I loved this conversation with Penny Hopkinson. She has one of those careers that looks like a straight line only in hindsight.

From being the lone woman in technical journalism in the late 60s to becoming the Queen of Operations Manuals, her story is full of grit, curiosity, and a brilliant refusal to be boxed in.

Penny shows that reinvention is not a single moment but a lifetime of choosing the next right step, even when the path feels wildly unconventional.

Penny is now a leading specialist in systems and operations manuals, drawing on her years as a trade and tech journalist, Middle East correspondent, and quality writer. She is also the CEO of Manual Magic AI, her innovative app that helps organisations create clear, engaging SOPs with real ease.

It all builds on her bestselling book Manual Magic, and her mission to make knowledge sharing work for every age, learning style, and ability.

Highlights:

(01:47) How Penny began her career in a male dominated world

(04:35) The unexpected influence of her father and a 600 degree hot wire cutter

(09:10) What she learned from interviewing business leaders

(13:57) The moment Middle East journalism ended and a new path opened

(21:17) Why video is becoming the single source of truth for training

(27:23) How Penny built her Manual Magic AI app and what it can now do

Connect with Penny:

www.manualmagic.ai

https://waitlist.manualmagic.ai/

www.linktr.ee/pennyhopkinson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyhopkinson

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

In this episode, I talk with Michael Serwa, one of the UK’s most in-demand coaches.

Michael coaches the elite using his signature no-bullshit approach. Since 2011, he has built the most successful personal coaching practice in the UK. He is the author of From Good to Amazing and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including GQ, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, BBC, and Sky.

Michael shares his extraordinary story of arriving in London from Poland with almost nothing, working his way up from retail to becoming a high-value coach for clients at the top of their game.

We discuss what it really takes to reinvent yourself, why mindset trumps circumstance every time, and how desperation and inspiration can be equally powerful motivators for change. Michael’s journey proves that reinvention isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable when you back yourself fully.

Highlights:

(02:27) – Growing up in Poland and the mindset that shaped him

(07:53) – From Zara shop floor to management: the first big reinvention

(11:16) – Discovering personal development and a new calling

(13:58) – How redundancy forced him to launch his coaching business

(21:15) – From broke coach to six figures and beyond

(33:17) – Michael’s advice on radical reinvention and self-investment

Connect with Michael:

Website: michaelserwa.com

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/

This week, I sit down with the brilliant Sapna Pieroux - brand consultant, author, speaker, and self-proclaimed karaoke queen.

Sapna shares her extraordinary story of reinvention, from postnatal depression to a cancer diagnosis and through the loss of her father, to rediscovering herself through joy, creativity, and community.

We talk about what it means to rebuild your life after the unthinkable, how gratitude can ground you in your darkest moments, and why finding joy (even in the form of karaoke networking) can completely transform your outlook.

This one’s about hope, humour and second chances.

Highlights:

(03:40) – Life after postnatal depression and the first reinvention

(06:20) – From corporate life to entrepreneurship and authorship

(10:40) – Facing breast cancer and choosing to pause the business

(12:20) – Healing, grief and rediscovering purpose

(17:10) – Singing, joy and the birth of The Notworkers

(20:10) – Building BrandVisions.AI and creating a legacy project

(23:50) – How joy and visibility became her new brand

(26:20) – Gratitude, purpose and finding meaning in hardship

(28:40) – Embracing visibility and freedom in midlife

Connect with Sapna

LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sapnapieroux/

WEBSITE

http://www.innervisions-id.com

APP WAITLIST

https://waitlist.brandvision.app/

Connect with Lucy:

Website - https://bookmagic.ai

TikTok - @lucymccarra

Instagram/Threads - @lucymccarraher

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucymccarraher/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lucymccarraherauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LucyMcCarraher/