Jeff Weigh
By Jeff Weigh
Jeff WeighFeb 17, 2021
64. AID #64: Fiona Murden & Declan O'Connell
On this episode I'm joined by Fiona Murden - Psychologist and award winning author & Declan O'Connell - Performance Consultant.
Series 5 is a short collection of interviews recorded during lockdown.
There's an emphasis on;
- attention
- intention
- distraction
As well as a fascinating challenge at the end of each interview for my guests!
Enjoy
63. AID #63: Rebecca Jones & Winston Ben Clements
On this episode I'm joined by Rebecca Jones - founder of Stretchy Thinking & Winston Ben Clements - host of the podcast Born2win.
Series 5 is a short collection of interviews recorded during lockdown.
There's an emphasis on;
- attention
- intention
- distraction
As well as a fascinating challenge at the end of each interview for my guests!
Enjoy
62. AID #62: Cody Royle & Mark Metry
On this episode I'm joined by Cody Royle - author of Tough Stuff and host of Where others won't podcast & Mark Metry - author of Screw being shy and host of the podcast Humans 2.0
Series 5 is a short collection of interviews recorded during lockdown.
There's an emphasis on;
- attention
- intention
- distraction
As well as a fascinating challenge at the end of each interview for my guests!
Enjoy
61. AID #61: Karen Lee & Richmond Stace
On this episode I'm joined by Karen Lee - The sensitive foodie & Richmond Stace - The pain physio
Series 5 is a short collection of interviews recorded during lockdown.
There's an emphasis on;
- attention
- intention
- distraction
As well as a fascinating challenge at the end of each interview for my guests!
Enjoy
60. AID #60: Kirsty Mac & Jim McNeish
On this episode I'm joined by Kirsty Mac & Jim McNeish - Co-hosts of the podcast: Leaders, what now?
Series 5 is a short collection of interviews recorded during lockdown.
There's an emphasis on;
- attention
- intention
- distraction
As well as a fascinating challenge at the end of each interview for my guests!
Enjoy
59. AID #59: Aimee Bateman & Tim Roberts
On this episode I'm joined by Aimee Bateman - Founder of Careercake and Tim Roberts - Emotional Intelligence Coach & Facilitator.
Series 5 is a short collection of interviews recorded during lockdown.
There's an emphasis on;
- attention
- intention
- distraction
As well as a fascinating challenge at the end of each interview for my guests!
Enjoy
58. AID #58: Scott Leiper & Chris Lovett
On this episode I'm joined by Scott Leiper - Creator extroadinaire and Chris Lovett - The minimalist.
Series 5 is a short collection of interviews recorded during lockdown.
There's an emphasis on;
- attention
- intention
- distraction
As well as a fascinating challenge at the end of each interview for my guests!
Enjoy
57. PI #57: Chris Lovett - making a different choice
On this episode I share my interview with Chris Lovett; life coach, speaker and career mentor who most recently has channelled his energy towards making a different choice.
Chris does a few things.
There's a theme developing where Chris finds himself supporting others through a passion.
He's currently a leadership coach having arrived there via music, DJ'ing, radio host and podcast host; developing others along the way.
He's also a minimalist.
On work-life balance; It feels like I've been talking about this for a while. I used to strive for whatever the work-life balance was. But I don't think that aiming for balance should be the goal. We may have intermittent moments of balance but life is too chaotic.Like a modern relationship, balance as changed and we have to do more than the perceived 50/50 split. It's a constant fluid approach, changing as we go.
Minimalism When I found minimalism I had to make some choices about what added value to my life. I'd started to fall out of love with music and had to make a choice.Chris decided to cut 'live' events (which he was running fortnightly) and a few other commitments.
If unsigned artists want some feedback he will still make himself available to do this. Not wanting all of his music experience to go to waste Chris is very passionate about supporting others.
Being self aware Chris found himself in a comfort zone.
Making a different choiceHe had always wanted to go travelling. He was caught up being busy and put up barriers to prevent him from doing this.
The realisation that stuff was adding to more stuff and being stored in stuff brought home the need to make some changes.
Chris began to sell some of his stuff and initially struggled to let go because of his emotional attachment to his stuff.
Selling stuff however, allowed him to pay off his debt (something else he'd collected).
Building on this he took a career break, his partner quit her job and they sold the house.
At this point there wasn't a lot of stuff left!
The biggest result;
Realising that he could live and be happier in life with less.What can you (and I) do?
The physical act of removing something from your environment is pretty straightforward. The attachment to the stuff you've got is hard.
Ask yourself, does this thing;
- bring joy to your life?
- add value to my life?
- serve a purpose?
You and I can apply this apps on our phones or email that you are subscribed to.
Taking it a stage further you may want to look at some of the relationships in your life.
Find out moreFinally if you would like to start a conversation with Chris, you can find him on;
Alternatively, find out more about Chris by reading the latest Ignite blog; Being a Minimalist
More details can be found on their website.
If you enjoyed this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
56. PI #56: Nina Grunfeld - living happier lives
On this episode I share my interview with Nina Grunfeld, founder and creator of Life Clubs and a woman of many other talents who's been helping people with 'living happier lives' for over 15 years.
Nina founded Life Clubs in 2004 and they host workshops that help people really feel as positive as they can and get more fun out of life.
On work-life balance; I'm a bit of an obsessive worker and absolutely love it. I don't think I see it as work-life balance, I see it as life balance. It's not just work and life as that sounds to me like they have equal weight on the scales.Within Life Clubs and the work we do, we have a wheel which encompasses 10 areas including work, relationships, family etc. This allows for lots of different things in our lives and it's alright to want to have a balance of only work sometimes.
Balance is important for all of us. But maybe it's the balance that 'you want' rather than what you think you ought to have.
Where it all began I read an article in 2002/3 about 30 year old's being the most depressed sector of society.Looking back on my own 30's I remember they were quite tricky. Lots of big decisions are made during this period of our lives and Nina wondered how she could help those 30 year old's. Someone walked in talking about Weight Watchers and that sparked the idea.
Forever the optimist, Nina set out with the idea of running these all over the country!
Today they run a number of Life Clubs as well as taking the approach into corporate businesses, helping others with living happier lives.
Prior to...Life ClubsFrom graphic designer with a link to Star Wars to writing her first book on 'stain removal' there is more to Nina than you might expect. Her first book sold over 1 million copies!
More writing and books followed, yet Nina's hobby remained the same; helping her friends to find what they'd really love to do.
Trained as a Life Coach and using her intuition, the rest is there for us all to see.
One of my favourite quotes from Nina is;
I'm a bit like Richard Branson without the massive success. I'm always in danger of spreading myself too thinly.What's next?
The tools learned by Nina over the years are so useful that she's turning towards charities and other sectors that haven't always experienced the benefit of this knowledge and approach.
Stubborn, dogged and determined it will be interesting to see what happens next with Nina's latest plans.
Find out moreFinally if you would like to start a conversation with Nina, you can find her on;
Alternatively, find out more about Nina by reading the latest Ignite blog; Being part of a club
More details can be found about Life Clubs on their website.
If you enjoyed this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
55. PI #55: Bronwen Thornton - everybody does it, nobody thinks about it
On this episode I share my interview with Bronwen Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of Walk21 an international charity dedicated to ensuring the right to walk...everybody does it, nobody thinks about it.
Bronwen and Jim (as you'll hear on this podcast) often smile when asked what it is they do. In short the answer is they promote walking. People want to work with Bronwen and Walk21 because they fundamentally believe in it and people pick up on her passion.
On work-life balance; We (Jim and I) work from one list. We don't have separate lists for work and life. We work together and we work from home. We juggle it together. Sometimes you might work hard for a couple of weeks and then you have to re-balance that.Where it all began It sounds a little cheesy, but I can only tell it how it was. I had an epiphany.
I was in Australia, working in the transport sector and a friend of mine mentioned the Walk21 conference that was coming to Perth in 2001.
