Dahlia is joined by Sophie Neary, MD of Retail at Google, to discuss why confidence is contagious. Sophie shares how she has built her career since the first days of a role on 'The Internet' and the role models that have influenced her to believe in herself and helped her build her confidence.

She shares the role she has in building the confidence of those around her in her position as a leader but she's also shares the link between confidence and resilience at times when things haven't quite gone to plan.

Listeners obviously get insight into what 'well dressed' means to Sophie - a story of a pink suit that everyone needs to hear.

Finally Sophie shares her top tips on how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, learning the way on the way and accepting failure and mistakes as part of the journey - but not letting them define who you are.

Sophie is a highly respected executive within the retail andtechnology industries. As Managing Director, Retail and FMCG at Google, she brings over 30 years of executive leadership experience from giants including Asda, Tesco and Meta. A digital pioneer since 1995, Sophie was instrumental in driving Boots' online transformation where, as a member of the Executive Committee, she led their critical digital response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond her commercial acumen, she's a multi-award winning, lifelong feminist, and a clear voice advocating and championing women in the workplace. Her highly regarded podcast "Courage is Contagious," and status as a LinkedIn "Top Voice" on Gender Equity cement her reputation.

Dahlia is joined by Louise Sleightholm, accountant, creator and owner of sustainable fashion brand Mode Workwear.

Lou shares the frustrations she had when she tried to find workwear that made her feel good upon qualifying as an accountant. Identifying a gap in the market she launched a social media platform sharing ideas on how to build a capsule workwear wardrobe (check out her instagram page @louscorporatelife) which has grown to a 300k strong community with which she shares ideas on what to wear for work in a corporate role each week.

Dahlia and Lou discuss how important it is to feel comfortable with who you are at work as a part of being able to do your best work and how to set yourself up for success from day one.

Lou shares the purpose behind her workwear brand Mode (which Dahlia and Lou are wearing in the show) and why she wants to raise the stakes on sustainable workwear creating a one stop shop to build a capsule corporate wardobe.

Lou reflects on how the confidence to wear what she wants at work has grown in line with an inner confidence in her ability to do a great job. She shares how she is paying her work forwards with a shoutout to Smart Works Leeds (part of Smart Works Charity which has previously been part of a collaboration with Stressed But Well Dressed Podcast).

If you are starting out in your career, starting a new job or just looking to up the stakes on what you wear to work each day this conversation is perfect for inspiration.

Louise Sleightholm is a Chartered Accountant working at the Big 4.

In her spare time, she creates workwear clothing content under @louscorporatelife to an audience of over 300,000. She also helps style women and launched her very own workwear brand, Mode.

Lou co-founded Leeds Young Professionals one of Yorkshire's fastest growing networking groups with over 3500 members.

Lou is a proud mum to a very cute 1 year old!

Check out Louise's weekly content here:

Instagram:

@louscorporatelife

@modeworkwear

TikTok:

Louscorporatelife

Dahlia is joined by Jo Elvin, journalist, broadcast and multi award winning editor to get her view on the link between clothes and confidence. Jo reflects on the moments where she has used clothes for confidence across her career as a magazine editor. She talks about the moments she has explored body confidence, moving into new parts of the media industry and found confidence in her current role (now also in front of the camera).

Dahlia and Jo talk about the role of an editor and how the changing media landscape has changed the way we consume information - and whether or not that is a good thing.

The conversation also includes a look in to Palace Confidential, discussing 'Royal' fashion and a nomination for the best dressed Royal!

Jo Elvin is a multi-award winning editor and broadcaster who has launched and helmed some of Britain’s most successful women’s magazines. She is most well known as the editor in chief of Glamour, a title she launched in 2001 that rapidly became the biggest-selling women’s magazine in the UK and Europe. Under her direction, Glamour quickly became the biggest selling magazine in Europe. During her time there, she also launched the internationally renowned Glamour Women of the Year Awards.

She was the editor of the Mail on Sunday’s YOU magazine from 2018-2022, the most widely-read women’s magazine in Britain with close to 2 million readers every week.

In 2022, Jo was appointed CEO of Children With Cancer UK, one of the biggest funders of research into childhood cancers in this country. She dedicated two years to increasing the charity’s profile, including helping to produce the acclaimed documentary , Kids Like Us, available on Sky.

