In this episode I’m joined by my brilliant friend Nici Burns, female founder of Nibu Naturals, wellness advocate, biohacker, and someone who’s been doing the work for decades.

But this conversation isn’t about branding or business. It’s about survival.

We go all the way back to the beginning. Childhood trauma, domestic violence, eating disorders, toxic relationships, the search for love in all the wrong places, and how those early experiences shape everything that follows.

Nici speaks honestly about the darker chapters of her life. Not from a place of drama, but from a place of ownership. From bulimia and body dysmorphia to being manipulated in her teens by much older men, there’s nothing performative here. Just the reality of what it takes to rebuild when life has knocked you down more times than you can count.

None of this was scripted. We sat down to catch up and ended up hitting record. What followed was one of the most open and unfiltered conversations we’ve had. No structure, no interview questions, just two friends talking honestly about life, pain, growth, and everything in between.

We talk about the deep healing work too. From ayahuasca to spiritual practice, from meditation to letting go of shame, and why forgiving yourself can be the hardest part.

⸻

Key moments include:

✔ Growing up in fear and trying to find safety in chaos.

✔ How childhood trauma shaped her relationship with food, men and control.

✔ The eating disorders that became her coping mechanism.

✔ Why ayahuasca was a turning point in her healing.

✔ The guilt that comes with motherhood when you’re still trying to fix yourself.

✔ Reclaiming her feminine energy after years of living in survival mode.

✔ Letting people help and why that’s harder than it sounds.

We don’t dress this up. We don’t gloss over it. This is real life. And for anyone going through their own season of struggle, this one’s going to land.

⸻

Connect & Follow

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb

Follow Nici Burns:

🔗 Website: https://nibunaturals.com

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i.am.nici.nibu/

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nibu_naturals/?hl=en

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nici-burns/

Rachell Smith is a force behind the lens, but her journey to becoming one of the UK’s most in-demand photographers hasn’t been straightforward.

In this episode, we talk about how she broke into the industry, the reality of building a career from the ground up, and the creative identity she had to fight to reclaim. From sending thousands of cold emails to walking away from portfolio work that no longer felt aligned, Rachell shares what it’s really taken to get to where she is today.

She reflects on her time assisting Rankin, and how she’s gone on to shoot front covers for Vogue, photograph at the BAFTAs, and work with some of the most recognisable names in the industry. Rachell also opens up about launching her own magazine, Defined, navigating the emotional toll of working solo, and why having her portrait of Twiggy accepted into the National Portrait Gallery has been one of the proudest moments of her career.

This one’s for anyone who’s ever questioned whether they can make a living doing what they love. It’s about backing yourself before the world does, staying true to your style, and building a creative life on your own terms.

⸻

Key moments include:

✔ Assisting Rankin and learning on the job.

✔ Breaking into the industry with no connections.

✔ Getting front covers and shooting for Vogue.

✔ What it’s really like behind the scenes at the BAFTAs.

✔ The creative reset that changed everything.

✔ Letting go of people pleasing and finding her voice.

✔ Launching her own magazine Defined.

✔ Her portrait of Twiggy being accepted into the National Portrait Gallery.

✔ Balancing motherhood with a demanding creative career.

✔ Navigating AI as a working photographer.

⸻

Connect & Follow

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb

Follow Rachell Smith:

🔗 Website: https://www.rachellsmith.com

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachell_photo?igsh=a21uM2pjaWk3cWJw

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachell-smith-b6191430/

🔗 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@definedmagazine

🔗 Defined Website: https://www.definedmagazine.com

🔗 Defined Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/definedmag?igsh=dnAyYXM3Mjh0NWxu

Mushrooms. Manifestation. A brand changing the game.

Meet Zain Peer, cofounder of London Nootropics, one of the breakout names in functional health right now. Their adaptogenic coffee blends have taken the wellness space by storm, helping people ditch the jitters, clear brain fog, and tap into something better than burnout.

They have gone from kitchen counter experiments to a seven figure brand, featured on BBC Dragons’ Den, backed by major health voices, and supported by a growing wave of customers who are tired of being sold nonsense in shiny packaging.

But this conversation is not just about what they built, it is about everything they uncovered along the way.

We go there.

Behind the scenes of the supplement industry. The dangerous loopholes in regulation. The brands selling junk science under the label of wellness. And the question nobody wants to answer, if these ingredients are so effective, why are so many people trying to shut them down?

We also talk about the magic in the mess. The chaos of Covid. The timing they could not have planned. The moment Chris Evans shouted about them live on air. And the Dragons’ Den offer they walked away from without blinking.