Bronwen was initially surprised that there was a conference about walking but through talking more about decided that she really wanted to go. So they went together. Sat in the conference for 2 days, Bron felt that she had finally found her path.
In her words, she'd always admired people who had a singular passion.
This was more than transport;
This was about who we are as people and the spaces and places that we build within which to be and live our every day lives.Key decisions
Following on from Bron's epiphany she made 2 key decisions at that point;
- That it was all about walking and she had to start working in walking
- To move to the UK in order to make that happen
Nobody was doing anything about walking in Australia at the time and so Bron looked at where walking was already established and happening. People were working on projects and ideas about it in London.
It's worth noting that the UK was leading this arena at the time as well.
Walking is something you may have taken for grantedThe thing about walking is that it is for all of us.
Bron says;
It's greatest strength is also it's greatest weakness.
It's greatest strength is that it's intensely inclusive and it's all of us.
It's greatest weakness is that everybody does it, nobody thinks about it.
Ultimately it's enabling people to be part of their communities.
Find out moreFinally if you would like to start a conversation with Bronwen, you can find her on;
Alternatively, find out more about Bronwen by reading the latest Ignite blog; Leading the walking movement
More details can be found about Walk21 on their website.
If you enjoyed this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
54. PI #54: Gavin Bell - what do you want your life to look like
On this episode I share my interview with Gavin Bell, Facebook Advertising Consultant, Vlogger and Speaker. Gavin talks passionately about 'what do you want your life to look like'.
Gavin works with brands across the world and helps them with their Facebook Advertising. When he's not doing that or speaking he can often be found doing some creative videos, like going down the street in Edinburgh in his boxers!
On work-life balance; You've got the Yin and the Yang. The Yin is that I love what I do. It's a hobby to me. The hard part is switching off. There isn't a balance perse. Your work and your life become this harmonious thing that work together.Where it all began
Gavin came into the social media world 5-6 years ago having worked with Personal Trainers; who in his words were pretty poor at marketing. Whilst it didn't work out as planned, he was able to learn from this and was approached by a company to look at their Facebook Advertising.
By his own admission;
Gavin literally didn't know a thing before moving to Edinburgh and everything has been learned from scratch.
His own philosophy for advertising is;
Try everything and see what works.What do you want your life to look like
Do you really enjoy what you do?
Well, Gavin absolutely loves the work that he does. When he's working it doesn't feel like work. It feels like a hobby.
Because it doesn't feel like work he's able to do it for longer and not burn out.
A typically day for Gavin involves exercise first followed by a healthy breakfast. He deliberately puts an emphasis on his morning activities. He priorities the most important task first.
Time hacksGavin does his best to protect his time and remove distractions.
Some of the things he does include;
- Checking his emails twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening)
- Switching his phone on to 'do not disturb'
- Offering a paid service via his website so he doesn't have to jump on a phone call
Finally if you would like to start a conversation with Gavin, you can find him on;
More details can be found about the Funnel Academy on his website.
If you enjoyed this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
53. PI #53: Michel Falcon - company culture, employee engagement and customer experience
On this episode I share my interview with Michel Falcon, entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author of People First Culture. To date, Michel has built his career off 3 topics; company culture, employee engagement and customer experience.
On work-life balance; The first thing that I plan for each week is related to my health.The second things are the personal things I need to do.
Then comes the work stuff. This helps me to find a balance immediately.
By his own admission Michel is not a great academic learner.
He did however, want to learn how to be success in business and this led him to 1-800 Got Junk. It was during his 5 years here that he learned the importance of company culture, employee engagement and customer experience. In his own words;
These things aren't just nice to haves. They are absolutely imperative if you want to grow a very genuine business.As a result of the experience Michel left to set up an advisory firm focused on company culture, employee engagement and customer experience.
Humble beginningsMichel started out working with very small companies and at times he was struggling to find clients.
Back in 2012 people didn't always understand what these topics were. Undeterred Michel continued on this path and as awareness started to grow he moved to Toronto in 2016.
During 2016 he joined his current business partners to start a hospitality company. It's here where Michel has been able to bring his 'People first' strategies to life.
We have gone from zero employees and zero revenue to nearly 20 million turnover and nearly 200 employees.People First Culture
This is about building an organisation that your people and customers admire.
In Michel's words; most companies fall short even when they set out with the intention of being admired.
People and customers are often looked at separately whereas Michel sees them as 2 peas in a pod. He goes onto explain that he coaches his managers to spend 80% of their time focused on employee experience and 20% of time on the customer experience.
One is the outcome of the other.
Michel sights 3 reasons why a company won't become people first;
- They've never been taught how to
- The don't have the right DNA (the DNA to care about a stranger and be a benevolent leader)
- The ability to think long term
Michel is on a crusade to bridge the gap between our personal lives and our professional lives.
Find out moreFinally if you would like to start a conversation with Michel, you can find him on;
More details can be found on his website.
If you enjoyed this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
52. PI #52: Aimee Bateman - seen, heard and valued
On this episode I share my interview with Aimee Bateman, Founder and CEO of Career Cake; a company pioneering the way we learn and enabling others to be seen, heard and valued.
Winner of several awards since 2010, Aimee was recently awarded by Wales online the Entrepreneur of the Year.
On work-life balance; It changes depending what time of month it is or year or what's going on in my life.Work-life balance is such a personal thing. Firstly do you like your work. If you like your work, then work work-life balance isn't really an issue.
Background
Doing what you love and enjoy is the reason why I started my company.
Everybody deserves 8 hours a day to go somewhere where they feel seen, heard and valued so that it impacts the rest of their lives.Aimee started off as a commercial recruiter. In 2010 there were an extreme amount of talented people who found themselves out of work in South Wales. The focus of the recruiter (at the time) was on placing people in roles for companies; not necessarily focusing on the people themselves.
This didn't sit well with 29 year old Aimee who was about to earn a big commission on the back of placing someone in an Financial Director role! In that moment everything changed.
CareercakeOn the back of that moment, Aimee went home and bought a cheap camera on eBay and started making videos in her kitchen. Videos that would teach people how they would not need people like her. These included 'How to';
- Write your own CV
- Get your own interviews
- Contact people via email to get an interview
All with a view to helping people power themselves and take control of their own situation.
It was 2010 and no one was really doing anything with videos at that time.
In 5 years Aimee received over 42 million views on YouTube.
Today, people and organisations are paying for subscriptions in 42 different countries.
Careercake is helping people to be awesome; how to be seen, heard and valued in their job.
Making a differenceWhat you see is what you get with Aimee.
Most of her teenage years were spent in foster care. This had an effect on her self esteem and has driven her onward in her life. Having been to university and got her first job in recruitment, her self esteem changed completely. To the point that it was oozing out of her! A lot of that came through being in a job where she was valued.
Admittedly, Aimee lost her way a little bit. For a couple of years she lost her 'why' she was doing it.
Having celebrated her 30th birthday in Ibiza with her friends, she returned and registered the domain Careercake.
Find out moreFinally if you would like to start a conversation with Aimee, you can find her on;
More details can be found on the Careercake website.
If you enjoyed this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
51. PI #51: Jordan Gross - light people up
On this episode I share my interview with Jordan Gross; executive coach at Cloud Nine Living whose purpose is to light people up.
A 2 time author, 3 time company founder and also a tedx speaker.
On work-life balance; I've thought about it a lot and I actually hate that word.It's work-life integration and it's a feedback loop. Work should flow into life and vice versa.
Background
Jordan seemed set for a great career having obtained a management role in a prestigious restaurant. However, 4 months in he took a step back and realised he wasn't having the impact that he wanted to have.
He left that job and decided to write his first book (which he self published) titled; 'Getting Comfy' - your morning guide to daily happiness. It focuses on optimism and positivity.
Cloud Nine LivingJordan has recently set up Cloud Nine Living (a business) where he works with people and walks them through a process that truly 'light people up'.
