Shownotes
This episode is a heartfelt conversation between Lisa and her mam, tracing her journey from leaving school at 15 with no qualifications to beginning her path in nursing.
What the episode covers
- Growing up without academic confidence and leaving school early because of the system at the time.
- Starting work at kayser bondor, the local knicker factory, where she learned about people, resilience, humour, and herself.
- The vivid, funny stories of factory life — from learning to smoke for extra breaks to jamming knickers in machines
- Realising she wanted more, and bravely applying to nursing despite dyslexia she didn’t yet know she had.
- Becoming a pre‑nursing “daffodil”, working 9–5 on the wards, learning hands‑on skills, and discovering she was a practical learner.
- Entering SEN training at 18, supported by mentors who recognised her strengths.
- Rotating through wards across Merthyr General and St. Tydfil’s, building the foundation for the nurse she would become.
The episode is warm, funny, nostalgic, and deeply human — a mother sharing her story, and a daughter discovering the roots of her own positivity.