Bestselling author Kit de Waal has built a career writing stories that capture the reality of life on the margins, but her own story is just as compelling. Growing up in 1970s Birmingham with an Irish Catholic-turned-Jehovah's Witness mother and a Caribbean father, Kit learned early on that survival meant adaptation. Kit's mother’s dire warnings of an impending apocalypse pushed her into rebellion, leading to a breakdown that ultimately set her on a new path advocating for children in the care system before becoming a bestselling novelist.In this episode, Kit shares how she transformed personal crisis into epic creative success, the complexities of growing up between cultures, and why she rejects the term ‘resilience.’ With novels like My Name is Leon and her memoir Without Warning and Only Sometimes, Kit has turned life’s challenges into powerful storytelling. Kit has also fought for greater diversity in the UK’s publishing industry. Using her advance, she set up a Creative Writing scholarship at Birbeck, University of London, Kit is breaking down industry barriers by helping writers from marginalised backgrounds find their own passion for writing.This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Pre-order Kit’s new book The Best Of Everything: https://linktr.ee/TheBestofEverythingKitdeWaalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-de-waal-ba953455/X: @KitDeWaalWebsite: https://www.kitdewaal.com/contactHost: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Rupert Soames has forged a brilliant career leading businesses through some of the most daunting challenges. His professional journey has been defined by his unflinching resolve to ‘run towards gunfire.’ As CEO of commercial giants Aggreko and Serco through periods of crisis and now as Chair of the CBI as it continues to recover from a reputational shock. Rupert also talks for the first time about appalling abuse he endured at prep school and how those terrible experiences ultimately helped shape his wholly positive approach to confronting challenge. Here is Rupert’s Crisis Compass – his points of navigation when trouble comes. This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Rupert Soames has forged a brilliant career leading businesses through some of the most daunting challenges. But behind the decades of success, there’s another story that Rupert has chosen to share here for the first time … an experience which, against the odds, forged his resilience. His professional journey has been defined by his unflinching resolve to ‘run towards gunfire.’ … as CEO of commercial giants Aggreko and Serco through periods of crisis and now as Chair of the CBI as it continues to recover from a reputational shock.Given Rupert is also Winston Churchill’s grandson, it would be easy to assume that his courage is more biology than biography … but that would not tell the full story.In this episode, Rupert talks for the first time about appalling abuse he endured at prep school and how those terrible experiences ultimately helped shape his wholly positive approach to confronting challenge. He shares his valuable lessons in resilience, decision-making under pressure, and the importance of learning from past struggles. But more than all of this, Rupert powerfully explains and demonstrates how trauma, instead of defining us, can drive us towards a more positive life.My thanks to Rupert for this conversation.This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Christina Perri is best known for her hits A Thousand Years and Jar of Hearts, but behind her music lies a deeply personal story of resilience. From battling lifelong mental health challenges to navigating the heartbreak of miscarriage and stillbirth, Christina has endured unthinkable loss—including the tragic passing of her daughter Rosie in 2020. But through it all, she has transformed her grief into action, advocating for maternal healthcare reform and using her platform to inspire others. Here are Christina’s Crisis Comforts  This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/christina-perri-on-fame-grief-and-turning-pain-into-purpose/id1517015748?i=1000697514142   Website: https://www.christinaperri.com/ X: https://x.com/christinaperri Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaPerriMusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinaperri/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinaperri YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/christinaperri%20  Host: Andy Coulson  CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill Griffin, Louise Difford, and Mabel Pickering  With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global   For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com   

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Christina Perri is best known for her hits A Thousand Years and Jar of Hearts, but behind her music lies a deeply personal story of resilience.From battling lifelong mental health challenges to navigating the heartbreak of miscarriage and stillbirth, Christina has endured unthinkable loss—including the tragic passing of her daughter Rosie in 2020. But through it all, she has transformed her grief into action, advocating for maternal healthcare reform and using her platform to inspire others.In this episode, Christina opens up about her struggles with addiction, the pressures of fame, and the lessons she’s learned as a mother. She shares how she found the strength to keep moving forward, why she’s fighting to change medical protocols for pregnancy loss, and how music continues to be her guiding force.This is a paid advertisement by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CRISISPOD. Our listeners get 10% off their first month.Website: https://www.christinaperri.com/X: https://x.com/christinaperriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaPerriMusic/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinaperri/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinaperriYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/christinaperri%20Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Bill Griffin, Louise Difford, and Mabel PickeringWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com

