Beyond Business: Understanding High Functioning Depression with Pandora Morris

Most successful business owners appear to have it all together. But what if that relentless drive is actually masking something deeper? In this revealing episode, Pandora Morris exposes a hidden pandemic affecting high achievers: high-functioning depression.

Pandora Morris, creator of the Hurt to Healing podcast, has spent 24 years navigating the mental health system whilst managing severe OCD and eating disorders. She brings unflinching honesty about living with extreme mental health conditions whilst pursuing purpose and meaning.

This conversation reveals why constantly staying busy might be your way of running from yourself, introduces "anhedonia" (the inability to experience joy), and explains why true recovery requires both changing beliefs and taking action simultaneously.

What You'll Discover:

High Functioning Depression Explained: Why high achievers mask depression through rigid routines and constant busyness, and how to recognise if you're running from your feelings.

The Inner Work Framework: What "doing the inner work" actually means - connecting with your vulnerable inner child and stripping away societal expectations.

Therapy That Actually Works: Why most therapists fail their clients, the difference between CBT, EMDR, IFS and other approaches, and why recovery is like a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle.

OCD Reality Check: Recognising OCD in yourself or your children, why people wait 10 years to seek help, and why exposure therapy is crucial.

The Beliefs vs. Actions Debate: When you need to change your belief system before taking action, when action must come first, and why talking doesn't solve everything.

If You're Constantly Busy: Ask yourself - are you pursuing genuine passions or running from sitting with yourself? Take one day this week to practice stillness.

If You Can't Experience Joy: Notice whether you can appreciate small moments. If you're constantly thinking about the next thing rather than being present, consider whether high-functioning depression might be affecting you.

For Everyone: Stop asking "how are you?" unless you genuinely have time to hear the real answer. Remember that FINE often stands for "F***ed up, Insecure, Neurotic and Exhausted."

Find Pandora's Hurt to Healing podcast on all platforms and discover the therapy approaches that might finally help you piece together your recovery jigsaw puzzle.

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Business Exit? Most Owners Never Build a Sellable Business. Here's Why.

In this episode of the ActionCOACH podcast, Saul Cohen reveals why most business owners fundamentally misunderstand their business's value and what it takes to build a truly sellable company. Saul, a corporate finance expert who started at PWC and now specialises in mergers and acquisitions, shares the hard truths about scaling owner-managed businesses and the critical mistakes that prevent successful exits.

Discover why the "hustle" stops working at £1 million in revenue and what you need to do differently. Learn why owner-managed businesses rarely exceed £10 million without proper structure, and why getting above £20-100 million while retaining full ownership is nearly impossible. Saul explains the two biggest reasons acquisitions fail: people and cash flow, why you should never make changes immediately after buying a business, and how successful entrepreneurs think about money differently: focusing on building assets rather than just P\&L thinking.

This episode provides actionable frameworks for financial management, including the five essential components of a proper finance department, why you need a part-time financial controller (not just an accountant), and the critical difference between compliance and strategic financial planning. Saul also shares his recommended reading (Daniel Priestley's "24 Assets" and Alex Hormozi's "$100M Offers") and explains why every business owner needs to get a valuation immediately – even if they're not planning to sell for years.

Whether you're doing £500K or £5 million in revenue, this conversation will change how you think about building business value and planning your eventual exit.

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Dragons Den Failed Her, Then She Hit £10M in Revenue | Rachel Watkyn Tiny Box Company Interview

Most business owners give up after harsh rejection. Rachel Watkyn built a £10 million company instead.

In this episode of the ActionCOACH podcast, Rachel Watkyn, founder of Tiny Box Company, shares her remarkable entrepreneurial journey. After being "absolutely slaughtered" on Dragons' Den, battling chronic fatigue syndrome that left her bedridden for years, and surviving cancer, Rachel scaled her sustainable packaging business from zero to over £10 million in revenue.

What makes Rachel's journey extraordinary isn't just the numbers. It's how she achieved them. For 3-4 months across two consecutive years, she ran her entire business from her bed, a "guilty secret" she reveals publicly for the first time in this interview. Despite losing everything (her house, job, partner, and car), Rachel's "steel rod" determination and focus on something bigger than herself drove her forward when hope seemed impossible.

Discover Rachel's core strategies for scaling from £1 million to £10 million, why the Dragons were wrong about sustainability being "niche," and how she built a team so strong that a former warehouse worker now runs the entire operation. Rachel reveals the power of visualisation and manifestation, why focusing on experiences matters more than material goals, and what truly defines success beyond wealth.

Whether you're battling imposter syndrome, facing health challenges while running your business, or simply trying to scale past seven figures, Rachel's insights on servant leadership, trusting your vision over "experts," and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who lift you up will transform how you approach entrepreneurship.

Key quotes:

"If you're not helping people in some way, then you don't have a business model anyway."

"Especially for women that do suffer from confidence issues, imposter syndrome is to focus on something that's bigger than you."

"Your background, who you think you are, doesn't need to define you."

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