Not everyone loves Christmas. And that's okay.
This week, I'm sitting down with my dear friend Eleanor Goddard - entrepreneur, wife, mum of two twentysomethings - for a conversation that goes deeper than tinsel and turkey.
We're talking about death at Christmas (yes, really). About teenagers who still need you but don't think they do. About the pressure of holding everyone and everything together during "the most wonderful time of the year."
And about why that pressure? It's actually a privilege.
This is a raw, honest, beautiful conversation about navigating loss, aging parents, grown children, and the question that death keeps asking us: What do you want to do with this one life?
Eleanor will be back in the New Year to continue this conversation - because somehow we lost the final 10 minutes! But our conversation was too good not to share and she will be back in the New Year!
What We Talk About
About Eleanor Goddard
Eleanor is the co-owner of Furnish & Fettle Interiors, the design business she runs alongside her husband, Glyn. A proud mum to Newcastle University students Ollie and Hattie—and to Ralph, the family’s lively black Labrador puppy—she balances entrepreneurship with a full and colourful home life.
Before launching the business, she built a successful career in medical sales. That chapter ended abruptly when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and the rare neurological condition orthostatic tremor, leading to a profound period of personal challenge. Her health journey included navigating depression and chronic fatigue as she came to terms with the loss of her career and identity.
Driven by curiosity and determination, she immersed herself in research and clinical trials, and today her rheumatoid arthritis is generally well controlled, though flares still occur. Her orthostatic tremor remains her most significant daily hurdle, limiting her ability to stand without shaking—yet it’s also become part of the story that fuels her resilience & drive.
She’s recently discovered a passion for cold-water swimming, and often draws on the mind-body tools she gained while training in clinical hypnotherapy after her two hypnobirths.
Alongside running Furnish & Fettle, she has also stepped into the world of angel investing, embracing the learning curve, the energy of the community, and the thrill of building a portfolio that supports exciting new ventures. As her experience grows, she is beginning to explore the possibility of sharing her insights more formally—potentially stepping into a Non-Executive Director role to support and guide other founders on their journeys.
Connect with Eleanor
Furnish & Fettle: https://www.furnishandfettle.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/furnish_and_fettle/
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-goddard-a6a19024/
Coming in the New Year
Eleanor will be back to continue this conversation.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
Listen now for a conversation that's raw, real, and full of more joy than bah humbug (even when we tried).
