The Dr Sam Collins Podcast

Feminism For Women Who Don't Call Themselves Feminists 14.09.2026 52мин

Most conversations about feminism focus on women's rights, women's advancement or women's wellbeing. All of those conversations matter. But what if we've been thinking too small? Women already influence trillions of dollars of capital, major technology platforms, supply chains, healthcare systems, education systems and employment practices. Why are we not treating women as one of the largest future shaping forces on the planet? In this episode of The Dr Sam Collins Podcast, Sam explores a different question. Not just how women succeed in the world as it is, but what kind of world women want to help create. Many women feel uncomfortable with the label feminist. Yet those same women are leading teams, raising families, shaping organisations, influencing communities, directing investment, building businesses, developing technology and making decisions that affect thousands of people every day. Drawing on feminist history, personal reflection, more than 25 years of working with women leaders and a bold vision for the future, Sam explores why women may already be one of the most powerful forces shaping the world and why it is time for more of us to recognise that power and use it intentionally to make a difference in our world. In this episode you'll discover: • Why so many women support feminist values but hesitate to call themselves feminists. • Why rights, equality and wellbeing are still essential, but may not be the whole conversation. • How women already influence business, technology, healthcare, education, communities and public life. • Why business may be one of the most important areas of social change in the world today. • The difference between having a seat at the table and helping shape the future. • How to think more intentionally about the impact you are having through your work, leadership and everyday decisions. • Inspiration for becoming a more conscious force for positive change. A question to consider: If women already influence so much of the world around us, what becomes possible when more of us recognise that influence and use it even more deliberately? About Dr Sam Collins Dr Sam Collins is a speaker, author and founder of Aspire. For more than 25 years she has worked with women around the world to help them lead change, navigate transitions and create lives and careers with greater meaning, impact and freedom. She is the creator of 1 Million Change Leaders by 2030 and the Choose Freedom movement, which encourages women to reclaim their agency, shape the future and make a difference in the worlds they touch. Connect with Dr Sam Collins Website: drsamcollins.com LinkedIn: Dr Sam Collins Instagram: @drsamcollins YouTube: Dr Sam Collins TikTok: Dr Sam Collins Books: Available on Amazon New episodes released weekly.

The Great Pretence: Change It, Leave It or Create Something New 07.09.2026 36мин

In this episode, Dr Sam Collins explores what she calls The Great Pretence; the collective performance through which organisations, institutions and professions maintain the appearance of progress while often relying on systems that are no longer fit for purpose. Drawing on her work with senior women leaders, Sam examines why so many women spend years trying to fix themselves when the real challenge is the environment they're operating within. Most importantly, she explores the three paths available when you finally see the truth: Change it. Leave it. Or create something new. Because awareness may make you angry. But it can also become the beginning of freedom. In this episode you'll discover: • What The Great Pretence really is. • Why many women mistake systemic problems for personal failures. • How organisational and social systems shape behaviour and opportunity. • The hidden cost of keeping broken systems running. • The difference between coping with a system and changing it. • The three paths available when a system is no longer working: Change It, Leave It, or Create Something New. • A practical exercise to help you take action within the next 24 hours. About Dr Sam Collins Dr Sam Collins is a speaker, author and founder of Aspire. For more than 25 years she has worked with women around the world to help them lead change, navigate transitions and create lives and careers with greater meaning, impact and freedom. She is the creator of the global Choose Freedom movement, which encourages women to reclaim their agency, shape the future and make a difference in the worlds they touch. Connect with Dr Sam Collins Website: drsamcollins.com LinkedIn: Dr Sam Collins Instagram: @drsamcollins YouTube: Dr Sam Collins TikTok: Dr Sam Collins Books: Available on Amazon New episodes released weekly.

Maybe You're Not Burnt Out. Maybe You're Done. 01.09.2026 33мин

Why women cannot self care their way out of systems that are consuming them. The episode gives women permission to consider that their exhaustion may not be evidence of personal inadequacy. It may be more about a workplace, role, relationship or system that needs to change. It then moves beyond diagnosis and complaint to the greater possibility, what could women create if their intelligence, courage, emotional intelligence, kindness and capability were no longer being consumed by survival? Women's exhaustion is a leadership issue, not just a wellbeing issue. There comes a point when resilience is no longer the answer. Protecting your energy is an act of stewardship. Leadership is about choice, not position. The future changes when women reclaim where they invest their fire. Listeners will use the practical "Burnout, Burden or Done? Audit", separate personal responsibility from systemic responsibility, and identify one thing to stop, challenge or help redesign within the next 24 hours. About Dr Sam Collins Dr Sam Collins is a speaker, author and founder of Aspire. For more than 25 years she has worked with women around the world to help them lead change, navigate transitions and create lives and careers with greater meaning, impact and freedom. She is the creator of the global Choose Freedom movement, which encourages women to reclaim their agency, shape the future and make a difference in the worlds they touch. Connect with Dr Sam Collins Website: drsamcollins.com LinkedIn: Dr Sam Collins Instagram: @drsamcollins YouTube: Dr Sam Collins TikTok: Dr Sam Collins Books: Available on Amazon New episodes released weekly. This episode is educational and reflective and is not medical advice. If you are concerned about your physical or mental health, please consult a suitably qualified healthcare professional.

