The JOY Broadcast — Episode Summary

Podcast: The JOY Broadcast
Host: Ali Mortimer (The JOY Coach)
Guest: Eleanor Goddard
Episode: "The Joy of Bah Humbug"
Date: December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heartening yet candid holiday special, Ali Mortimer welcomes long-time friend and fellow entrepreneur Eleanor Goddard to discuss the complexities of finding joy during the festive season—especially for those who feel ‘bah humbug.’ They explore topics such as coping with grief and darkness at Christmas, managing health challenges, the restorative (if daunting) power of cold water swimming, running a business under holiday pressure, and how facing life's hard realities can reawaken our appetite for living fully. This episode offers solidarity, laughter, and practical wisdom for anyone feeling less-than-festive.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Reality Behind the Festive Front

(03:06 – 05:12)

• Eleanor candidly admits she struggles with the festive period and rejects the pressure to "put on a front" of enjoyment.
• Quote:
  • Eleanor: "It's... always been quite a difficult time for me because my dad sadly passed away between Christmas and New Year... and I just find the sort of pressure as you run up to Christmas, it's just so hard to manage." (03:31)
  • Eleanor acknowledges added stress from her business, where clients want everything finished by Christmas.
• She and Ali agree many people likely feel the same but rarely voice it.
• Eleanor's family is "doing Christmas different" this year by traveling to Krakow to avoid the usual festive responsibilities and pressure.

2. Coping with Winter's Darkness

(05:24 – 06:50)

• Both women relate to struggling with the early dark winter nights and discuss self-care strategies (baths, candles, permitting themselves to wind down early).
• Eleanor connects her habit of retreating to bed to the physical pain of arthritis exacerbated by cold, which also shapes her winter coping mechanisms.

3. Discovering Cold Water Resilience

(06:38 – 12:53)

• Eleanor shares her journey into cold water swimming—a transformation spurred, in part, by attending a "Wealth of Wellbeing" event at Ali's suggestion.
• Initially resistant, Eleanor was swayed by evidence about cold water's benefits for inflammatory conditions, and the "buzz" it gave her after completion.
• Memorable segment:
  • Eleanor: “Just that feeling at the beginning of my day that I’d done something really difficult before the day had even started just made me feel a little bit invincible.” (09:45)
  • Eleanor, once a skeptic, is now an enthusiast—even missing cold water when away on holiday.
• For Eleanor, the experience is about much more than health: it’s an empowering daily victory against adversity and mental clutter.
• Both women discuss how cold exposure shapes their mental resilience and sparks joy.

4. Facing Death & Re-evaluating Life

(14:13 – 18:24)

• The conversation moves from darkness to death and how experiencing loss around the holidays can cast a long shadow.
• Ali shares the emotional weight of attending a recent funeral, describing that “funerals remind us life is short, that it is finite” (14:22).
  • She recalls a moment of fear for her partner’s life, using the experience as a catalyst for re-examining what truly matters.
• Eleanor responds, reflecting on losing her father young and observing her mother become a widow at her current age.
  • Quote:
    • Eleanor: “...there's so much more at 52 that I want to squeeze out of this very precious life and this time that I've got left… if that means I've got to do some more hard stuff like going to the gym... I really do want to make sure I can make the most of this sort of, like, next chapter of my life.” (18:06)
• Both discuss the gift of urgency that loss can give, prompting renewed commitment to living fully.

5. Female Entrepreneurship under Pressure

(Throughout)

• Eleanor discusses the unique stress of running her interiors business, especially as clients seek pre-Christmas completion.
• She also references her work with LIFT Adventures, championing female founders, and how this contributes to her fulfillment despite health hurdles.

6. Community, Support, and the Permission to Be Real

(Opening & Throughout)

• Ali celebrates Eleanor’s steadfast support during tough times, illustrating the healing, joy-sparking power of female friendship, honest conversation, and cake (even when it turns into a moan!).
• The guests emphasize that “the pressure is a privilege”—addressing the idea that the meaningful, chosen struggles of midlife and entrepreneurship are both burdens and blessings.

Notable Quotes

• On festive honesty:
  • Eleanor: “I'm unapologetically bar humbug... Every year I say it never again. It just makes me giggle because you know what? Sometimes everybody puts on such a front to enjoy it when really everybody just wants to say what you've just said.” (04:31)
• On cold water resilience:
  • Eleanor: “I started off by doing the cold showers in preparation for going, and just that feeling at the beginning of my day that I'd done something really difficult before the day had even started just made me feel a little bit invincible.” (09:45)
• On grief and living:
  • Ali: “When my mum died, it was almost like she gave me the gift of life. It was like this real wake up call to say, you are only going to be here for a certain period of time. What do you want to do with your life?” (15:20)
  • Eleanor: “It's really scared me. I think I've actually got it a lot stronger now than I did when my dad died because I think I just stuck my head in the sand and didn't deal with it... But it does make me realize that there's so much more at 52 that I want to squeeze out of this very precious life.” (17:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:06] – Acknowledging ‘Bah Humbug’ feelings & festive pressure
• [05:24] – Struggles with winter darkness & self-care routines
• [06:38] – The journey into cold swimming and its benefits
• [09:45] – Doing difficult things to feel invincible & mental health
• [14:13] – Navigating grief and loss over Christmas
• [18:06] – Reshaping life’s priorities after loss

Memorable Moments

• The "cake and a moan" anecdote—a cathartic ritual of honest friendship and laughter ([02:42]).
• Eleanor’s reluctant yet life-changing embrace of cold water swimming, culminating in her pride at now being considered a “Wim Hof bore” ([10:40]).
• The touching exchange on funerals, grief, and the urgency to live boldly, unfiltered by time’s brevity ([15:20–18:06]).

Final Note

While the last ten minutes were lost due to a recording error, Ali emphasized the themes that would have closed the conversation: embracing the pressure and privilege of a full life, the ever-evolving challenges of raising teenagers, and the intention to keep seeking and squeezing joy from the everyday. Both women express hope, solidarity, and practical inspiration for listeners—especially those meeting the holidays with a heavy heart.

Resources & Guest Info

• Find Eleanor on LinkedIn: Eleanor Goddard
• Instagram: @FurnishandFettle
• Event Mentioned: Wealth and Wellbeing Day, February 2026 (UK)

Listener Takeaway

This episode is an invitation to honor the full truth of your experience, embrace unconventional sources of joy, and let yourself live honestly—whether in laughter, grief, or a bracing cold swim.