What if your greatest setbacks became the foundation for your biggest triumphs? Join us as we sit down with Judy Piatkus, the pioneering founder of Piatkus Books, to explore her inspiring journey from a secretary in publishing to the helm of a successful publishing empire. Judy opens up about the challenges she faced without a degree, and how her father’s ambitions for her fueled her determination to build something extraordinary. Discover the story behind Piatkus Books, and how Judy transformed feelings of inadequacy into a legacy within the personal development genre.
Ever wondered how to build a business that values flexibility and employee well-being before it became a common practice? Judy Piatkus did just that, and she shares her innovative approach to fostering a supportive work environment long before the corporate world caught on. From these values sprang ConsciousCafe, a community dedicated to deep and meaningful conversations about spirituality and consciousness, which started in Judy’s living room and grew into a global network. Learn how Judy’s efforts to create spaces for enriching dialogues resonated with countless individuals seeking connection and understanding.
Experience the heartfelt story of Judy’s journey as a caregiver to her daughter Sonia, who has disabilities. Judy candidly discusses the emotional decision to move Sonia into a specialized home and the positive changes it brought to their family. This episode is not just about professional achievements but also about the strength and resilience required in balancing love, care, and career. Celebrate the immense gratitude and respect for caregivers everywhere as Judy shares her personal challenges and triumphs, reminding us all of the profound impact of caregiving on both personal and familial levels.
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Presenter

Malcolm Stern has worked as a group and individual psychotherapist for more than 30 years. He was a co-founder of Alternatives at St James’s Church in London and runs groups internationally.
He is the author of Falling in Love / Staying in Love (Piatkus 2004) and Slay Your Dragons with Compassion ( Watkins 2020). He co-presented Channel 4’s relationship series, ‘Made for Each Other’ in 2003 and 2004 and sailed on the ‘Rainbow Warrior’ with Greenpeace in the 1980s. The book he is currently writing is an exploration of the shadow and its necessity in our evolutionary development.

To become equal to the dream sewn within us, our heart must break open and usually must break more than once. That’s why they say that the only heart worth having is a broken heart. For only in breaking can it open fully and reveal what is hidden within.” – Michael Meade
This is a series of podcasts based on the premise explored in Malcolm Stern’s acclaimed book of the same name, that adversity provides us with the capacity to develop previously unexplored depths and is , in effect , a crucible for self reflection and awareness. Malcolm lost his daughter Melissa to suicide in 2014. It slowly dawned on him over the following few years that he was being educated and an opportunity was being presented where new insights helped him forge a path through his grief and despair. As part of that cathartic journey, he wrote “ Slay Your Dragons with Compassion ( Watkins 2020 ) where he was able to describe some of the practices that had helped him shed light on a way through the darkness.