The journey to Cloud Nine is also a fiction book; allowing the reader the opportunity to interpret it for themselves.
Consequently as part of his research, Jordan has interviewed lots of people to understand their 'cloud nine' moments.
The aha moment!Many of us are obsessed about having an 'aha moment'.
Jordan's 'aha moment' was the realisation that he didn't need an 'aha moment' to take control of his own life and get things started. That's exactly what he did when he decided to write Getting Comfy.
However, with Cloud Nine there was an alignment of the stars that got him going. But you'll have to listen to the episode to find out!
What I will share is that it involves Jordan having a conversation that involves an example of a cloud nine moment. Light people up is exactly what Jordan did to me during our conversation and this is now core to everything he does.
Find out moreFinally if you would like to start a conversation with Jordan, you can find him on;
More details can be found on his website.
If you enjoyed this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
50. PI #50: Clare Moore & Mark Williams - the way we work
On this episode I share my interview with Clare Moore (Head of Marketing) and Mark Williams (Chief Product Officer) at People First; a company revolutionising the way we work.
On work-life balance; We are all individuals and all learn, develop, grow and think differently. As leaders we should respect that.Balance means something psychologically different for every person.
The way we work
People know that there is a problem with work and as a result that's why people are gravitating to what People First are doing.
We are at our most unproductive at work right now. This leads to disengagement. There has been a lot of research into this area and their mission is to help people find more meaning at work.
More tech isn't going to be the answer. Tech becomes the enabler to change the dynamics of the relationship between employee and employer.
No job for life anymoreThe way we work suggests that there isn't going to be a job for life anymore.
People First have developed a platform to enable adult conversations to happen. This will allow the person and organisation to stay aligned for a period of time until one or the other decides to change.
The research coming out at the moment is pointing towards the 'work' that we do as being important. Therefore, achievements tend to be linked to work rather than people's personal lives.
Finding what you're good at and being able to do that 'work' in work is going to be crucial.
A 'fit-bit' for workEverything is centred around a conversation. As a result employees are able to 'check in' each day and capture moments of 'flow' similar to keeping a journal.
Therefore by having more regular conversations it facilitates better relationships and understanding.
Productively and engagement are higher when an individual and organisation are aligned.
Find out moreFinally if you would like to start a conversation with Clare & Mark, you can find them on Twitter;
Alternatively, find out more about Clare & Mark by reading the latest Ignite blog; People First
More details can be found on the People First website.
If you enjoyed this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
49. PI #49: Cody Royle - challenging the norms
On this episode I share my interview with Cody Royle; author and host of Where Others Won’t, challenging the norms and going where others won't.
Cody is also the managing editor of Inner Voice with the goal of utilising the power of endurance sports to inspire change.
When he's not writing or speaking, Cody is working with Australian Football League Team Canada as their Head Coach.
BackgroundThe first part of Cody's career was in the corporate world. He was an account executive in sales and recruitment. He was a 'job title' and this never really sat well with him.
The point of discovery for him was having the confidence to flip over. He walked into his boss's office one day and quit. He'd been writing and blogging for a while. It quickly became apparent to Cody that he could do this all day long and he absolutely loved it.
The book became Cody's exit from the corporate world. Built on 10-12 years of frustration with the way teams were built in the corporate space; married with the conversations he'd been having with others in the sporting world.
Where others won't The book is mostly about how teams create a competitive advantage and generally they need to go where others won't.Full of insight from leaders in sport and business, the book is challenging norms around everything that we've built competitive advantage on in the past.
Most organisations are now realising that their people are their competitive advantage.
LearningThings haven't always gone to plan for Cody. He played Aussie rules at a high level and didn't quite get drafted. By his own admission he was just outside that level.
At 18 he was basically;
Spat out of the system; and all that he wanted to be was no longer available to him.Since then it's been a series of making decisions and walking through doors. One was to leave Melbourne at 25 and pack up and move to Canada. He restarted his career selling mobile phones at the Blue Jays stadium and since then that same methodology has served him well.
Find out moreIf you would like to start a conversation with Cody, you can find him on;
Alternatively, find out more about Cody by reading the latest Ignite blog; Where others won't
More details can be found on his website including details of his latest book; The Tough stuff.
If you liked this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
48. PI #48: Jeremy Snape - helping leaders in sport and business to succeed
On this episode I share my interview with Jeremy Snape; Managing Director of Sporting Edge - a company helping leaders in sport and business to succeed.
He's also a former England cricketer, MSc sport psychology, conference speaker and coach.
On work-life balance Jeremy says;
One of the hottest topics in performance. Everyone is debating it because it's so illusive. Trying to find balance is becoming harder and harder. I love doing what I'm doing and wouldn't change it. Partly it's about energy balance rather than time management.
BackgroundJeremy spent 19 years as a professional cricketer. He played with some very talented people and was privileged to have represented his country. On his debut tour of India at Eden Park in front of 120, 000 people the pressure got to him. In his words, he failed in front of that huge crowd.
Not being beaten by India, not being beaten by a particular difficult delivery to hit; it was the voice in his head. After years of practice and playing, no one had told him what to do with his head. He thought he was the only one under pressure.
Sporting EdgeThis set him off on a bit of a quest to discover what could be done to support similar people in similar situations in the future. Having retired from Cricket Jeremy studied a masters degree in sports psychology and then set up Sporting Edge.
Sporting Edge is high performance consultancy that works with elite sport and business teams on this winning mindset.
Jeremy has worked with Shane Warne in the IPL, South Africa Rugby and Eddie Jones and England Rugby, Most recently he has worked with Pep Guardiola at Man City.
FailureWhen you're playing international sport, with lots of cameras on you it's pretty transparent and you have to be honest. In your own mind you know if it's a technical issue, a fear or lack of skill.
Failure has been my best teacher.Every step of the way during his career has been failure. It's been more like snakes and ladders; using the motivation as fuel to navigate choices. It's definitely been a key driver in his career.
Find out moreIf you would like to start a conversation with Jeremy, you can find him on;
If you liked this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
47. PI #47: Karen Spenley - solving problems
On this episode I share my interview with Karen Spenley, a champion for women in STEM with over 20 years in engineering solving problems and coming up with solutions for employees. STEM focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
On work-life balance Karen says;
I think it's one of those things that's banded around but I'm not sure anyone understands what it is. I liken it to the Harry Potter partonus spell, that's different for everyone.
Background
Karen has been working in engineering for over 20 years and more recently in human resources. Her focus centres on improving different areas of peoples lives.
Working part time for the last 7 years, Karen has been juggling her own work-life balance with commitments and home and work. Her husband describes her as 'brutally efficient'.
Passionate about changing a number of things, including the climate Karen was startled when she did some initial research into the number of women involved with STEM.
Homeward BoundKaren is a member of Homeward Bound (Team HB4);a ground-breaking leadership initiative, set against the backdrop of Antarctica. It's a leadership programme aimed at women working in STEM. The community aims to heighten the influence and impact of women in making decisions that shape our planet.
It's also aimed at training up more women and developing them into leadership roles so that they can be more involved in organisations.
Find out moreIf you would like to start a conversation with Karen, you can find her on;
If you liked this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
46. PI #46: Ian Braid - take and give care
On this episode I share my interview with Ian Braid, Founder and Managing Director of DOCIAsport and we talk about the lessons learned through his own journey with mental health and why 'take and give care is important to him and all of us.
On work-life balance Ian says;
I suppose the headline is; it's very difficult. It's more difficult if what you do is your passion. It's very difficult to realise that you do need to switch off in order for you to able to fulfil what it is that you're trying to do.
Background
Ian has significant experience in sports leadership having held senior positions in executive and non-executive roles. As CEO of the British Athletes Commission he gained considerable knowledge of the infrastructure of sport and its governance.
He made important contributions to the development of sport – for example informing the DCMS report into “Duty of Care” in sport; the selection policies and processes for the Commonwealth Games 2018 and ensuring sport took more responsibility for “adults at risk” by securing Sport England funding for the Ann Craft Trust.
