Hindsight

Lauren sits down with Jessica Bonin to talk about the magic of tea and of course, matcha! Jessica walked away from a soul-crushing career in the film industry in search of meaning, purpose, and a better way of living. What started as a bohemian caravan selling loose leaf tea around Cape Town has evolved into a rich philosophy, a devoted practice, and a life shaped entirely by following breadcrumbs — from hidden temples in Japan to an eight-hour tea session with a renowned South Korean tea master who almost no one can get an appointment with. Jessica unpacks what tea actually is (hint: your chamomile and rooibos don't count), why the 2000 chemicals in a single tea leaf make it one of the most powerful plants on earth, and how the practice of tea — rooted in Taoist philosophy, Zen Buddhism, and the samurai tradition — is really a platform for character development, presence, and what she calls attunement to the natural current running under all of life. She also shares her love-hate relationship with matcha being so trendy and explains why the distinction between a tourist and a practitioner matters more than most people realize. This episode is a beautiful conversation about honoring ancient traditions and cultivating a passionate life defined by intentional presence. Key Takeaways Tea requires presence. You cannot make it unconsciously, which is precisely what makes it a gateway to a meditative, sensory practice. Tea naturally harmonizes and heals your system. A single tea leaf contains around 2000 chemicals, including L-theanine, flavonols, and EGCG, all of which have profound effects on body and mind. Matcha is so much more than the current trend. The matcha ceremony, Chanoyu, has deep roots in samurai philosophy, specifically the constant contemplation of death and the pursuit of peace. Using "ceremonial grade" matcha in a latte, or borrowing words like wabi and chado without understanding them, strips the practice of its cultural depth and meaning. Japan opened its tea schools to the West partly because younger Japanese generations had lost interest in their own heritage. These lineages needed new custodians like Jess, willing to dedicate their lives to the magic of tea. New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too. Jessica is a tea practitioner and philosopher whose 16-year relationship with tea began after leaving behind a career in film and following her own series of breadcrumbs. She is based in Cape Town but has traveled extensively throughout East Asia — including Japan, South Korea, and China — to learn directly from masters in the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean tea masters. Her work centers on tea as a living philosophy and path of character development, and she is dedicated to making the ancient wisdom of tea accessible to the modern world without losing its soul. Listen to this episode to discover what Jessica has learned in Hindsight. Connect with Jessica Bonin 📱 Instagram - @jessbonintea | Tea Education and Workshops: @thealchemyoftea 🖥️ Website - linktr.ee/jessbonintea 📖 Book Recommendations The Book of Tea by Okakuro Kukuso Connect with Lauren Dudley 📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley 🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠ 📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

It's just me today, in my pyjamas, on my sofa, with a chamomile tea because that is the vibe after this insane month! If you've been watching my Instagram lately, then you know that my account (@bylaurendudley) absolutely took off. In the space of about a month, I went from 4,000 followers to over 31,000, hosted a free three-day masterclass with 1,500 sign-ups, and found myself living in the most grateful, most alive feeling I've ever experienced. I don't know a single person who has had a quantum leap without a period of chaos, confusion, and life basically falling apart right before it. That’s exactly what happened to me, so this episode is my honest reflection on everything that happened before I could arrive at this place of peace. Literally every area of my life from my relationship to hormone regulation to investing scary amounts of money in myself while quitting alcohol for good, losing a long-term client and building my personal, very public brand. If you're in a hard season right now and wondering why nothing is working, I genuinely believe the lessons you're being served are exact, and I mean exact, preparation for what's coming. Keep going. New episodes (with AMAZING guests!) every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend. Resources for Social Media Strategy Click here for the replays of my beautiful three-day workshop (or comment “REPLAY” on any of my feed posts @bylaurendudley) -> Creator Reset Workshop 7 Day Action Plan for New Creators Weekly 50K Insider Breakdown Newsletter Sign Up Strategy Intensive Hour - £489 Connect with Lauren Dudley 📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley 🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠ 📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley 📖 Resource Recommendations - Period Power: Harness Your Hormones and Get Your Cycle Working For You by Maise Hill The Way of the Superior Man by David Dieda Alison Armstrong Course - Understanding Men and Women Leen’s Podcast Episode - Reclaiming Pleasure: Leen on Intuition, Tantra, and Living a Fully Expressed Life

