“‘If there's something you want to do, go and do it. Seize the day, make sure it happens. Do everything you can to make it happen. So my advice to you, young man - literal words - seize the day.’ And that's actually how Out There was born.”

This life changing exchange at Angkor Wat in Cambodia between this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ and a stranger changed the course of his career & life.

Uwern Jong is Experientialist®-in-Chief - a fantastic & actual trademarked job title - of OutTherethe multi-award-winning luxury and experiential travel media brand rooted in values of diversity, discovery and discernment. A storyteller at heart and strategist by trade, Uwern co-founded OutThere to champion authentically inclusive, underrepresented and narrative-led travel stories. Under his leadership, the brand has grown into one of the most respected independent voices in luxury travel. I met Uwern at his recent ‘Icons of Inclusion’ conference and he really is a well-loved figure in his field.

Born in the UK with Malaysian Chinese heritage, Uwern and his family returned to Malaysia for his primary school years which sparked somewhat of an identity crisis whilst straddling two cultures. Something which was further impacted later with his queerness. A soft & sensitive child, Uwern was a non-conformist from the get go and shares a brilliant anecdote about colouring in pink outside of the lines which speaks to the Uwern we know today brilliantly. He found his confidence when he joined a military cadet school.

Despite not pursuing a vocational profession and opting for a creative life, Uwern’s parents are & always have been supportive of his choices and he believes that he has become what he wanted to be. Our conversation explores the ‘happen-stances’ of Uwern’s early career, how he thrives on people & the lessons the pandemic taught him too. Naturally, we also dive into the transformative power of travel & becoming the lead character…

Uwern describes himself as a ‘glass half-full person’ and his positivity is infectious. Listen in to grab a dose! Enjoy.

“I’m most proud that I gave myself a chance. Because so many opportunities came to me and there was always that person on the left side of your shoulder telling you ‘that's not for you. Sit back, know your place’. But then there's that other side of you that's like ‘who else if it's not you?’ So I constantly give myself chances. Even when I fell off. Even when I relapse. Even where I didn't deserve it’.

Timon (he/they) is the Personal Assistant to Lady Phyll, Co-Founder & Executive Director of UK Black Pride as well as being an activist & DJ. As someone known for being on the quiet side, I was thrilled when Timon said yes to being a guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ I’ve got to know Timon over the last couple of years and this year particularly, I’ve seen them shine. It’s something we delve into right at the start of this episode where Timon describes their world right now as limitless. Timon also shares their journey of Transness & healing so beautifully - it’s a truly enlightening conversation!

Timon, or Little Su as he affectionately refers to his younger self, grew up in a loving home in Kenya. With 6 brothers, Timon wanted to dress & play rough like them. Much to his mother’s dismay who often asked ‘why don’t you behave like a girl?’ as the neighbours referred to ‘Little Su’ as TomBoy - so much so that Timon actually thought his name was Tom at one point. Growing up in a big family meant Timon often didn’t feel heard and when they were subjected to sexual abuse by a local man on the estate,

Discovering himself is a fundamental part of Timon’s origin story. From being shown the word ‘homosexual’ in a dictionary by a friend & thinking it was cool through to embracing the power of NLP in ‘healing Little Su’, Timon shares how ‘healing is a mess’ but how authenticity, grace & softness have played crucial roles in this and led to the person he is now.

We cover Timon’s early rapping days, and the move to the UK that led to him landing a position as administrator at Kaleidoscope Trust that changed his life. You’ll also get to hear Timon share some very recent exciting news plus the meaning behind the three perfect words Timon uses to describe himself & his origin story | Luo. Black. Atman. His final words… “Dream Big”. Enjoy!

PLEASE NOTE: This episode contains conversations about sexual abuse so please take care of yourself whilst listening.

“I've never shied away from my past, I've never hidden anything. I don't believe in sugarcoating, what's happened to me. Because the reality is that my life's turned out amazing. I've been able to use my trauma to actually help heal other people as well as myself. I'm still learning every day and I've never forgotten my roots.”

Powerful words from Saba Ali (she/her) - this week’s guest for ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ Saba is one of the most consistent, engaged & supportive humans I have the privilege of knowing. She’s an award-winning advocate & consultant with a broad range of expertise in areas with marginalised groups around intersectionality, race & sexuality, violence against women & girls and cultural abuse. She’s worked extensively with the Met & Crown Prosecution Service and she’s the Safety and Met Liaison Manager at UK Black Pride, Interim Chair for the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition & LGBTQIA+ Network Lead for the Royal Society of Arts.

It’s been quite a year for Saba. Back in April, she was awarded the Role Model of the Year at the Diva Awards 2025 - a thoroughly well-deserved & proud moment I got to witness. And very recently, Saba & her affectionately described ‘partner-in-crime’ Eva Echo recently won a long, drawn out tribunal case against some TERFS. We reflect on these moments & before diving into Saba’s origin story.

Little Saba didn’t have the best start to live and often daydreamed of a fantasy world to escape childhood trauma & cultural abuse. With her mother as her perpetrator, she found it difficult to make sense of the world & felt a lot of anger. She looked for love in the wrong places & drug abuse followed.

Finding herself in priority housing, nudged along by the support of a former colleague, Saba began her journey of healing - something she attributes to therapy & closure when her mother passed when Saba was in her early 40s. Her chosen words ‘defiant, compassionate & humble’ make a lot of sense for her origin story.

Today, Saba shares how she lives life day to day and describes her world as a happy one. We chat about her love of community, the people who have shaped her, finding her way into inclusion & discovering her identity. Oh and her cats! There’s a few laughs around her belief that people are ‘just so stupid’ - Enjoy!

PLEASE NOTE: This episode features conversations around cultural abuse, drug use & challenging family circumstances to please take care of yourself whilst listening.