Lucy Wyndham-Read reached 1 million YouTube subscribers last year, a highly coveted milestone for any influencer. But success did not come easy as she discusses on this week’s episode of Nobody Told Me, which is available to listen to now.

On the face of it, Wyndham-Read lives the now-familiar life of an influencer, with her warm, welcoming home and impeccable acai bowls documented on film for fans to watch. But, as listeners will find out, it’s not always been smooth sailing. She shares harrowing anecdotes of getting bullied at school, one incident so severe that she was left with a broken nose.

She joined the army aged 19 after signing up for a cadet course where she also met her fiancé, Mike. She found herself thriving in physical training and loved seeing the positive results it had on her mental health. “It made me feel confident, it made me feel strong and it helped reduce anxiety,” she says.

However, her time in the army was cut short after the tragic death of Mike and her sergeant’s callous actions once she returned to work after compassionate leave. The loss fuelled her desire to learn more about fitness and share the benefits with those that also experienced a lack of confidence.

She tells listeners how financial hardship, an abusive relationship and her extreme determination helped her get to where she is today. “I’m really grateful for every failure, knock back and rejection because, truth be told, that’s what has driven me to become the person I am today”, she says, reflecting on her experiences.

Listen to the episode to hear more about Lucy’s journey and how her two furry friends gave her comfort when she needed it most. Nobody Told Me… My Cats Would Lead Me To Success is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast.