Smashing The Ceiling

By: Naomi Mellor
  • Summary

  • Welcome to Smashing The Ceiling, the show where we showcase the lives of women with interesting, unusual and inspiring careers, those who have achieved amazing things, some who've got a really cool or unusual job, and some who've just had a fascinating life. Each week I sit down with one amazing human to dig a little deeper into the HOW of it all - how did they get where they are, how they picked themselves up when things didn’t go right, and how their mentors, motivations and mistakes have led them to achieve the things they have.
    Copyright 2024 Naomi Mellor
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Episodes
  • Annabelle Buckland - on audio obsessions and an adult diagnosis of ADHD
    Apr 5 2023

    My guest today is a woman I met a couple of years ago whilst wearing a delicious pair of sequinned dungarees and accepting an award at the International Women’s Podcast Awards. Her name is Annabelle Buckland, and she’s an radio host, podcast producer and general audio whizzo. She also has ADHD.

    We’ve discussed a lot of things on this podcast over the last 5 years, but the impact of an adult diagnosis of ADHD on career and working life is one that so far we haven’t touched on, so I’m pleased that we’re diving into that today. If you need more information or are affected by anything you’ve heard today, I’ve popped plenty of links in the show notes with information and support.

    Above all though, Buckers is hilarious and thoughtful, and an amazing interviewee. We talked about her early obsession with dental hygiene, why going touni isn’t always a dream choice and about the progression of women in audio. Enjoy this one.

    Useful links

    Buckers' website

    Follow her and Decibelle Creative on Instagram

    Listen to Buckers' podcast with Fleur Emery on ADHD, The Spin Off

    The ADHD UK website is here which has lots of useful links and resources

    October is ADHD Awareness Month and there's more info on that here

    Music

    Provided by ZakharValaha, AleXZavesa, Coma-Media SergeQuadrado JuliusH, Lesfm and lemonmusicstudio from

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    52 mins
  • Jia Wertz - from Forbes and fashion to film-making and fighting for freedom
    Mar 20 2023

    My guest today has gone from shy wallflower to recipient of international film awards and a column in Forbes.

    Jia Wertz is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, activist and writer, who, like many of our guests, has had a working life with some unexpected twists and turns.

    Jia had a super successful career in the fashion industry when she first heard the podcast Serial back in 2014. She was moved to do what she could to help Adnan Syed, the protagonist of the series, who was sentenced at the age of 17 for the murder of Hae Min Lee, a crime he always denied.

    Jia became actively involved in Adnan’s case, and at the same time, made the decision to quit her career in fashion and go to film school at the age of 40 having recently given birth to her son. Jia was subsequently inspired to make her first documentary film, Conviction, about the wrongful conviction of Jeffrey Deskovic, which won multiple awards and opened Jia’s career up in ways she never expected.

    Since we recorded this podcast, Adnan Syed has been released from prison and the charges against him dropped. You can read more about the case here.

    Useful links

    Jia's website

    Follow Jia on Instagram

    Follow Jia on Twitter

    Watch the trailer for Conviction on YouTube

    Watch Conviction on Amazon Prime

    Music

    Provided by ZakharValaha, AleXZavesa, Coma-Media SergeQuadrado

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    44 mins
  • Samantha Baines, Part 2 - on starring in Magic Mike Live with Channing Tatum and accidentally writing a children's book
    Mar 6 2023

    This is Part Two of my chat with Sam Baines, my first guest for Season 6 of the podcast, and a woman that I’ve know for a few years after she was shortlisted at the inaugural International Women’s Podcast Awards back in 2021. It’s fitting that she’s first this season, because she’s been the first woman to do a few other things too.

    Sam is an award-winning comedian, podcaster, author, actor, broadcaster and general legend. In 2014 she won the Funny Women Awards, and subsequently went on to scoop of the 2015 ‘What the Frock’ Best Newcomer Award.

    But that’s not all. As an adult, Sam experienced hearing loss, and is now a deaf activist, hearing aid wearer, and an ambassador for the RNID.

    She’s written two children’s books, Harriet Versus The Galaxy and The Night The Moon Went Out, and she tells me in this conversation about how she got her first book deal (spoiler alert: she wrote it without an official offer). Her new book, Living With Hearing Loss and Deafness, is available to pre-order now. As well as all this, she’s got an award-winning podcast, The Divorce Social, discussing, surprise, surprise, divorce, and her acting credits include The Crown, Call the Midwife, and Magic Mike Live in the West End.

    There is nothing this woman can’t do.

    We covered SO much ground in this chat, which was recorded aaaages ago live at The Podcast Show - basically I had to give myself a good kick up the arse to get the podcast moving again in 2023, so that’s entirely on me. There was so much good stuff that I cut it in two. This is part two. Enjoy.

    Useful links

    Sam's website

    Follow Sam on Instagram

    Follow Sam on Twitter

    Follow Sam on YouTube

    Music

    Provided by ZakharValaha, AleXZavesa,

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    41 mins

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