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Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world? Remember, everyone not only belongs, but thrives. You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in? Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to joe.lockwoodeechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show.

So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites.

And today is episode 174 with the title Proudly Authentic, Always Real. And I have the absolute honour and privilege to welcome Jodie Goodchild. No, you're not. You're Jody. One second. Let's do that again. Today is episode 174 with the title Proudly Authentic, Always Real and I have the absolute honour and privilege to welcome Jodie Goodchild. Jodie is an award winning community creator, author and LinkedIn trainer who empowers others to grow their brand and business with zero budget, but with 100% authenticity.

And when I asked Jodie to describe her superpower, she said it is being able to create brave spaces where authenticity becomes your best asset. Hello Jody, welcome to the show.

Hello. Thank you so much for having me. I've followed you for a long time and it's actually great to get to meet you and chat and talk to you in person rather than admiring your posts and TV appearances from afar.

It was actually a real pleasure to have a guest on my show who is probably less than 10 miles away from where I'm sat right now. We're both pompy girls, pretty much born and bred in the not the sound of Bo Bows, but the sound of Fratton park probably. And as we're chatting in the green room, it turns out that my father taught at the school in the 70s that you attended in the 90s, I guess.

Yeah, yeah. Small world.

Yeah. And yeah, we're both lovers of the area, so yeah, absolutely fantastic to have somebody from here other than over there. So Jodie, we were chatting in the green room, we had a good natter for about three minutes, half an hour. And it's clear that you speak very powerfully about living as your true self. You would Recognise, like, even only last night with another award, and you were very proud of that. So what helped you embrace that authenticity and more importantly, I suppose, turn it into a platform for change?

Yeah, well, firstly, yeah, I've got my shiny award here with me, which I'm really excited about. Entrepreneur of the Year. And I think it's just absolutely crazy that I've won that because, and this is to answer your question, there was a time that, you know, you listening might relate to this, that I didn't think that there was life past, you know, if I was to come out and tell the world who I thought I was. And being able to stand on that stage last night and win that award as an out and proud lesbian woman who now doesn't give a toss if somebody likes that or not, was just absolutely mind blowing. And it's actually made me feel really emotional today because I. And again, I'm sure people listening will resonate with this, but I actually didn't feel like I started living my life until I was about 19 years old, because I went through what most of us, well, all of us do in the LGBT community, which was, you know, not understanding who I was and being scared and afraid to talk to anyone about that because there was no education and there was nobody to tell me that actually that was okay. I was convinced that if I spoke my truth that I would be, you know, shunted away from my family and that, you know, I just really struggled with my identity. And the honest truth is that it was only really in Covid.