DOCIAsportSport is at a crossroads. In terms of performance this is because of a series of damaging allegations and protracted investigations into the culture at the top. Participation numbers continue to decline, and this will have an adverse effect on society with decline in physical and mental health.
Without volunteers and officials sport will struggle and these valuable contributors must be developed and grown. DOCIAsport is here to help by working in collaboration with others to deliver sustainable effective solutions.
Mental health is so important and sport or physical activity can help individuals both prevent mental illness or be a critical part of recovery and relapse prevention.
Find out moreIf you would like to start a conversation with Ian, you can find him on;
Fred the Ned - Twitter
Check out the guest blog post written by Ian; My search for 'perfect imbalance' in my life and why it matters here
If you liked this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
45. PI #45: Greg Searle - enthusiasm and wisdom
On this episode I share my interview with Greg Searle, Bronze medal winner in London 2012 twenty years after winning a Gold medal in Barcelona 1992 and we talk about the lessons learned through enthusiasm and wisdom.
On work-life balance Greg says;
I've managed to get myself at the age of 46 where I've been passionate about sporting goals, passionate about business goals and through experience I've got perspective. I've got a reasonable balance in my life.
Background
At 20 he won an Olympic Gold medal and 4 years later he won an Olympic Bronze medal. By the time the next Olympics came round Greg was newly married, with his wife expecting their first child. A home owner with work responsibilities as well; Greg's focus and energy towards rowing had shifted as result. Because of these competing things got in the way and he finished in fourth position at his 3rd Olympics.
Similarly at 28 he believed he was capable of better and probably at the peak of his physical powers.
Peak performanceGreg is the founder of the company 2040 inspiring peak performance in teams and individuals. This is achieved through sharing the behaviours required to bring the 'enthusiasm' he had at 20 coupled to the 'wisdom' he had at 40. He's also the Chief Innovation Officer for Keys Business a concierge company.
London 2012;
I wanted to comeback and wanted to put Sydney 2000 right. This was an opportunity to do something I was really proud of. We agreed (my wife and I) that this would be an adventure that we'd share for the next 3 years.Greg had a lot of interest from others at the first trials. He overcame the first hurdles and then got closer and closer to being invited into the team. His reception was largely warm. Over the course of time it didn't become much of a factor. He was 'old Greg' and the others were a bit younger!
Winning the bronze in 2012 Far easier to be comfortable with a bronze medal at 40 than to win a bronze aged 24 or indeed a 4th place at 28. Still initial disappointment.They (the 8) went out to win. It was in Greg's words; something to be proud of.
Over the course of the next week, they celebrated and commiserated in different ways.
Final take-away Keeping life in perspective and enjoying the present. Enjoy the moment as best as you can.Find out more
As a result of the interview with Greg if you would like to start a conversation with him, you can find him on;
Furthermore if you liked this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
44. PI #44: Garry Turner - courage and vulnerability
On this episode I share my interview with Garry Turner, Founder of the Listening Organisation and the newly created 'Wellbeingchat' community, focused on courage and vulnerability.
On work-life balance Garry says;
Until about 18 months ago I would have believed that it was statement. I'm finding progressively that we try and keep them separate, when they're not. I see the term being out of date now. I prefer the term life-work quality.
Background
Garry talks very passionately and openly about mental health and his own challenges with this. His personal view is we've learned to be the man. Marketing plays a big part in this and even our partners at times encourage us to 'man up'.
He's an international sales manager on the one hand and on the other hand he has this deep rooted passionate to humanise things. As Garry puts it; his formal job, versus the passion with the Learning Organisation.
However, he was looking to leave his work organisation about 4-5 years ago. He had the realisation that he wasn't growing. As a result of this he became really curious about what was going on around him.
In Garry's words;
These conversations allow you to reflect. He believed he could make a deep seated belief that he could make a change in his own organisation. He believes more of these conversations can happen if people are prepared to have courage and show vulnerability.The Listening Organisation has evolved organically. It's centred around key pillars; purpose and values, trust, curiosity, listening and inclusion. The goal is to create 'safe spaces' where organisations can come together and get present.
People are also victims It's easy to blame someone else. If we can just get present enough and understand where we are choosing to spend our time, it will allow us all to create so much more.We are dealing transaction-ally with one another. By just being a little bit vulnerable to say we don't know, could be the difference between having transacting and transforming conversations.
In terms of work, as a minimum we should be able to enjoy what we do. To love what you do is a golden chalice; the aspiration.
Final take-away You're already a 10/10; feel that and internalise that. Self care is not selfish; you can only be best for others if you're first for yourself.Find out more
Now, if you enjoyed the interview with Garry then please do start a conversation with him on;
If you liked this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
43. PI #43: Leanne Davies - healthier and happier lives
On this episode I share my interview with Leanne Davies, Founder of Run Mummy Run, the online community with 60,000 Facebook members focused on happier and healthier lives.
On work-life balance Leanne says;
It used to be the scales with the work on one side and life on the other. My work creeps into my life and my life creeps into my work. It's very different now.
Background
Leanne initially founded a Facebook group called Run Mummy Run. This was set up with 2 friends because they wanted to motivate each other if and when they couldn't always get to their running club. Further more, it was designed to fit around their lives as being mothers.
This has slowly grown from a few people.
Today (6 years later) they are now up to 60,000 runners! The group motivates people and as a result they meet up regularly. Similarly they do Park run and run races together.
In Leanne's words;
They provide the platform for women to lead happier and healthier lives.The community is built on togetherness and bonding. Consequently, 6 years on she still pinches herself by how much it's grown and how much people want to interact and support one another.
Doing something you love and enjoy It's really important and Leanne feels ever so grateful to be able to do that.Run Mummy Run has evolved from being a hobby to becoming her passion. She's found her thing and Leanne says it doesn't feel like a job at all.
Leanne's passion comes from her dad and she's been supported by her mum and husband as well.
The bigger the community grows, the more energy and effort it takes to sustain it. At the heart of this growth continues to be the aim of encouraging more women to live healthier and happier lives.
Final take-away If you don't have that work-life balance it doesn't matter, as long as you're happy.Find out more
Now, if you enjoyed the interview with Leanne then please do start a conversation with her on;
If you liked this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
42. PI #42: Mark Whittle - putting contribution at the forefront
On this episode I share my interview with Mark Whittle, host of the Take Fl1ght Podcast & Founder of Take Fl1ght and we explore how Mark came to put contribution at the forefront of what he was doing.
On work-life balance Mark says;
Everybody is very very different. Before we have an opinion on it, we have to define what work is and what life is. It's difficult to find balance and I don't think it exists.
Background
Mark created Take Fl1ght on the back of a real low point in his life. Stressed and anxious to close a big sales deal, he had a 'moment' on his walk from the tube station that day. Passing a number of homeless people he began to question his own life. As a result he decided that he was going to put contribution at the forefront of what he was doing.
The podcast is focused on drawing out the secrets to success that his guests have discovered along their own personal journey's. Whether that be professional athletes, entrepreneurs, business founders or lifestyle specialists.
The main goal of the podcast being to inspire listeners to take action towards achieving their own goals. Determined to normalise his guests as real people, Mark puts his sales skills experience to good use and is brilliant at interviewing each of his guests.
Focus on others Determined and passionate about growing and developing, Mark continues to interview inspirational guests who's stories need to be shared.Mark openly admits that he's a very different person today. He's changing and learning all the time. As he's got older his motivation has focused on bettering himself.
Creating the Take Fl1ght podcast has been the best thing he has done in his life. The opportunity to speak to amazing people in a positive, uplifting way is incredible.
Final take-away There's no such thing as balance. Find those things that you enjoy in life and fit them in as much as you can.Find out more
Now, if you enjoyed the interview with Mark then please do start a conversation with him on;
Instagram
Website
If you liked this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
41. PI #41: Sarah Williams - tough and feminine
On this episode I share my interview with Sarah Williams, host of the Tough Girl Podcast & Founder of Tough Girl Challenges and we explore how Sarah came to create something that is 'tough and feminine'.
