Olivia Hamilton is the founder of Changing Minds Training, a mental health training company that helps professionals have better, more human conversations about mental health, crisis and suicide prevention.

In this episode of Life by Misadventure, Olivia talks openly about growing up in a chaotic home, struggling with self-harm from a young age, developing bulimia as a teenager, and living through suicide attempts, family breakdown and long waits for the right support. She also reflects on the shame, secrecy and confusion that often surround self-harm, and why people in pain are not usually looking for attention. They are often looking for help, connection and relief.

Olivia also shares practical insight into how parents, friends and professionals can respond when someone is struggling. Sometimes the most useful thing is not trying to fix the problem or deliver advice. It is staying calm, listening properly, asking what support they need, and helping them feel seen rather than judged.

Community note:

This episode includes open discussion of suicide, self-harm, bulimia, alcohol misuse, family trauma and mental health crisis.

Please take care while listening, especially if any of these subjects feel close to home.

Olivia-Louise shares her story with honesty and care, but the conversation is not intended as clinical advice. If you are struggling, please speak to someone you trust or contact a mental health support service in your area.

UK support:

Samaritans - Call 116 123 - Available 24 hours a day

SHOUT - Text SHOUT to 85258 - Free 24/7 crisis text support

Mind - mind.org.uk

Changing Minds Training - changingmindstraining.com

About the Show

Life by Misadventure is hosted by David Brown and features honest, engaging conversations with interesting people about life, loss, resilience, ideas, and the experiences that shape us.

Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/4dmbrown/

Watch the UNCUT video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifebymisadventurepod

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-by-misadventure/id1782077287

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Z1MszCU19QglChFb11Pw2?si=98ab1a34db074b3d

Lyn Parent was born in Paris, raised in England, and built a life full of reinvention, risk, resilience and unexpected turns.

In this episode of Life by Misadventure, Lyn shares the story of being diagnosed with HIV in 1990, being told she had six months to live, moving to New Zealand, becoming a mother, facing stigma, surviving control and emotional abuse, and using her own experience to support other women.

Lyn’s story is about much more than one diagnosis. It is about refusing to be defined by fear, rebuilding a life from scratch, and turning personal pain into advocacy through Just Women Live.

About the Show

Life by Misadventure is hosted by David Brown and features honest, engaging conversations with interesting people about life, loss, resilience, ideas, and the experiences that shape us.

Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/4dmbrown/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifebymisadventurepod

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-by-misadventure/id1782077287

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Z1MszCU19QglChFb11Pw2?si=98ab1a34db074b3d

Sonya Black is a psychotherapist and CBT specialist whose work focuses on trauma, anxiety, depression and helping people understand what happens when the brain’s alarm system gets switched on.

In this episode of Life by Misadventure, Sonya explains why trauma is not always about the event itself, but how the brain and body process what happened afterwards. She talks about safety, powerlessness, flashbacks, rumination, shame, post-traumatic growth and why some memories feel as if they are still happening now.

Sonya also shares practical insight into how people can support someone after a difficult experience. Sometimes the most useful thing is not trying to fix anything. It is asking, “How can I show up for you right now?” and giving someone space, safety and time to make sense of what happened.

About the Show

Life by Misadventure is hosted by David Brown and features honest, engaging conversations with interesting people about life, loss, resilience, ideas, and the experiences that shape us.

Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/4dmbrown/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifebymisadventurepod/

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-by-misadventure/id1782077287

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Z1MszCU19QglChFb11Pw2?si=98ab1a34db074b3d

Greg Wasserman is a podcast industry connector, LinkedIn creator and host of Podcast Network Insights, whose life changed after a mental health crisis led him into rehab.

In this episode of Life by Misadventure, Greg talks about losing his job during the pandemic, struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, learning the language of emotions, and discovering why asking for help is a strength rather than a burden.

Greg’s story is about recovery, vulnerability, male mental health, better communication, and the quiet power of saying the thing that someone else might need to hear.

About the Show

Life by Misadventure is hosted by David Brown and features honest, engaging conversations with interesting people about life, loss, resilience, ideas, and the experiences that shape us.

Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/4dmbrown/

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-by-misadventure/id1782077287

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Z1MszCU19QglChFb11Pw2?si=98ab1a34db074b3d

Rachael Rodgers is a specialist in wills and estate planning who helps people understand what really happens when life, death, divorce, blended families, property, children, and money collide.

In this episode of Life by Misadventure, Rachael explains why a basic will is often not enough, why assumptions about marriage and inheritance can cause serious problems, and why lasting powers of attorney may be one of the most important documents you ever create.

Rachael’s message is blunt but useful: you may not want to think about death, incapacity, probate, trusts, guardianship, inheritance tax, or who gets what when things go wrong, but avoiding the conversation does not protect the people you love.

About the Show

Life by Misadventure is hosted by David Brown and features honest, engaging conversations with interesting people about life, loss, resilience, ideas, and the experiences that shape us.

Connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/4dmbrown/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifebymisadventurepod/

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-by-misadventure/id1782077287

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Z1MszCU19QglChFb11Pw2?si=98ab1a34db074b3d

Rachel Thomas is a specialist mesothelioma nurse whose work has been defined by more than two decades of supporting people and families through serious illness, end of life care, and the hard realities most of us try not to face.

In this episode of Life by Misadventure, Rachel talks about why so many people avoid talking about death, the fear families carry when time is short, and how honest conversations and good care can bring more peace than many expect.

Rachel leaves you thinking about death in a different way, not as something only frightening or distant, but as part of life that becomes less terrifying when people are given truth, compassion, and room to talk.

About the Show

Life by Misadventure is hosted by David Brown and features honest, engaging conversations with interesting people about life, loss, resilience, ideas, and the experiences that shape us.

Connect with David on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/4dmbrown/

Watch on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@lifebymisadventurepod/

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-by-misadventure/id1782077287

Listen on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6Z1MszCU19QglChFb11Pw2?si=98ab1a34db074b3d

Lena Robinson is a marketer and founder of FTSQ whose life was shaped by years spent working across advertising, branding and sales, where she learned how often businesses confuse hard selling with real connection.

In this episode of Life by Misadventure, David Brown and Lena dig into why so many LinkedIn posts feel forced, why mixing family moments with sales messages can fall flat, and how bad advice pushes business owners towards formulaic content that misses the point.

Lena leaves the listener with a simple idea that cuts through all the noise: authenticity is not a trick or a format, but the result of telling stories that make people feel recognised, understood and less like they are being sold to.

About the Show

Life by Misadventure is hosted by David Brown and features honest, engaging conversations with interesting people about life, loss, resilience, ideas, and the experiences that shape us.

Connect with David on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/4dmbrown/

Watch on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@lifebymisadventurepod/

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-by-misadventure/id1782077287

Listen on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6Z1MszCU19QglChFb11Pw2?si=98ab1a34db074b3d

Rebbeca Morse is an artist whose life was shaped by epilepsy, brain surgery, and the lasting changes those experiences left behind.

In this episode of Life by Misadventure, she talks about growing up with seizures she did not yet understand, reaching the point where brain surgery became the only real option, and living with the personality, memory, and identity shifts that followed.

Rebbeca shares how art became a way to process what happened and how surviving something major does not always mean returning to the person you were before.

Links

Rebbeca Morse on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebbecamorse/

The National Brain Appeal: https://www.nationalbrainappeal.org/

A Letter in Mind: Spring Forward exhibition: https://www.nationalbrainappeal.org/event/a-letter-in-mind-spring-forward/

The 2026 A Letter in Mind: Spring Forward exhibition, runs from 24 to 28 March 2026.

About the Show

Life by Misadventure is hosted by David Brown and features honest, engaging conversations with interesting people about life, loss, resilience, ideas, and the experiences that shape us.

Connect with David on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/4dmbrown/

Watch on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@lifebymisadventurepod/

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-by-misadventure/id1782077287

Listen on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6Z1MszCU19QglChFb11Pw2?si=98ab1a34db074b3d