In this episode of the PRsonal Podcast, we sit down with the incredible Cat Neil, a mortgage advisor whose life was turned upside down in February 2024 — and who has since emerged as a powerful voice for resilience, vulnerability, and healing.

Cat was nearing the end of a 5K training run when she was suddenly hit by a car while on the pavement — an incident so severe it left her with an open fracture to her leg, sparking a medical journey that would involve nine operations, including two 11-hour limb-saving surgeries, skin grafts, leech therapy, and blood transfusions. But as harrowing as her physical injuries were, it’s Cat’s mental and emotional resilience that shines brightest in this deeply moving conversation.

She shares, with raw honesty, the silent battles she fought behind closed doors: learning to depend on others for basic needs, grieving the loss of her old body and identity, and the exhausting mental energy of navigating a world that expects visible healing. Her story exposes the often unseen reality of life after trauma — where the hardest work is done quietly, long after the headlines fade.

Despite it all, Cat’s mindset is nothing short of extraordinary. A lifelong journaler, she turned to writing, mantras like “safe, happy, healthy, loved”, and the grounding belief that “your mind is limitless” to carry herself through. With emotional intelligence, she speaks candidly about the importance of therapy, support systems, self-compassion, and the power of showing up — even imperfectly.

But this is not just a story about survival – it's a raw and unfiltered exploration of resilience, mindset, and healing. Cat speaks with remarkable vulnerability about:

• Facing trauma and physical recovery head-on
• The quiet power of journaling and mindset work
• Grieving her former self and rediscovering confidence
• How trauma impacts relationships and intimacy
• The emotional weight of relying on others and regaining autonomy
• Her evolving relationship with her body, and the strength it still carries

Cat’s message is clear: You are stronger than you think. And even in your darkest moments, you can choose to keep going — hour by hour, day by day.
Whether you're navigating your own healing journey or supporting someone who is, this episode is a powerful reminder that recovery isn’t linear, and that resilience is a daily decision.

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Harvey & Hugo’s socials:

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In one of the most moving episodes of the PRsonal Podcast to date, host Charlotte Nichols sits down with Zara King — a product designer, storyteller, and founder of Zara King Designs, the first female-owned product design company in Teesside. But Zara’s story goes far beyond products and patents. This is an unforgettable conversation about grief, identity, love, and the human drive to create meaning from pain.

At just 16, Zara lost her father — and with little support or preparation, found herself navigating the trauma, logistics, and legacy of death alone. It was a defining moment that shaped her perspective on life, purpose, and how we care for others when they’re gone. That deeply personal experience later inspired her passion project: The Lovely Life of Bean, an interactive children’s book designed to gently introduce the concepts of death, euthanasia, and legacy through the life of a fictional dog named Bean — from birth to planting his memory in a garden.

Zara doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable. Whether it’s advocating for better end-of-life education, redesigning the overlooked bedpan, or challenging assumptions in a male-dominated design world, she’s on a mission to “fix the forgotten” — using empathy and innovation to bring dignity back to the details most people ignore.

She also opens up about her experience of coming out in the early 2000s, how attitudes have evolved since, and the quiet prejudices she and her wife still face today. Through it all, Zara remains grounded, funny, and deeply self-aware — a woman driven not by ego, but by impact.

This isn’t just a podcast episode — it’s a reminder that even the heaviest experiences can be turned into something healing. That design isn’t always about the next shiny object — sometimes, it’s about a better bedpan, a child’s understanding of loss, or a dignified end.

Listen now to discover how Zara King is redesigning the narrative — one act of compassion, one story, and one brave step at a time

PRsonal socials:

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LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/prsonal-podcast

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Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/prsonal_podcast


Harvey & Hugo’s socials:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/harveyandhugo

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvey-&-hugo

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HarveyandHugo

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/harveyandhugopr

TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@harveyandhugo

When multi-award-winning entrepreneur, trichologist, and cancer activist Nicola Wood was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 36, her first question was, “Am I going to die?” But her second question was just as telling: “Am I going to lose my hair?”

In this deeply personal episode of the PRsonal Podcast, Nicola shares how her own journey with cancer changed not just her body, but her identity, her business, and her purpose. Hair had been at the heart of Nicola’s life since she was 12 — and losing it during treatment uncovered a grief that many underestimate.

Through powerful storytelling, she breaks the silence around the emotional toll of hair loss — not just for cancer patients, but for anyone who has ever struggled with self-image and femininity.
From building a pioneering hair loss support business, to helping over 15,000 people reclaim their dignity, to raising her young son while battling treatment, Nicola’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and radical empathy.

PRsonal socials:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/PRsonal_podcast

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/prsonal-podcast

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/PRsonalPodcast

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/prsonal_podcast


Harvey & Hugo’s socials:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/harveyandhugo

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvey-&-hugo

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HarveyandHugo

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/harveyandhugopr

TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@harveyandhugo