"So, what do you do?"
It's a question that seems to follow me everywhere. At networking events, dinner parties and chance encounters. But how can you distil everything you are and do into just a few words?
My friend and I had been talking about how we both struggled to answer it. We'd just spent two hours catching up over coffee, an unexpected reunion after our paths hadn't crossed in a while. On the surface, not much had changed about either of us. But beyond the cosmetic, we'd both shed old layers and grown into new ones. We talked about work, life, the highs and lows, but mostly we shared the lessons that had found us along the way.
Neither of us are married, have children, or live a conventional 9-5 - something I don't think many people truly do anymore. By most standards, you could say we don't live "normal" lives, and for now at least, we're both completely okay with that.
But this question - this simple, familiar question that everyone asks made us both pause. We wondered if our inability to answer it neatly was a problem.
For almost two decades, I didn’t have to think twice about that question. “I’m a BBC journalist and producer.” It landed well, made sense and was something I was incredibly proud of.
But when I left the BBC, I also left behind a title that had become familiar to me and to others. The work I do now is a beautifully chaotic blend of everything I learned during that chapter - and so much more. It’s a canvas I’ve painted with many brushstrokes and one that will never be truly finished.
I’m always changing, growing, learning. And I’ve come to realise that the moment I try to fit myself into the square boxes that society creates, it can start to feel limiting, uncomfortable and ultimately untrue.
I've created and produced podcasts (my own Flip It being my greatest achievement), ghostwritten a book, helped shape stories for individuals and businesses, redefined brands and cultures, spoken on stages, interviewed everyday heroes and countless change-makers.
We’re never just one thing. We’re layered. Shaped by moments and memories. We’re walking, talking libraries of lived experiences.
After our conversation, I came home and picked up my journal. Tired of trying to explain myself and a little weary of being asked the same question, I began to scribbling words that felt like they belonged to me.
It felt liberating, because in the words that landed on the page, I mapped out how much I've done, how much I'm doing, and how much I've still yet to discover in myself.
Writing gave me space to recognise the skills, instincts, experiences and unconscious knowledge I've gathered - not just in newsrooms, but simply by being a curious human. That conversation with my friend was another reminder that every shared moment adds a new layer to our unfolding story.
Over the past couple of years, I've done things I never imagined I could do. Not because I wasn't capable, but because I hadn't needed to - and perhaps more to the point, because I was afraid of getting it wrong.
But the real shift came when I applied my own Flip It Method. I turned the lens, stepped toward the fear, and discovered that the magic lies in the doing. It’s often in the moments that don’t go to plan that we’re gifted the greatest opportunities.
Explore the unknown, celebrate the chaos, embrace the rebellion and honour the process - not just the destination.
What fits you today might not fit you tomorrow. Just like you update your wardrobe, you can update your story - and your job title. You just need to give yourself permission, the courage to look beyond the obvious and the curiosity to explore what you don't yet know.
Our conversation reminded me how powerful it is to step outside the boxes we've been handed and start shaping our own. Because regardless of who or what you are, you don't need a pre-approved job title. You just need courage and curiosity. From there, you'll find the clarity to see what's true (for you) and the tools to tell your story in a way that moves you and others into action.
While Flip It takes a short pause between seasons, I wanted to reshare some moments from Season Two that really stayed with me, and with many of you.
These three episodes were among the most talked about. I think it’s because they reminded us of something we all need to hear: that love, transformation, and healing are always possible, no matter where you are in your story.
So, in case you missed them the first time around or simply need a reminder of what becomes possible when you dare to see things differently, you can revisit the reel below and listen back to the full episodes anytime.
Season Three is on its way soon, with new voices and deeper stories. But for now, thank you for being here. Always.
🔗 Full episodes are available wherever you get your podcasts.
SOMETHING I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU:
This isn’t a typical coming-of-age story. Trust me it isn’t.
It doesn’t offer a clear arc or neat resolution and may leave you uncomfortable at times. But this is exactly its beauty. It offers you a window into another world that is raw, reflective and honest about the complexity of growing up.
Paris Lees understands the power of sharing personal experience not to provoke, but to connect. She is vulnerable and brave and confident in saying “this is me,” and allows others to recognise something in themselves.
Morality, like gender and love, isn’t fixed. It shifts and changes, shaped by our need to be understood and to belong. This is both a masterpiece and an education told through the true story of someone who has fought harder than most to have her voice heard.
I encourage you to sit with the discomfort of the window she opens - and the mirror that may quietly reflect something back at you.
🎥 Whatch “How it feels to be a girl” here.
“The time to make up your mind about people, is never.”
‘Philip Barry, The Philadelphia Story: A Comedy in Three Acts’
If you have a story or know of one that deserves to be heard on the Flip It Podcast, please get in touch. Stories shared, save lives — they have and continue to save mine.
I am also the Founder of Flip It Global, where I help people and organisations unlock the stories that shape them, then craft and sharpen those stories into their boldest, most powerful form of communication.
Want to speak better, write better and communicate better? Let’s make your story work harder for you.Email me: laura@flipitglobal.com