“I've taken this attitude of not to wait. To just do. I can deal with whatever's going to happen. But I don't want to be that person anymore where I’m calculating risks and stuff. Just live.”

This week’s podcast guest Luciana Cousin (she/her) & I chat a lot about the mental toll of having to calculate our daily safety & existence as queer people in this episode. It’s the reason that Luciana & her son Nick launched Bobu - a guide, product & resource equipping businesses & individuals with the tools & courage to show up, take up space & advocate for the safety of self & others. It has a deeply personal story for the pair of them as they refuse to shrink themselves. Luciana is a community builder, entrepreneur & business woman on a mission.

For Luciana, she never had the chance to choose her own life’s path. She was born in Malta in a traditional Catholic family during British colonisation. She went to a convent school and despite a deep interest in law, there were only two options for girls at that time - become a nun or a wife & mother. After marrying young, Luciana found herself living in various countries raising children in an emotionally abusive relationship. One she found the strength to escape from in order to protect Nick - a recurring theme as it was Nick’s bullying in school that led to Luciana’s own coming out - her first step in this was joining a lesbian book club in London.

Towards the end of last year, Luciana made the heartbreaking decision to close the beloved community space & restaurant, Arcobaleno, which she ran in Brighton. The space worked beautifully but the finances did not. “Maybe it was before its time,” Lucia reflects. It was a traumatic but necessary move which she’s now proud of & its led to the creation of Bobu - a venture which has brought both Luciana & Nick new connections & a sense of hope as they set out to build something that centres lived safety free from catastrophising. Something Luciana works hard to steer away from.

We also chat about growing up without representation, spiralling in dark moments, why you should avoid making decisions from a place of fear. Luciana’s love of The Real Housewives & the need to ‘JUST DO IT’. ENJOY!

CHECK OUT BOBU RIGHT HERE & share with EVERYONE you feel might want to take a look: https://www.lovebobu.com/about

PLEASE NOTE | We cover a range of topics in this episode that some listeners may find triggering including bullying, mental health, alcoholism, abusive relationships & more so please take care of yourself whilst listening.