She is a five-time winner of an Editor of the Year award from the British Society of Magazine Editors.

Born in Sydney, Australia, Jo even worked as a publicist in her early career for the iconic Aussie soap, Neighbours. She is a well-known broadcaster and podcaster, presenting on Lorraine and hosting the popular royal talk show, Palace Confidential. She has written extensively for most national newspapers including The Telegraph, The Times and The Daily Mail.

Dahlia is joined by stylist Claire Ginzler to discuss the power of clothes—not as a magic fix, but as a practical, confidence-building tool for real women.

Together, they unpack the emotional layers behind how we dress, the vulnerability of not liking your reflection, and the importance of dressing for who you are today—not who you hope to be someday.

This honest and energising conversation touches on how to quiet the inner critic, how clothes can support rather than disguise, and why your body—exactly as it is—is worthy of care, kindness, and a wardrobe that works for it.

They also cover the foundations of confidence, quite literally, including a detailed, supportive guide to properly fitting a bra and why it's one of the most empowering places to start.

Claire shares her philosophy of styling women beyond trends: updating, editing, and recycling your wardrobe to reflect who you are now. Whether you’ve been waiting for “future you” to arrive or simply don’t know where to begin with your closet, this episode is the reminder you didn’t know you needed.

In this episode: – Dressing for now, not “when I’ve lost weight” – Why “covering up” isn’t the same as feeling confident – Your bra as the foundation of style and support – Raw conversations about body image and acceptance – Wardrobe editing without overwhelm or pressure – Styling as self-kindness—not self-punishment

This is a conversation about coming home to your body, dressing it with care, and letting clothes remind you who you are—not who you're waiting to become.

Trigger warning: This episode discusses Breast Cancer

Claire is a London-based fashion stylist with over 28 years of experience in editorial, catwalk shows, TV, and advertising campaigns. She has worked with major designer and high street brands such as Calvin Klein, Stuart Weitzman, L'Oréal, Marks&Spencer, John Lewis, and styled shows for London Fashion Week, BBC1, and Channel 4.

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Claire served as Fashion Director at On|Off for eight years, where she was known for scouting and mentoring emerging talent, helping launch the careers of designers like JW Anderson, Peter Pilotto, Osman, and Mark Fast. Her work has been featured in The Guardian, Elle, The Telegraph, and Vision China, among others.

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Claire regularly collaborates with leading directors, event producers, and media agencies, keeping her connected to the evolving landscape of contemporary fashion.

Most recently, she has started up a platform and podcast called Tips For Your Tits, a podcast and platform on Instagram t to educate women all about their boobs, @tipsforyourtits. She is an inspiring mentor who helps bridge the gap between education and the professional world

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Dahlia is joined by Lee Chambers, Founder and CEO of Male Allies UK to discuss the impact that what we wear can have on how we see ourselves, and how others choose to see us.

Dahlia and Lee discuss the fact that clothing is a core part of our identity and we need to give ourselves permission to explore who we are and what we want to wear. Lee shares how his experience have shaped his work and how he has built the confidence and understanding of how he wants to dress. He also talks about the fact that clothing related gender stereotypes are deep rooted, but that we have a choice to challenge our intrinsic need to conform.

Lee his view of the fact that choosing to stand out should be celebrated whilst so often we 'punish' those who choose to go against the grain. He challenges the listeners to question 'What would you wear and how would you explore your identity if you didn't succumb to the fear of judgement.'

His guidance is to dress for your own standards and take pride in celebrating your own identity.

Lee Chambers is the Founder and CEO of Male Allies UK. After a diverse career, from corporate finance tobuilding and exiting a tech company, he is now focused on supporting organisations to engage men in inclusion and promote effective allyship. He has been featured on the Startups 100 Index, has received a Great British Entrepreneur Award, and sits on the board of CMI Women, Regenerage UK and the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. In 2024, he received the Freedom of the City of London for services to equality in business.

