What does success really cost, and who gets to define it?

In this episode of Roots, Routes & Real Talk, we sit down with Belinda Brown, a senior finance leader whose career spans Deloitte, L’Oréal, Diageo, and most recently Chief Financial Officer of Sephora UK. From growing up as a working-class immigrant in Northern Ireland to navigating global boardrooms, Belinda shares the reality behind the titles.

We talk candidly about ambition, social mobility, grief, motherhood, and what it means to lead when you are often the only one in the room. Belinda reflects on pivotal moments including loss, divorce, and career turning points, and why success without alignment can be deeply costly.

This episode explores:

• Rising from bursaries and scholarships to senior global leadership

• The truth about resilience, privilege, and access

• Why “bringing your whole self to work” is more complicated than it sounds

• Leadership, culture, and the loneliness that can come with the top

• Choosing courage over comfort, again and again

Honest, thoughtful, and unapologetically real, this conversation is for anyone questioning the path they are on, redefining success, or building a career without a roadmap.

Listen now and take what resonates.

Follow Belinda @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/belinda-l-brown/