Archive - Life's Lessons Unpacked

When the Body Remembers Trauma the Mind Buried

PTSD doesn’t announce itself. It arrives uninvited - through memory, through the skin, through silence.

May 22 •

Mark V Smallwood

Trump and Putin - Echoes of the Hitler-Stalin Pact?

Self Development # 24 - What the Stalin-Hitler pact teaches us about today's odd alignment between Trump and Putin - and why weak responses to dictators…

May 20 •

Mark V Smallwood

The Cost of Always Being the Strong One

Self Development # 23 - A candid reflection on the unseen burden of being the strong one - exploring emotional fatigue, resilience, and the quest for…

May 3 •

Mark V Smallwood

April 2025

Leading Through Loss: Sara Bailey of Trowers & Hamlins on Resilience, Empathy & Real Leadership

Self Development # 22: In this episode of Life's Lessons Unpacked, learn how a senior law firm partner balances leadership, pressure and grief - with…

Apr 12 •

Mark V Smallwood

30:57

March 2025

The Secret Courage No One Talks About: Apologizing.

True bravery is facing your own hypocrisy and building a better you.

Published on Courage to Create • Mar 18

Life Beyond Below Deck: Conrad Empson’s Journey from Reality TV to Tech Trailblazer

Self Development # 21: In this episode of Life Lessons Unpacked, I sit down with Conrad Empson, former reality TV star turned founder of CrewPass.

Mar 11

23:39

From Russia with Love (Bomb): My Dating Disaster with a Narcissist - Part 3

Dating in One's Middle Years # 11 - What do a set of five-star hotel towels, a young girl's chilling confession, and a man about to make another…

Mar 3 •

Mark V Smallwood

February 2025

Freddie Fforde on Resilience, Reinvention & The Mindset Behind Success at Patch Works

Self Development # 20: In this episode of Life Lessons Unpacked, I sit down with Freddie Fforde, founder and CEO of Patch, pioneering company redefining…

Feb 22 •

Mark V Smallwood

and

22:07

From Success to Rock Bottom - And Back Again: Lee Cooper -The Hard Truth About Resilience

Self Development # 19

Feb 7 •

Mark V Smallwood

and

34:06

From Russia with Love (Bomb): My Dating Disaster with a Narcissist - Part 2

Dating in One's Middle Years # 10 - What do a whirlwind weekend, a relentless seduction, a handwritten love letter, and a man obliviously sinking into…

Feb 1 •

Mark V Smallwood

January 2025

Overcoming Adversity: Amy Tanner - How Life’s Toughest Challenges Build Resilience

Self Development # 18

Jan 31 •

Mark V Smallwood

34:50

From Russia with Love (Bomb): My Dating Disaster with a Narcissist - Part 1

Dating in One's Middle Years # 9 What do a blonde bombshell, an ’80s-style mixtape moment, an FSB hit, and a naive idiot sleepwalking toward disaster…

Jan 18 •

Mark V Smallwood

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