Birds of a Feather Flock Together: The Importance of Our Inner Circle

“Birds of a feather flock together” - it’s a saying we’ve all heard, and it still rings true well into adulthood. The people we surround ourselves with don’t just fill our time, they shape our habits, influence our behaviour, and can alter the very trajectory of our lives.

In this episode of Breen Time, Sabrina is joined by William Park, a BBC science and psychology writer and trainee therapist, to explore why our inner circle matters so much. Together they look at how friends and associates can impact our growth — both positively and negatively — and why being intentional about who we spend our time with can be a powerful act of self-care.

From unconscious choices to conscious connections, they unpack the links between identity, environment, and the company we keep. It’s a reminder that choosing wisely isn’t about being selective for the sake of it — it’s about creating the conditions to become the best version of yourself.

Breen Time is a weekly podcast from Brum Radio, hosted by life coach and management consultant Sabrina Brown. Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in personal development and change management, Sabrina offers soulful insights, smart strategies, and uplifting conversations designed to help you reflect, grow, and thrive. New episodes every Monday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Signs That You Have Lost Yourself

In this episode of Breen Time, Sabrina explores the moments in life when we lose touch with who we are. It can happen suddenly through a big event, or gradually as the pressures of busyness, relationships, work, and responsibility build up. However it shows up, losing yourself doesn’t have to be permanent.

This episode highlights some of the warning signs that may indicate you’ve lost yourself, along with practical tools to help you find your way back.

This week’s exercise:

1. Begin by honestly admitting to yourself if you feel lost. It’s uncomfortable, but denial only keeps you stuck.
2. As you listen to the episode, identify which of the warning signs resonate with you.
3. Pinpoint the trigger that caused you to drift away from yourself. Did it begin with a relationship, a job, a friendship, or something else?
4. Think back to a time when you didn’t feel lost. What factors contributed to you feeling grounded then?
5. Make a firm decision that you want you back.
6. Develop a plan for how you will reconnect with yourself and move forward.

This practice is an invitation to return to your true self, with clarity and compassion.

Breen Time is a weekly podcast from Brum Radio, hosted by life coach and management consultant Sabrina Brown. Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in personal development and change management, Sabrina offers soulful insights, smart strategies, and uplifting conversations designed to help you reflect, grow, and thrive. New episodes every Monday.

For further support, you can also explore:

• Counselling Directory
• Samaritans
• Mind
• NHS Mental Health Services
• NHS Talking Therapies and Counselling

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are You Really Ready for Success?

In this episode of Breen Time, Sabrina asks a challenging but vital question: are you truly ready for the success you’re striving for?

Success is something many of us long for, but it doesn’t come free. It costs time, energy, money, and resilience. It brings greater demands, bigger challenges, and often more scrutiny. This episode helps you explore not just the idea of success, but whether you are preparing yourself for what it actually requires.

This week’s exercise:

Take some time to reflect honestly on these questions:

1. Are you prepared to give up more of your time? Life will demand more when success comes.
2. What are you willing to sacrifice - and what are your non-negotiables?
3. Are you diligent with money? Remember, success will cost you more.
4. How do you manage problems at your current level? If you struggle now, how will you cope when bigger challenges arrive?
5. How do you handle criticism? With greater success comes greater scrutiny.
6. What support systems or mechanisms do you already have in place that will sustain you when success arrives?

By working through these questions, you’ll gain clarity on whether you’re preparing for success itself - or simply chasing the idea of it.

Breen Time is a weekly podcast from Brum Radio, hosted by life coach and management consultant Sabrina Brown. Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in personal development and change management, Sabrina offers soulful insights, smart strategies, and uplifting conversations designed to help you reflect, grow, and thrive. New episodes every Monday.

For further support, you can also explore:

• Counselling Directory
• Samaritans
• Mind
• NHS Mental Health Services
• NHS Talking Therapies and Counselling

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holding Ourselves Accountable

In this guest episode of Breen Time, host Sabrina Brown sits down with productivity expert Demir Bentley, co-founder of the Lifehack Method, to explore the power - and necessity - of self-accountability. They delve into what it truly means to hold ourselves responsible for our abilities, limitations, and actions - and why that matters when it comes to pursuing our goals, purpose, and aspirations.

About our guest:

Demir Bentley is a proven productivity coach and co-founder of the Lifehack Method, a system that combines accountability with efficiency strategies. He's helped over 50,000 professionals- including executives at Facebook, Google, Uber, and PepsiCo - save thousands of hours and generate millions in revenue through smarter habits and self-leadership.

What you'll discover in this episode:

• The true meaning of self-accountability- and why it’s vital for personal growth.
• What self-accountability can look like in your daily life.
• The real benefits of holding yourself accountable- for your productivity, ambitions, and inner clarity.
• Practical ways you can begin holding yourself accountable, even if no one else is.
• Demir’s personal experience with accountability, how it transformed his life, and examples of breakthroughs he's witnessed in others.
• A powerful action you can take within the next 72 hours to start owning your journey with intention and clarity.

This episode highlights how self-accountability isn't about criticism or blame- it's about showing up with clarity, courage, and follow-through. Whether you're chasing a big career move or simply trying to stick to your personal goals, this conversation offers soulful insight and concrete, practical guidance.

Breen Time is a weekly podcast from Brum Radio, hosted by life coach and management consultant Sabrina Brown. Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in personal development and change management, Sabrina offers soulful insights, smart strategies, and uplifting conversations designed to help you reflect, grow, and thrive. New episodes every Monday.

