Come and join the conversation with the gorgeous Andrea McLean!Join me as we go on a journey with Andrea, from studying journalism at University and accidently falling into television! Fiercely independent in her Mum's old Fiesta, she talks me through packing up the car and setting off to London alone, living in a bedsit whilst applying for every journalism job going. Writing travel articles and constantly applying for jobs in the days where there was no internet, it was a paper filled hustle! Fast forward a few years and Andrea tells me about a phone call she received asking her to be a weather presenter (a job she scarcely remembers applying for!) and ending up boarding a plane to Atlanta to train.We chat about the funny stories behind her journey into GMTV, being mistaken for the editors girlfriend and cinching the deal for her stint on the channel following hard graft and determination! Andrea talks passionately about her belief in the universe, always steering her in the right direction, continuing to be herself, show kindness and her natural desire to help others. Talking about her anchor job on Loose Women, she takes me through the realities of juggling motherhood, LONG days and travelling up and down the country at a moment's notice. Andrea is determined, tenacious and has a wonderful outlook. When talking about opportunities, regrets and life choices, she has such an amazing take on life! She's always had, from a young age, a wise head on her shoulders, being able to envisage herself as an older woman and questioning if her future self would regret not taking the opportunity that was presented to her at the time. We chat about her personal struggles, from being bullied at school (yet showing them compassion and understanding, something which at a young age is incredible!), counting therapy, and her being safe in the knowledge that pain is only temporary. Andrea talks me through the difficulties of living life in the public eye, her "open kitchen" invitations, and the vitirol trolling that she regularly endures. Although hurtful to her and often her lived ones too, Andrea proves her compassionate soul by seeing life through the eyes of others, again showing her compassionate heart. We talk openly about her life changing decision to leave Loose Women in 2020, having set up This Girl Is On Fire alongside her presenting role with her husband Nick. With TGIOF starting as an online blog, with educational articles, magazine like format in the early days, Andrea's passion to help other women was ignited further and the decision to leave LW was cemented. Mentally needing to focus all her efforts into this burning passion of hers she knew that she needed to go "all in" with TGIOF to give it the best chance of success. We chat through the realities of the pressure of that decision, with a mortgage to pay for, a team she was responsible for at TGIOF by this point and the whole of Britain watching and waiting to see what happens next. I cannot imagine how that felt and how scary that must of been! But again, Andrea's never faultering optimism about doing what feels right is seeing her through! We discuss the challenges of running a business, the realities of the hard work that comes along with it and Andreas "Blueprint For Failure"!! This Girl Is On Fire is on a mission to empower 100 million women around the world to get the emotional and financial freedom to live the life they love! Born from a place of experience, Andrea tells me how her personal struggles financially and professionally have catapulted her into creating a community of women to achieve that freedom! With masterclasses, mindset coaching, experts, advice, information and SO MUCH MORE, Andrea has created a community of women that are making her so proud! Such an inspirational chat with such a truly inspiring woman, Andrea has such a refreshing outlook on life and a wonderful positivity about her,it was an absolute pleasure