He is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciencesin the USA, the first Black British scientist to be awarded in its 33-year history, received for his work on health inequalities. He is the 2023 UN WomenChangemaker of the Year, and is an ambassador for the UK Government’s Lilac Review for Disabled Entrepreneurship. He speaks globally on allyship and intersectionality, having taken the stage at One Young World, ChangeNOW and theBloomberg Global Equality Summit, and is the author of the bestselling book, Momentum: 13 Ways To Unlock Your Potential.

Dahlia is joined by Kate Reardon, Editor in Chief of the The Times LUXX Magazine to discuss clothes, confidence and what it really means to live a life of luxury.

Dahlia and Kate discuss the true meaning of luxury and why it is often something that money cannot buy. Included in the conversation is Kate's own journey to feeling confident - and her view of why having confidence is a luxury in itself. The discussion includes the link between luxury, gratitude and contentment and why a life of luxury is often about making choices that create pleasure not pain.

Kate shares her top tips on seeking out luxury - in the places where you may not expect to find them!

Kate Reardon's unparalleled insight into the lives and desires of her readers makes her one of the most exciting and effective champions of luxury publishing in the world. At 21 Kate was made the Fashion Director of Tatler – the youngest ever at Condé Nast. Kate remained at Tatler for seven years and left to become a founding advisory board member of Net-a-Porter.com, to write three separate columns for The Times, who named her one of Britain’s best writers, and spent a decade as a Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair.

She went on to serve as editor in chief of Tatler for seven years. Kate has been editor in chief of The Times LUXX magazine since 2018 which has seen a period of record-breaking commercial growth. In November 2022 she oversaw the launch of the new digital channel Times Luxury, of which she is editor in chief.

Dahlia is joined by Charlotte Baraks, Co Founder of Delete Ventures and Head Advisor at Revenge Capital. Charlotte is an expert in brand strategy, in creative partnerships and the space where fashion and beauty meet as the former Head of Brand for MAC UK.

Dahlia and Charlotte discuss how to build your confidence through clothes when your style challenges traditional narratives. Charlotte draws on her experience which started at Dazed and Confused magazine, saw her move to L'Oreal and then to MAC cosmetics before moving into a role

in brand strategy and now as an advisor for VC funding.

The conversation touches on the role make up plays in building your confidence, how brands can speak to consumers and how to get really honest about what it means to launch a new brand or a new business.

Charlotte shares everything from why Elizabeth Arden handed out red lipstick to suffragettes to why founders need to get real about why their business needs funding.

Charlotte Baraks is a pioneering and seasoned leader with experience across beauty, fashion, F&B, entertainment and luxury sectors. Charlotte excels at launching and transitioning brands through hyper-growth and change. Commercially minded yet creatively led by the consumer landscape. Charlotte is currently running a brand incubation company, consulting for Private Equity / Funds, Founders, and CEOs to provide commercial diagnostic analysis on ways to improve and grow brands. With over eighteen year’s experience, Baraks has worked in-house at Dazed Media, Together Group, L'Oreal and MAC Cosmeticsy. She has crafted and refined go-to-market strategies for brands such as Bleach London and Illamasqua, as well as directing and delivering creative & brand direction for various global, sector-agnostic brands such as Perfecto Records (Record Label), Drip (R2D Water), Highr (Lipstick brand), The Streets (Band), Bubble (Skincare) to name a few. Baraks' vision has pulled off globally renowned consumer and industry product collaborations, as well as being pivotal in setting a blueprint for a new investment thesis in private equity.

Whilst at MAC Cosmetics, Baraks directed product collaborations such as Philip Treacy, Carine Roitfeld, Miles Aldridge, Harris Reed, Richard Quinn and powered a number of projects that challenged the conventional perceptions of beauty, rejecting the standards and ideals that former generations have subsumed. Highlight includes, being responsible for MAC's first TV advertisement in partnership with film director Steve McQueen, instore design in partnership with artist William Farr, and VIVA Glam collaborations such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.

Baraks' currently holds the position of Co-Founder and Head of Brand/Creative of Delete Ventures, as well being the Head Advisor of Revenge Capital, an evergreen, global impact fund that invests capital into overlooked founders: women, BAME, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled individuals, neurodiverse, anti-ageist, untraditionally educated, socio-economically disadvantaged. In both roles, here she oversees the construction of visual and verbal brand universes, working closely with Founders and C-Suite to bring new brands and capital investments to life.