⸻

Key moments include:

✔ What adaptogens really do to the body and why the quality matters more than people think

✔ How suppressed emotion might be linked to illness and what happens when you finally face it

✔ The science, the woo, and where it all overlaps

✔ Synchronicity, instinct, and the surreal moments that kept pointing them forward

✔ Why so much of what we are told about health is still built on broken systems

This one is bold. It is unfiltered. And it goes far beyond coffee.

If you care about your body, your energy, your focus, your health, and if you have ever had the sense that there is more going on than we are being told, this episode is for you.

⸻

Connect & Follow

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb

Follow Zain Peer:

🔗 Website: https://londonnootropics.com

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inzainagram/?hl=en

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/london.nootropics/?hl=en

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zainpeer/?originalSubdomain=uk

What if the solution to your chronic pain, low energy, poor sleep, or even spiralling mental health wasn’t another pill but a magnetic field?

More and more people are starting to take their health and longevity seriously, myself included. And once you start digging, it’s incredible what’s out there. One of the names that keeps coming up is Andy Smith. He’s really making waves (pardon the pun) in the biohacking world with a device called CELLER8, a PEMF therapy mat designed to work with the body’s own energy field to support proper healing.

Andy’s not just talking the talk. After going through a serious health crash in his twenties, he led the development of CELLER8 from the ground up, taking everything he’d learned through personal experience and years in the PEMF space and turning it into something more accessible, more portable, and crucially more effective.

We get into the science behind PEMF, the madness of modern EMFs, and why so many of us are walking around inflamed, depleted, and running on empty. Andy breaks it down in simple terms and shares exactly what happens when you give your body the tools it actually needs to heal.

⸻

Key moments include:

✔ The brutal health breakdown that changed everything and why nothing the doctors gave him worked.

✔ How CELLER8 supports the body at a cellular level and what most cheap PEMF devices get wrong.

✔ Why 70% of users are women and how it’s helping with pain, energy, periods, menopause and more.

✔ The truth about knock off PEMF mats and why some could be making people worse.

✔ How his toddler’s hip dysplasia healed eight months ahead of schedule using PEMF.

If you’re into longevity, recovery, or just want to feel more like yourself again, this one’s worth a listen.

⸻

Connect & Follow

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb

Follow Andy Smith:

🔗 Website: https://celler8.com

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andysmith_pemf?igsh=MWJ6MTJzN2tpemp6eg==

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celler8_?igsh=MWt0Z3RuNjNydHJxbg==

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-smith-8b843125?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

He arrived in the UK with just £270 in his pocket and ended up building a multi-million-pound business with Lord Sugar as his partner.

In this episode, I’m joined by Mark Wright, who doesn’t just talk about entrepreneurship, he’s lived it, battled through it and earned every win.

We talk about what really happens after the cameras stop rolling. From legal battles in month two of business, to being publicly booed by an entire industry, Mark shares the kind of experience that can’t be taught in a classroom.

He opens up about the relentless pressure of launching a company in the spotlight, how he handled being stalked, hacked and written off and why none of it stopped him.

We also get into his obsession with studying success, the harsh lessons that shaped him, and the no-nonsense mentoring he’s had from Lord Sugar and Grant Cardone.

⸻

Key moments include:

✔ What it really takes to win The Apprentice (and why the game starts long before the boardroom).

✔ Why the first 18 months of business nearly broke him.

✔ The mindset shift that separates talkers from doers.

✔ Behind the scenes of launching a business with Lord Sugar.

✔ Why Mark refuses to water things down for anyone.

✔ The difference between being liked and being respected.

⸻

Connect & Follow

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb

Follow Mark Wright:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mwright_10/?hl=en

🔗 X: https://x.com/mark_e_wright?lang=en-GB

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wright-1658925a

Rebecca May (Becky) is the quiet force behind some of the UK’s most high profile media placements.

For over two decades, she’s been shaping stories, building brands, and steering clients through everything from viral headlines to full blown media storms. She’s worked with celebrities, founders, and total unknowns, navigating the chaos and making the right kind of noise when it matters most.

It’s rare for Rebecca to step in front of the camera. But in this episode, she’s flipping the script and letting us into a world most people never get to see.

We go beyond the polished press releases and PR fluff and talk about what really happens behind the scenes. From turning down clients that don’t align to pulling last minute stories that could have ended careers, Rebecca has built her reputation on integrity, trust and strategy rather than spin.

We talk about how she broke into the industry, how she has stayed relevant in an ever changing media landscape, and the difference between real storytelling and making noise for the sake of it.

