Why do some people spend years fighting for change — long before anyone notices the result?

And what does it actually take to keep going when people dismiss your ideas, systems resist change, and success feels impossibly far away?

In this episode of Catch The Upswing, Jessica Espinoza speaks with Laura Coryton and Rachael Crook — two women who turned frustration, setbacks, and difficult personal experiences into movements and businesses that created real-world impact.

Laura Coryton led the campaign to end tampon tax in the UK and helped change legislation across Europe. Rachael Crook built a technology platform helping solve critical shortages in the care sector after witnessing firsthand how difficult it can befor families to navigate care systems.

Together, they explore resilience, campaigning, entrepreneurship, empathy, criticism, leadership, and the “hard years” nobody sees behind meaningful change. This is aconversation about staying in the arena, building through uncertainty, and continuing even when progress feels invisible.

🎙️ In this episode, we explore:

• The absurd policies that exposed sexism in the tax system
• How Laura Coryton helped end tampon tax in the UK
• Why meaningful change almost never happens quickly
• The emotional reality of entrepreneurship and leadership
• What caregiving taught Rachael Crook about resilience and empathy
• Why criticism from the sidelines matters less than staying “in the arena”
• The hidden emotional cost of trying to create change
• Why empathy is one of the most underrated leadership skills
• How to keep going when your first ideas fail
• The mindset shifts that help people persist through difficult years

🔗 Check out Laura Coryton’s work:Website: https://lauracoryton.com/ Sex Ed Matters: https://sexedmatters.co.uk/

🔗 Check out Rachael Crook’s work:Lifted: https://www.lifted-talent.com/

🔗 Additional resources:
Obama Foundation Leaders Program: https://www.obama.org/programs/leaders/
Care Economy Knowledge Hub (Kore Global): https://www.the-care-economy-knowledge-hub.org/

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 Trailer
04:19 Episode Starts: Meet Laura Coryton & Rachael Crook
06:54 “Who Is Making These Decisions?”
11:41 Watching Someone You Love Disappear
15:03 “There Was Nothing To Help Us”
20:05 The People Holding Society Together
22:01 How Laura Changed UK & European Law
27:36 “Nobody Sees The Hard Years”
31:18 The Moment Rachael Nearly Quit
35:09 Why Most People Never Start
40:45 The Leadership Skill Nobody Talks About
46:05 The Exercise That Changed How She Lives
50:12 “We Are Making Money And Changing Lives”
56:34 “Be More Ambitious”
01:01:05 Life Belongs To People In The Arena
01:08:42 Rapid Fire Round
01:13:26 “Getting Punched Is Part Of It”

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Catch The Upswing is a business podcast exploring howpeople build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world.

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#Leadership #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #CareEconomy #Activism #Resilience #SystemsChange #CareerGrowth #CatchTheUpswing