What do you do when you don’t have a plan…

You don’t see anyone who looks like you doing the job…

And someone tells you outright that you’ll never make it?

In this episode of She Who Dares Wins, Michelle sits down with Adele, an air ambulance helicopter pilot flying lifesaving missions over London — and her path there was anything but neat.

From growing up in a working-class Canadian town, to being told “girls don’t get hired”, to flying night missions in Kenya, landing helicopters in central London, and racing feral horses across Mongolia — Adele’s story isn’t about confidence or clarity.

It’s about doing the next honest step, even when the bigger picture doesn’t exist yet.

This conversation is a reminder that you don’t need permission, a perfect plan, or a straight line — just the courage to keep going.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & what it really means to “dare and win”

06:45 – Feeling lost, drifting through jobs, and not seeing herself represented

14:30 – “Girls won’t get hired” — the comment that nearly stopped her

21:45 – Choosing to train anyway: loans, side jobs, and grit

33:00 – Learning to say no under pressure as a young helicopter pilot

46:00 – Extreme air ambulance work in Canada & Kenya

56:00 – Moving to the UK (for a date… and a life pivot)

1:01:30 – Flying with London’s Air Ambulance: what the job actually involves

1:22:00 – The Mongol Derby & why she chooses hard things

1:48:00 – Adele’s dare: listening to your own voice

• You don’t need a clear plan — you need the next honest step
• Being told “no” often says more about other people’s limits than yours
• Visibility matters — but belief in yourself matters more
• Saying no under pressure is a skill that can save lives
• Burnout doesn’t mean you chose wrong — it means something needs adjusting
• Doing hard things builds trust with yourself
• Listening to your inner voice is a practice, not a personality trait

• Feeling restless but not “unhappy enough” to change
• Questioning your direction without wanting to burn everything down
• Curious about unconventional careers and real-life courage
• Tired of motivational noise and ready for grounded truth

If this episode hit home, share it with someone who’s quietly sitting on a “what if”.

And if you’re feeling that nudge?

That’s usually where daring starts.

Join Dare Club: https://stan.store/shewhodareswins

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This episode isn’t about big launches, viral moments, or overnight success.

It’s about the quiet work.

The thinking.

The testing.

The pulling back.

The sitting with doubt instead of bulldozing through it.

In the first episode of 2026, Michelle reflects honestly on the year just gone — what worked, what didn’t, and what only made sense once she stopped pushing and actually paid attention.

From stepping back over Christmas to avoid burnout, to questioning growth, sponsorship, social media, and the direction of the brand, this is a grounded look at what it really takes to build something that lasts.

No reinvention narrative.

No “new year, new me”.

Just clarity earned the hard way.

• Why not publishing over Christmas was a deliberate decision — not a failure
• How being busy isn’t the same as being aligned
• What last year revealed about presence, attention, and nervous system burnout
• The difference between testing ideas and chasing validation
• Why community and collaboration matter more than doing everything alone
• Losing momentum — and why that doesn’t mean you’re lost
• The realities of running an unfunded podcast and staying values-led
• Rethinking sponsorship, growth, and keeping the show independent
• The thinking behind Dare Club and the Thursday dares
• Why small, intentional challenges beat dramatic life overhauls
• Living in the “dip” without panicking or quitting

• Lessons inspired by Tim Ferriss and extracting meaning from lived experience
• Stoic thinking via Ryan Holiday and The Obstacle Is the Way
• Reflections on ADHD from Scattered Minds
• The Netflix documentary Stutz and practical mental tools
• Purpose, alignment, and slowing the pace instead of forcing progress

If you’re heading into 2026 feeling:

• unsure but not broken
• tired of loud advice
• quietly questioning the direction you’re heading

This episode is for you.

Because building a life isn’t about constant forward motion.

Sometimes it’s about stopping long enough to hear yourself think.

• Guest episodes return next week
• Dare Club and weekly dares resume shortly
• More intentional challenges, clearer direction, less noise

If you want to support the show, leave a review, share the episode with someone who’s in the messy middle, or join Dare Club for the weekly challenges.

And as always — thanks for listening.

Join Dare club https://stan.store/shewhodareswins

Shop: www.shewhodareswins.com

Support the show https://www.patreon.com/c/shewhodareswins

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This week’s Dare Day episode was inspired by an unexpected quiet moment.

An early morning drive.

No traffic. No radio.

nd the sudden realisation that I could hear birds singing — from inside the car.

That small moment led to a bigger question: when did we stop noticing what’s around us?

In this bonus episode, Michelle shares a simple but grounding story about an early winter morning, a red sky, a cup of tea in the garden, and how listening — properly listening — shifted her entire day.

The episode also connects to insights from Episode with Georgia, who described a chance visit to an RSPB hide that made her realise how much of the natural world she’d been missing simply because she’d never stopped to notice it.

This isn’t sentimental fluff.

There’s real science behind why moments like this feel so powerful.

• Why natural sounds like birdsong calm the nervous system
• How most of us live in low-level fight-or-flight without realising
• The concept of “soft fascination” and why nature restores a tired brain
• How listening grounds us in the present and eases anxiety
• Why nothing has to change around you for something to shift internally

Take 5–10 minutes early in the morning.

Before your phone.

Before conversations.

Before the world gets loud.

No music. No podcasts. No scrolling.

Make a tea or coffee if you like. Sit outside, on a doorstep, balcony, or by an open window.

Close your eyes.

And listen.

Birds, wind, distance, silence — whatever is there.

You’re not trying to relax.

You’re not fixing anything.

You’re simply reminding your nervous system that it’s safe.

If you’ve stopped hearing the birds, there’s a good chance you’ve been carrying too much noise for too long.

Dare Club is free to join and lands these weekly dares straight in your inbox, along with early access to live events and special announcements.

You can sign up via the link in the episode description or through Instagram.

Thanks for listening — and enjoy this week’s dare.

Join Dare Club https://stan.store/shewhodareswins

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