I "met" Hannah in a Facebook group and was so intrigued by her story of her childhood that I knew I wanted to interview her. She is an amazing example of not being defined by your past and that your start in life doesn't determine where you finish!
Hannah was born in Gloucester and attended the High School,before studying at Loughborough University and then serving in the RAF for 9 years, as a Personnel Officer.
On leaving the Armed Forces Hannah started Toddle- a vegan skin care company for adventurous kids. It began as Hannah's son had sensitive skin and used to get chapped lips and wind burnt cheeks when out on their adventures. Hannah has always been adventurous and keen on the outdoors and started making her own protection balm in her kitchen.
Toddle received £200,000 of investment in 2019, the first £50k from winning the ‘Pitch it Wales’ competition. Toddle sells direct to consumer, to retail and exports to 5 countries. They have also just launched into National Trust shops and Friends of Joules, as well as seeing 400% growth on Amazon in the last quarter.
Some key points from our interview:
* How her childhood taught her to become very independent
* How she grew up being told that she was never wanted and the impact that had on her growing up
* How she has gone out of her way to be a totally different parent now that she is a mum
* How she can accept that her mother has undiagnosed mental health conditions
* How she has managed to thrive in life and business despite growing up in a neglectful childhood
"It doesn't matter what you've been through, you can become whatever you want to" – Hannah Saunders
You get more information from Hannah here:
https://toddlebornwild.com/
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"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.
Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.
She really believes in the power that comes when we share our stories, that in fact we are not story tellers but story healers. Tune in to discover what helped them to stay unbroken and together we will discover that none of us are broken beyond repair.
You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken, from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/
Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken
Follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/unbrokenthepodcastwithmb
Short of time but want to tune in?
Watch Short Vlog Versions on our You Tube Channel HERE