In this episode I’m joined by my brilliant friend Nici Burns, female founder of Nibu Naturals, wellness advocate, biohacker, and someone who’s been doing the work for decades.
But this conversation isn’t about branding or business. It’s about survival.
We go all the way back to the beginning. Childhood trauma, domestic violence, eating disorders, toxic relationships, the search for love in all the wrong places, and how those early experiences shape everything that follows.
Nici speaks honestly about the darker chapters of her life. Not from a place of drama, but from a place of ownership. From bulimia and body dysmorphia to being manipulated in her teens by much older men, there’s nothing performative here. Just the reality of what it takes to rebuild when life has knocked you down more times than you can count.
None of this was scripted. We sat down to catch up and ended up hitting record. What followed was one of the most open and unfiltered conversations we’ve had. No structure, no interview questions, just two friends talking honestly about life, pain, growth, and everything in between.
We talk about the deep healing work too. From ayahuasca to spiritual practice, from meditation to letting go of shame, and why forgiving yourself can be the hardest part.
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Key moments include:
✔ Growing up in fear and trying to find safety in chaos.
✔ How childhood trauma shaped her relationship with food, men and control.
✔ The eating disorders that became her coping mechanism.
✔ Why ayahuasca was a turning point in her healing.
✔ The guilt that comes with motherhood when you’re still trying to fix yourself.
✔ Reclaiming her feminine energy after years of living in survival mode.
✔ Letting people help and why that’s harder than it sounds.
We don’t dress this up. We don’t gloss over it. This is real life. And for anyone going through their own season of struggle, this one’s going to land.
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Connect & Follow
Follow Ellie McKay:
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb
🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb
Follow Nici Burns:
🔗 Website: https://nibunaturals.com
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i.am.nici.nibu/
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nibu_naturals/?hl=en
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nici-burns/
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