The Burnout Rebellion Podcast
The stories we hold: Exploring the healing power of water and life after loss with Emma Simpson.
Published: 11 March 2025 at 13:15 Europe/London
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Episode notes
And when great souls die, after a period, peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.
― Maya Angelou, When Great Trees Fall
This episode is a true celebration of an author who shares so beautifully the stories that women hold. It’s not very often you get to interview someone you deeply admire. Emma Simpson is an award-winning debut author, wild swimmer and tea sommelier. Her first book, Breaking Waves, is out on the 27th of March and explores the wonderful and unique relationship of women with water, demonstrating the primal powers of humanity and connection in an increasingly complex world.
Emma is such a life force. I have had the joy of watching her book unfold. I am so excited to read it. I was even more excited to interview her. Emma shows that dreams are possible. I love her story, her determination, her wisdom and this is a conversation that so many of us can learn from. I wanted to soak up absolutely everything I could from our conversation. In this episode, we talk a lot about grief. Grief was the catalyst for Emma’s story of burnout. It becomes increasingly clear to me that we do not talk about death enough, and the radical implications it has for our lives. Emma is a champion of raw authenticity, sharing life without glossing over the parts that seem unpalatable. To listen to Emma’s words of wisdom is incredibly soothing.
Just by Emma living her life as she has done has inspired me, and no doubt countless others. However this episode sits with you, allow it to catalyse your own rebellion. This beautiful conversation will take you to a deep place of healing. We talk about everything from chronic illness, to fear, to natures ability to heal. The stories we hold, shape the lives we live and sometimes in life we have no choice but to swim. Enjoy this episode with Emma, it was such a wonderful chat.
Bio
Emma Simpson is an award-winning debut author, wild swimmer and tea sommelier. Emma is continually inspired by the endurance and optimism of the human spirit, Emma lives in the South of England with her fire-fighter husband, teenage daughters and a sixty-year-old tortoise. She is currently writing her second book on tea: the history of tea and how we translate our own heritage, rituals and cultures in ways other than words.
Links
Pre-order BREAKING WAVES on Amazon
Pre-order BREAKING WAVES at Waterstones
Emma’s Substack
Emma’s Instagram
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Episode 11
Next week, I am joined by Caroline Harris. Caroline is a former banking professional turned sustainability advocate and founder of Direction Aligned. Her mission is to guide individuals at pivotal points in their career or business, helping them reconnect to their true selves, before navigating their next chapter with confidence and clarity. She uses a blend of Human Design, creativity, and actionable steps in her 1:1 mentoring and career shift programs and is just such a fascinating individual to talk to. See you then!
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Much love,
Anna xx
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