⸻

Key moments include:

✔ How Rebecca broke into fashion PR with Burberry and Milan Fashion Week

✔ What separates long term success from short term hype

✔ The unexpected risks of podcast interviews and how they are being used

✔ Why she has walked away from clients when the values did not match

✔ The small details that make or break media strategy

✔ Why the strongest voices are often the ones you never hear shouting

A powerful conversation with someone who has spent her life helping others be seen, while never needing to chase the spotlight herself.

⸻

Connect & Follow

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb

Follow Rebecca May:

🔗 Website: https://rmpublicity.com/

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rmpublicityofficial/?hl=en

🔗 X: https://x.com/rmpublicityteam?lang=en

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccamay-pragency/

She’s been called a modern day Madame, a real life rebel, and even a threat to society’s moral compass, but beneath the headlines, Emma Sayle is a female entrepreneur who has built one of the most recognisable and controversial brands in the world.

Two decades ago, she launched Killing Kittens with a clear mission to challenge the double standards around female sexuality and create a space where women lead. What began as a defiant move against shame and societal judgement has since evolved into a global business with a thriving community and a platform that spans events, tech, education and beyond.

In this episode, we unpack the full story, uncensored.

Emma shares how she went from an idea on a beach in Ibiza to raising millions in investment, navigating global expansion, and pushing back against the kind of discrimination that would have stopped many in their tracks. From being banned from advertising platforms and denied banking facilities to facing online abuse and being judged by other parents at the school gates, Emma’s journey hasn’t been straightforward.

We get into what it really takes to build and scale a brand in a heavily stigmatised industry, the strategic decisions behind splitting the business in two, and why she believes sexual empowerment has a ripple effect that can impact every area of your life. We also talk about the psychology behind her customer base, the unexpected demographic that makes up her core community, and how she balances being a founder, mother, and high level decision maker.

⸻

Key moments include: ✔Why Killing Kittens began as a response to social double standards. ✔How Emma built a multi million pound business despite censorship and barriers. ✔What really happens at the events (and what people get wrong). ✔Her views on judgement, motherhood and female led leadership. ✔The reality of scaling a business in a taboo space. ✔Why so many women report renewed confidence after attending.

It’s candid, challenging and impossible to ignore.

⸻ Connect & Follow

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb

Follow Emma Sayle:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emsayle333?igsh=MW14MmRwc3EwdGoxbg==

🔗 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/emmasayle

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19Jr2XUyTp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🔗 KK Website: https://www.killingkittens.com

🔗 KK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/killingkittens_/

🔗 KK LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/killingkittens

🔗 WAX App: https://thewaxapp.com/dating

When the stakes are high, Will Geddes is the man they call.

A-list celebrities. Billionaire CEOs. Politicians with everything to lose. For over thirty years, he’s protected people in the moments where it matters most, kidnappings, blackmail, death threats, data breaches, revenge plots. The stuff most of us only see in films.

Dubbed the real-life James Bond, Will has operated at the highest level of international security. But what makes him extraordinary isn’t just what he does. It’s how he got here.

Thrown out of home at seventeen. Living in a squat. No money. No safety net. No Plan B. His childhood was chaotic and abusive, and he learned early on how to read people before they opened their mouths. That instinct became his armour. And eventually, it became his edge.

In this episode, Will shares raw and unfiltered insights from the frontlines of private security. But this conversation goes far beyond bodyguards and threat assessments. It’s about boundaries. Accountability. Street smarts. And the uncomfortable truth that too many people are walking through life completely unprepared.

We talk about what really goes on behind closed doors. Corporate espionage. Sextortion. High-end set ups in five star hotels. The dark underbelly of fame, power, and ego. But we also get into the deeper stuff. What it means to stand your ground. Why resilience matters more than ever. And how to teach the next generation to toughen up without losing their humanity.

⸻

Key moments include:

✔ How childhood trauma gave Will the instincts that now save lives.

✔ Why the most dangerous people often look completely ordinary.

✔ The wildest cases he’s handled and the patterns he sees again and again.

✔ Why resilience is being eroded and what it’s costing us.

✔ What every parent needs to know about their child’s online world.

✔ Why traditional paths mean nothing without conviction.

✔ What it really takes to walk into a room and own it.

This isn’t just a story about security. It’s a wake up call. A reminder that confidence is earned, danger doesn’t always announce itself, and sometimes the most important thing you can do is trust your gut and take the shot.

Hardwired for honesty. Rooted in lived experience. This is Will Geddes.

⸻

Connect & Follow

Follow Ellie McKay:

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb

🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb

Follow Will Geddes:

🔗 Website: https://www.willgeddes.com/

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealwillgeddes?igsh=Y213dGZ2eng4cG51

🔗 X: https://x.com/willgeddes?s=21