Initial Step
by James Taylor
Latest episode
Breaking Class Barriers in Financial Advice | Mary Hemingway on…
Breaking Class Barriers in Financial Advice | Mary Hemingway on…
About this podcast
Welcome to Initial Step!
On this channel, we bring you short, engaging conversational interviews where we talk with talented individuals from the creative sector, focusing especially on those who have risen from low socioeconomic or working-class backgrounds.
Our aim? To shine a light on the barriers that often exist when trying to break into creative roles. But more importantly, to showcase inspiring stories of how these challenges can be overcome. Join us as we explore the journeys of remarkable people, learn about their struggles, triumphs, and everything in between. Because no matter where you start, breaking into the creative sector is possible, and we’re here to prove it.
Make sure to subscribe to avoid missing any episode!
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Episodes
The newest 20 of 27 episodes
- Breaking Class Barriers in Financial Advice | Mary Hemingway on Money, Class & Influencers · 58 min · Episode 27What does “working class” really mean, and why does money carry so much shame? In this episode, Mary Hemingway shares her journey from a working-class background to becoming a…
- She Went From Child Actor to Casting Director - Here's What Class Cost Her | Gabrielle Foulsham · 51 min · Episode 26Gabrielle Foulsham takes us through her journey from child actor to casting professional and educator, unpacking the real challenges working class creatives face in the industry…
- From Council Estate to Creative Success: Curtis James' Journey · 58 min · Episode 25In this episode of Initial Step, we sit down with Curtis James. Media creator, community activist, and co-founder of Class Divide. We trace his journey from growing up on a…
- Class, Mental Health & Therapy: A Conversation with Nell (Class Therapy) · 49 min · Episode 24In this insightful conversation, Nell, creator of Class Therapy. Explores the intersections of class, mental health, and therapy. We dig into why working-class experiences are so…
- Breaking Barriers: An Autistic Filmmaker's Journey - Johns Story · 55 min · Episode 23In this powerful episode, autistic filmmaker John Clark opens up about his remarkable journey, from growing up working class in Essex to making impactful films and championing…
- Class, Access & Authenticity: The Truth About Breaking Into Acting | Emma, Bthechange Theatre CIC · 43 min · Episode 22From homelessness to founding a theatre company. Emma shares the journey that shaped her, and why she believes access, authenticity, and owning your story are the most powerful…
- Class, Confidence & Careers: How Susanna Broke Into Marketing From a Working-Class Background · 1 h 7 min · Episode 21In this conversation, Susanna shares her journey from a working-class background to becoming the Head of Marketing at a charity focused on social mobility. She reflects on the…
- Social Mobility, Class & Creating Fair Opportunity | Nina Slingsby, Founder of OAHA · 47 min · Episode 20What does it really take to level the playing field, and is the system even designed to let that happen? Nina Slingsby, founder of OAHA, shares her personal journey from a…
- A Life Between Systems: Care, Education and Employment - Marisa's Journey · 1 h 3 min · Episode 19In this conversation, Marisa shares her journey growing up in foster care in Essex, shaped by instability, addiction and the justice system. She reflects on how receiving funding…
- Lifting the lid at the BBC on Newsnight - David's story of class within the BBC · 60 min · Episode 18In this episode, veteran graphic designer David Chaudoir draws on over 30 years in the media industry to speak candidly about class, culture, and power inside major institutions…
- Championing Young People from Working-Class Backgrounds - Samuel Conley · 47 min · Episode 17In this episode, I get to speak with with Sam Conley, Youth Empowerment Lead at Poplar HARCA, to unpack what it really means to grow up working class in the UK today. From the…
- From Full-Time Carer to the Gaming Industry | Ashleigh’s Working-Class Journey · 1 h 5 min · Episode 16Ashleigh grew up in Leicester in a working-class, single-parent household, caring full-time for his disabled mother from his teens into his twenties. While his brothers moved on…
- From Yeovil to London: Ryan’s Journey Through Class and Creativity · 1 h 3 min · Episode 15In this episode, we meet Ryan, who grew up in the small town of Yeovil, Somerset, a traditionally working-class area hit hard by the 2008 crash. After his parents lost their…
- From Youth Hostels to Urban Planning – Mert’s Journey · 51 min · Episode 14In this episode, we hear from Mert, Research and Engagement Lead at Urban Symbiotics. Mert’s story is one of resilience, perseverance, and finding purpose through community…
- From Council Estate to Keynote Speaker: Toni's Story · 55 min · Episode 13In this powerful episode, we hear from Toni, a keynote speaker and social mobility advocate who grew up on a council estate in Basingstoke. Her early life was shaped by grief…
- Opting out of exams to gaining a PhD: Matts Journey · 37 min · Episode 12Growing up on a council estate in Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, Matt left school with no GCSEs, apart from an A* in PE. Never seen as a high achiever, just one of the kids that got…
- From East London to Filmmaking: Michael J. Diamond's Story · 51 min · Episode 11In this episode, Michael J. Diamond, freelance producer and director at WEIGHT. Films, shares his journey from a single-parent home in East London to carving out a space for…
- From Cumbria to the Games Industry – Nicole’s Journey · 49 min · Episode 10Growing up in a working-class town in northern England, Nicole was expected to follow the traditional route into engineering. But her passion pulled her in a different direction…
- Cockney Culture Reimagined | Andy Green on Identity, Class & Empowerment · 27 min · Episode 9In this thought-provoking conversation, Andy Green, co-founder of Modern Cockney Festival, explores the rich and evolving identity of the Cockney community in modern Britain…
- From Law to SEO: Paddy Moogan on Breaking Barriers in Digital Marketing · 52 min · Episode 8In this insightful conversation, Paddy Moogan shares his unconventional journey from a working-class background in Birmingham to becoming a leader in the digital marketing…
