The Unstoppable 5%

Hosted by Laurie Drummond

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Jul 2026

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This podcast explores why some people do what others won't. I'm Laurie Drummond, and each episode dives into the psychology, decision-making and identity shifts that separate the 5 percent from the rest. I sit down with people who have taken bold action, navigated uncertainty and built momentum when it would have been easier to stay comfortable, as well as experts who study the science behind human behaviour and performance. These conversations go beyond motivation and surface-level success. We unpack how people think under pressure, why most hesitate when it's time to act, and what actually helps individuals move through fear, resistance and self-doubt. If you're building something, facing a crossroads, or trying to understand what drives execution and resilience, this show will give you a deeper lens on what it takes to move forward when others stall. New episodes every two weeks.

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60 recent

July 25, 2026Episode 7041 min

E70:

Lynsay Kilbane spent 15 years inside some of the most elite households on the planet. Royal families. UHNW principals. People whose names you'll never see in a Google search. She was trusted with everything and nobody knew who she was. Then she lost her brother. And everything changed. In this episode Lynsay shares the traffic light moment in Abu Dhabi that cracked her open, the Kenya retreat that made her dare to dream, and how she went from nanny to founder of The Private Standard, one of the most discreet and sought after household staffing and consultancy businesses in the UAE and beyond. No university degree. No roadmap. Just messy, imperfect action and an unshakeable belief that she had more to give. This one is raw, real and genuinely fascinating. If you've ever talked yourself out of something big, this episode is for you. Connect with Lynsay: Instagram: @theprivatestandard_ Website: the-private-standard.com Connect with Laurie: Instagram: @the_unstoppable_five Website: laurie-drummond.com

July 13, 20261 hr 0 min

E69: Who Are You When the Title's Gone? | Shelley Bosworth

Shelley Bosworth spent 25 years in corporate. Big brands, big teams, big budgets. KFC, Tesco, Starbucks. She was the person organisations called when things got hard. And then life got hard for her. In 2019, after personal loss, a health scare and a growing feeling that none of it made sense anymore, she walked away from everything she'd built. Three months later, the world went into lockdown. Most people would have gone back. She didn't. In this episode Shelley and I get into the real story underneath the pivot. What it actually felt like to lose not just a career but an identity. Why confidence comes from evidence, not belief. And why the thing that separates the people who make it from the ones who don't has nothing to do with talent or timing, it's consistency during the boring and brutal times when nobody is watching. We also talk about building a business from scratch in a pandemic, the move to Dubai, identity mapping, and what Shelley is reverse engineering her entire life toward next. This one goes deep. I think you're going to love it. Connect with Shelley: Website: shelleybosworthofficial.com Instagram: @shelleybosworth.official Podcast: She Is Courageous

June 26, 2026Episode 6851 min

E68: Visibility, Credibility and the Truth About Building in Dubai | Anika Berger

Episode Description She spent over a decade doing PR for some of the biggest names in the region. Then she walked away, went boutique, and built NikNak PR on one premise. Less fluff, more impact. In this episode I sit down with Anika Berger to find out what PR actually does for a founder, why most people are getting it wrong, and what it really takes to build credibility in a market as noisy as Dubai. We also get into something I didn't expect. Why Dubai, why this city, and what Anika found when she chose to build her life and business here. Spoiler. It's not what most people think. In This Episode What PR actually is and why founders consistently get it wrong Why credibility beats fame every time and what the recall effect means for your brand The moment she realised she was done building other people's success How she doubled year on year with no team and a quiet summer Why she turns clients away and what values alignment looks like in practice What makes someone truly mediable and why some founders will never get traction no matter how much they spend Why Dubai is less smoke and mirrors than you think, and more supportive than most cities in the world About Anika Anika Berger is the founder of NikNak PR, a Dubai-based agency specialising in founders and entrepreneurs. With over a decade of experience across top agencies and brands including Netflix and Careem, she helps startups and growing businesses build credibility, visibility, and presence across the GCC. She has called the UAE home since she was eight years old. Connect with Anika Instagram: @berger_queen4 Website: niknakpr.ae Connect with Laurie Instagram: @laurie__drummond LinkedIn: Laurie Drummond Website: laurie-drummond.com If this episode resonated, subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people find the show. The Unstoppable 5%. Stories from the people who kept going.

