Places She Shapes

That's a Wrap: Season 4 Filmed at Abbey Road

Places She Shapes — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:07:29 GMT

Well, we did it. We’ve packed up the mics, said goodbye to Abbey Road Studios (for now), and officially wrapped filming on Season 4 of Places She Shapes. There were a lot of laughs, a few happy tears and more cups of tea in our iconic Abbey Road Mugs than we’d like to admit.

This season we sat down with some incredible women, and five of those conversations are New Tracks episodes, our series shining a light on the rising talent shaping the industry right now. Every guest brought something different to the room. There were career pivots nobody saw coming, honest chats about what ambition really looks like, and plenty of sliding door moments.

None of this happens without the brilliant people behind us. A huge thank you to JAC Project Management for supporting Season 4, to SRP for backing two of our full episodes, and to TMJ Interiors and Dyntec for supporting our New Tracks episodes. And of course, thank you to Hunters for the beautiful flowers that were gifted to every guest. We’re lucky to have such fantastic sponsors in our corner.

For now, the editing begins and the countdown is on. Keep an eye on our socials for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes moments and guest announcements over the coming weeks.

And one more thing before we go: we may (or may not) be cooking up something live for early 2027. Our lips are sealed for now, but if you loved the last one, you’ll want to stay tuned👀

Search ‘Places She Shapes’ to find us on all your favourite podcast platforms or use the link in bio!
📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @PlacesSheShapes
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Christina Hsieh: A Company Without a Ceiling

Places She Shapes — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:07:45 GMT

This week marks the final episode of Season 3, and Zoe sits down with Christina Hsieh, structural engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers, and founder of We Are Matter, a consultancy she built around social value long before the term existed.

Christina’s story begins with a documentary, a dream, and a decision that put almost everyone she loved against her. She applied to study in the UK in secret, having never held a passport or set foot in an airport. What happened when she finally arrived is the kind of thing you couldn’t make up, and it’s only the beginning.

She’s remarkably open about the moments that shaped her: the mentors who saw something she couldn’t yet see in herself, a rebuild on the other side of the world, a diagnosis that changed everything, and the comment that finally made her stop trying to break the glass ceiling and simply build a company without one.

It’s a conversation about following your gut, asking “why,” and deciding your time is worth spending on work that matters. You’ll want to hear how she got here.

Search ‘Places She Shapes’ to find us on all your favourite podcast platforms or use the link in bio!

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @PlacesSheShapes

✨ Stay connected, follow us on TikTok: @PlacesSheShapes

Lily Dent: Why Being You Is the Advantage

Places She Shapes — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 12:53:33 GMT

This week on New Tracks, Zoe is joined by someone she knows very well indeed: Lily Dent, Project Manager at JAC Project Management. New Tracks flips the usual format, asking the questions we might have posed to our season one and two guests if we could have caught them right at the start of their careers.

Lily didn’t grow up knowing fit out existed. One disgruntled evening, a scroll through a job site, and a role she almost talked herself out of applying for; that’s where it began. What happened next is a lesson in backing yourself before anyone else does.

She’s honest about walking into rooms and being underestimated, about imposter syndrome that shows up “every day,” and about the quiet power of deciding you’ll simply outwork the doubt. She also talks about proving things to herself, the accreditation she took on to do exactly that, and why leaning into who you really are might be the most memorable thing you can do.

And then there’s the question of what she wants people to say about her long after she’s left the room. You’ll want to hear her answer to that one.

Search ‘Places She Shapes’ to find us on all your favourite podcast platforms or use the link in bio! 📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @PlacesSheShapes ✨ Stay connected, follow us on TikTok: @PlacesSheShapes

Brogan MacDonald: The Path She Carved Herself

Places She Shapes — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:00:54 GMT

Brogan MacDonald was going to be an artist. A Blue Peter badge at five, a love of drawing and fashion, and a plan that had nothing to do with maths or science. Today she is Head of Sustainability for Building Structures at Ramboll UK, a role that, until three years ago, did not exist. She built it.

