Episodes

Show Notes for "How to Belong" Podcast - Trailer Join Naomi E Lloyd on "How to Belong," where she explores the universal quest for belonging. In this trailer, Naomi shares her personal journey—from childhood challenges with sensorineural hearing loss to confronting profound grief—and how these experiences inspired her to create a podcast dedicated to exploring belonging in a complex world. Through candid conversations with guests who have embarked on their own paths to acceptance and connection,...

"How to Belong" Podcast - Episode 1: In the debut episode of How to Belong, host Naomi E Lloyd explores belonging through the lenses of deafness, grief, and resilience. Naomi, an author, photographer, and deaf awareness advocate, shares her experiences with sensorineural hearing loss and profound grief. These challenges led her to a deeper understanding of what it means to belong in a world that often isolates differences. Naomi chats with her friend and brilliant interviewer, producer Steve O'N...

In this compelling episode of How to Belong, host Naomi E Lloyd delves into the extraordinary journey of Donna Freed, a New York-based author of the memoir Duplicity. After losing her adoptive mother in her 40s, Donna embarked on a life-changing quest to uncover her birth parents. What she discovered was a staggering story of deception, identity, and resilience that not only reshaped her understanding of belonging but also inspired her to pen her riveting memoir. In this episode we discuss the f...

In this thought-provoking episode of How to Belong, host Naomi E Lloyd sits down with Clemence Devaux, a renowned gemologist and jewellery designer also known as 'Clemence Loves Diamonds.' Clemence brings a fascinating perspective to the conversation, viewing diamonds not just as valuable stones but as profound symbols of individuality and the quest for belonging. Her insights reveal how the unique qualities of each diamond mirror our own journey to embrace who we truly are and find our place in...

In Episode 4 of How to Belong, host Naomi E. Lloyd sits down with Jodie Goodchild, author of "The LinkedIn Revolution" and a LinkedIn strategy expert who empowers businesses to transform their sales and marketing using LinkedIn. Jodie shares her incredible journey of self-discovery and finding belonging, from a teenage crush on Mel C from the Spice Girls to coming out as a proud lesbian. Jodie’s story is filled with courage, resilience, and profound moments of self-realisation. Join us as Jodie ...

Simon Houghton, a devoted advocate for deaf awareness, joins me this week to share his powerful journey of navigating life with hearing loss. We discuss how growing up with hearing aids made him feel caught between two worlds, never quite knowing where he fit in. Simon opens up about the challenges he faced during the pandemic when masks made communication even harder, heightening his sense of isolation. We also delve into his groundbreaking initiative, Unseen Aware, and how he’s working to crea...

In today’s episode, we are honoured to bring you the first part of a powerful two-part series featuring John Cameron, the antiques expert and beloved BBC presenter known for his work on Bargain Hunt, Homes Under the Hammer, and Cash in the Attic. John, who has become a master of inspirational quotes, shares his profound insight: “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” This episode almost didn’t happen. Just days before we were scheduled to record, John was rushed to the hospital...

In this second part of our inspiring conversation with John Cameron, the beloved BBC presenter of Bargain Hunt, Cash in the Attic, and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, we dive deeper into the personal side of John's journey. This episode takes you beyond the bright lights of TV fame as John shares his reflections on: How his ADHD diagnosis gave him a new sense of belonging and self-understanding later in life. The profound impact of grief on his outlook toward love, family, and connection. Wh...

In this episode of How to Belong, I sit down with the amazing Hannah Roper, the force behind the Country on the Coast Festival, presenter of the Express Country Show on Express FM, and an inspiring business coach for female creatives. We dive deep into how music can be a powerful source of belonging—how the sounds we connect with can shape our identity, create communities, and even influence how we express ourselves through things like fashion. But this conversation goes far beyond just music. H...

In this powerful episode of How to Belong, I have the absolute honour of sitting down with the legendary Fatima Whitbread—Olympic champion, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! star, and advocate for children in care. Fatima shares her incredible journey, from overcoming a challenging childhood to becoming an Olympic icon. We dive into her unforgettable appearance on I'm a Celebrity, including the famous cockroach incident that had everyone talking! Fatima also opens up about the exciting proj...

In this special bonus episode of the How to Belong Podcast, we strip back the layers and dig a little deeper. Why the title Naked Christmas? Because sometimes, the festive season reveals more of our hidden feelings than we expect. It asks us to bear it all — our joys, struggles, and everything in between — and face the challenges of finding true belonging. Host Naomi E Lloyd is joined by Steve O’Neil, the very first guest and producer of the podcast. Together, they reflect on the incredible jour...

In this captivating episode of How to Belong, Naomi sits down with the multi-talented Rob Bell—broadcast journalist, engineer, adventurer, and co-host of the Sketchplanations podcast. Rob’s passion for seeking meaningful connection takes centre stage as they explore the profound impact of friendships on our sense of belonging. Together, Naomi and Rob dive into: Navigating Friendships: The unique ways men and women approach building and maintaining friendships, and why these differences matter. T...