Gus's story is one of relentless forward momentum. From leaving his military family in war-torn Colombia, to attending university in the U.S., becoming a professional footballer, working with a start-up and fighting the U.S. immigration system, Gus eventually found his true calling as a C-level business consultant for coaches. In this episode, Lauren and Gus Vidales have a conversation that is equal parts lived experience, business masterclass, and motivational gut-punch. Gus shares how every closed door led him to an open window and every setback formed him into a relentless entrepreneur. Now, he mentors other founders to scale their businesses like crazy. Listen to this episode for inspiration, actionable tips and an interesting origin story. Key Takeaways How growing up in a war-torn country taught Gus to take radical ownership instead of playing the victim Leaving Colombia for a university he'd never visited, in a city he'd never heard of How the US immigration process became a headache for his 9-5s and the unlikely catalyst for his entrepreneurial career The four pillars Gus designed to grow every coaching business in any niche Why client fulfilment is essential and the real cost of overpromising The crucial difference between looking for shortcuts and compressing time Green flags he actually looks for in coaching clients who are ready to level up New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too. Gus Vidales is a marketing consultant and business strategist who mentors coaches ready to turn their knowledge into scalable, high-profit businesses. After a decade navigating the US immigration system, a brief career as a professional footballer, and years working inside a coaching company he helped grow to seven figures a month, Gus now works one-on-one with coaches across more than 20 niches. His approach is simple, direct, and results-driven: no modules, no group calls, just high-level consulting built around the individual. Listen to this episode to discover what Gus has learned in Hindsight. Connect with Gus Vidales 📱 Instagram - @gus.vidales 📹YouTube - @GusVidalesBusiness 🖥️ Website - thecoachingos.com 📖 Book Recommendations Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness by Jeff Olson Proverbs - A Book in the Bible (read here or watch The Bible Project summary) Connect with Lauren Dudley 📱 Instagram - ⁠@bylaurendudley 🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠ 📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

In this episode, Lauren talks to Jade Lee Robertson about the root of generational harm that goes unaddressed in families, schools, workplaces, and institutions. As a storyteller, law student, mom and soon-to-be host of Unspoken podcast, Jade Lee Robertson reframes the typical question (“Why didn’t someone speak up?”) to address the underlying causes: “Why didn’t they feel safe to say anything?” Jade draws on her own lived experience of childhood sexual abuse, racial discrimination, and domestic violence to explore what she calls "the architecture of silence.” She describes the layered and often invisible systems that teach people, from a very young age, that their voice is unwelcome. Lauren and Jade talk about motherhood, nervous system regulation, inner child work, and the structural forces that continue to silence the most vulnerable. This episode is raw, honest, and empowering so we can be forces of change in our relationships and spaces. Key Takeaways Why shame thrives in silence, and storytelling can be its own form of justice How the "architecture of silence" manifests in families, schools, workplaces, and governments What happens to the innocence and instincts that children are born with and how can we do a better job of protecting them? How to be a genuinely safe adult, for people of all ages The Guard Dog, Medusa, and the Inner Child: three personifications of ourselves that help with compassionate and nervous system regulation Why "hurt people hurt people" is NOT an excuse How the small, daily moments of parenting are where generational cycles are actually broken New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too. Jade Lee Robertson is an Aboriginal Australian advocate, writer, law student and mom who works at the intersection of trauma, justice and cultural safety. Drawing on her lived experience and background in public service, Jade has become a compelling voice for survivor storytelling and systemic change. Listen to this episode to discover what Jade has learned in Hindsight. Connect with Jade Lee Robertson 📱 Instagram and TikTok - @jadeleerobertson 🖥️ Substack - Un/spoken @jadeleerobertson 🎙️Podcast (coming soon!) - Un/spoken on Spotify and Apple Podcasts 📖 Book Recommendations Black Witness: The Power of Indigenous Media by Amy Maguire Woman Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés Feel the Fear and Do It Anyways: Dynamic Techniques for Turning Fear, Indecision, and Anger Into Power, Action, and Love by Susan Jeffers, PhD Black Thoughts Matter by Dr. Chelsea Watergo Connect with Lauren Dudley 📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley 🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠ 📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

