Husband and wife Dominic McGregor and Georgie May have written their first books – each designed to help you change your life for the better
Georgie May and Dominic McGregor met while working for media company Social Chain, which Dom had set up with Steven Bartlett (of Dragon's Den fame).
Fast forward to 2024 and they are about to see the publication of their first books.
The subject matters are completely different: Georgie, 31, has written about the social media phenomenon of Lucky Girl Syndrome, where people try to manifest their good fortune through the power of positive thinking, while Dom, 30, outlines his battle with alcohol and his journey to sobriety.
However, the books share common themes and personal histories. Each of them has faced struggles with mental health – the depths of which led them both to contemplate suicide – and their writing shares and reflects on the mechanisms they used to pull through and go on to lead the happy, successful lives they enjoy today.
The couple, who were married last summer, live with their cockapoo Bonnie at their home in Over Alderley.
Here are their stories...
Georgie May
'Luck is something you can create for yourself'
'My book, Lucky Girl, is a guide to exploring the power of positive thinking, and how beliefs and mindsets shape reality.
It is grounded in the Lucky Girl Syndrome – a TikTok trend about thinking your dreams into reality – and explores how individuals can incorporate this technique into their lives to enhance their manifesting abilities.
I pitched the idea to my publishers as 'manifestation has had a makeover'. It all comes from the principle of the laws of attraction, the idea that what you put out there into the universe you get drawn back to you.
It's a very stoic philosophy and has been around for thousands of years – there are sections in the bible and other religious texts using the premise of the laws of attraction: Lucky Girl Syndrome is its 21st-century version.
I had really bad episodes of depression in my early 20s, sometimes so bad I was suicidal. Medication had a big role to play for me, but I was also very susceptible to trying different techniques. I got into the wellness industry and started doing meditation, and yoga, and changing my diet and lifestyle helped me. But rooted in it all were the laws of attraction and positive thinking.
It is really hard when in a dark place to think positively. And at the same time, you have the pressure that if you are meant to give out positive energy to get the positive back, what happens if you give out negative energy? Will you get negative things back?
That is not the case and I wanted to step away from the 'BS' surrounding it all.
I do think luck is something you can create for yourself. But I also know that luck is a very privileged thing to have. A lot of people in the world do not have the power of luck. For example, lots of people can't leave their relationships or can't get out of a war zone.
Luck is very subjective and everyone will have different views of what luck looks like.
My book can help you develop and figure that out – to work out your goal and break it down. I want to help the reader find out what is authentic to them.
When I was depressed, I would manifest that I just wanted to wake up and smile and be happy. I wanted some peace.
Later, I manifested about job promotions. I share more of these things in the book. It can really be anything and on any scale.
The book draws on scientific explanations and case studies. It concludes with real-life actionable exercises giving a road map to cultivate luck.
I first had the idea for the book a year ago and pitched it to a publisher who rejected it. I did my own manifestation technique to get a publisher and within two-and-half hours my husband Dom had a LinkedIn message from publishers Wiley saying: 'Let's talk'.
He told them it was not for him at the moment but his wife had started writing. Within a week, I had done the deal.
Lucky Girl by Georgie May will be published by Wylie this month
Dom's story
'Lots of addicts are liars. I had to accept I had problems and had to change'
I called my book, I'm Never Drinking Again, and it captures that moment when you wake up on a Sunday morning and say those words.
It looks at why we drink and understanding the triggers around drinking. I also share my story of what was causing me to drink, recognising rock bottom – which looks different to each person – the tools I used to get sober, and the benefits of sobriety.
I was 23 when I stopped drinking and felt like my life was over. I didn't know what I was going to do with my weekend.
I couldn't see the wood for the trees; I couldn't see that life is so much more than waking up hungover.
At my rock bottom I contemplated suicide. I was doing some horrible things. One night I broke my ankle and missed a client meeting because I was in hospital. Another time I was nearly hit by a car and it was all on camera, filmed by people.
Steve (Steve Bartlett, his best friend and former business partner at Social Chain) and I had a meeting. He has written about this in his book. He was ready for a confrontation. I didn't want to leave the business and walk away from everything. I broke down; I didn't know what was wrong with me.
Lots of addicts are liars. But I had to accept I had problems. I had to accept that and I needed to change.
I have now been sober for seven years. I had an alcohol dependency when I worked at Social Chain. I could not get through the day without a drink. I was using alcohol to numb the pain and forget but it just created lots of problems in my life.
So I sought help. At the age of 23, I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and imposter syndrome, and I knew the only way to tackle these problems was to stop drinking.
I had therapy. I had to improve my capability at handling stress. I learned how to understand my triggers and replace them with something different. I kept a diary and every week I used the money I saved from not drinking to treat myself. In the short term, I was learning that by not drinking I could have something nice in my life. Now, if I have a bad day, I go to the gym.
I have been very open about this on social media. I have been on social media my whole life and it was a very natural experience to share my story on that. I also made a Hollyoaks IRL (In Real Life) documentary on the subject.
Writing the book has been difficult. I'm going back and revisiting difficult stuff. The hardest part is going back to how I felt. But I want to show people that life is better this way.
The book is for people who want to change their relationship with alcohol – anything from drinking less to stopping completely.
I also want to change other people's attitude to alcohol. A husband or wife might buy the book for the other. I wish someone had bought this book for me when I was struggling.
I'm Never Drinking Again by Dominic McGregor will be published by Wylie in the spring
