”I call my brain Carly.” Series 2, Episode 8. A conversation with Helen Brown, Fractional Marketing Director

*Warning* Sophy's conversation with Helen Brown features sexual violence.

In the final Episode of Series 2 of the podcast, Sophy Norris has a searingly honest, raw and ultimately uplifting conversation with Helen Brown. Helen is brave and generous enough to share two of the most painful and vulnerable moments in her life, and let us know how she moved forward from them.

Raped whilst working abroad at the end of her second year at University, Helen returned to the UK and Uni life a changed person. Her anxiety and PTDS continued for several years, and she experienced recurrences after starting her business (with partner Orla Murphy) See Blue.

Across her career as an in-house marketer and agency founder, Helen has learned to dig deep to harness her resilience, the need to share, and self-care, and to understand that even the darkest episodes in our lives help shape who we are. As she says, knowing you can move on from the "worst" can become a superpower.

These superpowers have been put to the test more recently (February 2025) when her carefully created and successful business failed after six years. Helen, again, shares her innermost emotions and how she is moving forward.

Amongst all of this, Helen shares what it means to be Dangerous (because she certainly is), her approach to marketing and brand, and techniques and tips to quieten our minds, muster resilience, and help us keep on going.

This episode is a must-listen, and we cover:

• Making a choice to help us move forward and take control of our self.
• Not being defined by what happened to us, but by who we are.
• The power of putting one foot in front of the other.
• Managing long-term stress and anxiety.
• Being open to sharing struggles and vulnerabilities (but not to everyone).
• Leaning into therapies - CBT, mindfulness.
• "Your happiness is the difference between what you think should happen and what is."
• When you are scared, start with the smallest step; the work is in the minutiae.
• Give your negative inner voice a name - so you can tell it to p**s off.
• The quicker you can accept the worst, the faster you can move on.

Links:

Helen Brown | Sophy Norris

Items referred to in this episode:

The Survivors Trust.

Mo Gawdat. Solve for Happy: Engineering Your Path to Joy

Mo Gawdat. That Little Voice in Your Brain.

Blue Ocean Strategy.

Binaural Beats