Simon Woodroffe has lived many lives - he started as a stage designer for music legends like Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder, then took a leap of faith and built YO! Sushi into a global brand. But before his success, Simon faced struggles that could have derailed him entirely: a turbulent youth, including time in a young offender’s institution, and a personal crisis that left him at rock bottom. Here are Simon Woodroffe’s three Crisis Comforts.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yosimonwoodroffe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yosimonwoodroffeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosimonwoodroffeTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yosimonwoodroffeThis podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, and Bill Griffin With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global For all PR and guest approaches please contact - podcast@coulsonpartners.com

What does it take to turn adversity into opportunity?Simon Woodroffe has lived many lives - he started as a stage designer for music legends like Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder, then took a leap of faith and built YO! Sushi into a global brand. But before his success, Simon faced struggles that could have derailed him entirely: a turbulent youth, including time in a young offender’s institution, and a personal crisis that left him at rock bottom.In this episode, Simon opens up about his journey from hardship to entrepreneurial success. From pioneering conveyor belt sushi in the UK to launching the innovative Japanese hotel brand YOTEL, Simon has never shied away from reinvention. As one of the original Dragons on Dragon’s Den, he knows what it takes to take risks.Simon shares how resilience, creativity, and an unstoppable drive helped him build a multi-million-pound empire and why he believes anyone can turn struggle into success.We hope you find this episode inspiring and useful.  Links    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yosimonwoodroffe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yosimonwoodroffeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosimonwoodroffeTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@yosimonwoodroffeThis podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson  CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, and Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global   For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com  

Who better to explore the road to resilience than someone who has endured one of the most dramatic falls from grace?  Tom Hayes was once a high-flying city trader, living a life of wealth and status— until the notorious LIBOR scandal in 2015 changed everything. Convicted and imprisoned, he lost his fortune, his luxury cars and his home - all while maintaining that his conviction was unjust. His trial also brought an unexpected revelation— his Asperger’s diagnosis, which he argues played a crucial role in his actions and the case against him. Here are Tom Hayes’ three crisis comforts.     Full episode: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/libor-scandal-trader-tom-hayes-on-prison-anger-and-aspergers/  This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners   Host: Andy Coulson      CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown and Bill Griffin  With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global       For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com     

Who better to explore the road to resilience than someone who has endured one of the most dramatic falls from grace?Tom Hayes was once a high-flying city trader, living a life of wealth and status— until the notorious LIBOR scandal in 2015 changed everything. Convicted and imprisoned, he lost his fortune, his luxury cars and his home - all while maintaining that his conviction was unjust. In 2017, he took his fight to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and after years of legal battles, his appeal will finally be heard by the Supreme Court next month.His trial also brought an unexpected revelation— his Asperger’s diagnosis, which he argues played a crucial role in his actions and the case against him. In this episode, Tom opens up about life with Asperger’s, the relentless world of high finance, and his experience inside some of Britain’s toughest prisons.This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners Host: Andy Coulson    CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown and Bill GriffinWith special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global     For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com 

Paul Stewart is a former England footballer who played for Manchester City, Spurs and Liverpool. But behind the success was a harrowing secret – years of unimaginable childhood abuse at the hands of a trusted coach. He shares his powerful journey from suffering to recovery – a story of pain, resilience but lasting hope. Here are Paul Stewart’s three crisis comforts. Full episode: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/england-star-paul-stewart-on-turning-a-secret-trauma-into-a-mission-of-hope/Links      Twitter: @PStewy103 Website: https://paulstewartofficial.com Paul’s book ‘Damaged: My Story – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Damaged-My-Story-Paul-Stewart/dp/1910335738Safeguarding Fundementals – https://safeguardingfundamentals.comThis podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners  Host: Andy Coulson     CWC team: Jane Sankey, Mabel Pickering  With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global      For all PR and guest approaches please contact – podcast@coulsonpartners.com