Strong Opinions, Open Hearts - Looks Like Work, Season 3, Ep 13
Motherhood didn’t soften Iona Holloway’s edges. It sharpened them.
It made her less patient with bullshit, more precise with her time, and wildly committed to telling the truth — the full, brave, unfiltered truth.
In this episode, I talk with Iona—founder of Brave Thing, keynote speaker, and author of Ghost—about what happens when your voice gets louder and clearer… not because you planned it, but because life demanded it.
We explore the crossroads where strength and vulnerability meet — and what it means to lead from that place, especially when you’re being stretched by new identities (like “mom”) and old habits (like shrinking yourself to be palatable).
Inside this conversation:
The difference between being special and being precious
Why motherhood magnifies your clarity and your rage
Reclaiming bravery as a practice, not a personality trait
The “5 and 95” rule: what your inner child and future self both need
Strong opinions, loosely held—and compassionately expressed
Scotland to the U.S.: healing, homesickness, and hard-earned freedom
What happens when you stop trying to be good and start being real
The body as a scrapbook: where all our stories live
Iona drops a question that’s both an invitation and a call to action:
👉 “Someone in your life needs a braver version of you to exist. Who is your someone?”
This episode is for the ones who’ve spent years muting themselves in the name of likability.
For the perfectionists in recovery. For the brave-but-tired.
And for anyone who’s finally ready to stand in the full, electric presence of who they are becoming.
"If someone's giving you 10 minutes of their time, then you better make it worth their attention."
Resources & Mentions:
Star Power - Iona's 5-week speaking intensive program
Follow Iona on social media @ionaholloway
Catch up on previous seasons of Looks Like Work wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify | Apple | Podbean
Subscribe to the newsletter: chedva.substack.com
Check out The Curiosity Lab and CuriosityGPT