What Would You Do If Money Wasn't An Issue? 24.08.2026 40мин

We often tell ourselves that money is the reason we can't make a change. The reason we stay in the job, postpone the dream, avoid the risk or delay the conversation. But what if money isn't the real issue? In this episode, I explore the beliefs, fears and assumptions that shape our relationship with money and the powerful influence they have on our choices, careers, wellbeing and sense of freedom. Drawing on my own experiences growing up around financial anxiety, I reflect on the stories many of us inherit about security, success and worth and how those stories continue to shape our lives and impact in the world. This isn't a conversation about budgeting, investing or financial advice. It's a conversation about possibility, purpose and self-trust. We explore why purpose and prosperity do not have to be opposites, why making money and making a difference can go hand in hand, and how a healthier relationship with money can create greater freedom, contribution and impact. I also share my vision for a future where success is measured not only by profit, but by the positive impact we have on people, communities and the planet. What might happen if we applied this same thinking to our own lives and leadership? If money genuinely wasn't an issue, what would you choose to do differently? In This Episode, You'll Discover: • How childhood experiences can shape our beliefs about money. • The difference between financial responsibility and financial fear. • Why many women struggle to ask for what their work is worth. • How scarcity thinking affects our careers, confidence and choices. • Why purpose and prosperity do not have to be competing priorities. • How making money can enable greater contribution, creativity and impact. • The triple bottom line of people, planet and profit and what it means for leadership today. • The hidden costs of postponing happiness until some future date. • How self-trust can create more freedom than financial certainty. • Whether money is truly the obstacle or simply the name we've given to other fears. • Practical questions to help you rethink your relationship with money. • Why courage is often the first step towards creating the life you want. A Question to Reflect On: If money wasn't an issue, what would you choose to do differently and how might that allow you to make an even greater difference in the world? About Dr Sam Collins Dr Sam Collins is a speaker, author and founder of Aspire. For more than 25 years she has worked with women around the world to help them lead change, navigate transitions and create lives and careers with greater meaning, impact and freedom. She is the creator of the global Choose Freedom movement, which encourages women to reclaim their agency, shape the future and make a difference in the worlds they touch. Connect with Dr Sam Collins Website: drsamcollins.com LinkedIn: Dr Sam Collins Instagram: @drsamcollins YouTube: Dr Sam Collins TikTok: Dr Sam Collins Books: Available on Amazon New episodes released weekly. This episode is for educational, informational and reflective purposes only. It does not provide personal financial, investment, tax, legal or employment advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriately qualified professional advice before making significant financial or career decisions.

The Ambition Gap We Never Talk About 20.08.2026 17мин

We often think of ambition as becoming a CEO, earning more money, collecting titles or climbing another rung on the ladder. But what if the real ambition gap is something else entirely? In this episode, I share a personal story about an unexpected conversation that challenged how I thought about my own potential. From growing up on a council estate in England to earning a doctorate, building Aspire and creating a global women's movement for change, I reflect on the expectations we inherit from family, society and ourselves and the ways we often dismiss possibilities before we've truly explored them. This isn't a conversation about chasing status or success for the sake of it. It's about having the courage to imagine a bigger future. Not necessarily a bigger career, but a bigger life. One in which we prioritise our health, our relationships, our contribution, our freedom and the unique difference we can make in the world. If you've ever felt too busy, too overwhelmed, too humble or simply unsure about what comes next, this episode is an invitation to think differently about ambition and what it could mean for you. In This Episode, You'll Discover: • Why other people can sometimes see your potential long before you can see it yourself. • How family expectations, workplace culture and social conditioning quietly shape the ambitions you pursue. • The difference between living according to other people's definitions of success and creating a life that reflects who you really are. • Why many women underestimate what they are capable of and dismiss opportunities before they have fully explored them. • How caring responsibilities, self doubt and endless busyness can stop you from imagining bigger possibilities for yourself. • Why ambition is about far more than job titles, promotions and financial success. • How to develop greater ambition for your health, wellbeing, relationships, impact and contribution. • Why recognising and encouraging potential in others can be one of the most important skills you develop. • How small daily actions can contribute to creating a more equitable, just and compassionate world. • A simple way to start redefining what an extraordinary life means for you, whatever your age or stage of life. A Question to Reflect On: What if your biggest ambition isn't becoming more successful, what if it's becoming more fully yourself? About Dr Sam Collins Dr Sam Collins is a speaker, author and founder of Aspire. For more than 25 years she has worked with women around the world to help them lead change, navigate transitions and create lives and careers with greater meaning, impact and freedom. She is the creator of the global Choose Freedom movement, which encourages women to reclaim their agency, shape the future and make a difference in the worlds they touch. Connect with Dr Sam Collins: Website: drsamcollins.com Podcast: The Dr Sam Collins Podcast LinkedIn: Dr Sam Collins Instagram: @drsamcollins YouTube: Dr Sam Collins Tik Tok: Dr Sam Collins Books: On Amazon New episodes released weekly.