This week Brogan joins Zoe to trace a journey that almost went a very different way. She is honest about the teachers who told her what she could not do, the first year of university where her maths marks were Ds, and the tutoring she was too embarrassed to admit she needed. She talks about being one of very few women on site, the meetings she walked out of in tears, and the mentor who threw her in the deep end to see if she could float.

Then there is the month in the Bali jungle, silent until midday, that changed how she thinks about ambition altogether. She came home not quite sure where her career or her life was going, and that question is still with her.

If you have ever been told no, or quietly wondered whether the thing you love could ever become the thing you do, this one is for you. Listen to the full episode to hear how Brogan learned to trust that what is meant for you will find its way to you.

Lottie Outen: The Wrong Side Of The Table

Places She Shapes — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 08:01:24 GMT

Lottie Outen never planned a career in real estate. As a child she wanted to be a vet or a doctor. As a student she fell for languages, chased a year abroad, and ended up in a flat in the middle of Madrid learning corporate banking in Spanish. Ask her how she got from there to Managing Director at Kennedy Wilson, overseeing seven billion euros of assets, and the honest answer is that almost none of it went to plan.

This week Lottie joins Zoe to trace a path built on instinct and a stubborn refusal to stand still. She is open about the disappointment that redirected her whole life, the long hours in investment banking, and the moment in a Berkeley Square boardroom when she looked around and thought, I am on the wrong side of the table.

What came next took nine months, a lot of Saturdays teaching herself, and one of the least convincing resignations her boss says he has ever received. And then, while she was riding an elephant in Sri Lanka on garden leave, her phone rang.

If you have ever felt the pull towards something before you could explain why, this one will land. Listen to the full episode to hear how Lottie learned that things happen for a reason, and that drive really does come from within.

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Kara Carter: The Art of Saying Yes In Work And Life

Places She Shapes — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 08:00:48 GMT

Some people map out exactly where they will end up. Kara Carter, owner and director of Spacelab, is not one of them. She was the kid who loved to draw, the teenager juggling three jobs, the graduate who had no idea how you actually turn a talent for art into a living. What she did have was a quiet, stubborn work ethic and a knack for saying yes before she felt ready.

This week Kara joins Zoe to trace a career that started with a summer placement and somehow, 21 years later, ended with her buying the company. There was no grand plan. There was a chance meeting at university, a competition win, and a founder who saw something in her she could not yet see in herself.

But the road to ownership was anything but smooth. Kara is honest about the years of waiting, the conversations that went quiet, and the moment a single phone call changed everything, right before she left for holiday. What followed tested her in ways she never expected.

to the full episode to hear how Kara learned to trust the process, and herself.

Lisa Ames-Hall: Project Manager to the Palaces

Places She Shapes — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 08:01:21 GMT

Lisa Ames-Hall is a project manager at Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court and more. She is also an architect by training, a farm kid by upbringing, and someone who has quietly pivoted her career twice and landed somewhere that genuinely feels like a fit.

Her route here was not obvious. She failed vet school spectacularly, opened a UCAS list from the top, and stumbled into architecture somewhere between astrophysics and aeronautics. Then, years later, she saw a job advert for a project manager at Historic Royal Palaces, told herself she wasn’t qualified, applied anyway, and got it.

What makes Lisa’s episode so warm is how honest she is about what she was looking for and how long it took to find it. She talks about the difference between pushing at a door that will open and pushing at one that never will. About leading with empathy in an organisation where some of her colleagues have worked for 40 years. About what success actually looks like when you stop measuring it the way you were taught to.

She also has some thoughts on keeping your weird. They are worth hearing.

This series is proudly supported by JAC Project Management.

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Rochelle Wright: The Electrician Fighting for Change

Places She Shapes — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:01:33 GMT

Rochelle Wright is an electrician at PPS Electrical, working on the Sellafield nuclear site in the Lake District. She is also a bodybuilder, a mum, and the founder of Herbasix, a platform she is building to give workers in construction a way to report harassment, access support, and actually be heard.

