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She Who Dares, Wins.

She Who Dares, Wins.

Written by: Michelle Hands
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Tired of playing by the rules? The She Who Dares Wins podcast is for the women who reject convention, challenge expectations, and carve their own damn way through life. Hosted by Michelle Hands, former construction engineer turned fearless storyteller,this podcast dives deep into the raw, unfiltered journeys of women who refuse to fit the mold.

If you've ever battled imposter syndrome, hesitated to take a risk, or felt the pressure to conform, this is your space. Expect bold conversations with trailblazers, adventurers, and industry disruptors who share their real stories of breaking barriers, building confidence, and rewriting success on their own terms.


🚀 What You'll Get:

✔️ No-fluff, high-impact conversations with women pushing boundaries

✔️ First-time experience stories & unconventional career pivots

✔️ Tactical steps to crush fear & own your confidence

✔️ Insights into thriving in male-dominated spaces

✔️ The perfect mix of adventure, risk-taking, and personal growth

This isn't your typical self-help show—it’s a call to action for women who want more. More adventure. More freedom. More hell yes moments. Tune in and join a community of unstoppable women who dare to win.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Hands Careers Economics Personal Success Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • The Olympian Who Never Planned to Be One : Steph Kessell's Story

    The Olympian Who Never Planned to Be One : Steph Kessell's Story
    Oct 13 2026

    In this episode of She Who Dares Wiggles, I'm joined by Stephanie, Olympic marathon runner, one-to-one run coach and mum. She never dreamed of the Olympics, but after a marathon ballot she expected to lose, a pandemic and a run of injuries, she ended up on the start line in Tokyo. We talk about the races, the setbacks, and why starting her own business may have been the bigger dare.


    Timestamps

    0:00 From Hedge Fund Admin to Olympic Marathoner

    1:35 The Biggest Dare: Starting a Coaching Business

    3:24 Early Athletic Roots and School Sports

    8:02 The Berlin Marathon Ballot That Changed Everything

    12:34 Chasing the Olympic Qualifying Standard

    15:09 Valencia: A High-Stakes Olympic Qualifier

    24:21 The Olympic Trials at Kew Gardens

    39:10 Running the Olympics with a Fractured Shin


    💬 KEY TAKEAWAYS - You don't need a big dream to end up somewhere extraordinary. Small steps add up. - You won't tick off every training session, and that's okay. Flexibility beats perfection. - Get a diagnosis, make a plan, and use cross-training to stay fit through injury. - Stand in your value when you start something new. Prices can rise without losing clients. - Accountability helps: bring a friend along to the thing you've been putting off.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Find One More Step: The Everest Mindset for Hard Days With Squash Falconer

    Find One More Step: The Everest Mindset for Hard Days With Squash Falconer
    Oct 6 2026

    This week on She Who Dares Wins, I'm joined by Squash: adventurer, speaker and high-performance coach.


    Squash grew up on a farm planning to be a vet, until a ski season, a view of Mont Blanc and a group of adventure-racing friends changed everything. We talk about how she bluffed her way into BBC and BMW backing to become the first British woman to paraglide off the summit of Mont Blanc, and what happened when she reached the top of Everest without doing what she'd set out to do.


    Then she gets honest about becoming a mum, the years that tested her most, and the simple tools that carried her through: breath, routine, the right people and one small next step.


    If you've ever felt you should be coping better, or you're waiting to see the whole path before you begin, this conversation is for you.


    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    - When you can't see the way, find one more step, and do it on repeat

    - A "failure" can still be the best story you tell

    - "And" is more useful than "but": you can be grateful and struggling at once

    - Other people often see your strengths before you do

    - Growth comes from discomfort, so say thank you to it

    - Small basics (breath, sleep, movement, a routine) hold up the big things


    IN THIS EPISODE

    0:00 Welcome and the story behind the name "Squash"

    1:14 Growing up on a farm and unconditional love

    3:02 From farmer to future vet

    5:34 The cow that changed her mind

    6:59 A ski season and a view of Mont Blanc

    10:34 Hitting the wall: "find one more step"

    13:00 When did you last do something for the first time?

    16:02 Nothing is ever wasted

    19:39 Three dreams, one wild plan

    22:57 Bluffing the BBC and BMW

    24:10 Taking off from the top of Mont Blanc

    28:05 "They don't make stuff up"

    30:00 GoPro, debt and the Everest "failure"

    33:57 Summit day and the way down

    38:59 Public speaking and the energy before a talk

    44:24 Motherhood: the part nobody posts about

    46:25 Simple daily practices that actually work

    50:25 The breath that changes everything

    52:54 "If your knickers are right, your day goes right"

    59:25 When things fall apart, they're falling together

    1:04:04 The dare: leave everyone a gift


    QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE

    "The only thing you've got to do is find one more step and do it on repeat."

