo Founder, Tom Harding, and philanthropic entrepreneur, Britnie Turner, join Sheena to talk all about how we can become more conscious travellers, nay human beings.

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Episode Six, Season Four of Passport to… spotlights Western Australia – an 'otherworldly' bucket-list destination.

In this episode, Carolyn Turnbull, Managing Director of Tourism Western Australia, joins Sheena to tell us all about Western Australia’s many charms – from the wowing Ningaloo Reef to the Insta-famous Pink Lake in Horrocks & Port Gregory – and share why this is one destination to place top of your bucket list.

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Episode Five, Season Four of Passport to… takes a deep dive into the world of jewellery.

In this episode, Ethical Jeweller Pippa Small MBE and Jessica March, Co-Founder and CEO of Kimai, join Sheena to chat about their most-treasured pieces, jewellery's talismanic qualities, and how travel influences their designs.

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Episode Four, Season Four of Passport to… unpacks summer wardrobes and holiday dressing.

In this episode, the supremely stylish Anna Vitiello and Bettina Looney join Sheena to discuss summertime style icons, swap sartorial tips (spanning packing techniques to vintage shopping hotspots), and share some of their fondest wardrobe memories from travels past.

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Episode Three, Season Four of Passport to… takes a deep dive into travelling with kids.

In this episode, Fashion Editor, Ceramicist, and Influencer, Deborah Brett and Writer and Editor, Rosalyn Wikeley, join Sheena to chat multi-gen travel, all-star accommodations (suitable for tots through to teens), and share their pick of the family friendly travel destinations to visit now.

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Exploring the resurgence of train travel's Golden Age, Episode Two, Season Four of Passport to… highlights the importance of "slowing down and connecting with the journey that you’re on".

In this episode, Travel Writer, Monisha Rajesh, and Kate Thompson, Divisional Director of Brand and Marketing for Trains and Cruises, Belmond, join Sheena to share their fondest train travel memories – plus some natty tips to take you from A to B in style.

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A city within a city, West Hollywood is one destination we’re placing top of our travel bucket list for 2022. Tune in to Episode One, Season Four of Passport to… to learn why!

In a CF first, we welcome our inaugural men, Jeff Morris, Chief Marketing Officer of Visit West Hollywood, and Rod Gruendyke, General Manager at Sunset Marquis Hotel, to the platform to share their insider tips – and some wild tales too. Showing us around the city they call home, the premiere episode covers all you’ll need for an epic trip to LA’s West Hollywood.

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In BONUS Episode Thirteen, Season Three, Samyukta Nair joins Sheena Bhattessa to discuss her career to date.

Entrepreneur Samyukta Nair is the inspiring woman behind some of our favourite London restaurants – including Jamavar and MiMiMeiFair. Here, Nair shares her journey into the field of food – her family founded The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts in India, so hospitality has long been in her DNA – discussing why concept restaurants have lasting appeal and divulging some of her favourite dishes; plus, later in this episode, Nair share details of a new project she has in the pipeline!

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In Episode Twelve, Season Three, Alice Temperley joins Sheena Bhattessa to discuss her life in fashion.

Recently relocating to Somerset, her childhood home, designer Alice Temperley tells listeners about her love of this bucolic patch of England and the creative freedom it offers.

Sharing the peaks and troughs of a 20+ year career in the fashion industry, in this episode Temperely discusses the laboured and inspiring process of making things, reflects on the umpteen tests and trials she and her brand have endured, and expounds on why fashion matters.

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In Episode Eleven, Season Three, Margot Henderson joins Sheena Bhattessa to discuss her life in food.

A pioneer of modern British cuisine, chef and restaurateur Margot Henderson has had a passion for food from a young age – her mother, a journalist and food writer, gave Henderson her first real taste of the culinary world.

Today, Henderson’s love for cooking boils down to four simple points: “Feeding people. Nourishing them. Making them happy. And, it’s a creative act at the same time”.

