Michelle “Mitch” Lloyd Jones knew from the moment her father took her to air shows that she wanted to be a pilot. But when she first applied to the RAF, women had only just been accepted as aircrew - and she was offered a commission as an air traffic controller instead.

She didn’t stop there. Mitch reapplied, was selected to be a fighter pilot, and went on to fly the Tornado F3, deployed to exercises across the globe. After two years on squadron, she found her real passion teaching as a qualified flying instructor. Today, she trains generations of fast jet pilots and works with Ascent Flight Training on the Texan aircraft as part of the UK’s military flying training system.

In this episode, Mitch shares the sliding door moments, the challenges she overcame as one of the first female fighter pilot instructors in the UK, and what it really takes to step into the cockpit when the odds are against you. Her story is unforgettable.

🎧 Now streaming on all podcast platforms - don’t miss it: https://pod.link/1812292057

You can now watch full Season 2 episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PlacessheShapes

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What does it take to leave everything behind, start over in a new country, and still chase your dream? Una Barac grew up in the former Yugoslavia before moving to the UK in the 1990s. She began her career at Foster and Partners, working on landmark projects across London, New York, and Sydney. But despite her training as an architect, Una realised her real passion was interior design - creating spaces that are not just iconic, but functional and human. One gut decision sparked by a single email became her sliding door moment, setting her on the path to founding Atellior, her international design studio. Today, with offices in London and Croatia, Una and her team specialise in luxury, hospitality, and residential projects, shaping everything from historic restorations to contemporary new builds.

In this episode, Una reflects on resilience, instinct, and the importance of understanding both the client and the end user when designing spaces that truly inspire. Her story is proof that sometimes the boldest designs begin with the boldest decisions. 🎧 Now streaming on all podcast platforms - don’t miss it: https://pod.link/1812292057 You can now watch full Season 2 episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PlacessheShapes

✨ Stay connected - follow us on TikTok and Instagram: Places She Shapes

Sometimes one decision changes everything.

For Claire, it was saying yes to a school trip to Tanzania. Growing up shy but competitive, she found her spark on the netball court, and that trip opened her eyes to a career where she could make a real difference.

That single “yes” set her on a path from co-founding a charity in Cameroon, which, 15 years later, continues to deliver schools, medical centres, and clean water - to being awarded an MBE by the then Prince Charles. Today, she’s the UK Head of Structures at WSP, leading hundreds of engineers on some of the country’s most complex projects.

In this episode, Claire reflects on the sliding door moments, the setbacks that became turning points, and what it really takes to lead with ambition, resilience, and purpose. Her story proves just how much one person can shape the world around them.

How do you keep rising when every step forward comes with another challenge?

Trish Watson built a business, lost it in the crash, and built again. Today, she’s Managing Director of Thirdway Interiors, leading teams that design some of London’s most dynamic workplaces - but the road here has been anything but straightforward.

In this episode, we talk about the sliding door moments, the battles she’s fought, and the resilience it takes to carve out your own place in an industry that doesn’t always welcome you. Trish’s story proves that sometimes the only way forward is the one you create yourself.

🎧 Now streaming on all podcast platforms - don’t miss it: https://pod.link/1812292057

You can now watch full Season 2 episodes on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@PlacessheShapes

✨ Stay connected - follow us on TikTok and Instagram: Places She Shapes

What happens when your comedy is so sharp that politicians start to wonder if you might actually be one of them?

Rosie Holt trained as an actor, waited tables between auditions, and hustled her way through fringe theatre before finding her voice on the stand-up stage. She’s been heckled, ignored, and underestimated - but she refused to give up.

In this episode, we talk about the journey that shaped her comedy, the moments that demanded resilience, and the fearless way she challenges the world with wit and insight. Rosie’s story is a reminder that persistence, talent, and a little audacity can turn every “no” into a stage for success.

What happens when you walk into business with no plan, no safety net, and everything to lose? Zoe Moss grew up with a work ethic forged through paper rounds and café shifts, and stumbled into construction almost by accident. She built a 20-year career defined by grit, big opinions, and a refusal to play small. The biggest leap came when she co-founded Cast Interiors, the first majority female-owned fitout contractor, growing it in just five years into one of the industry’s most disruptive firms. In this episode, we talk about risk, resilience, and what it really takes to shape a business, and a culture, that refuses to apologize for ambition. Zoe’s story proves that sometimes the boldest growth comes from walking away with nothing.

What happens when one woman refuses to stay silent in a predominantly male industry?

Faye Allen BSc (Hons), PgDL, FRICS, MAE - author of Building Women: How Everyone in Construction Can Win and Regional Director at Rimkus APAC and EMEA, has spent over three decades in construction, breaking barriers, challenging bias, and reshaping the rules as she went.

From apprentice surveyor to industry leader and author, Faye has seen it all, and she’s determined to make construction safer, fairer, and more respectful for the next generation.

~ Places She Shapes is a podcast hosted by Zoe Smeeth that amplifies the voices of inspiring women and explores the moments that have shaped their journeys. Follow now for clips, and watch the full episodes on your favourite podcast platform. This podcast puts the spotlight on those driving and thriving in the property, construction, real estate, fit-out industries, and more. It’s a chance to hear the sliding door moments, the good, the bad, and the unapologetically ambitious, that have shaped each guest's journey

How does a poetry-loving girl from rural Wales become a trailblazing force in London’s commercial property scene? In this episode, Zoe Smeeth talks with Julie Rees about career detours, founding her own firm, navigating male-dominated boardrooms, and the power of facing failure head-on. It's a story of resilience, reinvention, and retaining your sense of humour... preferably in a marble-clad lobby.

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