“It’s all about changing hearts & minds. That’s kind of me all over really.”

With a career in PR working across small & large agencies through to founding TransMission PR - lovingly described as her third child - for Aby Hawker (she/her), it’s truly a mission driven by love, values & an incredibly clear stance on what it’s all about. That being to flip the narrative and prioritise uplifting Trans+ representation & stories across the board.

Aby is the first LGBTQ+ ally I’ve had on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ and we talk about her journey to the space she’s in now as a cisgender, straight woman from taking on comms in Trans+ healthcare for Gender GP over a decade ago through to founding a Trans+ focused PR agency that centres collaboration, lived experience & expertise and positive change for the community. I was curious as to how much of Aby’s origin story has influenced the Aby we know & love today…

Little Aby was a self-labelled “total swot” who wasn’t easily deterred from her goals. She reflects on how this was driven by a need to please, potentially as a result from coming from a divorced background, but how it’s got her to where she needed to be. Being born in Italy & spending time there throughout her life meant that Aby completed a degree in languages which sparked the revelation “now I know what I don’t want to do”.

Aby’s determination, clarity around who she is & a firm belief in what’s right & wrong clearly shows up in her work now. An eternal optimism, tenacity & learning to be a bit braver are fundamental to her story and the three words she uses to describe herself & her origin story ‘Run Towards It’ couldn’t be more fitting.

We chat about career failures, take-aways for anyone wanting to go into PR, parenting, success & happiness and some solid advice including ‘don’t be a dick’. Enjoy!

If your organisation would like to work with TransMission PR, get in touch | https://transmissionpr.com/

Oh and go stream ‘First Day’ on YouTube - available to watch now | https://www.youtube.com/@firstdaytvseries

“To blend is not something I want to do.”

And this certainly shows with this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’. Whether it’s through their creative outlets, owning their queerness as a superpower or busting out nail polish that matches the front cover of their debut book, Andrew Flewitt (he/him) is passionate, unapologetic & ambitious. He’s the host & producer of the podcast ‘Queer I Am’, now approaching its sixth season, public speaker and now author.

In our conversation, Andrew reflects on his twenties as a period where he did blend having followed a fairly heteronormative approach to life - something he didn’t realise at the time but that he’s definitely not following now!

Andrew’s life has been massively shaped by loss. It’s the centre of his newly published book ‘Do You Believe in Life After Loss: Queer Stories of Loss, Hope & Resilience’. It’s a topic the book, & this conversation, dives into. Through interviews with those featured in the book as well as his own experiences, Andrew is changing the way we look at & talk about loss because essentially, as he states, “we all lose”.

From the death of one of his best friends at 26 and his father several years ago through to the breakdown of his relationship, & subsequent reconciliation, with his partner Theo, Andrew shares it all. He also reflects on the importance of walking from toxic family dynamics - an experience that resonates deeply with me - and how this is often best for everyone.

We discuss how Little Andrew LOVED Tina Turner & was a bit of a dreamer as well as his early working life as a hotel receptionist & the insurance industry before establishing a career in HR. Having chased success, he admits it’s a role he enjoys - that’s ultimately led him to where & who he is now - but it’s his creativity that’s his true passion. Pursuing that came later in life with a growing confidence & life experience.

“I love a lot. I love hard.” This is also pretty clear when you get to Andrew so listen in & enjoy… Oh & go grab a copy of his new book from your local queer independent retailer & download ‘Queer I Am’.

“It's exhausting existing authentically in a world that claims to value authenticity. But at every turn of that authenticity being revealed asks it to politely put itself in the box that it was given.”

This conversation is PACKED with deep reflection & wise wise wise words of wisdom from Darkwah (they/them), this week’s guest for ‘Pause. And Rewind…’

Darkwah is a multi-disciplinary artist, content creator, activist & visionary with a passion for beauty, self-expression & community. We explore where all of these things stem from including Little Darkwah’s upbringing, breaking away from tradition & not ever feeling safe to give all of themself to those around them; through to a moment looking in the mirror whilst residing at a YMCA where they decided to stop running away.

The conversation gets fired up from the start with Darkwah expressing their rage at companies pulling back on their support for Pride & the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a rage born out of love for humanity. Love is a common theme during this episode. We explore Darkwah’s journey into polyamory, its complexities, lessons & joy. Darkwah shares how their partner Dom has shown them how to love themself and given them space to “be still, reflect a little more & be softer to the touch.”

Together they’ve got a new venture coming up called ‘Grow Your Glow’ in collaboration with Blossom LGBT+ which they’re super excited about!

Our chat also covers putting the term ‘maybe’ in the bin, the importance of finding your ‘why’ when thinking about inclusion, what’s on the menu when cooking for friends & an enthusiastic outburst for Britney Jean Spears. As always, Darkwah SHOWS UP in this episode… ENJOY!

Please note | We cover some challenging topics in this episode, specifically around mental health & suicidal thoughts so please take care of yourself whilst listening.