Our second episode in Season 2 - and what an extraordinary episode too. My guest, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, MBE—peace strategist, CEO of the International Civil Society Action Network, one of the few trained female UN peace negotiators, and host of the If You Were in Charge Podcast—had to reschedule this very recording due to a last-minute invitation to attend President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Her connection to one of history’s great peacebuilders adds a poignant and inspiring dimension to this c...

Belonging is something we navigate throughout our entire lives, but two of the most profound experiences that shape our sense of connection are birth and grief. These moments—at opposite ends of life—challenge and transform how we relate to ourselves and those around us. In this episode, I’m joined by Hannah Youell, a hypnotherapist, coach, and diversity advocate who has spent the last 15 years helping individuals, families, and organisations create environments where everyone feels they belong....

In this episode of How to Belong, I sit down with Suzy Reading, a psychologist, yoga teacher, and self-care expert who has helped thousands navigate change, grief, and stress with more kindness and resilience. Suzy is an Instagram superstar in the wellbeing space, known for her gentle wisdom and practical tools that make self-care accessible to everyone. But her journey hasn’t been without challenges. She shares her experience of moving from Australia to the UK, becoming a mother, and facing pro...

The Greater the Intimacy, the Greater the Rewards: How Deep Relationships Create True Belonging with Naomi Stonier This episode didn’t just stay with me—it embedded itself in my core. I didn’t realise how much I needed some of these truth bombs, but I really did, and I have a feeling most of us do. Naomi has a way of explaining things that opens doors to a much more peaceful life, one where relationships don’t just survive—they thrive. Today, we’re diving into one of the most important aspects o...

This week’s guest is one of the most down-to-earth, open, and vulnerable people I’ve ever had the pleasure to interview. Luke Beastall isn’t afraid to be raw and honest about how his path didn’t turn out the way he’d planned. From dreaming of a pro football career to being scammed by a fake agent and losing all confidence, Luke hit rock bottom. But through embracing vulnerability, leaning on his loved ones, and rebuilding his life from scratch, he discovered something even more powerful than his...

Today’s guest is the incomparable Kathy Lette—bestselling author, cultural firecracker, autism advocate, and queen of the witty one-liner. From co-writing the iconic Puberty Blues as a teenager to penning sharp, empowering novels like The Revenge Club and HRT: Husband Replacement Therapy, Kathy has built a career on saying the unsayable—and making us laugh while she does it. In this candid and joyfully irreverent conversation, Kathy opens up about: Navigating the heartbreak and resilience of rai...

This is my very first solo episode of How to Belong—a short one, but I hope it resonates. After years of dreaming and planning, my husband and I finally took our magical music road trip through the American South: New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, and Dollywood. But the moment that stayed with me the most? It wasn’t on the itinerary. It was a coat—a bold, 1970s Joe Browns jacket that reminded me of Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colours. Strangers stopped me to talk about it. It sparked little momen...

What does it really mean to belong? In this powerful episode of How to Belong, I’m joined by Alex Alexander — connection advocate, speaker, and host of the Friendship IRL podcast — for an honest conversation about the role friendship plays in our survival, identity, and healing. Alex knows, deeply, that we aren’t meant to do life alone. Through her own story — shaped by childhood loneliness and a longing for support — she built the kind of chosen family she always needed. And now, she helps othe...

In this powerful episode of How to Belong, Naomi Lloyd sits down with Lea Turner—a trailblazer who’s redefined what it means to belong by building a community where “square pegs fit perfectly.” From shaking up LinkedIn with her unapologetic honesty to founding The HoLT, an inclusive space for small business owners, Lea shares what it really means to show up as your full self—especially when you don’t fit the mould. Lea opens up about losing her father at a young age, and how that grief—and the l...

Discover how small habits can transform your mental health, relationships, and overall sense of belonging. Kat Thorne shares her inspiring journey from burnout to balance, highlighting practical strategies and mindset shifts to prioritize self-care and authenticity. In this episode: Kat’s personal story of burnout and the severe health impact in 2016 The power of small, consistent habit changes to rebuild a fulfilling life How social media and technology influence mental overload and habits Prac...

In this deeply honest episode of How to Belong, Naomi Lloyd sits down with wellbeing coach and founder of New Forest Wellbeing, Mark Darcy, to explore burnout, belonging, childhood survival, and what it means to finally come home to yourself. Mark shares the extraordinary experiences that shaped him — from surviving a devastating childhood house fire and growing up around addiction, to developing a high-achieving survival mindset that eventually led to burnout and a mental health crisis that nea...

What does it feel like to spend years feeling different — without understanding why? In this episode of How to Belong, Naomi Lloyd is joined by Tamzin Hall, founder of The Neurodiversity Academy, to explore what belonging really means for neurodivergent people in workplaces, schools, relationships and within ourselves. Tamzin shares her own journey of growing up with dyslexia, experiencing bullying, and carrying the feeling of being “othered” before she had the language to understand her own exp...