Recognised by the Guardian in 2018 as one of the top 10 most inspiring contemporary female adventurers, Sarah epitomises everything that Tough Girl is all about.
On work-life balance Sarah says;
Work-life balance is this wonderful dream and these fabulous words which get banded about and is something that I massively struggle with as I don't really have it. Sometimes I like to think I have it but generally I go from one extreme to the other.
Background
Sarah has an on-line brand called Tough Girl Challenges which is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls. Encouraging them to dream big, to live their life to the fullest as well as to travel, to explore, to get fit and to go on adventures.
She does this through a number of ways including; having a blog, a podcast, writing books and part of her mission is to increase the number of female role models in the media.
Since setting up Tough Challenges in 2014, Sarah has regularly stepped outside of her own comfort zone. She has taken on a number of her own challenges including; running the Marathon des Sables, hiking the Appalachian Trail in addition to cycling the Pacific Coast Highway and the Baja Divide.
Purpose The more women that go out there and complete challenges; this will have a knock on effect on other areas in society. The ripple effect will be huge and we will start to see a better balance in everything from politics to films, sport and coverage.Above all; it's important for women to see it to believe it.
Sarah loves interviewing other women and sharing their stories for the Tough Girl Podcast. These women are completing inspirational challenges and therefore they are going to increase the number of female role models in the media.
Tough and feminine is a thread that runs through our discussion which Sarah is hugely passionate about. Challenging some of societies models, norms and expectations that we've previously been encouraged to believe.
Final take-away Write it down. Everything that you want to achieve in your life; take 1o minutes to write down those things. be proactive and start planning your life.Find out more
Now, if you enjoyed the interview with Sarah then please do start a conversation with her on;
Twitter - https://twitter.com/_tough_girl
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toughgirlchallenges/
Website - https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/
If you liked this episode you can leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
40. PI #40: Phil White - challenging some assumptions
On this episode I interview with Phil White, co-author of several brilliant books including Unplugged with Andy Galpin & Brian McKenzie, Game Changer with Fergus Connolly, 17 hour fast with Dr Frank Merritt - challenging some of our assumptions.
Background
Phil was a guest on the show in Series 1 (episode 5) and we pick up where we left off last time; talking about technology and social media and the impact that it's having on our mental health.
Having taken a 30 day sabbatical from all social media as an experiment whilst working alongside Kenny Kane, Phil has found it hard to pick up social media again and re-adjust to having that back as part of his life.
During the 30 day period he found himself challenging some assumptions and questioning the value and purpose of posting stuff on social media at all.
DiscoveryOne of the things that Phil has been able to rediscover is the art of what he calls; long form conversation. Conversation whereby you are looking the other person in the eye, gauging response and observing body language as well.
Ask yourself; what is it taking you away from?
This is beautifully highlighted and illustrated by the 'Device free dinner' Campaign in which Will Ferrell is the star.
What Phil keeps seeing and coming back to is 'long form'. Magazines that he writes for have shifted their focus from short articles or hacks to now wanting more journal type articles.
He says;
One of the reasons that podcasts like this are so popular and some of those in the US are massively popular like Tim Ferris and Joe Rogan is that people love them. They love them because they take the place of conversation.Final take-away Take a daily walk. 20-30 minutes ideally in nature.
Find out more
Now, if you enjoyed the interview with Phil then please do start a conversation with him on;
You can also find more details on their website
If you liked this episode then please do leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
39. PI #39: Simon Austin - shining a light
On this episode I interview with Simon Austin, sports journalist and Founder of the Training Ground Guru - shining a light on the work going on behind the scenes in professional football.
On work-life balance Simon says;
"I think it differs for each person and I'm not sure I've got in right. I love what I do and spend a lot of time engrossed in it."
Simon set up the Training Ground Guru in 2017 having previously worked for the BBC for over 10 years and as a freelancer for several national newspapers.
He didn't think there was enough information being shared and in order to understand what's going on, on match day you need to understand what's happening on the training ground during the week.
And so the Training Ground Guru was created; shining a light on what's going on behind the scenes in football. Very much breaking away from the traditional pattern of how things have also been done in the industry.
It's taken a while for Simon to build up that trust and respect with the clubs but the response has been great so far. As a knock on this has led to the media at different clubs showing an interest and getting involved as well.
I've been in journalism for over 20 years and always had a passion in this area. It's a growing area that hasn't really been covered.
If a reader says; 'that was interesting', then that's enough for Simon to take as acknowledgement for what he's set out to do in providing insight.
He's always wanted his own site and something that he's in control of; putting forward his own philosophy. There's definitely more freedom, however, Simon places a huge emphasis on 'thinking about your readers' and what they want.
In fact he thinks of them as his boss now.
Final take-away:
"Be yourself. There's a lot of pressure to conform and follow the lead of others. A lot of the time this is the road to ruin. Everyone has their own journey and their own story."
If you enjoyed the interview with Simon then please do start a conversation with him on;
You can also find more details on their website
If you liked this episode then please do leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
38. PI #38: Amanda Bate - putting your health first
On this episode I interview Amanda Bate, Copywriter, Social Media Marketer and champion for putting your health first. As you listen more you'll understand why this is the case.
On work-life balance Amanda says;
"It's doing what you want in your work life and doing what you want in your time away from your work. For some people their life is their work. It's so personal."
Putting your health first has taken Amanda a lot of time and a lot of planning and ultimately culminated in her taking the leap of faith and leaving behind the comfort of the corporate world.
In her words; it was to achieve the best health, the best me; the best way I could present myself to the rest of the world.
Amanda was first diagnosed with Crohn's when she was pregnant. It knocked her sideways and she was referred to see a counsellor, which at the time Amanda thought was a little over the top!
However, it was incredible to talk to somebody. What resonated most was hearing the counsellor saying; without your health, you will not be able to look after your baby.
Living with a chronic disease can often wipe Amanda out. One of the best tonics Amanda has found for her own well-being, is simply getting outside.
"My purpose is writing content and raising awareness through using words; helping other companies to promote and market themselves."
Speaking candidly, it took Amanda 3 years to make the leap and leave an organisation that she'd worked in for 15 years.
Although she was working in communication and loving the world of communication, a lot of the writing she did was structured and regulated. Amanda had what she describes as an 'itch' that she needed to scratch.
This was where her blog started and through writing about her own illness, others started to find and connect with her.
Final take-away
"Believe in yourself. Try and knock some of those fears away. Just do it."
If you enjoyed the interview with Amanda then please do start a conversation with her on;
You can also find more details on their website
If you liked this episode then please do leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
37. PI #37: Andrea Goodridge - energy in versus energy out
On this episode I interview Andrea Goodridge, entrepreneur and owner of a business called Ad Florem and she's on a mission to help people understand more about 'energy in versus energy out'.
On work-life balance Andrea says;
"If you can find out what gives you energy and where you can add energy; that's where I get work-life balance. I make my own definition of work-life balance; I don't compare mine with anyone else's."
Andrea has a background of working within learning and development and has spent the last 20 years in this space.
In other words; she challenges leaders to challenge themselves. This includes thought processes, mind-set, how they're feeling, behaviour and the impact that they're having on other people.
Whilst others will be talking and focusing on resilience and burn out, Andrea is seeing something else with her work.
Leaders need to look inwards so that they can start to challenge themselves. There's a general feeling of leaders being overwhelmed. Andrea is seeing them literally 'falling off the table'. They don't have any energy left and they are losing sight of who they are.
Where no support is being offered (internally within organisations), leaders are looking outside and self funding development and opportunity to have time away from the chaos.
"I see my purpose as getting leaders to take time away from the chaos and focus on themselves."
This is what gets Andrea up in the morning because she knows that she's able to get leaders to take time away and focus on themselves.