You Don't Need More Confidence 09.08.2026 18мин

Many of us spend years waiting to feel confident enough before we speak up, pursue a dream, apply for a promotion, launch a business or make a change in our lives or the world around us. But what if confidence isn't the answer? In this episode, I challenge one of the most common messages women receive and share why I believe confidence is largely a myth. Instead, I explore the power of courage, why it can be developed like a muscle and how focusing on something bigger than ourselves can help us take action even when fear is present. Drawing on my own experience coaching senior women leaders and working with organisations around the world, I share a personal story about finding the courage to challenge powerful systems, influence difficult conversations and create change in environments where I didn't always feel confident. If you've been waiting until you feel ready, this episode may encourage you to stop waiting and start building your courage muscle instead. In this episode: • Why confidence can become a trap • The difference between fear and courage • How courage develops like a muscle • Why "stepping outside your comfort zone" isn't always the answer • How focusing on the people and causes you care about can make you much braver • Small daily actions that strengthen courage over time

Freedom Isn't Given. It's Chosen: Lessons From My Year of Freedom 02.08.2026 23мин

What if freedom is not something you earn once everything is finally in place? In this episode, I share the lessons from my own year of freedom and what happened when I stopped waiting for the perfect time, the perfect plan and the perfect version of myself. We explore what freedom really means, why so many women are still holding back and how becoming more visible can transform not only our own lives but also the worlds we touch. This conversation is an invitation to choose freedom on your own terms, pursue what matters most and step more fully into the difference only you can make. Welcome to the Choose Freedom movement. The future is not something we inherit. It is something we create.

The Urgency of Freedom: Why Self-Help Is Not Enough 27.07.2026 33мин

In this episode of The Dr Sam Collins Podcast, I explore the urgency of freedom. not the frantic, fear driven urgency that leaves us exhausted, overwhelmed and trying to cram even more into already full lives, but a deeper, more purposeful urgency that asks us to wake up to what our lives are really for. This is not an episode about productivity, conventional success or the usual self-help obsession with becoming a more polished version of ourselves. I am interested in something far more important: the link between freedom and contribution. Because freedom is not just about feeling better, resting more, looking better, earning more or finally getting ourselves perfectly sorted. Freedom matters because it allows us to bring our intelligence, experience, compassion, anger, love and courage into the world at a time when the world urgently needs us. I talk about the gap between who we are today and who we could become if one key limitation loosened its grip, whether that limitation is guilt, shame, people pleasing, exhaustion, fear of criticism, perfectionism, money, age, confidence or the belief that we are too late, too ordinary or not ready enough. I also challenge the idea that contribution belongs only to senior people in powerful rooms. The world needs conscious people in every room: in boardrooms, classrooms, kitchens, coffee shops, communities, families and movements. The question is not simply, What do I want to do one day? The question is: What does the world need from me right now?

Is There More Than This? 20.07.2026 26мин

Why so many women are longing for freedom, meaning and contribution Over the last few months, I've found myself reflecting on a question that I hear again and again from women all over the world and, if I'm honest, from myself too. Is there more than this? Not necessarily more money, more status or more success. More meaning. More freedom. More joy. More of a sense that the life we are living reflects who we really are and what matters most to us. We want our lives to count for something. We want to know that we matter. We want to contribute. I also share a new idea I've been exploring called Be the Difference. It's not about saving the world, becoming famous or waiting until we have everything figured out. It's about recognising that our contribution is not determined by our position, our title, our income or whether other people see us as successful. All of us have influence. All of us touch other lives. All of us have the opportunity to bring more humanity, courage, kindness, wisdom and integrity into the world around us. In this episode, I invite you to reflect on where you already have more influence than you realise and what might become possible if you used that influence well. If you've ever felt that quiet nudge that there might be another chapter waiting for you, this conversation is for you.

