S7, Ep2 – In conversation with Emma Guns
26 August 2025
In this episode, Dr Reena is joined by the wonderful Emma Guns. Emma hardly needs an introduction—she’s a renowned journalist, podcaster, and content creator specialising in beauty, health, and lifestyle.
With her warm and witty advice, which she so generously shares with us daily on social media, we cover everything from insights into the media industry, advice she’d give her younger self, what a typical working week looks like for her, and everything in between.
Conversation Show Notes – The Recap
Emma opens the show by sharing how bizarre it feels to be on the other side of the mic – as a guest rather than the interviewer – admitting she’s far more comfortable being the one asking the questions.
We rewind to the very beginning of Emma’s career, where she explains that she entered journalism later in life, despite knowing from a young age that she wanted to be a journalist. She had been discouraged early on by the high academic requirements to study English at a top university.
After studying social sciences and taking on a sales role (which she quit unexpectedly, knowing it wasn’t her true calling), fate stepped in. The building she worked in was owned by the same person who owned OK! Magazine – and Emma had been regularly visiting a floor in that building just to get a glimpse into their world. Her persistence paid off when the receptionists passed her the editor’s email, allowing her to enquire about work experience.
Emma describes this moment as discovering her true calling – captivated by the stylish, fast-paced world of magazines. She reflects on how her time in Boston during 9/11 allowed her to pause, reflect, and realign her path.
She then worked on local newspapers for free for nearly two years before completing a postgraduate degree in magazine journalism. Emma returned to OK! Magazine for further work experience as part of her qualification. They kept inviting her back, and she began covering for them when unexpectedly, the role of beauty editor became available. In a true fairytale moment, she was offered the job permanently.
The transition was a steep learning curve, as Emma had to learn everything on the job. A fellow features editor eventually confessed she had been sceptical of Emma’s appointment but later admitted it felt like “she’d always had this job” — a moment of much-needed validation.
It was acne that initially drew Emma to beauty – seeing it not as superficial, but as problem-solving. She leaned heavily on the beauty industry to feel more confident in her own skin.
On social media, Emma describes it as a meteor crashing into Earth, massively impacting the magazine world. While she strives to deliver meaningful, high-quality journalistic content, she admits that lower-quality, more relatable pieces often perform better. The real key, she says, is consistency over time.
On her own podcast, topics like hair loss and weight loss frequently come up. Emma emphasises the importance of remembering that people engage with these topics from different starting points – making empathy and nuance essential.
A recent career highlight has been reviving her first-person column on Substack – something she had previously done for ten years at OK! Magazine.
As for her daily routine, no two days are the same, but Emma aims to create structure. She typically works from home two days a week, saying she’s not someone who can just open a laptop in a coffee shop and get started. When she’s working from home, she’s fully in work mode. When she’s out, she’s fully present for meetings or networking – never mixing the two.
Emma reflects on how the podcast landscape has evolved, noting that many top guests now only appear on large, established shows, with an increasing number of voices trying to become self-help gurus. In response, she’s chosen to focus more on her column and beauty background – her creative anchors.
And finally, her advice to her younger self? “Do more listening than talking — and go into therapy earlier.”
Episode Key Takeaways – The Best ideas
Know when to reflect and take pause when making key life decisions.
Social media is a bit like a meteor that has hit earth.
Coming from a journalistic background, there always has to be a reason for sharing information.
The way to keep people engaged on social is to share your personal life with as little space between you and the end user as possible, almost as though they are living your life with you (which can feel very peculiar).
On daily routine – finding a rhythm within variety is really important.
Creatively, you cannot force it – go for a walk and listen to a podcast if needed.
We’re eliminating the hunger for valuable jobs that actually hold up society.
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S3, Ep1 – In conversation with Honour Wainwright
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