Life Lately with Mel & Soph

With the pandemic far from being over, today we reflect on the last eight months of being in lockdown and the individual lessons we have learnt so far. Amongst other things, Mel discusses her experience of living alone during this time and Soph discusses finding purpose and her results after taking a mental health test. Resources: https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools Please do comment or slide into our DMs on instagram if you have a suggestion on podcast topics to cover. Thank you for listening!

Well, we took an unexpected break but we are back with season 2!!! In this episode we finally catch up with each other after months in apart. Ps - Please note this episode was recorded face to face, before we went back into lockdown. Follow us on instagram @lifelatelypod

We are very pleased to be joined this week by Jennifer Begg, Co-Founder and CEO of Two Bees Consulting Ltd. Amongst many things including love for ice-cream and pastry (yum!) we discuss whether all businesses should be on social media, how businesses can maintain visibility online and the future of content creation. We really enjoyed recording this episode with Jennifer. Find out more about Two Bees Consulting via their website or on Twitter. You can also join their Facebook community page for additional support and resources. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

We started the year with a lot of excitement and hope for a new decade. We put together our vision boards and goals. This was going to be our year! There was a major curve ball barely into the year that has disrupted our plans. In this episode we are discussing what progress we have made with our goals and how we deal with setbacks and disappointment. Join us on instagram and facebook and let us know how your goals are coming along despite the current climate.

Andrea Fender joins the Life Lately podcast to discuss homeschooling - a situation where many parents find themselves in unexpectedly.  Andrea is a qualified teacher who has worked in London as a primary school teacher for over 15 years. She also specialises in special educational needs having taught children with autism spectrum condition (ASC), pupils with communication difficulties and those with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Andrea expanded her work in home and online tutoring and currently runs her tutoring business, all-in TUTORING, tailor-made to fit children’s individual learning needs. Did you know we have been podcasting for 6months?! Wow we can’t believe it’s been that long! We thought it would be a good time to take a step back, reflect and hear from you. We’ve put together a short survey and would absolutely love it if you take a few moments to fill it out. As a thank you, we’ll pick someone at random to be guest on the show. Click here to complete the survey. A link can also be found on our Instagram page @lifelatelypod so go ahead and check it out.

We pick up from where we left off last week with our conversation with Stella Kiguta-Ng'ang'a - a Communications Specialist, CEO & Founder of Brand Essence Public Relations -  to discuss how institutions can communicate effectively during times of crisis. If you haven't already, make sure you listen to part 1 of this conversation. Join the conversation on instagram and facebook. If you would like support in your business communications, do contact Stella by email at stella@brandessencepr.com

The world has been somewhat caught by surprise and thrust into a place that is unprecedented. Large and small organisations - business, churches, charities have had to close their doors and/or operate in completely different ways than they did previously. Amongst the many things that institutions are having to do at this time, is to keep their internal and external stakeholders informed as well as they can while navigating an unpredictable environment. This week we are joined by Stella Kiguta-Ng'ang'a - a Communications Specialist, CEO & Founder of Brand Essence Public Relations -  to discuss how institutions can communicate effectively during times of crisis - whether they are caused internally or externally. Join the conversation on instagram and facebook.  If you would like support in your business communications, do contact Stella by email at stella@brandessencepr.com Don't forget to tune in next week for part 2 of this conversation.

Life sometimes wants to pull a fast one on us. Yes, even the best laid plans don't always pan out as we thought. In today's episode we discuss how we can re-emerge better when life (or a COVID19 lockdown) happens. Follow us on instagram and facebook and join the conversation.

As we well know, the virus has put a spanner in the works in all areas of life. Relationships are not easy to navigate on a normal day - throw Covid-19 in the works and that could be a recipe for disaster. We find ourselves on somewhat opposite sides of the spectrum - Mel (the more extroverted of the two of us) away from her partner, and Soph (the introvert) with her husband and child. This week we catch-up on our first couple of weeks of self isolation and social distancing as well as discuss how we can build and maintain healthy relationships given our 'new normal'. Ps - Apologies that the audio quality may not be as great as you are used to due to our inability to record at the same space during this time of social distancing.  Don't forget to join the discussion on instagram and facebook. Also, rate, review, subscribe and of course share!

We credit a lot of who we are to our mums - they did an amazing job raising us. In this episode we discuss how the relationship with our mothers have changed over time and what we have learnt from them. Do rate, review, subscribe and join us on our social media platforms (instagram and facebook) to continue the conversation.