She wanted to be an electrician at school. She was talked out of it. At 25, she decided she was doing it anyway, and she has not looked back since.

What makes Rochelle’s episode so compelling is not just what she has done, but how honest she is about why she did it. The Unite the Union survey that changed everything. The day she cried in a toilet on site and drove home without explaining why.

She is also, it has to be said, brilliant company. This one is warm, funny, and completely unfiltered.

This series is proudly supported by JAC Project Management.

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Places She Shapes longlisted at the British Podcast Awards!

Places She Shapes — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:33:24 GMT

We have some news we’ve been bursting to share. Places She Shapes has been longlisted for the 2026 British Podcast Awards in the Business category!

When Zoe first sat down at Abbey Road Studios to record Season 1, the aim was simple: to share the unfiltered stories of inspiring women and the sliding door moments that shaped their journeys. Three seasons on, we’ve been lucky enough to sit down with an extraordinary line-up of guests, each one generous enough to share the real, unfiltered version of their story.

We think that’s exactly why the podcast has found its place in the Business category. These aren’t polished highlight reels. They’re honest conversations about ambition, resilience and the pivotal moments that change everything, from broadcasters and CEOs to founders, engineers and electricians, creating a mentorship platform for the next generation of women in business.

And it’s grown into so much more than a podcast. Our live events have brought the community together in person, and that community is growing with every episode. To everyone who listens, shares, and shows up, this recognition belongs to you too.

The best part? We’re just getting started, with more seasons already on the horizon. If you’d like to sponsor an aspect of the podcast or our live events, or host an event with us, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch!

Emily Smith: Are You Sitting At The Right Table?

Places She Shapes — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 08:01:45 GMT

Emily Smith has a way of making the bold look straightforward. She moved countries at 12, survived being buried eight feet under snow in an avalanche at 21, handed in her notice when she felt undervalued, and walked into a room and won Woman of the Year to make a point. None of it was reckless. All of it was deliberate.

Emily is now CEO of Argyll, a property business with 23 buildings across prime Central London.

She has been with the company in various forms since 2005, rebuilding it, leaving it, being headhunted back, and eventually stepping into the top job in January this year. The story of how she got there is not a straight line, and that is exactly what makes it worth listening to.

In this episode she talks about knowing when you have done everything you can at a table that will never truly see you, and having the courage to get up and find a better one. She talks about culture, about ambition that has nothing to do with money, and about the moment she went on a walk in Devon and decided she was ready.

There is also an avalanche. You will want to hear that part.

This season, we’re delighted to be supported by Cripps, a Top 100 UK law firm proud to champion female leaders and help drive meaningful change.

Emily Smith: Are You Sitting At The Right Table?

Places She Shapes — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Emily is now CEO of Argyll, a property business with 23 buildings across prime Central London.

There is also an avalanche. You will want to hear that part.

Search 'Places She Shapes' to find us on all your favourite podcast platforms or use the link in bio! 📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @PlacesSheShapes ✨ Stay connected, follow us on TikTok: @PlacesSheShapes

This season, we're delighted to be supported by Cripps, a Top 100 UK law firm proud to champion female leaders and help drive meaningful change.

Grace Allen: How To Be Successful Before You’re 25

Places She Shapes — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 08:01:45 GMT

Grace is the founder of Sable & Sage, a project management and quantity surveying consultancy she set up while completing her chartership, and now, while expecting her first baby. She is, as Zoe puts it, the youngest business owner to appear on Places She Shapes, and she is absolutely someone to watch.

Her route into the industry wasn’t the obvious one. Grace chose a degree apprenticeship over university at 18, against her parents’ wishes, walked into a corporate environment straight from school, and never really looked back. What she spotted was a gap in the market, smaller hospitality projects that the big firms wouldn’t touch, and she backed herself to fill it.