In Andrea's line of work she sees that many leaders' focus is in on targets, systems or processes. They might be dedicating time to culture, teams, services or customers but what's missing is the 'them' bit.
Final take-away:
"You can't be a great leader if you can't be a great YOU."
If you enjoyed the interview with Andrea then please do start a conversation with her on;
You can also find more details on their website
If you liked this episode then please do leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
36. PI #36: Tim Roberts - ignite your enthusiasm
On this episode I interview Tim Roberts; speaker, thought provoker and business owner on a mission to ignite your enthusiasm.
On work-life balance Tim says;
"It's a fascinating topic as I think it's very individual. I prefer the term 'life-work balance' because that's the way around it should be. Our priorities change with age."
Tim has a background of working within learning and development for a number of organisations. 2018 has been a defining year for him as he struggled and came to terms with his own mental health. Emotional intelligence and being able to draw on this has enabled him to find the strength and the courage to be able to start to talk about this.
As 2018 came to a close, Tim set up Enthuse Coaching. He's now ready to embark on a different journey in 2019 and help others find ignite (or re-ignite) their enthusiasm for life and for work.
"I'd really encourage organisations to look at people as human beings and individuals and not be afraid of saying; 'this person needs something different right now'."
A previous boss was very good at recognising this when Tim was going through challenges in relation to his own mental health. On the other hand his employer did nothing. Tim doesn't think they knew what to do and as result did't want to put any additional pressure on him.
The message here is: ask your employees what they want (and not through a survey where they have to choose from 5 options).
"I see my purpose as making people think."
My work involves working with organisations to enable them to recognise what they are in control of and ignite or re-ignite their enthusiasm for their work.
Leaders play a key part in this and Tim asks the people he works with; what do you stand for?
Tim provokes many thoughts during our interview and talks passionately about not waiting.
He says; put the music on that you love, where the clothes you want to and spend the time with the people who mean the most to you.
Final take-away:
"Emotional Intelligence will get you further in life than anything else."
If you enjoyed the interview with Tim then please do start a conversation with him on;
You can also find more details on their website
If you liked this episode then please do leave the show a rating and review on iTunes
35. PI #35: Di Murray - space to breathe
On this episode I interview Di Murray, entrepreneur and the energy behind Coming up 4 air and creating space to breathe.
On work-life balance Di says;
"It's quite an over-used term. I've become sensitised to the term work-life balance; the holy grail of what we're trying to achieve. I wonder if it's less about having a perfect balance and more about what happens when we don't have choice in either of those arenas.
Di works with individuals and organisations to (in her words) hold the space for people to explore, ponder and be more curious. Noticing and doing some deep listening was ultimately the essence of how Coming Up 4 Air came about.
Allowing others the space to breathe, in a place free of agenda Di sees herself more as a guide and a facilitator. As opposed to being the expert who has all the answers.
People attending Di's retreats and workshops can expect an element of dis-comfort and intrigue which in turn builds trust through autonomy. Di sees her approach as a bit of an anti-dote to the craziness of the world.
Purpose
One of the things about purpose is it shifts. People would describe me as a passionate disrupter.
I set out to disrupt people's thinking based on what they know when they arrive on a workshop or retreat. I invite people to take risks in the space that I create.
Final take-away:
"Lighten up, laugh at yourself.
Straighten up, stand tall when you come into a room.
Speak up,use your voice for good."
If you enjoyed the interview with Di then please do start a conversation with her on;
You can also find more details on their website
If you liked this episode then please do leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
34. PI #34: Dave Algeo - stressed out
On this episode I interview Dave Algeo who talks amongst other things about being stressed out and the damage of the 'shut the f*ck up type of attitude' when it comes to mental health.
On work-life balance Dave says;
"I like the perfect imbalance idea. I remember when work-life balance became a thing. I get it but the world of life is far more complex."
Dave spent a number of years working in the police force before setting up his own business in 2006 in the world of learning and development. His focus tends to be in the space of resilience and mental health and helping those feeling stressed out.
Host of Man Sprouts the podcast, Dave can often be seen and heard talking about vegetables! For those that remember Crackerjack, the losing contestants would often be saddled with cabbages!
Having gone through his own stress and fallen into arrears with his mortgage at Northern Rock; he's some how been able to use his own experience to positive effect.
He loves to learn and loves to turn this into learning and teaching for others; making a difference in the long term not just in the moment.
If you enjoyed the interview with Dave then please do start a conversation with him on;
You can also find more details on their website
If you liked this episode then please do leave the show a rating and review on iTunes or the platform that you use to listen to podcasts.
33. PI #33: Bonus episode - what lies ahead
On this episode Dr Emma Foden and myself wish you the listeners and all our guests a happy new year.
The majority of podcasts don't get past 7 episodes and today we have finished the year with 33 episodes.
The purpose of the podcast was to provoke new thoughts around well-being and challenge the myth of work-life balance in particular.
So many lessons from season 1 & season 2.
Listen back to all of the episodes if you've missed any.
Tune in next time to hear me interviewing Dave Algeo the Stress(ed) Guru on the first show of season 3.
32. PI #32: Bonus episode - series 2 advent special
On this 'advent special' episode I look back over series 2 with Dr Emma Foden.
In advent calendar style, Emma & I take it in turns to select a number. Behind each number is a guest from the series.
We then share our own thoughts on the episode, the guest and the messages that they left us with.
Thank you for joining us on the advent special episode. We will be back on New Year's Eve with a special show; looking back over 2018 and giving you a flavour of what to expect in 2019!
As always you can catch up on any episodes you've missed on Anchor, Spotify, iTunes or the platform you use.
31. PI #31: Kate Richardson-Walsh - making things happen
On this episode I interview Kate Richardson-Walsh; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Captain and most capped female hockey player in her country's history. We talk about transitioning out of elite sport, obsession and making things happen.
On work-life balance
“I think it is individual and it will change. Be curious about it and make the best decision for you.”
As an elite athlete, sport can become obsessive yet Kate has always tried to find ways to switch off. Working in 4 year cycles (as all Olympic sports do), Kate and several team mates believed after London 2012 that they could go better in Rio 2016.
This was a straight line; they failed hugely as a team after London 2012 before turning things around in the 18 months leading up to Rio 2016.
Transitioning away from hockey
In the lead up to Rio, Kate was made captain of the team and part of her role involved doing more speaking engagements.
Following the Rio games Kate and her wife Helen decided to set up their own business, combining speaking with going into schools and businesses and providing training. Something Kate describes as longer lasting; allowing others to thrive.
Being able to do something that you enjoy is important to Kate and she loves the nervous energy that she gets when speaking. The nerves remind her of her days as a hockey player and competing.
Strengths
For a long time when she was growing up, Kate didn't really know what she wanted to be. Her first thoughts were around teaching and she openly admits to 'bumbling down the road' in her earlier days.
However, she was able to see opportunities (like getting involved with hockey) and making the most of them. Hard work and making things happen were the drivers behind how Kate approached things.
'Emotional yet consistent' is how Kate goes on to describe herself and this has helped throughout her life. She never felt she was good enough and this has allowed her to try harder. Openly critical of herself, Kate has been able to use this positively to drive her onward.
Feedback
Having come from a place where you are always receiving feedback; both Kate and Helen in their capacity as speakers are always seeking feedback on how they can improve.
Feedback is so important and whilst Kate views it as a gift, in the world outside of elite sport people aren't as forthcoming.
Whilst she's had moments of failure or challenging moments, Kate is not one for having regrets.
The GB Hockey Team had a vision for Rio 2016 which Kate has taken forward into her purpose and passion today;
“Be the difference, create history, inspire the future.”
A quote to leave you with from Kate;
“It's not about what you want, it's what you need.”
Start a conversation with her on;
30. PI #30: Angela Cox - being your best self
On this episode I interview Angela Cox; Mindset Mentor, Motivational Speaker & No 1 Best-selling Author, who helps others on their journey to 'being their best self'.