There’s a moment in life where everything looks right on paper but on a deeper level, it doesn't feel right. In this episode, Lauren sits down with one of her closest friends for a chaotic and fun conversation about how she has absolutely transformed. Maya’s journey is the perfect example of what it looks like to follow that pull even when it makes absolutely no sense. After building a successful career in pharmaceutical advertising in New York, she walked away from it all to travel the world. Maya shares her experience choosing expansion over comfort. Lauren and Maya get honest about the tension between stability and freedom, what happens when you outgrow a life you once loved, and the courage it takes to start over because you are curious about what else life has to offer. Maya's story takes us across continents, through the isolation and unexpected beauty of COVID in Cape Town, and into a deeply transformative period of self-discovery. From navigating burnout and identity shifts to exploring meditation, yoga, and somatic practices, Maya opens up about the inner work that changed how she sees herself and what she wants from life. This episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most aligned path is the least predictable. Key Takeaways Why travel and new environments expand your perspective like nothing else can How personal growth requires sitting with past experiences you’ve avoided What meditation actually means and why it’s not just emptying your brain How all your different experiences come together to create your life path Why staying curious and willing to be uncomfortable is essential for long-term growth Building a career as a multi-passionate person New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too. Maya is a lover of the ocean, one of Lauren’s best friends, a certified yoga teacher, former pharmaceutical copywriter, and writer who has completely transformed on her path of creativity, self-discovery, and personal growth. After leaving a successful career in advertising to travel the world, she has lived in multiple countries and built a life rooted in exploration and intentional living. Now based in Cape Town, Maya is deepening her work in meditation, yoga, and breathwork, while also exploring creative projects including writing and AI-driven storytelling. Listen to this episode to discover what Maya has learned in Hindsight. Maya’s Recommendations The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg The Power of Now: A guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle Favorite Podcast (other than Hindsight of course!): Hidden Brain Also Mentioned Leen’s Podcast Episode and her program, Beyond Lauren’s Current Read (with Patrick) - The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida Connect with Maya Faya Franco-Tayar 📱 Instagram - @mayafayaa Connect with Lauren Dudley 📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley⁠ 🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at ⁠theauxo.com⁠ 📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

Today’s guest is Leen, a coach and yoga teacher whose powerful presence Lauren first experienced at the Retreat Yourself wellness festival outside Cape Town. Before she even spoke a word, the entire room was captivated. During Leen’s pleasure manifestation ritual, the space filled with more than a hundred people transformed by a shared experience of joy, connection, and possibility. Leen shares the deeply personal moments that led her to leave a conventional career, follow her intuition, and build a life centered around embodiment, pleasure, and spiritual practice. We learn more about tantric yoga and the daily rituals that keep Leen centered. Lauren and Leen talk about a major struggle for high-achieving women: the constant pressure to produce, achieve, and care for everyone else while our own pleasure and creativity fall to the bottom of the list. Leen encourages us to prioritize the time and space to connect with our own pleasure and learn to create safety in our bodies. If you’ve ever felt the pull toward a more grounded life, but wondered what it actually takes to follow it, this conversation will leave you with plenty to think about. Key Takeaways What a pleasure manifestation ritual actually is and why it’s so powerful Leen’s journey from a traditional career in Brussels to teaching yoga and tantra How conditioning from society and family can shape our choices Why pleasure and embodiment are essential for creativity, intuition, and wellbeing The importance of making space for joy, play, and non-productive time How reclaiming pleasure can change the way we live, work, and relate to others The work Leen does helping women release shame and reconnect with their selves How tantric principles can deepen intimacy and connection in long-term relationships The role of masculine and feminine energy in attraction and polarity Why becoming your most authentic self naturally creates magnetism New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too. Leen is an certified tantric Hatha Yoga teacher and a certified Sex, Love, and Relationship VITA coach who has been helping people connect with their pleasure for last 10 years. She was born in Belgium but lives as a citizen of the world, traveling to learn and facilitate sessions for pleasure and embodiment. Listen to this episode to discover what Leen has learned in Hindsight. Connect with Leen 📱 Instagram - @leen.s.coaching 🖥️ Website - leen-s.com 🎙️Podcast - Sex & Soul on Spotify and Apple Podcasts 📖 Book Recommendations The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle Pussy: A Reclamation by Regena Thomashauer Books by David Deida, the Grandfather of Polarity Beyond is a high-level immersion program for successful women that starts in April. For couples, Unstoppable Lovers opens in May 2026. Connect with Lauren Dudley 📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley 🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠ 📖 Poetry Collection - ⁠Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