    "When you think you're done, you're nowhere near done."

    "If your knickers are right, your day goes right."


    THE DARE

    Squash's challenge to you: leave everyone you meet a little better than you found them, and have the one brave conversation you've been putting off.


    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

    - Mont Blanc and Mount Everest

    - The BBC, BMW and GoPro, who backed her early expeditions

    - The Salomon 36-hour adventure race

    - The Obstacle Is the Way (the book I mention, by Ryan Holiday)


    CONNECT WITH THE SHOW

    www.shewhodareswins.com

    Join Dare club: Here

    Become a Patreon member for all bonus episodes.


    If this episode helped you, send it to someone who needs a reminder that they're stronger than they think. A rating or review helps more women find the show.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • The 6:30 AM Sober Rave Movement: Quitting her Job to Dance and Bring Joy

    The 6:30 AM Sober Rave Movement: Quitting her Job to Dance and Bring Joy
    Sep 22 2026
    For twenty years, Leesa was deeply immersed in the corporate rat race—running global sales teams, traveling the world, and earning a living in a high-stakes, money-driven career. But behind the scenes, she was pushing herself to the absolute limit. When her mother passed away suddenly from lung cancer just nine months after diagnosis, and lockdown hit, Leesa faced a severe mental breakdown, burnout, and a prescription for one hundred and fifty milligrams of antidepressants that left her feeling like a zombie. Realizing life was far too short to stay trapped in a career that didn't serve her, she walked away from corporate sales with zero safety net.In this raw, liberating conversation, Leesa joins Michelle to share how a simple daily habit of "walking and talking" evolved into Rant and Ramble—a nationwide movement featuring sober coffee raves, holistic retreats, and vibrant community spaces. She opens up about the fear of stepping outside your comfort zone, overcoming imposter syndrome on social media, and how she helped her husband close his twenty-year electrical business to prioritize his mental health. From dancing sober at six thirty in the morning to discovering that true joy lies in stepping out of life's chaos, Leesa offers an inspiring roadmap for anyone ready to quit living on autopilot.✨ IN THIS EPISODE:The Birth of Rant & Ramble: How sudden grief and late-night walking led to a grassroots movement.Antidepressants & Mental Breakdown: Navigating burnout and finding calm in sound baths.Stepping Out of the Chaos: Designing holistic day retreats to help women switch off their brains.The Early Morning Sober Coffee Rave: Launching a morning rave that defied her husband's doubts and drew hundreds of women.Ditching Binge Drinking: Why dancing sober at dawn is better than alcohol-fueled nights out.Walking Away from Decades in Corporate: Leaving high-stakes sales during lockdown and retraining to do eyelashes.Collaborating with Davina McCall & Viral Growth: Expanding coffee raves nationwide and handling rapid Instagram growth.Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Social Media Pressure: Why unedited, real content beats pristine online formulas.Transforming Lives & Corporate Productivity: How morning raves build genuine human connection and calorie-burning joy.Supporting Her Husband's Radical Pivot: How Dan closed his long-standing business to protect his mental health.The Weekly Dare: Why you must step outside your comfort zone every single day.💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:On stepping out of corporate chaos: "Stepping out of the chaos of life, as a woman, we've got so many things to think about... to-do lists of endless. We are constantly thinking about everyone else. We put ourselves to the bottom of the list."On the power of sober dancing: "Dancing without a drink is actually better than dancing with a drink. Like when you dance on the morning and all them amazing songs are on... everyone's just literally letting go."On why life is too short for autopilot: "I've definitely changed my life so much since she's gone. It's weird that it's took her to go to realize like what life is actually all about... I was always so money driven... work was my life... now I am just living in the moment."🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:Follow Rant and Ramble on Instagram/Facebook: @RantAndRambleUKVisit the Rant and Ramble Website: www.rantandramble.co.ukFind upcoming Coffee Raves & Retreats on EventbriteSign up for the newsletter to get your weekly inbox dares: www.shewhodareswins.comJoin the Dare Club community🎙️ WANT MORE?JoJo Kelly – An empowering discussion on walking away from a long broadcasting career to find creative freedom.Allie Bailey – Discusses sobriety, unpicking your identity from performance, and choosing core values over societal expectations.💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcastsLeave a five-star review – it helps more women discover these storiesWatch all episodes on YouTubeJoin Dare Club Now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins
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