Passionate and driven on by her own earlier experiences in life, Angela is also on a journey herself.
From being abused as a child to spending all of her adult life on a diet and being fat, Angela is very honest and open during our interview. A secret binge eater alongside being a high powered *successful) executive; she went on yet another diet in 2016 only this time things were different.
What changed?
Well it turned that this latest diet was a healthy eating diet with incorporated exercise, and at the same time Angela started reading a book called Positive Thinking. The book talked about affirmations and she started doing them every day without fail.
Everything combined together allowed Angela to lose over 8 stones in weight! At the same time the inner critic's voice inside of her started to become more positive.
As part of her own journey she's realised that happiness doesn't come from stuff.
The book
'Enough' is a compelling account of self determination and survival written with absolute honesty and passion. Part memoir, part manual full of tips, tricks and rituals to integrate into your life to be the best you, you can be.
Here's some wise words of wisdom from Angela;
"Stop the comparison thing because it sucks the life out of people."
Check out what Angela is up to here
Order your copy of the book here
Start a conversation with her on;
29. PI #29: Nick Littlehales - sleep; the myth of 8 hours
On this episode I interview Nick Littlehales, Elite Sleep Coach and author of Sleep; the myth of 8 hours, the power of naps and the new plan to recharge your body and mind.
Very soon into our conversation, Nick talks about the need for downtime and recovery. He goes on to share his journey so far and the paradigm shift that he's starting to see in relation to how people view sleep and recovery.
Nick talks about there being no budget for sleep in a lot of sports and businesses that he's gone into. Sleep and recovery are relatively new concepts compared to diet and exercise.
It's fascinating to hear Nick explain chronotypes and the impact that this has and can have on our sleep and recovery. For those not familiar with chronotypes, essentially we are talking about whether you are an 'am'er or a pm'er'! In simple terms; are you a morning person or not!
The book
In Nick's book are a number of steps including;
- Circadian rhythms
- Chronotypes
- Cycles not hours
- Pre & post sleep routines
- Activity and recovery harmony
Sleep doesn't have to be a challenge or issue for you anymore.
Here's some wise words of wisdom from Nick;
"Get back to some basics and get your awareness up. Put into practice some of the things we've been talking about and you'll be happily amazed."
Check out what Nick is up to here
Start a conversation with him on;
28. PI #28: Steve Marshall - seeing differently, working on purpose
On this episode I interview Dr Steve Marshall; the man behind seeing differently, working on purpose.
On work-life balance Steve says;
"On the face of it, it's a good idea but I've never achieved it. I think my most successful moments have been when I've not been in balance."
Background
Steve started out with a career in photography before deciding to apply for a role in the military. Having spent 22 years as a fighter pilot which he describes as an excellent career, he lost 26 of his friends in accidents. As he came towards the end of his 'flying job' he pondered what he might be able to do about the future accidents, as the current loss rate seemed to be deemed ok. Working with others he was able to influence some change to the organisational culture.
Helping others
Steve left the military in the hope that he could help people change the way that they think.
In his work as a change consultant, Steve worked with groups of people to help them learn in ways that they achieve a collective personal transformation.
He talks about values in organisations;
"Often we go through life wearing somebody else's clothes; somebody else's face."
Whilst Steve continues to work with doctoral students, he's just stepped away from the academic management role to pursue his love of image, vision, connection and ’seeing differently’ as we offer witness to each other - so in his words; following his deeper, truer purpose!
In some ways Steve's returned to what he loves most; having first expressed an interest in doing photo journalism at school only to be sent off to do work experience in the local Foundry!
Find out more
If you enjoyed the interview with Dr Steve Marshall then please do start a conversation with him on;
You can also find more details on his website
27. PI #27: Fiona Murden - doing what makes your heart sing
On this episode I interview Fiona Murden, Occupational Psychologist, Speaker, Blogger and passionate about doing what makes your heart sing.
Fiona spends a lot of her time profiling senior leaders of organisations (around the world) and helps them find a good fit within the business. On the back of this she is involved with executive coaching within organisations.
Outside of the corporate world, Fiona is also a blogger with a fascination of understanding the brain and helping others make sense of things happening in their worlds.
Background
Fiona started out reading medicine and openly admits to her own life never being a straight journey.
She does admit during the interview that she wanted to be a fighter pilot!
Fiona shares;
"Even when you're exploring; it gets messy, it's difficult. You have to stick to it and find what makes your heart sing."
Making time to think
Fiona promotes the action of making time to think; time for thinking ahead. It's easy to get caught up being busy and everything associated with that.
Society values busyness over thinking and our brain is geared up to action rather than contemplation.
Wanting to make a positive difference to peoples lives, Fiona embarked on the journey of writing a book.
Fiona is Author of Defining You: How to profile yourself and unlock your full potential.
Packed with research and psychology, the driver for writing her book was to make the tips and ideas (which she uses within organisations) available to everyone.
She is both passionate and on a mission. Fiona has made it her purpose to help others understand their own purpose. It's become 'her itch' and she's determined to pursue this.
If you enjoyed the interview with Fiona then please do start a conversation with her on;
You can also find more details on her website
26. PI #26: Todd Brown - getting things done
On this episode I interview Todd Brown; co-founder of Next Action Associates and pioneer of the Getting things done methodology created by David Allen.
In a nutshell (Todd's words) they are helping people be as productive as they can be and focused on the right things.
Todd says; it's not just about being busy. They want to help people at the same time to lower their stress levels.
Background
Todd discovered the work of David Allen when he was starting a new job; watching a seminar of his whilst he was waiting for his computer and work-space to be set up.
However, whilst it was an epiphany moment, a lot of what David was talking about resonated with Todd. Things like; how do I keep my head clear so I can focus on whatever I choose to focus on.
Over the coming months Todd started to implement some of the tools and ideas from the Getting things done methodology before deciding to set up Next Action Associates.
At Next Action Associates
We have a definition of work;
"work is anything in your life that isn't the way you want it to be"
Essentially this is the gap between where you are right now and where you want to be.
Things are coming at us faster than ever before and we are always available. We all need strategies to be able to deal with what's coming at us each day. The 'commitments' as Todd and initial David Allen refers to them as.
It hasn't always been the case in Todd's career but the work he is doing now (and has been doing over the last 10 years) is what considers to be 'important work'.
Openness to being a beginner
Many of us are afraid of being a beginner.
There's a great quote from Sting;
"I'm never afraid of being a beginner."
We don't all have the luxury of doing what we love all of the time, but as we go through life it's important that we pay attention to whether or not what we are doing is aligned to our deeper purpose. The Getting things done methodology allows you to get into a state of flow and optimise each part of the process; capture, clarify, organise, reflect and engage.
Todd's thoughts on work-life balance.
"If we felt like we were always in balance, life would probably get a bit dull. A very important part of life is getting out of control, getting out of balance."
If you enjoyed the interview with Todd then please do start a conversation with him and Next Action Associates on;
25. PI #25: Katy Murray & Fiona Smith - changing the dialogue part 2
Welcome back to the second part of this episode where I interview Katy Murray & Fiona Smith from Catalyst Collective; the co-founders of a global network of world changing women with a focus on changing the dialogue.
They came together and founded Catalyst Collective just over 12 months ago and provide a community and resources, including on-line programmes and face to face coaching.
Both have 20 years' experience in organisational consulting and leadership development and focus now on sharing that expertise (wisdom) with women leaders, and consulting with organisations that want to make a difference around inclusion.
In part 2
Katy & Fiona share their insight and research into the gender pay gap, shifting the focus of discussion and how do we re-define leadership.
They truly are two minds working in collaboration; looking to address the balance of leadership. We delve into comparison in the workplace and competition, discussing organisations and experiences where sharing isn't encouraged.
They deliberately choose to work with an abundance mindset for themselves at Catalyst Collective; supporting and encouraging one another and creating together.
Curiosity and boldness they hold one another's back rather than holding one another back. They've developed a partnership and sense of accountability which drives everything they're doing.