It's Hot Topics week!!! In this episode we give our thoughts on the new reality Netflix show, Love is Blind aka Mark is Blind, the Real Housewives of Atlanta's Kenya Moore and Marc Daly and the Coronavirus.  PS - Since recording this episode was recorded a few weeks backthe spread of COVID-19 has risen at an alarming rate - Italy is now on lockdown, the NHS bracing itself for the worst, there have been talks of herd immunity and more.  Please stay informed and take the necessary precautions, following the NHS and WHO guidelines. Also, where you can, find out what is happening in your local area and build community by helping those in need and/or isolated. As always, you can join the conversation on instagram and facebook. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5 star review on iTunes, or wherever you are listening. Don't forget to subscribe and share this podcast with your friends and family.

In this episode, we discuss sisterhood. There seems to be a stigma surrounding female friendships - we are catty and don't support each other. Today we explore where and how sisterhood can be created and how women can support each other and be each other's best friends.  Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation.

In this week's episode we discuss body image - how we view our bodies, how our thoughts, experiences, struggle have affected how we view our bodies over time and how we choose to move forward. As always, we'd love to hear from you. Join the conversation on instagram and facebook. Also, subscribe, review and share!

Every now and again we lack of self-belief and deal with feelings of inadequacy, failure and sometimes even feel fraudulent. This week we discuss the phenomenon that is imposter syndrome, the 5 types of imposter syndrome, how this shows up in our lives and how we can overcome it. Share your experience with us on instagram and facebook. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share this episode with someone.

Love is in the air! Valentines can be difficult whether single or coupled up. We switch it up a little bit in this episode for a little bit of tongue in cheek where we answer some of the internets most "difficult" questions on relationships and give our take on some relationship dilemmas.  We also embark on 7 day self love challenge starting today - because whether or not you care much about Valentines Day, we can all do with a little bit of self love. All the details are on our instagram and facebook pages, so be sure to follow along there.

We were all created with a unique voice, but many of us are not comfortable using it. This week we talk about finding our voice and will share a recent experience where we were left speechless!  Don't forget to join the conversation on our instagram page!

Decisions, decisions! In this episode, we discuss the decisions we have made that have shaped us, the regrets we may (or may not) have and what we'd say to our younger selves. We chat about going to university, Meghan and Harry, career choices and more.  Don't forget to join the conversation on instagram and facebook.

Mel and Soph are back in the studio this week discussing selfcare. They discuss what they are deliberately doing (or planning to do) to look after their physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and social well-being. As always, don't forget to join the conversation on instagram and facebook! Also, rate, review, subscribe and share!

We are back after a short break with a special guest! Karl (Sophia's husband) is joining this week to discuss money and how we can get our personal finances on track. We discuss: how to review our finances, budgeting, saving, paying off debt and a whole lot more!  Disclaimer: Any information provided on this episode does not constitute financial advise. Please speak to a qualified Independent Financial Advisor who can help you navigate your specific circumstances. Join the conversation on instagram and facebook. Be sure to rate, review, subscribe and of course share widely!

2020 is around the corner! A new decade is about to begin! Are you ready? This week Mel and Soph discuss what they are doing to prepare for the new year and beyond. Don't forget that you can join the conversation on Instagram. Happy New Year!

Welcome back to this Christmas Special episode of the Life Lately Podcast. It's getting festive here! Mulled wine is on the drinks menu today as Mel and Soph discuss their Christmas plans amongst other Chistmassy things. So get yourself a drink and listen in. Follow us on instagram @lifelatelypod

As the year draws to an end, Mel and Soph reflect on 2019  and the lessons they have learned along the way.  Join the conversation on instagram and share what lessons you have learned this year.

This week we discuss the news items that have caught our attention this year. Get to know our take on T.I. and the controversy around him taking his daughter to the gynaecologist to check that she's still a virgin; the shocking statistics around maternal deaths in black women in the UK and cancel culture. Follow us on instagram where you can join the conversation. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and tell your friends!

This week we discuss fashion, social media, climate change, disruption and even black hair. Listen in and find out what we have loved and loathed this year. As always, join the conversation on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lifelatelypod/) and rate, review and subscribe. 

In today's fun episode, we let you in what what we consider to be bad manners. From masticating as if someone's life depended on it to carelessly spewing germs onto unsuspecting people while sneezing without providing adequate cover for your mouth, find out what irritates us. Remember good manners don't cost anything and manners maketh man!

Join us for today's discussion about dating - from boy meets girl to online dating. Find out how we have navigated the dating jungle!

The word "adulting" is often used to acknowledge the performance of boring tasks associated with being an adult. Sociologists define it as "emerging adulthood". For some, the word evokes feelings of infantilisation and sexism. For us, adulting certainly goes beyond changing life bulbs or fixing meals. In this episode, we discuss what adulting means to us. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe!

Friendships can be difficult to navigate the older we get it seems. Find out how we make them, keep them and at times, end them.