Working Hard with Grace Beverley How to stop your past dictating your future (& let go of your inner critic) with Chris Appleton
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Mar 16, 2026 
Chris Appleton, celebrity hairstylist for JLo, Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande and author of Your Roots Don't Define You, talks reinvention and identity. He shares stories of growing up different, escaping expectations, and finding purpose through hair. He discusses aligning image with inner self, quieting the inner critic, and practical steps to start a real comeback.
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Coming Out Triggered Deep Self Work
- At 26–27 Chris confronted his identity and came out, which triggered years of therapy to understand why he'd abandoned parts of himself.
- He describes a pattern of building career success while his personal life remained unhealthy due to lack of authenticity.
Most People Live Inherited Lives
- Appleton argues most people inherit lives instead of choosing them, carrying childhood labels that shape adult choices.
- He wrote Your Roots Don't Define You to show reinvention is possible and to spotlight internal alignment over external image.
Fine Is A Dangerous Default
- Appleton highlights the danger of answering 'fine' because it masks issues and blocks change by pacifying difficult emotions.
- He encourages honest acknowledgement as the first step toward setting boundaries and evolving.