May 29, 2026Episode 6645 min

E67: My own business was taking my soul. So I walked away | Keila Doyle

She had the career. The money. The success. And it was taking her soul. Keila Doyle built and sold a tech company in London, then quietly fell apart. The anxiety crept in, the identity started to unravel, and she had to make a call: keep going, or step back and actually take care of herself. She chose herself. What came next was a move to Dubai, a golf club in her hands for the first time, and a front-row seat to just how intimidating and exclusionary that world can be for beginners. So she decided to change it. This is a conversation about the real cost of success, what it takes to start over, and why sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop. Take a listen! 🎙️ The Unstoppable 5%

May 15, 2026Episode 661 hr 3 min

E66: She Lost $10M, Both Hips, and a Baby. She Rebuilt Anyway | Samantha Williams

If you've ever looked at someone who's rebuilt from nothing and wondered what they actually have that you don't, this episode is going to answer that question. Samantha Williams has had more full-stop moments than most people have excuses. Wall Street trader. UK's first female trampoline park owner. A business that hit $10M in two years, then fell apart. A toxic partnership that forced her out of something she built. Both hips replaced. Perimenopause. A late ADHD diagnosis that reframed her entire life. And through all of it, she kept building. She's now an EOS Implementer based in Abu Dhabi, one of only two in the UAE, helping entrepreneurial teams get clear on where they're going and how they'll actually get there. And she's starting over again in a new country, in a new market. This conversation goes deep. We talk about what it felt like to be forced out of a company she founded, why she thinks her ADHD was her superpower before she even knew she had it, and what it means to redefine success when you've already hit the top and watched it disappear. The question I kept coming back to throughout this episode: what is it in someone that defaults to rebuild instead of retreat? Sam answers it, and she doesn't give you the polished version. What we cover: Navigating Wall Street as the only woman on the floor, and closing a $2 billion deal The personal loss that made her walk away from banking Building Rush Trampoline Parks to $10M and being forced out by her business partner Simultaneous hip replacements, perimenopause, and launching a new brand The ADHD diagnosis and why it changed everything EOS, Abu Dhabi, and what she's building now Her definition of success and why it's completely changed Connect with Sam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthawilliamsofficial/ Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/samantha-williams/ Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review, it genuinely helps more people find the show. Follow Laurie: Instagram: @laurie__drummond LinkedIn: Laurie Drummond Website: https://laurie-drummond.com/

May 15, 2026Episode 6532 min

E65: Why HR Has an Image Problem (And How to Fix It) | Natalie Cairns

Why HR Has an Image Problem (And How to Fix It) | Natalie Cairns Most people think HR is there to protect the company. And that's exactly why it has an image problem. In this episode of The Unstoppable 5%, I sit down with Natalie Cairns, who's spent over 20 years inside HR… and chose to do it differently. We talk about the moment that changed everything for her, losing her father, and the one question from her manager that completely reshaped how she saw leadership, work, and people. From there, we get into what's really going on inside organisations: Why HR is often seen as the corporate dumping ground, and how to change it What "human first" actually looks like when policy says something else And why doing things differently isn't just a brand, it's a decision you make in real time This isn't a conversation about policies. It's about how you show up for people when it actually matters. About the Guest Natalie Cairns is an HR professional with over 20 years of experience and the founder of HR, Done Different. She's known for challenging traditional approaches to HR and putting people at the centre of decision-making, especially in the moments that matter most. Instagram: @ nataliecairnsdonedifferent Website: https://nataliecairns.com/ Connect with Me Instagram: @laurie__drummond LinkedIn: Laurie Drummond Website: https://laurie-drummond.com/ Subscribe New episodes every 2 weeks with real conversations, hard-earned lessons, and stories from people who choose to show up differently.

April 2, 2026Episode 6439 min

E64: She sat with people at the end of their lives. Here's what they taught Hannah Lucy about living.

