“You'll be surprised how often your friends, acquaintances & family will go ‘You were right about that thing”. If you have a bit more faith in yourself, you're like, I'm just waiting for the world to catch up.”

I’m chatting to this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ about the three words they’d use to describe themselves & their origin story when they bust out the word ‘Little Bit Much’ and how they’ve embraced that - and why you should too!

Natasha Devon (she/her) is a mental health activist & campaigner, broadcaster, journalist & writer. She hosts her own show on LBC on Saturdays from 6pm - 9pm which is often referred to as ‘The Woke Hour’ by some disgruntled listeners to which she hilariously retorts “It’s actually three hours.” And it’s a place where Natasha educates people on society’s important issues, armed with stats, research & insights. She isn’t afraid to challenge harmful rhetoric, outdated views & misleading headlines… and very much sees this as her responsibility with such a huge platform.

Known for covering mental health, gender identity & body image, Natasha talks about her work in schools being her main focus and her passion for working in depth with young people shines through. And with her love for learning & openness to new opportunities, she’s branched out in many other avenues. We dive into Natasha’s many outlets, from her debut fictional novel to hosting podcasts being something she really enjoys. She recently started hosting a podcast called ‘New Beginnings’ which focuses on the largely unknown issue of gambling & women, an area she didn’t know much about - I definitely recommend giving it a listen.

As a person of mixed-heritage & being bisexual along with her own experiences around mental health, Natasha opens up about feeling like ‘a bridge connecting worlds’. And whilst she has felt tribeless in the past, this sentiment - which stemmed from a casual conversation with a colleague - was a moment of realisation for her. It’s something she also brings into her professional approach to help people join the dots.

We chat about Natasha’s love of school & finding interest in everything, manifestation & striking the balance between letting things happen vs making things happen, being political and marriage. Oh & dealing with ballbags on air!

I loved this conversation & was so grateful when Natasha said yes to being a guest - enjoy!

Catch Natasha on LBC on Saturday evenings & follow her on socials for sharp AF educational & informative content & facts.

“Don’t think if you haven’t got to where you want to be in your twenties it’s game over. Because it’s really not. You can achieve great things at any point in your life."

Solid advice from this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ especially in a society obsessed with youth & achieving things whilst young.

Roxy Bourdillon (she/her) spent a decade bouncing between jobs, dealing with rejection & not knowing if she’d ever land her dream job of being a writer. Fast forward to today, Roxy is the Editor-in-Chief of DIVA, the world’s leading magazine for LGBTQIA+ women & non-binary people. And though she jokes during this conversation about people not taking advice from her given how long it took her to get where she wanted to be, Roxy Bourdillon is a shining example of why it’s so important to not give up on your dreams or write yourself off.

RIGHT NOW is also a super exciting time for Roxy as she’s written her debut book & it’s available to buy TOMORROW! ‘What a Girl Wants: A (True) Story of Sexuality and Self-Discovery’ is a funny feminist soul bearing memoir about what it was really like for Roxy growing up & navigating the world as a woman who happens to really really love women in a world that can sometimes make you feel terrible about both of those things. I had the privilege of reading it ahead of this conversation and trust me, it’s bloody funny AF but so so touching too. My review is below…

We chat all about the book & Roxy’s creative processes as well as her role at Diva magazine & the moment she landed her first writing job for it! We also explore Roxy’s passion for the LGBTQ+ community, life by the sea in Hasting with her partner Naomi, her love of Dolly Parton & her beautiful relationship with her Nan which you’ll truly feel when reading the book. This was such a gorgeous conversation - enjoy & go buy the book ASAP. It’s a must-read.

GO BUY WHAT A GIRL WANTS!! Ideally from your local queer book shop please.

My review of Roxy’s FANTASTIC debut book…

‘What a Girl Wants’ is packed full of heartwarming, heartbreaking & HILARIOUS moments & escapades from Roxy's life. It's a queer time-machine ride back to special places & spaces from a beloved time on the scene along with the most gayest, nostalgic cultural references you could wish for. It's a history lesson & a crucial call to action for allyship & solidarity. And finally, it's a deep, unapologetic & beautiful display of pure love & affection for women & the LGBTQ+ community".

“I wish I’d grew up in a household… in a world... that would have allowed me to live a softer life and be kinder to myself. To be more open. More trusting. But unfortunately, that’s just not how it was for me. And for many people.”

This is just part of my conversation with my guest for this week’s episode of ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ as they reflect on their experience of growing up in an environment that didn’t allow much room for autonomy, freedom or individuality. Yes in their home life but as we also cover, more widely with societal expectations.

Benjy Kusi (he/him) is a wellbeing & inclusion consultant who is well-known for producing social media content that promotes kindness, justice & critical thinking. He’s also an author, public speaker & all round grafter who loves a side quest/ hustle/ mission. As a regular consumer of what Benjy puts out there, I was delighted he said yes to being a guest on the podcast. As shared above, we explore what life was like for ‘Little Benjy’ and how he learned to embrace his loudness & confidence as a form of protection, & later defiance, as a Black, queer kid.

He excitedly talks about finding freedom at university and explains how his early career in sales resulted in him being fired but that a detour into marketing & setting up an ERG, which he admits he didn’t quite appreciate the significance of to start with, has led to the Benjy we know & love now.

Benjy is all about creating the content, representation & visibility he needed. And still needs for himself & others. Especially as an out & proud Ghanaian. His drive & passion shine through and he likes to think that somehow, he’s creating an alternate universe where things could have been different without need to consider barriers around identity & race.

We also chat about our shared love of being active, the crucial difference between kindness & being nice, those who have shaped him along the way, his journey of self actualisation and lots more. Enjoy!

Find Benjy on Substack, Instagram, Tiktok & LinkedIn for regular, brilliant content!

Hope This Helps - How To Be Kinder To Yourself & Others is a must read. Grab it from an independent & queer book retailer if you can!