In this week’s episode of Notes from the Not There Yet, Beth sits down with the incredible Donna Timlin - beauty therapist, business owner and self-described “neuro-spicy” creative - to talk about the journey that shaped her long before she ever stepped into a salon.

From childhood bullying and being told she “wasn’t beautiful enough to be a beautician,” to retraining at 28 with a toddler on her hip, Donna’s story is a masterclass in rewriting the narratives that once held you back.

We explore how she rebuilt her confidence, why she believes beauty should be accessible to everyone, and how ADHD fuels her creativity, empathy and drive.

This is an honest, warm and deeply relatable conversation about resilience, motherhood, identity, and the quiet power of starting again — even when you’re not there yet.

Show Notes

In this episode, we sit with beauty business owner Donna Timlin, whose journey spans bullying, self-doubt, redundancy, single motherhood, career reinvention and the courage to follow a long-silenced passion.

In This Conversation We Explore:

• Growing up with bullying and the long shadow it cast on Donna’s confidence
• Why she abandoned her dream of beauty at 15 — and what finally brought her back
• How travel work and finding “her people” helped her rebuild her sense of self
• Becoming a mum at 26, redundancy, and the turning point that changed everything
• The moment her dad nudged her to “just go for it” and enrol in college
• Retraining at 28 with anxiety, panic attacks — and ultimately graduating with full distinctions
• Building The Beauty Boutique and leading with encouragement, not fear.
• Living and working with ADHD, and how her “neuro-spicy” mind thrives on variety
• Why beauty is for everyone, and how Donna creates accessibility in her salon
• Boundaries, balance and the art of saying no — even to 4am brow appointment texts

Links & Resources

The Beauty Boutique, Royton

Donna on Instagram: @the_beauty_boutiqueroyton

Perfect For You If…

You’re navigating a career pivot, rebuilding confidence, exploring neurodiversity, or trying to find your way back to yourself after life knocked you sideways.

Key Takeaways

• Bullying doesn’t define you - you can rewrite the story others gave you.
• It’s never too late to start again - Donna retrained at 28 with a toddler.
• Support beats fear - the best leaders build people up, not break them down.
• Neurodiversity is a strength - ADHD fuels Donna’s creativity and energy.
• Beauty belongs to everyone - every age, every size, every background.
• Boundaries matter - protect your energy, your time and your peace.
• Confidence grows when you show up as yourself, not who others expect you to be.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re doing any of it “right” - the career, the parenting, the balance, the boundaries - this episode is for you.

Today, I’m joined by Charlotte Rose, one of the North West’s leading bridal hair stylists, a domestic abuse advisor, former children’s hospice worker, and single mum turned multi-hyphenate woman who has built her life with equal parts graft and grace.

From accidental beginnings in hairdressing to supporting vulnerable women and children, to rebuilding her life as a single parent and learning to protect her peace, Charlotte’s story is a powerful reminder that you don’t need one path to be successful - just the one that feels like yours.

Trigger warning: This episode discusses domestic abuse. If this is a difficult topic for you, please listen gently and reach out for support if you need it. National Domestic Abuse Helpline (UK): 0808 2000 247

In this episode of Notes from the Not There Yet, we sit with Charlotte Rose, a Greater Manchester bridal hair stylist and domestic abuse advisor who has spent over 14 years building a business rooted in connection, care and consistency.

Her story blends motherhood, graft, emotional labour, boundaries and resilience - all shared with the warmth and honesty that defines the in-between.

• How Charlotte accidentally fell into hair styling

• Growing quietly - before Instagram, before the trends

• Switching off from emotionally heavy work

• Boundaries as a mum and multi-career woman

• Why graft matters, but peace matters more

• Burnout → clarity → choosing weddings as her niche

• How she attracts dream clients without oversharing

• Rebuilding after difficult breakups and solo motherhood

• Choosing stability over “scale at all costs”

• Redefining success as a woman in your 30s

• Charlotte’s Instagram: @charlotterosehairstylist

• Website: charlotterosehairstylist.com

• National Domestic Abuse Helpline (UK): 0808 2000 247

Charlotte Rose on Graft, Grace & Building a Business With Heart

Episode Summary

This week’s solo episode is one of my most vulnerable yet. What started as a simple half marathon became something I never expected - a release of 21 years of body shame, childhood conditioning, disordered eating, and the belief that my worth was always tied to my weight.

I talk about growing up between two homes, using food for comfort, being bullied, losing weight as a teenager and suddenly being treated differently… and how all of this shaped the way I see myself even now. Running became my turning point - not because I’m a runner, but because crossing that finish line cracked something open in me.

If you’ve ever struggled with food, your body, or the stories you were told about yourself growing up, I hope this one lands gently with you.

Trigger warnings: Body dysmorphia, bullying, disordered eating, mental health themes.

Show notes

In this solo episode, I explore:

• How my half marathon became an emotional breakthrough
• Growing up with food as comfort and control
• The moment teenage weight loss changed how people treated me
• Why Slimming World became both a lifeline and a lifelong mindset
• My journey through body dysmorphia, restriction and self-worth
• How running — from Couch to 5K to 13.1 miles — helped me untangle my relationship with myself
• The battle between fuelling your body and fearing weight gain
• What I wish I could tell younger Bethany
• Why so many millennial women still hear the same old stories in their heads
• Running cracked open 21 years of body shame

Key Takeaways

• Childhood conditioning shapes adult self-worth
• Weight-loss validation created long-term dysmorphia
• Food became control instead of comfort
• Training forced a healing around fuelling instead of fearing
• Achievements hit differently when your younger self never felt enough
• You’re not defined by your weight or your body
• Healing is slow, messy and nonlinear
• You can always rewrite your story