Hannah Lucy spent 16 years in corporate, working her way from carer to Chief Operating Officer, managing £2 million worth of services and leading a team of 50+ staff. From the outside, she had it made. But it was the quieter moments, sitting with people at the end of their lives, carrying grief no job title could prepare her for, that shaped who she was becoming. In this episode of The Unstoppable 5%, Laurie sits down with Hannah to explore the real story behind the pivot: a divorce, a bodybuilding stage, a coach who pushed her in the wrong direction, and a grandmother whose life made Hannah determined to live bigger. Hannah is now the founder of The RECLAIM Method, a 12-week transformation program built around the belief that strong in body is strong in mind is strong in business. If you've ever wondered whether you've spent years building a life for everyone else while quietly putting yourself last, this episode is for you. Key Themes • Career reinvention and identity beyond the job title • End-of-life care and the perspective shift it creates • Using fitness as a vehicle for personal reclamation • Why high-performing women are often the worst at investing in themselves • Building a business that reflects your values, not someone else's rules • Legacy, mortality and how to live a life worth talking about About Hannah Lucy Hannah Lucy is a Body and Lifestyle Transformation Coach and founder of The RECLAIM Method. After a 16-year corporate career in the care sector, culminating in a COO role, Hannah pivoted to coaching after recognising how many women, herself included, had spent years looking after everyone else while neglecting their own health, confidence, and identity. Her 12-week program helps women lose fat, build muscle, and create sustainable habits that work around real life. Find Hannah • hannahlucyofficial.com • @hannahlucyofficial on Instagram

March 24, 202647 min

E63: She Walked Away From What Was Working with Kelly Lundberg

In this episode, I'm joined by Kelly Lundberg, someone I've known for over 13 years and had a front-row seat watching evolve. From building a successful styling business in Dubai to stepping onto global stages, delivering TEDx talks, writing books, and moving into personal branding, Kelly's journey is one of reinvention, courage, and intentional growth. This conversation focuses on the decisions behind that evolution. We discuss: What it really takes to walk away from something that's working How to navigate the in-between phase when you're building your next chapter Why so many people stay in roles they've outgrown The role of confidence, habits, and structure in moving forward How being intentional with your personal brand creates opportunity over time If you've been feeling like you're capable of more but haven't fully stepped into it yet, this episode will challenge you to think differently. Because growth doesn't come from waiting. It comes from deciding.

March 18, 202644 min

E62 When words don't match behaviour, with Lori Warren

In this episode, Laurie sits down with her good friend Lori Warren, a former FBI agent, polygrapher, and crisis negotiator, for an honest conversation about human behaviour, deception, manipulation, and trust. It's a conversation about the subtle signals we often sense but talk ourselves out of… in business, relationships, leadership, and everyday life. Drawing from decades of experience sitting across from people under pressure, Lori shares what she noticed again and again, not in a technical way, but in a deeply human one. Together, we explore how deception and manipulation actually show up in everyday conversations, why confidence can be misleading, and how learning to trust what you notice can change the way you make decisions. In this episode, we talk about: Why most people don't know what to look for when someone isn't being fully honest The importance of knowing someone's baseline behaviour Subtle body language cues people give away under pressure Voice tone, over-explaining, and storytelling patterns that signal evasion Why exaggeration and avoidance are more common than outright lying How manipulation often shows up through guilt, anger, or control The behaviours behind narcissism and why they're impossible to unsee once recognised Why calm leadership matters in high-stress situations How negotiation and influence work when the goal is safety and trust The red flags of toxic and controlling relationships, and when it's time to walk away This episode is for anyone who's ever thought something feels off, but couldn't quite explain why. Because most of us notice more than we think, we just don't always trust it. https://youtu.be/LKlMs7b5l-M

January 30, 2026Episode 6147 min

E61: When Coping Stops Working with Naima Spencer

Welcome to another episode of The Unstoppable 5% You are smart, capable, and motivated. So why does it feel like you're just treading water? In this episode, Laurie sits down with Naima Spencer, a mindset facilitator for high-performing leaders, to answer a critical question: What separates the people who actually move forward from the ones who stay stuck in the "safe" zone? Naima argues that success is 80% mindset and only 20% strategy. She shares her own powerful story of self-sabotage, turning down a life-changing career opportunity because she didn't feel "good enough", and reveals the neuroscience behind why we default to fear, perfectionism, and "primal" survival modes even when we want to grow. This conversation unpacks: •The 80/20 Rule of Success: Why more strategy won't save you if your mindset is stuck. •Primal vs. Powerful States: How to identify when you are operating out of survival mode vs. alignment. •The "3R" Framework: A practical roadmap to Realise, Release, and Rise above limiting patterns. •Identity Shifts: Why we often fear success because we are afraid to "kill off" who we used to be. •Rewiring the Brain: How to stop treating your beliefs as facts and start treating them as decisions you can change. This episode is for the entrepreneur or leader who feels like they are running on autopilot, achieving on the outside, but battling overthinking, anxiety, or a sense of "stuckness" on the inside.

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