In this episode, the much-celebrated chef discusses her favourite meals to cook both with and for her husband, St John’s Fergus Henderson, spotlights a handful of budding young chefs, and shares what it felt like to receive an OBE for her services to the culinary arts.

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In Episode Ten, Season Three, Margo Marrone joins Sheena to discuss her lifelong journey to health and wellness.

After studying Pharmacy in King's College, specialising in Pharmacognosy (the study of herbal medicine), Marrone opened her first The Organic Pharmacy in 2002 – a pioneering move at the time. 

Building on her work as a pharmacist, a homeopath, a shaman, and a yogi, in this episode Marrone discusses achieving optimal wellbeing (by taking small steps to change) and also explores the future of green beauty.

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In Episode Nine, Season Three, Lolita Chakrabarti joins Sheena to discuss her 30+ year career in the arts, working as a writer and an actor.

Tracing her route from RADA to the West End, here, Chakrabarti talks about acting instinctively, expounds on the benefits of working in the same field as your partner, and shares her thoughts on the future of theatre post COVID-19.

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In Episode Eight, Season Three, Sheena Bhattessa is joined by Yeotown's Co-Founder, Mercedes Sieff to chat optimal health, wellness tourism, and more.

In a conversation spanning yoga training, leaps of faith, and shifting mindsets, this episode traces Sieff's journey from California to London, by way of Sri Lanka, and the thoughtful steps she's taken since.

In Episode Seven, Season Three, Eshita Kabra-Davies joins Sheena to chat career pivots, the sharing economy, and more.

Joined by the Founder and CEO of the world’s first social fashion rental app, By Rotation, in this episode Kabra-Davies shares her take on transforming consumption habits and conscious shopping. It's all about buying less, buying better, and rotating more.

In Episode Six, Season Three, actress, writer, and director Romola Garai joins CF’s Sheena Bhattessa to discuss her career in performance to date.

Tune in for an in-depth conversation spanning award ceremonies and external validations, flits between centre stage and the director’s chair, and much more in the latest episode of 12 Journeys With….

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In Episode Five, Season Three, the stellar Fiona Leahy, Founder and Creative Director of Fiona Leahy Design, joins Sheena to discuss her tantalizing career in event planning.

From enchanting Irish weddings to extravagant bashes around the globe, here, Leahy shares her creative inspirations and tales of parties past, plus great event planning tips and some sage advice vis-à-vis tablescaping.

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In Episode Four, Season Three, Movement Director, Polly Bennett joins CF’s Sheena Bhattessa to discuss her career in performance to date. 

Bennett's remarkable career as a choreographer and movement coach spans television, theatre, and film; cue wonderful anecdotes about collaborating with Rami Malek on Bohemian Rhapsody, as well stories of her time leading on movement and character coaching for the casts of The Crown, series 3 and 4

Tune in to hear Polly and Sheena's sprightly conversation in full.

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In Episode Three, Season Three, the inimitable Anne-Marie Curtis, Founder and EiC of Calendar Magazine – the sustainable glossy – and the former EiC of ELLE UK, joins Sheena to discuss her journey in magazine publishing to date.

Retracing her years at Wallpaper* and ELLE UK (where Curtis climbed the ranks from intern to EiC), this episode examines what goes into making a great magazine, how to balance creative and commercial effectively, and what the future of publishing might look like.

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In Episode Two, Season Three, fashion maverick, Lucinda Chambers joins CF’s Sheena to discuss her life in the fashion industry. 

From the Vogue and ELLE years, to her more recent ventures as Co-Founder of both Coleville and Collagerie, Lucinda’s illustrious career is one of great colour and texture. 

Reflecting on lucky breaks and hard-won successes, Lucinda’s philosophy (inherited from her mother) is a simple catch-all: ‘try things out.’

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Kicking off Season Three, CF Founder Sheena Bhattessa speaks to Jane Poynter, Founder and Co-CEO of Space Perspective – ‘a human spaceflight company committed to fundamentally changing people’s view and perception of Earth’. Jane has been involved in taking people to space in one form or another for her entire adult life. ­As this episode attests, her journey is an extraordinary one – some might even deem it ‘out of this world’.

