On today’s episode we’re joined by, author, activist, television presenter and personality, Katie Piper, who encompasses the true essence of being a leader.

Delving straight in to discuss the driving force behind the charity she founded, The Katie Piper Foundation, Katie explains that establishing a charity was never a route she expected to go down. A life-changing experience gave her clear insight of the support those dealing with burn injuries need. When her life changed overnight, she quickly became aware of treatments she needed that weren’t available to her in the UK. So the idea behind her foundation was born – to help make what she had to travel for, more easily accessible for others.

After a documentary about her story aired, Katie found that people wanted to help. She and her family paid any donations they received into a bank account with charitable status, with the view to donate this to other survivors of burns and enable them to receive the treatment she had in France. The generosity of these people was a healing experience for Katie and her gratitude to those who helped her was palpable.

As time went on, Katie’s platform expanded and support never stopped. Eventually, The Katie Piper Foundation became a formalised charity, and she and her team worked on setting up mentoring and workshops, eventually leading to opening their very own centre, enabling treatment to happen in the UK instead of abroad.

From being in a coma and having to rebuild her life, to becoming a best-selling author among so many other achievements, Katie’s excitement for life and love for connecting with people is infectious. When discussing the importance of consistency and showing up for ourselves, her words are incredibly powerful – “trauma is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence”.

As Katie shares her closing messages with us, she encourages listeners not to fear the dark times and instead to embrace them. Some of the best times of your life will be the hardest ones, but they can be a catalyst for change – something Katie proves in her own experiences. “Don’t just dream and wish, make it happen”.