Stop Setting Goals. Start Celebrating Milestones. 15.07.2026 24мин

Most goal setting starts with what's missing. What you haven't achieved. What you still need to fix. What isn't happening fast enough. No wonder so many of us feel overwhelmed, procrastinate or burn out. This week on The Dr Sam Collins Podcast, I'm sharing one of the most powerful yet simple coaching exercises I've encountered in years. A coaching client introduced me to it this week and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Instead of asking what you want to achieve, ask yourself: What do you want to be celebrating in the future? Whether it's your career, your health, your relationships, your finances, your purpose or the difference you aspire to make in the world, this simple shift changes how the future feels and your chances of achieving it. In this episode, I'll guide you through the exercise in real time so by the end you'll have a clearer picture of the future milestones you're creating and perhaps a renewed sense of hope, energy and possibility. Because change doesn't begin when you reach the milestone. It begins when you can see it now.

You Already Know Why You're Not Stuck. You're Just Ignoring Yourself. 08.07.2026 12мин

What if you're not stuck? What if the reason you're feeling restless, frustrated or uncertain isn't because you lack clarity, confidence or capability? What if you already know what to do? In this episode of the newly relaunched Dr Sam Collins Podcast, Sam explores one of the most powerful lessons she has learned from more than 25 years of working with women leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers around the world: most women are not stuck. Most women already know what needs to happen next. The challenge is trusting themselves enough to act. Sam introduces two important characters who will accompany listeners throughout the series: Samantha, the inner critic whose job is to keep us safe, accepted and comfortable, and the inner pioneer who calls us towards courage, possibility and the life we're capable of creating. If you've ever found yourself overthinking a decision, waiting for certainty, second-guessing yourself or postponing a dream that won't leave you alone, this episode is for you. Because perhaps the question isn't, "What should I do?" Perhaps the question is, "What do I already know?" In this episode you'll discover: - Why smart, capable women often mistake fear for confusion - The real reason so many women feel stuck - How to recognise the voice of your inner critic - How to strengthen the voice of your inner champion - A practical challenge to help you take your next courageous step Because you were never the problem. The life you're looking for may be waiting on the other side of a decision you already know you need to make. Perhaps it's time to trust yourself.

Stop Waiting for Permission - The New Chapter of The Dr Sam Collins Podcast 08.07.2026 7мин

After a year away from the podcast, Dr. Sam Collins returns with a deeply personal new chapter — one she describes as part podcast, part "pod-course". In this opening, Sam reflects on her "Year of Freedom", twenty-five years of Aspire and the questions that have been calling her into a more honest, courageous and purposeful way of leading. This new series is for women, and for anyone ready to stop waiting for permission, trust their voice, and step more fully into the contribution they are here to make. Shorter, more intimate and more direct than before, these episodes will explore leadership, change, purpose, health, life, success, failure, the stories that keep us stuck, and what it really takes to become the person we are capable of becoming.

The Heart & Soul of Leadership 19.03.2025 40мин

Zoe Holland MBE, Group Chief Commercial Officer, Fletchers Solicitors about gaining balance, finding your heart led passion and making the impossible possible.

Don't Boil the Ocean 17.03.2025 30мин

A conversation with Amy Lynch, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Europe, at global tech company Thoughtworks about microactivism strategies for keeping going when things get hard and that it's never too late to make changes.

Take a Chance 26.02.2025 40мин

A conversation with changemaker Tracey Cramond, Chair of the award-winning Health Care Supply Association's Women's Network dedicated to addressing women's issues in the workplace and working to drive positive change.

Starting Again and Empowering Dreams 18.11.2024 37мин

A conversation with the inspirational Kamila Sidiqi, Afghan entrepreneur, government official, and the subject of the New York Times bestselling book, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana.

Men, Make the Tea! 10.07.2023 41мин

A conversation with Karen McDonagh Reynolds, transformation executive, board member, and award winning CIO. How do we get men united with equality?

Career Snakes and Ladders 03.07.2023 40мин

A conversation with Chief Legal Officer Caryl Longley about learning the 'rules of the game', set by men for men.

From Small Acorns 28.08.2022 44мин

Sam chats with Georgie Moseley, Founder of 'Help Harry Help Others' cancer charity about following your dreams whoever you are and making your vision a reality.

Kadama 11.07.2022 38мин

Sam talks with Awah Francisca Mbuli, a victim of human trafficking about her escape and starting again. Contains themes of sexual abuse.