The Unstoppable 5%

Hosted by Laurie Drummond

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Oct 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

October 24, 2026Episode 7558 min

E73: Every Day You Don't Track Your Money, It Decides for You | Charis Marr

Charis Marr spent years running advertising for some of the biggest banks in Australia and the UK, then lost her brother, her father and later her mother, each without warning. What made the final loss bearable was a phrase her mother lived by: dying tidily. Watch to hear how she stepped in to run an offshore shipbroking business the day after her father died, why she believes bank marketing struggles to educate anyone, and why she rejects both FIRE and YOLO. You will leave knowing why so many UAE expats go home with less than they came with, what the Prosperity Power 5 covers, and the one baseline exercise to do this week. About the Guest Charis Marr, former head of advertising at HSBC UK and founder of In Good Wealth. Connect with Charis Marr: Instagram: @charismarr.official LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charismarr Connect with me: Instagram: @laurie__drummond LinkedIn: Laurie Drummond Website: https://laurie-drummond.com/ Book a Clarity Call: laurie-drummond.com Big dreams, small steps… let's get moving

October 8, 2026Episode 7251 min

E72: £200 to 4 Salons, an Academy and a Franchise | Tara Rose

Welcome to another episode of The Unstoppable 5% Tara Rose arrived in the UAE 17 years ago with £200, no grades and no plan, and has since built four company owned salons, the Tara Rose Academy and a first franchise in Bahrain with no outside backing. She tells Laurie how scaling 50% three years ago nearly cost her everything, and why she has now moved her family into a one-bed apartment. Y ou will hear the conference moment she realised she was the problem, the upgrade every founder needs before the next expansion, why her newest franchise runs simpler than her original salons, and what two family holidays in 10 years taught her about freedom. You will also hear what she would tell her younger self: life owes you nothing. About the Guest Tara Rose, founder of Tara Rose salons and the Tara Rose Academy, Abu Dhabi. Connect with Tara Rose: Instagram: @tararosekidd | @tararosesalon | @tararoseacademy LinkedIn: Tara Rose Kidd Connect with me: Instagram: @laurie__drummond LinkedIn: Laurie Drummond Website: https://laurie-drummond.com/ Book a Clarity Call: laurie-drummond.com Big dreams, small steps… let's get moving ✨ Subscribe for stories from the unstoppable 5%

October 1, 202649 min

E71: One Facebook Comment Forced Her to Start a Business with Nadia Al Shimmari

Nadia launched Hello&Goodbuy, a pre-loved boutique in Abu Dhabi, after replying to a stranger's Facebook comment with a promise she hadn't built yet. Since January 2022 it has saved roughly 20,000 pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories from potential landfill, and it still nearly closed. You'll hear how she started with 2,000 dirhams, why 65% of her stock is donated and its proceeds fund girls' education in Uganda, what 250 free tickets taught her about no-shows, why she barely uses AI, and the March that left her with 1 booking days after paying a full year's rent. It is an honest look at what a mission costs when the numbers get tight. This episode covers sustainable fashion, pre-loved clothing in Abu Dhabi, social enterprise, bootstrapping a small business and women founders in the UAE. About Guest: Nadia, founder of Hello&Goodbuy (HGB), a by-appointment pre-loved boutique in Abu Dhabi. Connect with Nadia: Instagram: @helloandgoodbuy.uae | @nadia.al.sh LinkedIn: Nadia Al Shimmari Website: https://hgb.earth/ Connect with me: Instagram: @laurie__drummond LinkedIn: Laurie Drummond Website: https://laurie-drummond.com/ Book a Clarity Call: laurie-drummond.com Big dreams, small steps… let's get moving

July 25, 2026Episode 7041 min

E70: From Nanny to CEO: How Lynsay Kilbane Built a Business the World's Wealthiest Trust

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

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