Psychologically Speaking with Leila Ainge15 Maalis

55. From War Zones to Motherhood: The Unexpected Path to Building a Business

In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge speaks with entrepreneur Femke Harris about the unexpected twists that shape our lives. From growing up as a third-culture kid in Hong Kong to managing operations on a NATO base in Afghanistan, Femke’s career path has been anything but predictable.

Together they explore the psychology of resilience, identity and adaptation when life doesn’t follow the plan we imagined. Femke shares how major life transitions – moving countries, career pivots, motherhood and COVID-era uncertainty – ultimately led her to create the Merry-go-round Club, a sustainable baby equipment rental service designed to support parents and reduce waste.

This conversation explores how unexpected change can strengthen confidence, reshape identity and open the door to meaningful work.

Topics include resilience, entrepreneurship, motherhood, community support, and the psychology of adapting when life throws curveballs.

Femke Harris: "I'm a third culture kid, mother, founder and former international operations lead. I’ve lived and worked across Hong Kong, Belgium, the UK, Afghanistan and France including senior roles managing sales strategy in APAC and logistics contracts in complex environments. Along the way I’ve navigated motherhood, global relocations, and major life transitions, and more recently founded my own business. My path has been defined less by planning and more by adaptation.”

https://merrygoround.club/

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(63)

59. Backing Yourself When the Stakes Are High

In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge is joined by strategic advisor and facilitator Rachel Cashman to explore the relationship between imposter phenomenon, risk taking, legitimacy,...

18 Touko 52min

Why Does This Feel So Hard? | Imposter Phenomenon, Risk & the Psychology of Difficult Things

Why do some things feel emotionally bigger than they “should”?In this bonus episode of Psychologically Speaking, psychologist and researcher Leila Ainge introduces The Hard Thing Challenge — a free fi...

14 Touko 6min

58. Your Whole Axis Shifts: What Grief Changes About Work and Life

What happens when loss changes everything—not just emotionally, but structurally?In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge is joined by wellbeing consultant and psychotherapist Chrissy ...

21 Huhti 55min

57. Off the Beaten Path: Identity, Belonging & Building a Career That Actually Fits

What happens when your life doesn’t follow the path you thought it would?A conversation on identity, belonging, and the courage to build a career that doesn’t look right on paper but feels right in yo...

14 Huhti 47min

What if interviews don’t just reveal what we think… but actually change it?

We often assume interviews are a way of capturing what people already think. But qualitative psychology suggests something different. Interviews can be active sites of meaning-making, where thoughts a...

11 Huhti 11min

I Refuse to Hate Myself: Emma Seville on 'Starting Again'

“I refuse to hate myself in any way… I hope women reclaim ageing as a gift.”When everything shifts at once, home, body, identity, what does it take to rebuild a sense of safety and self? Leila Ainge a...

7 Huhti 58min

Bonus: Everything we know is shaped by where we stand in the world.

Hi, I’m Leila, and I’m currently doing a PhD exploring the experiences of women who are independent workers, including entrepreneurs, freelancers, and the self-employed, who use online communities as ...

25 Maalis 5min