This episode is honest and quietly inspiring. Grace talks about what it feels like to be the only woman in the room, how she’s learning to trust her own expertise when senior clients push back, and why she thinks women need to stop waiting for the right time.

Grace Allen: How To Be Successful Before You’re 25

Places She Shapes — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 07:46:00 GMT

Most people spend their twenties figuring out what they want to do. Grace Allen spent hers building a company.

Her route into the industry wasn't the obvious one. Grace chose a degree apprenticeship over university at 18, against her parents' wishes, walked into a corporate environment straight from school, and never really looked back. What she spotted was a gap in the market, smaller hospitality projects that the big firms wouldn't touch, and she backed herself to fill it.

This episode is honest and quietly inspiring. Grace talks about what it feels like to be the only woman in the room, how she's learning to trust her own expertise when senior clients push back, and why she thinks women need to stop waiting for the right time.

Tamsin Bennett: Construction, Grief and Resilience

Places She Shapes — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 08:01:09 GMT

Some careers make sense on paper. Tamsin Bennett’s makes sense when you hear her tell it.

Tamsin is Senior Technical Manager at Wates Development, one of the UK’s largest construction and development companies. She’s spent her career in one of the most male-dominated industries going, and the route she took to get where she is today was anything but straightforward. It went through a civil engineering degree, construction sites, a sewer under Oxford Street, and a sales job she didn’t love, before she finally landed where she was always meant to be.

When she realised she was on the wrong path, she did something most people only talk about. She walked away from a good salary, started again from the bottom, and backed herself when very few people would have.

There’s a moment in this episode where she talks about the man in a pub who changed the entire direction of her life. And another where she opens up about loss, and the one small question that can make all the difference to someone going through it.

Honest, funny, and completely herself, Tamsin is exactly the kind of guest this podcast exists for.

Search ‘Places She Shapes’ to find us on all your favourite podcast platforms or use the link in bio!

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @PlacesSheShapes

✨ Stay connected, follow us on TikTok: @PlacesSheShapes

Tamsin Bennett: Construction, Grief, and Resilience

Places She Shapes — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 07:55:00 GMT

Season 3 | Episode 2 – Places She Shapes with Zoe Smeeth

Some careers make sense on paper. Tamsin Bennett's makes sense when you hear her tell it.

Tamsin is Senior Technical Manager at Wates Development, one of the UK's largest construction and development companies. She's spent her career in one of the most male-dominated industries going, and the route she took to get where she is today was anything but straightforward. It went through a civil engineering degree, construction sites, a sewer under Oxford Street, and a sales job she didn't love, before she finally landed where she was always meant to be.

There's a moment in this episode where she talks about the man in a pub who changed the entire direction of her life. And another where she opens up about loss, and the one small question that can make all the difference to someone going through it.

Honest, funny, and completely herself, Tamsin is exactly the kind of guest this podcast exists for.

Search 'Places She Shapes' to find us on all your favourite podcast platforms or use the link in bio!

📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @PlacesSheShapes

✨ Stay connected, follow us on TikTok: @PlacesSheShapes

Kelly Cates: The Road To Match of the Day

Places She Shapes — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:01:06 GMT

What does it take to step into one of the biggest jobs in British broadcasting, with the whole country watching?

Kelly Cates spent nine years honing her craft at Sky Sports News, made a leap into the unknown at 30 with no job to go to, and built a career defined by preparation, self-belief, and knowing when to just say yes. Then came Match of the Day.

In this episode, Kelly talks about the screen test, the senior director who quietly cleared obstacles she didn’t even know were there, and the mantra that got her through her first night presenting one of the most iconic programmes on British television. She is honest about what women in broadcasting still face, why confidence matters more than competence, and what emotionally intelligent leadership looks like in practice.

Kelly’s episode is the perfect way to open Season 3.

🎧 Now streaming on all podcast platforms: https://pod.link/1812292057
Stay connected, follow us on TikTok and Instagram: @PlacesSheShapes

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Kelly Cates: The Road To Match Of The Day

Places She Shapes — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:00:00 GMT

What does it take to step into one of the biggest jobs in British broadcasting, with the whole country watching?