Follow Demir's work on The Lifehack Method and of course, on YouTube

For further support, you can also explore:

• Counselling Directory
• Samaritans
• Mind
• NHS Mental Health Services
• NHS Talking Therapies and Counselling

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Repetitive Cycles

In this episode of Breen Time, Sabrina explores the difference between life’s natural cycles — like the seasons or the span from birth to death — and the repetitive cycles that keep us stuck. Unlike nature’s rhythms, we aren’t meant to keep going round in circles. We’re designed to move forward, grow, and make progress.

If you find yourself in the same place again and again, whether in relationships, work, or habits, it’s a sign that something is out of alignment. Sabrina unpacks why these cycles happen, what keeps them going, and how you can break free from them to return to life’s natural forward motion.

This week’s exercise:

1. Think of an area of your life where there’s a repetitive cycle or pattern.
2. Describe that cycle or pattern in a single sentence.
3. Slow it down and break it into stages — what exactly happens?
4. Ask yourself:

• What triggers this cycle to continue?
• What escalates or encourages it?
• How did it begin?
• Why do you allow it to continue?

1. Once you understand the what, how, and why of your cycle, you’ll be far more likely to find the breakthrough you need to move forward.
2. Don’t be tempted by quick fixes — deal with the root cause.

Breaking repetitive cycles isn’t about blaming yourself — it’s about gaining clarity, wisdom, and the freedom to live in alignment with life’s true design.

Breen Time is a weekly podcast from Brum Radio, hosted by life coach and management consultant Sabrina Brown. Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in personal development and change management, Sabrina offers soulful insights, smart strategies, and uplifting conversations designed to help you reflect, grow, and thrive. New episodes every Monday.

For further support, you can also explore:

• Counselling Directory
• Samaritans
• Mind
• NHS Mental Health Services
• NHS Talking Therapies and Counselling

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your Words Matter

In this episode of Breen Time, Sabrina explores the power of words and the energy they create. Words aren’t just words — they can breathe life or drain it, build hope or reinforce fear. What kind of energy are you speaking into your current circumstances?

Through a practical exercise, you’ll learn how to tune in to the language you use every day, spot the patterns of negative self-talk, and begin replacing them with life-giving speech. With practice, this simple shift can transform the way you experience challenges and open up new possibilities for change.

This week’s exercise:

1. Make a conscious decision to start listening to the words you use.
2. As you listen, begin to notice any habits of negative speech, especially in certain areas of your life.
3. Decide to replace those negative words with life-giving ones.
4. Keep practising — it takes time, but you’ll soon notice how your life begins to change for the better.

If you ever feel stuck in cycles of negativity, this episode offers a compassionate reminder that the words you choose can shape the reality you live in.

Breen Time is a weekly podcast from Brum Radio, hosted by life coach and management consultant Sabrina Brown. Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in personal development and change management, Sabrina offers soulful insights, smart strategies, and uplifting conversations designed to help you reflect, grow, and thrive. New episodes every Monday.

For further support, you can also explore:

• Counselling Directory
• Samaritans
• Mind
• NHS Mental Health Services
• NHS Talking Therapies and Counselling

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Fake it till you make it” — we’ve all heard the phrase, but is it really helpful, or are we buying into a lie?

In this episode of Breen Time, Sabrina reflects on her own experience of faking it: how it led to a false version of herself, why people sense when our energy isn’t real, and what it took to rediscover the power of authenticity. Together with her guest, Bonnie Ho (bonniehoinsights.com), Sabrina explores why so many of us feel pressured to “fake it,” what drives that behaviour — from ego to core beliefs — and whether there are ever any genuine benefits.

You’ll hear an honest conversation about the pitfalls and potential upsides of “faking it,” and discover why grounding yourself in authenticity might just be the most powerful strategy of all.

Breen Time is a weekly podcast from Brum Radio, hosted by life coach and management consultant Sabrina Brown. Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in personal development and change management, Sabrina offers soulful insights, smart strategies, and uplifting conversations designed to help you reflect, grow, and thrive. New episodes every Monday.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clearer sense of when confidence-building through action can serve you — and when it risks pulling you away from your true self.

Follow the Breen Time Podcast:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebreentimepodcast/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

Resources:

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

https://www.mind.org.uk

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/counselling/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you in transition?

In this episode of Breen Time, Sabrina explores how we can navigate life’s transitions more successfully. Whether it’s a change you’ve chosen or one that’s been thrust upon you, transitions can be challenging - but also an opportunity for growth.

Through a practical exercise, you’ll learn how to preserve your energy for the process, understand your fears, clarify your core beliefs, and remind yourself of the positives that change can bring. You’ll also discover why the “middle” of a transition is often the hardest part, and what you can put in place to carry you through it.

Breen Time is a weekly podcast from Brum Radio, hosted by life coach and management consultant Sabrina Brown. Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in personal development and change management, Sabrina offers soulful insights, smart strategies, and uplifting conversations designed to help you reflect, grow, and thrive. New episodes every Monday.

Episode exercise – quick guide:

• Admit or settle the fact that transitions are hard
• Don’t fight the process — preserve your energy for the transition itself
• Pause and do a stock-take of your transition
• Identify the biggest tasks you’ll need to undertake
• Write down what you’re most afraid of during this transition
• Assess your core beliefs and how they contribute positively/negatively
• Write down all the positives about the transition and revisit them regularly
• Ask: What’s the scale of this transition? Which areas of your life will it impact?
• Get support — you’ll need it for the rollercoaster ride
• Have faith for the middle! The beginning and ending are often easier, the middle is where support matters most

If any of the above feels confusing, listen back for context or reach out to me on social media.

Follow the Breen Time Podcast:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebreentimepodcast/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

Resources:

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

https://www.mind.org.uk

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/counselling/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.