“There are certain base levels of respect that you must have for each human being. You know trans people are some of the most marginalized in society. Where is your humanity? Where is our collective humanity?”

A poignant & timely question from this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’

Oscar Davies (they/them) is the first publicly recognised non-binary barrister and a sought out speaker and advocate specialising in discrimination, education, employment, and human rights law. And it’s been a huge year for them! Oscar has just won the King’s College London Distinguished Alumni ‘Changemaker of the Year’ 2025 award for their advocacy on trans and non-binary rights - take a wander outside the Strand Campus & you’ll see their photo featured alongside historical change makers. And in 2024, Oscar was named LGBTQ+ Champion of the Year at the Legal 500 ESG Awards.

This was my first big proper conversation with Oscar and we covered A LOT of ground from the power of the queer community when it comes together through to the way they use their privilege & expertise as a way of giving the Trans+ community a sense of hope. We discuss Oscar’s social media profile as the @nonbinarybarrister being quite a deliberate move too.

Describing Little Oscar as “a precocious child”, Oscar shares how they embraced their individualism & ‘fruity angles’ - including being cast as Elizabeth I in a school play - during their younger years but later chose to repress themself in order to excel academically. With a strong self of self & core values from a young age, it’s no wonder that Oscar is doing what they’re doing right now - despite initially wanting a career as a pop star.

We chat about Oscar’s professional & work-life balance, ADHD, owning their fabulousness and being called a dying swan by a hater - an amusing insult that Oscar leans into. And there’s more exciting things coming up for Oscar too with their forthcoming book which seeks to furnish queers with their rights so they can use them in any situation as well as a documentary about them.

“Individualism is so much weaker than synthesis.” Oscar is deeply invested in the communal self & radical love for others… with a passion for dancing & justice. I loved this conversation - I’m sure you will too!

PLEASE NOTE: We do cover some sensitive topics including the current landscape for the Trans+ community so please take care of yourself whilst listening.

“It’s Ali being Ali.” And that’s exactly why this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ is so so loved!

Ali Hendry (she/her) trains coaches across many different areas including relationships, holistic life coaching and mentoring as well as being a coach herself in many of these areas including DEI & public speaking. She also hosts the Diva Relationship Room on Instagram every Thursday at 6pm (check it out) & writes a monthly column for Diva too.

I have the privilege of knowing Ali as a colleague, an activist, a TEDx coach and a fellow sober raver on the dance floor so it was great to spend time diving into her origin story - and we share A LOT in common!

On her first day of school, Little Ali was off & running through the school gates - her love of people & education is very much part of Ali’s story from a young age. Despite leaving school at 16 to work in a bank to earn money believing further studying wasn’t for her, Ali went on to do A-Levels & a Psychology degree. Her career has taken many twists & turns and she shares the story of how she found herself in the coaching world.

Creating a sense of belonging is fundamental to who Ali is through all of her work. I found it fascinating that she was able to pinpoint the definitive moment in which she found her grounding in inclusion with a commitment to continued learning & understanding the experiences of others. Especially those that ‘colour outside the lines’. Ali possesses a unique finesse when it comes to blending her professional expertise with her own lived experience whether that’s talking about ageing, menopause, neurodivergence, parenting or polyamory - it’s all part of her story & Ali truly believes that storytelling accompanied by authenticity, empathy & vulnerability changes hearts & minds.

When I ask her about her neurodivergence, Ali also delivers a cracking statement to reflect on things “The more we queer life, the more we open to its magnificence.” BOOM.

We reminisce fondly about London’s glorious 00’s scene & many of its lost venues - and Ali’s foray into performing, curating events & workshops for gay women. Ali also shares how she’s worked her way to a phenomenal work-life balance today.

You’re in for a beautiful conversation. Enjoy! And if you haven’t already seen it, check out Ali’s TEDx talk ‘The Survivor’s Guide to Jealousy’.

“‘If there's something you want to do, go and do it. Seize the day, make sure it happens. Do everything you can to make it happen. So my advice to you, young man - literal words - seize the day.’ And that's actually how Out There was born.”

This life changing exchange at Angkor Wat in Cambodia between this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ and a stranger changed the course of his career & life.

Uwern Jong is Experientialist®-in-Chief - a fantastic & actual trademarked job title - of OutTherethe multi-award-winning luxury and experiential travel media brand rooted in values of diversity, discovery and discernment. A storyteller at heart and strategist by trade, Uwern co-founded OutThere to champion authentically inclusive, underrepresented and narrative-led travel stories. Under his leadership, the brand has grown into one of the most respected independent voices in luxury travel. I met Uwern at his recent ‘Icons of Inclusion’ conference and he really is a well-loved figure in his field.

Born in the UK with Malaysian Chinese heritage, Uwern and his family returned to Malaysia for his primary school years which sparked somewhat of an identity crisis whilst straddling two cultures. Something which was further impacted later with his queerness. A soft & sensitive child, Uwern was a non-conformist from the get go and shares a brilliant anecdote about colouring in pink outside of the lines which speaks to the Uwern we know today brilliantly. He found his confidence when he joined a military cadet school.

Despite not pursuing a vocational profession and opting for a creative life, Uwern’s parents are & always have been supportive of his choices and he believes that he has become what he wanted to be. Our conversation explores the ‘happen-stances’ of Uwern’s early career, how he thrives on people & the lessons the pandemic taught him too. Naturally, we also dive into the transformative power of travel & becoming the lead character…

Uwern describes himself as a ‘glass half-full person’ and his positivity is infectious. Listen in to grab a dose! Enjoy.