“Through a lot of the experiences that I've had in life, I've hidden away and been quite private with the stuff I do. I would have never dreamed of speaking about myself in a public space before. But it's one of those things where I look at my career now and I'm starting to now understand that I've done a fair bit.”

And at 29 years old, Trenton Tomlinson (he/him), this week’s guest on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ recognised that there’s plenty of time to achieve so much more whilst allowing himself permission to get it wrong along the way.

Trenton is Label Operations Manager at UMG UK’s catalogue label, Universal Music Recordings (UMR), where he leads the day-to-day delivery of catalogue releases and creative campaigns. He has championed projects that bring historic music back into physical, digital and cultural circulation, including championing and leading on Black UK artist catalogues music from artists such as Ms. Dynamite, Unknown T &Linton Kwesi Johnson.

Little Trenton was a very inquisitive kid as well as being bold, sensitive & empathetic. He shares a brilliant anecdote about being in charge of the ‘Friendly Bus Stop’ at school where students could come if they felt lonely. It was a role he took seriously and he recalls how “I loved processes before I even knew what a process was.” Trenton grew up in Liverpool in a single parent household and shares how his mum ran the house ‘like a navy seal. They’re incredibly close today and whilst he acknowledges that hasn’t always been the case, with Trenton reflecting on how he wasn’t ‘an easy kid to understand’, the appreciation, love & respect he has for his mum is undeniable.

His career in music today isn’t quite what he had originally envisioned. Trenton was signed to a music label as a teenager and thought he was going to be ‘the next best thing’. It was a painful experience at the time that has shaped who & where he is now and we delve into the barriers & challenges in the music industry historically & today, where it’s improved and where there is still room for improvement.

Along with his passion for music, Trenton is deeply committed to equity & inclusion. He is Chair of UMG’s The Pride Network and serves on the UK City Of Culture 2029 advisory panel & BPI’s Equity & Justice Advisory Group, contributing to wider Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy.

We explore the trap of perfectionism, staying grounded, why it’s important to get involved and the unexpected joy of being an uncle.

I adore Trenton. He’s a brilliant human who always champions others - including myself. Listen in for a great chat!

“I didn't get a handbook when I transitioned like in the film Beetlejuice when they got ‘The Handbook for the Recently Deceased’. I didn't get ‘The Handbook for the Recently Transitioned’. I haven't got an instruction manual on how to be trans. I make mistakes but I'm allowed to do that because I'm learning.”

It's Trans Day of Visibility and I have the perfect guest to mark it.

She’s known for keeping it real, winged eye-liner look & cracking humour… and so much more! Adelle Barker (she/her) is an award-winning inspirational role model and nominated change maker. In her day-to-day professional role, Adele is a Team Leader at Sky and part of the LGBTQ+ Network. But her real CV lives in the messy, human spaces.

Growing up in Essex, Little Adelle was confused and dreamt of a world away from the one she lived in which she describes as a ‘boring, normal upbringing’. She was creative and studied film & media - and her creativity shines through today through her #IDontKnowHowToBeTrans series is ‘equal parts humour, heartbreak and humility. It tackles voice worries, dysphoria, over thinking, parenting, fear, joy and everything in between. It’s chaotic. It’s honest. It’s the stuff people whisper about but she says out loud.’ If you don’t already subscribe, you should do so via Substack.

Like many trans+ & queer folk who lacked representation, Adelle found herself in chat rooms with alter-ego accounts. As a teen, she started to grasp her feminine energy but coming out happened a lot later - as a whirlwind experience which we reflect on.

We talk about Adelle’s career from working on a meat counter & in retail through to her experiences as a Sky engineer & team leader having embraced her skills in management.

Parenting is a big topic too - we hear about Adelle’s big queer family setup, navigating raising kids as a trans parent and them being completely unbothered about her accolades! We also tackle the backwards notion of ‘protect the kids’ when it comes to trans identities.

Adelle gets serious when it comes to urging people to allow others to make mistakes, vulnerability & the importance of storytelling but there’s so many laughs in this episode too. We diss ‘live, laugh, love’, joke about Adelle’s love of nachos with chicken tikka on and there’s also a fair bit of chat about growing books.

As Adelle states, authenticity really is her superpower. Have a listen, it’s a goodun!

PLEASE NOTE | This conversation covers sensitive topics including mental health, coming out, the current landscape for Trans+ folk & more. Take care of yourself whilst listening

“We don't see a lot of examples of trans people thriving. We see a lot of experiences of trans people having hardship, constantly having to explain themselves and having to justify their existence. We’re not seeing enough examples of trans people just growing up and being a bit boring… having a dog, a life and hobbies.”

Encouraging people to look beyond the headlines when it comes to Trans+ folk is something I’m passionate about so it was a real privilege to chat to Octavian Starr (he/him) during this week’s episode of ‘Pause. And Rewind…’. Octavian is a highly experienced leader in diversity and inclusion, the Founder and Director of Unboxd, and has led numerous trans-centred, LGBTQ+ and intersectional initiatives in EDI training and consultancy.

Octavian’s background includes positions in community arts, social justice, and advocacy for the LGBTIQ+ community. His work with trans youth, shaped by his own experiences, has recently seen him take on ‘Trans Secret Santa’ -a community-led project sponsored by the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance - which is super wholesome and brings joy to young trans people under 25 with messages of community support and gifts for the holiday season.

Little Octavian grew up in Colorado in a military family and he had a very vivid imagination and exhibited autistic behaviours. He has a positive experience of being himself - he played saxophone, competed in marching band competitions & loved getting lost in music. Octavian struggled to make friends and reflecting on this, he felt other kids spoke ‘a hidden language I couldn’t speak’.

His family have always been largely supportive. He recounts both of his coming out stories - firstly as a lesbian, later as trans - and despite a few bumps along the way, his mother & grandparents accepted him. “Are you happy? Are you healthy?”, his grandad would ask and as long as the answer was yes, that was fine by him.

Octavian’s activism started very young with his mom driving him to LGBTQ+ youth groups. Career wise, he wanted to be ‘all the things’ (which I relate to) including a primate psychologist having been inspired by Jane Goodall. With a burning desire to help people, he’s held many roles and his journey into inclusion was a slow burner as a result of his degree placements.

Octavian talks a lot about navigating boundaries in relationships as well as loss & accountability, his recent move to the coast which feels like living in a postcard, his chihuahua Reggie and why we should embrace the intense need for change. This really is a great listen!

Stay up to date with Trans Secret Santa and Trans Solidarity Alliance right here.

PLEASE NOTE | This conversation covers sensitive topics including mental health, suicide & loss, coming out & the current landscape for Trans+ people. Take care of yourself whilst listening.