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Closing out Season Two of Passport to... we're exploring Porto and Northern Portugal's many treasures. Joining Sheena for this conversation is Margarida Belém, Arouca's Mayor, and Gilda Veloso, Marketing and Communication Coordinator of Casa De Música. This episode is in partnership with Porto and North of Portugal.

In this episode, Cameron Long-Tel, sexpert and brand expert at LELO, and Wellness Editor at The Evening Standard, Rosie Fitzmaurice, join Sheena to discuss female liberation – from cultural norms and attitudes towards sex and sexuality to societal taboos surrounding female pleasure and more… This episode is in partnership with LELO

Produced by Frizz & Go

In Episode Ten, Season Two, Sheena is joined by freelance travel writers Anna Hart and Kate Wills. Examining summer 2021 travel trends – from solo adventures to ‘back-to-nature getaways – and pinpointing where they’re hoping to venture next, there’s a lot to unpack in this 30-minute episode.

In this episode, Chenai Bukutu (of ByChenai) and Rosie Williams (of The OWN Studio), share their wedding wisdom – from best tricks and tips to lessons learned – with CF.

Exploring the world through the lens of photographers Issy Croker and Renée Kemps. This episode touches on a variety of photography-related topics, ranging from early portfolios and the optimum time of day to shoot, to the apps to download for photographer-approved snaps, plus why being picture-perfect needn't be your main focus.

Exploring the perks of being an outsider and why "failing fast" is a good thing, in this episode Whitney Bromberg Hawkings and Monica Vinader, share their experiences and learnings exclusively with CF.

General Manager of Heckfield Place, Olivia Richli, and CEO of Grand Hotel  Tremezzo, Valentina De Santis, join Sheena as we go behind the scenes at some of our favourite hotels. Exploring what hospitality means to them, the pair offer their takes on what goes into making a hotel great and share memorable tales of life in the hospitality industry.

Founder of Mr & Mrs Smith, Tamara Lohan, and CEO of Scott Ideas,  Emma Harding, join Sheena to discuss how the travel landscape might look post-COVID. Pinpointing emerging travel trends, recovery routes, and new opportunities worth ceasing, travel post-COVID is set to be more innovative than ever before.

In Episode Four, Season Two, Sheena is joined by goop.com travel editor,  Rachael McKeon and writer, editor, and brand consultant, Kate Lough.  Together, they discuss the landscape of travel journalism, how to pitch  to editors, tips on building an international network and more.

In this episode, Sheena is joined by Campbell–Rey Co-Founder, Charlotte Rey, and Victoria Ceraudo, of homeware brand Ceraudo to explore how travel influences and informs their work. From the hotels that have left a lasting impression to the souvenirs they wish they’d brought home, the pair unveil their global inspirations and share tips on integrating destination-inspired design elements into your space.

Citizen Femme founder Sheena Bhattessa is joined by award-winning food writer and restaurateur Ravinder Bhogal and cookery author Skye McAlpine to discuss how food and culture intersect. In this episode, the duo share their take on a range of subjects including cooking traditions, regional recipes, and the language of food.

Kickstarting the second season of Passport To… Happy Not Perfect founder, Poppy Jamie, and functional medicine practitioner, Rosemary Ferguson, offer a straight-talking approach to wellness, with practical advice on a variety of subjects from meditation to cooking.

Citizen Femme celebrates women all throughout the year and this episode focuses on the founder of Citizen Femme Sheena. Podcast producer Sylvie puts the spotlight on our very own founder, Sheena Bhattessa, finding out what she thinks of staycations, her funniest memory on the podcast thus far and her journey into making Citizen Femme what it is today.

Launching our new podcast... How can we balance our busy work schedules, travel and wellbeing? Is the Lumie body clock a life-changer? And who has tried the jade egg trend? This month Citizen Femme's roundtable talks wellbeing in travel with our guests Amy Hopkinson, digital editor of Women's Health UK and Nicola Elliott, CEO of Neom Organics.