In this episode, Kelly talks about the screen test, the senior director who quietly cleared obstacles she didn't even know were there, and the mantra that got her through her first night presenting one of the most iconic programmes on British television. She is honest about what women in broadcasting still face, why confidence matters more than competence, and what emotionally intelligent leadership looks like in practice.

Kelly's episode is the perfect way to open Season 3.

The Wait is Over. Season 3 Arrives This Sunday!

Places She Shapes — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:25:18 GMT

We have been sitting on this one for a while, and honestly, the wait has made it even sweeter.

Eight extraordinary conversations recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, plus our brand new spin-off, New Tracks, featuring four more stories of ambition, resilience, and the moments that changed everything.

We are talking to women across business, sport, the built environment, and beyond. Women who have taken risks, rebuilt after setbacks, and carved out paths that did not exist before they walked them. Each episode dives into those pivotal sliding door moments, the decisions, the detours, the defining chapters, that shaped who these women are today.

We are thrilled to introduce a brand new strand this season too. New Tracks shines a spotlight on women earlier in their careers, voices that deserve to be heard right now, not ten years from now.

Season 3 is proudly supported by Cripps, a Top 100 UK law firm championing female leaders and driving meaningful change, and by JAC Project Management.

New episodes drop every Sunday. Make sure you are subscribed so you do not miss the first one.

Search ‘Places She Shapes’ on your favourite podcast platform, or follow the links below to listen, watch, and stay connected.
📺 Watch full episodes on YouTube: @PlacesSheShapes
✨ Follow us on TikTok and Instagram:

- Places She Shapes

📺Places She Shapes LIVE Podcast now available on ALL platforms!

Places She Shapes — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:02:01 GMT

Whether you were there on the night, or wish you had been, our second LIVE podcast episode is now available. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PlacesSheShapes and listen on all podcast platforms: https://pod.link/1812292057 ✨

What made this episode different?

🌟 This live recording was made possible in collaboration with Oyster’s Leading from the Front, and with the support of JAC Project Management.

We are especially grateful to our guest speakers:

Michelle Lloyd Jones, Ascent Flight Training
Zoe Moss, Cast Group
Ali Wibroe, Oyster and Leading from the Front
Annelies Kruidenier, Oyster and Leading from the Front
Franky Rousell, Jolie

A huge thank you to Anna Matveeva and the team at Moore Kingston Smith for hosting the evening so warmly, and to everyone who joined us in the room. Thank you for the energy, the questions, and the conversations that carried on long after we wrapped.

📺 Watch the full LIVE Podcast and Season 2 episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PlacesSheShapes
✨ Stay connected, follow us on TikTok and Instagram: @PlacesSheShapes
🎧 Streaming on all podcast platforms: https://pod.link/1812292057
🌐 Find out more: www.placessheshapes.co.uk

-The Places She Shapes Team

Places She Shapes LIVE at Moore Kingston Smith

Places She Shapes — Wed, 06 May 2026 07:58:00 GMT

Our second live podcast episode is here.

Recorded at Moore Kingston Smith in collaboration with Oyster’s Leading from the Front, and with the support of JAC Project Management, this special episode brings together an inspiring group of women shaping places, projects, businesses, and communities.

Featuring guest speakers Michelle Lloyd Jones from Ascent Flight Training, Zoe Moss from Cast Group, Ali Wibroe and Annelies Kruidenier from Oyster and Leading from the Front, and Franky Rousell from Jolie, the conversation captures the energy of the room, the questions from the audience, and the connections that carried on long after the microphones were off.

A huge thank you to Anna Matveeva and the team at Moore Kingston Smith for hosting the evening so warmly, and to everyone who joined us live.

Listen now, watch the full episode on YouTube, and stay connected with Places She Shapes on TikTok and Instagram at @PlacesSheShapes.