Good Journeys Podcast Host Publishes New Book
- Second Mountain Comms
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Good Journeys Host Turns Award-Winning Series Into Inspiring Collection
Award-winning podcaster and author Ben Veal has launched GOOD JOURNEYS, a new book showcasing real-life stories of courage, purpose, resilience and reinvention from remarkable people across the UK and beyond.
The book transforms four years of deeply personal podcast conversations into accessible, reflective chapters designed for readers navigating change, seeking clarity or reassessing their direction in life.
The book’s publication follows the announcement that the Good Journeys podcast and YouTube interview series, winner of a Creative Bath award, is returning for a fifth series with Bath-based marketing consultant Sarah Moon as the show’s new co-host.
Foreword by Sir Terry Waite KCMG CBE
GOOD JOURNEYS opens with a foreword from Sir Terry Waite, one of Britain’s most respected humanitarian figures. Sir Terry is widely known for negotiating hostage releases in the 1980s and enduring over four years in captivity in Lebanon. Since his release in 1991, he has dedicated his life to advocacy and humanitarian service.
He serves as President of Emmaus UK, supporting people affected by homelessness, and is co-founder of Hostage International, which supports families affected by kidnapping worldwide. His life’s work, rooted in compassion, dignity and resilience, sets the tone for the themes explored throughout GOOD JOURNEYS.
Strong South West Representation
The book shines a spotlight on many purpose-driven individuals from the South West, including: Grace Farrimond, founder of Young Blooms florist and RHS Chelsea award winner; Robin Worrall, creative director of Rednine brand + design; Sarah Perrett, emotion code practitioner and founder of The Happiness Gap; and Esther Champion, founder of Bristol-based Myrtos Consultancy.
Each contributor shares personal insights into the ups and downs of their professional journeys, touching on themes of leadership, resilience, and building meaningful work within their communities.
Tribute to A Great Scientific Mind
The final chapter pays tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Stuart Farrimond, the acclaimed science communicator, bestselling author and close friend of Ben Veal who passed away in 2025. A special episode of Good Journeys, recorded in Dorothy House Hospice just weeks before Dr. Farrimond’s death at 43, became the most viewed and downloaded episode across the first four podcast seasons.
Diagnosed with a brain tumour at 25, Dr. Farrimond inspired people worldwide through his accessible science writing, broadcasting, and advocacy. He posthumously received the ‘Inspirational Person of the Year’ honour at the 2025 Creative Bath Awards. His story of determination, intellectual curiosity and quiet resilience provides a moving conclusion to the book and is supported by a special afterword provided by his wife, Grace Farrimond.
Good Journeys: From Podcast to Page
Since its launch, the Good Journeys podcast has featured conversations with founders, creatives, authors, athletes, activists, and everyday heroes from around the world. In GOOD JOURNEYS, Ben Veal revisits some of the most powerful episodes, reshaping them into concise chapters designed to be read in 10-15 minutes, each ending with three actionable life lessons:
“GOOD JOURNEYS is a curated collection of the most meaningful encounters from the podcast, reshaped to offer fresh perspective. Each chapter tells a story of a real person navigating real challenges, and each ends with tangible lessons that are relatable and encouraging. Over time, patterns emerged: identity, neurodiversity, grief, representation, courage, reinvention and human connection. These stories deserved a permanent home where people could return for guidance, inspiration or perspective.”
The book also features internationally recognised contributors, including Sir Alexander McCall Smith, autistic author and speaker Pete Wharmby, special needs advocate Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie, film and television actor Autumn Reeser, and Emmy Award-winning TV presenter Chris Van Vliet.
A Timely Release
With growing public focus on wellbeing, identity, purpose, and professional reinvention, GOOD JOURNEYS arrives at a moment when many people are reassessing what truly matters and searching for positivity and inspiration. The return of the award-winning podcast in March signals an exciting new chapter for the platform that inspired the book.
GOOD JOURNEYS is available now via The Great British Bookshop and Amazon.
About Ben Veal, Second Mountain Comms
Ben Veal is a purpose-driven comms consultant, author and podcaster. A Chartered PR Practitioner, he founded Second Mountain Comms in 2020, specialising in working with not-for-profits and purpose-driven business leaders.
In 2025, his first book was published: Badd To Good, the memoir of former boxer and professional wrestler Marc Mero, which became an Amazon bestseller.
Ben has won eight industry awards, including the UK’s Independent PR Practitioner of the Year CIPR Excellence Award, four CIPR PRide Awards and two Creative Bath Awards for his business and his two podcasts: Good Journeys and Wrestling Life.
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