What happens when you stop building your life by default…and start designing it on purpose? In this episode of Hindsight, Lauren sits down with Annica, a former restaurant critic turned menu psychology expert, for an honest conversation about curiosity, independence, and what it really means to build a life that fits your joy. From growing up on a tiny Swedish island to travelling young to building a highly specialized business in hospitality, Annica shares how following her natural interests led her to unexpected success and freedom. We talk about menu psychology, building a business that fits your life instead of what’s expected, choosing to be childfree, and why your 40s and 50s might actually be your best years yet. Key Takeaways Growing up on a tiny Swedish island and how independence starts early Why curiosity has been Annica’s lifelong superpower The surprising psychology behind how customers read menus and how Annica because the “Menu Geek” Why charging for value (not time) changes everything The “pub test” rule for choosing clients Building a business that prioritizes lifestyle over scale The unexpected joy (and obsession) of pickleball Confidence, boundaries, and caring less what people think in midlife Being childfree by choice and navigating societal expectations Why long-term relationships need both togetherness and independence The book that validated Annika’s entire business philosophy New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too. Annica Wainwright is the “Menu Geek” and she lives out her love of food by helping restaurants refine their guest experience and connect with the people eating at their table. She is passionate about travel, pickleball and enjoying life to the fullest. Listen to this episode to discover what Annica has learned in Hindsight. Connect with Annica 📱 Instagram - @2_forks 🖥️ Website - 2forks.co.uk 🖥️ LinkedIn - Annica Wainwright: Biggest Menu Geek in the World 📖 Book Recommendation - Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek Connect with Lauren Dudley 📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley⁠ 🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at ⁠theauxo.com⁠ 📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

What happens when you stop chasing the “sensible” career path… and start building something that actually feels like you? In this episode, Lauren sits down with Sean — lifelong creative, former London resident and now co-owner of a thriving community café in Hastings. What started as a monthly pop-up serving homemade bacon rolls has grown into a full-time café that provides a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, and a powerful example of what happens when you listen to the city residents and follow what works. We talk about creative careers, dyslexia, ADHD, small-town living, and what it really means to build something that belongs to the community. This conversation is honest, funny, grounded, and surprisingly moving. Key Takeaways Moving from London to Hastings and why small towns can be magic Growing up dyslexic and with ADHD in the 90s and getting diagnosed later in life Why specialising isn’t always the answer (especially now) Building a freelance career after three years in a “real job” wasn’t the right fit Creating a café that’s genuinely community-led Why being a queer-owned business is reality NOT a marketing tactic The line between standing for something and being performative Handling online backlash without turning your business into a battleground Why events are their real marketing strategy, not ads And the advice Sean would give his younger self about wearing “too many hats” New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too. Sean is a freelance creative turned café co-owner, originally from the North of England and now based in Hastings. Alongside his husband Daniel, he runs a community-focused “gastro caf” known for homemade bacon rolls, specialty coffee and high-quality events. “I spent too long wishing I was someone else. Eventually you realise — you just are who you are.” - Sean Connect with Sean ☕ Visit the Caf - Grey Skull Coffee at St Andrew's Square, Waldegrave St, Hastings TN34 1SJ, United Kingdom 📱 Instagram - @greyskullcoffee 📱 TikTok- @greyskullcoffee Connect with Lauren Dudley 📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley 🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠ 📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

This episode is an unfiltered, deeply human conversation about survival, pain, and the journey to reclaiming your body and your life. Lauren sits down with Sylvia Brune, who was born into a fundamentalist Christian doomsday cult and escaped at 15. She navigated the international world without formal schooling and with a nervous system shaped by constant threat. Sylvia shares what growing up in a cult actually looked like: end-of-days fear, isolation, punishment, forced labor, and learning very early that love had to be earned. Her upbringing manifested as urgency, relationships built around managing other people’s emotions, burnout and complete disconnection from herself. Sylvia explains how body-based healing, psychedelics, breathwork, dance, and learning to feel rather than fix allowed her to release decades of stored pain and what life looks like on the other side. Key Takeaways How growing up in a doomsday cult rewires your sense of time Why hyper-productivity can be trauma in disguise Living with repressed emotions and how you can’t think your way out of feeling How joy explodes when you are no longer living in fight or flight mode Psychedelics as a pathway to reconnect with your body The power of dance, breathwork and the process learning to live in your body by releasing decades of stored pain What spirituality can look like and mean after religious trauma Sylvia’s mornings now that she is grounded in her body and mindfulness New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share it with a friend who would love these insights too. Sylvia Brune is a writer and cult survivor whose life story begins with being born into a fundamentalist Christian doomsday cult. She escaped at 15 and navigated the world without formal schooling, rebuilding herself from the ground up. Her nervous system and subconscious remembered the end-of-days fear, isolation, forced labor, and love that had to be earned. Through body-based healing, breathwork, psychedelics, and dance, Sylvia found her way back to herself. After learning how to feel instead of fix, she now channels that journey into writing, and is currently working on her debut book, The Great Unsettling. She is currently taking intentional time to breathe, learn, love, and move mindfully through the world. Listen to this episode to discover what Sylvia has learned in Hindsight. Connect with Sylvia Brune 📱 Instagram - ⁠@sylviabrune | @sylvia.writes.a.book ✍🏻Upcoming Book - The Great Unsettling (Follow along with her writing journey on Instagram @sylvia.writes.a.book!) 📖 Book Recommendation - The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle Connect with Lauren Dudley 📱 Instagram - @bylaurendudley⁠ 🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at theauxo.com⁠ 📖 Poetry Collection - Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley

<p>Lauren sits down with Mallika Basu to talk about building a multi-passionate career without burning out, using social media as a tool (not a self-worth meter), and parenting teenagers in a digital world that moves faster than any of us can keep up with. Mallika shares what she’s learned about capacity, boundaries, friendships, co-parenting, and divorce—and why “food as a force for good” has become the red thread connecting everything she does. Listen to the end for quick-fire questions on a belief that aged badly, a boundary Mallika lives by, her go-to energy reset and advice to her younger self.</p><p>Mallika also shares what it’s been like writing her first non-cookbook: <em>In Good Taste: What Shapes What We Eat and Drink and Why It Matters</em> — releasing January 22. The book explores how culture, sustainability and impact are shaping food and what this means for consumers who care.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Key Takeaways</strong></p><ul><li><p>How skill stacking helped Mallika build a cohesive professional identity</p></li><li><p>A burnout prevention plan that’s surprisingly simple</p></li><li><p>Parenting teens and online safety: parental controls, hard conversations, and why parent communication matters more than surveillance from community-building to “digital entertainment,” and what that means for experts and thought leaders</p></li><li><p>Divorce, therapy, and the “deep dark tunnel” metaphor—plus why two happy homes can be better than one unhappy one</p></li><li><p>Friendships, boundaries, and the “radiators vs. drains” framework</p></li></ul><p><em>New episodes every Thursday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Subscribe and if a conversation inspires you, share with a friend who would love these insights too.</em></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Connect with Mallika Basu</strong></p><p>🖥️ Blog - <a href="https://mallikabasu.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">In Good Taste</a></p><p>📃Substack - <a href="https://mallikabasu.substack.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">In Good Taste by Mallika Basu</a></p><p>📹 YouTube - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@mallikabasu" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@MallikaBasu</a></p><p>📱 Instagram -<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mallikabasu_/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> ⁠@mallikabasu_</a></p><p>📖 Her Cookbook - <a href="https://mallikabasu.com/my-books/masala/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Masala: Indian Cooking for Modern Living</a></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Connect with Lauren Dudley</strong></p><p>📱 Instagram -<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lauren9dudley/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> ⁠@lauren9dudley⁠</a></p><p>🖥️ Website - Purpose-First Social Media at<a href="http://theauxo.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> ⁠theauxo.com⁠</a></p><p>📖 Poetry Collection -<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7LN3112" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> ⁠<em>Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes by Lauren Marie Dudley</em></a></p>