Start a conversation with them on;
24. PI #24: Katy Murray & Fiona Smith - changing the dialogue part 1
On this episode I interview Katy Murray & Fiona Smith from Catalyst Collective; the co-founders of a global network of world changing women with a focus on changing the dialogue.
They came together and founded Catalyst Collective just over 12 months ago and provide a community and resources, including on-line programmes and face to face coaching.
Both have 20 years' experience in organisational consulting and leadership development and focus now on sharing that expertise (wisdom) with women leaders, and consulting with organisations that want to make a difference around inclusion.
Through their research
What they are seeing in organisations is a model of leadership which is 50-60 years old. People are unsure what 'good' leadership looks like. This model was shaped in a time when men dominated the workplace.
They are seeing women grappling with 'what is authentic leadership' and how can they remodel what 'good' looks like. In addition it's not just women either; it's men as well who are demonstrating feminised and masculine leadership.
Passionate about what you do
Hugely passionate about the work they are doing, they talk about the importance of full-body joy. However, saying yes to everything can become overwhelming and lead to a feeling of burnout.
Katy says;
"Everything we say yes to, is a no to something else."
Through their own experience they have got better at saying no and more importantly being aware of themselves impact of saying yes all the time.
Next time
In part 2 of the interview Katy & Fiona share their insight and research into the gender pay gap, shifting the focus of discussion and how do we re-define leadership.
Start a conversation with them on;
23. PI #23: Richmond Stace - understanding pain
On this episode I interview Richmond Stace the Pain Coach and one of the co-founders behind Understand Pain.
Richmond is a Chartered Physiotherapist specialising in treating and coaching people to manage and overcome their pain.
His purpose is to improve the world by reducing the suffering caused by chronic pain, measured by people living their best lives.
His vision is a world that understands pain, which would mean less suffering and more living.
Where it began
Richmond started out training to be a nurse before he progressed into physiotherapy. Through working with people who were suffering, he made a conscious decision to focus his time and energy on pain.
He explores with his clients (and his audience) what he calls a 'complete' approach to pain and suffering. He treats the person as a whole; combining biology with psychology as he sees them being dependant of each other.
Richmond talks about the importance of mindfulness but not from the point of having a chilled out life, being calm or sitting cross-legged on a cushion! For him, it's about becoming familiar with the way you think, how that's embodied and becoming skilful with that and being able to let go of things that are unhelpful.
Fascinating and inspiring, Richmond is on a mission to change the way we think about pain.
Here's some final words of from Richmond;
"When you understand pain, you're starting to change your pain. Understand your pain to understand your potential."
Check out what Richmond is up to here
Find out more about Understand Pain here
Start a conversation with him on;
22. PI #22: Sarah McKiernan - finding joy
On this episode I interview Sarah McKiernan founder of Work-life Balance Management who talks openly about her own mental health experiences and how finding joy in what we are doing is so important.
Sarah is a coach, consultant and speaker who’s work is focused on mental health and well-being as a whole.
Where it began
Sarah's first career was within the IT industry in Australia, working long hours and with a lot of pressure. As a result (and in her own words) she had a nervous breakdown. The medical terms she was diagnosed with were; anxiety disorder, somatic disorder and panic attacks.
Through her own pain and suffering Sarah discovered her passion; helping others.
Finding her own joy has provided a platform that allows Sarah to combines analysis and process improvement with her coaching; working with organisations and also private clients.
Whilst we share a slightly different view on work-life balance, we both agree that a balanced life is not a perfect one. Balance is important (at times) and this tends to be the space between the extremes.
Insightful and inspiring, Sarah is gentle and compassionate.
Here's some final words of from Sarah;
"Don't leave it too late to work out what matters to you."
Start a conversation with her on;
21. PI #21: Fergus Connolly - making mistakes
On this episode I interview Fergus Connolly, author of Game Changer.
In his own words; Fergus owes everything to failure and making mistakes.
Where it began:
He moved back from the US and took up playing Gaelic football in his teens (which is quite late to take up the sport). Because he wasn't as good, he studied what other successful people were doing. He was always striving to get better and working with the best that he had available to him.
During our conversation, Fergus refers to what he does for a living as an interest, a hobby, a passion. A passion that he admits to being fortunate enough to get paid for doing.
You only have to hear him talk about using all of his free time and holiday time to go and visit coaches to understand how obsessively driven and dedicated he has been in his life to date.
Sharing ideas:
Learning from others, Fergus has taken every opportunity to learn and found other coaches to be very welcoming along the way. This includes working with a number of different teams in a number of different sports. These include; Wales Rugby Union, Munster Rugby Football Club, The New York Knicks, Cleveland Browns, Warrington Wolves Rugby League, San Francisco 49ers and Cricket Australia.
In Game Changer: The Art of Sports Science, Fergus Connolly shows how to improve performance with evidence-based analysis and athlete-focused training. Through his unprecedented experiences with teams in professional football, basketball, rugby, soccer, Aussie Rules, and Gaelic football, as well as with elite military units, Connolly has discovered how to break down the common elements in all sports to their basic components so that each moment of any game can be better analysed, whether you’re a player or a coach.
Some wise words of wisdom from a humble Fergus;
"I refuse to believe I’ve done anything extraordinary; I don’t believe I’m any better than anybody else."
Check out what Fergus is up to here
Order your copy of Game Changer here
Find out more about St Frances and the Apieta Fund which Fergus talked about here
Start a conversation with him on;
20. PI #20: Osmaan Sharif - get out your way
On this episode I interview Osmaan Sharif, owner of Rapid Transformation and host of The Get Out Your Way Podcast.
In his own words; Osmaan saw the ‘light’ (in a really non ‘woo-woo’ way) & quit his corporate job to start his own business back in 2007 to help people get better results, by changing the way they think, feel & act.
Osmaan works with people; helping them 'Get out of their own way'.
He finds himself doing this on a daily basis; helping people to challenge some of their thoughts and overcome some of their fears.
Since launching his own business in 2007 he’s helped hundreds of small to medium sized business owner’s transition from the corporate world thinking and being an employee, to thinking and behaving like an entrepreneur.
As a coach, Osmaan talks passionately about using tools & techniques from the world of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) & Wealth Dynamics to help people get unstuck.
Osmaan took the decision to launch his own podcast in May (2018) this year on the back of clients and friends asking him if he was going to have his own podcast! 19 episodes in and Osmaan has developed a core following amongst business owners and people wanting to 'Get out their way'.
Some final words of wisdom from Osmaan;
"Honour your own self and your super power. Understand it, discover it and truly embrace it."
Check out what Osmaan is up to here
Start a conversation with him on;
19. PI #19: Alison Jones - something to say
On this episode I interview Alison Jones; business book publisher and podcast host with something to say. Her podcast, the Extraordinary Business Book Club has over 100 episodes for listening to check out.
Alison works in publishing and partners business people 'who have something to say'. Having been in publishing for over 25 years she knows what she's talking about.
At one point Alison grew frustrated with the publishing industry and was about to quit. She trained as a coach and developed a 'side hustle' working with people in a coaching capacity. As soon as they found out she was a publisher, all they wanted to do was then publish a book!
Part of what drives Alison is helping people to develop their business through writing and publishing a book. Providing those people with something to say, a platform for there message.
Driven by (personal) embarrassment.
Alison set about writing and publishing her own book. In March 2018 she became author of the book; This Book Means Business; Clever ways to plan and write a book that works harder for your business.
If you're a business owner and you're producing content, it's worth writing a book as the process itself will provide you with content. It can be a great way of 'putting you out there'.
Some final words of wisdom from Alison;
"Be careful because you never know who you're inspiring."
Find out more about Alison and what she's up to here
You can get your hands on This Books Means Business here
Start a conversation with Alison on;
18. PI #18: Jim Lalwless - act Boldly time is limited
On this episode I interview Jim Lawless; motivational speaker, author of the book Taming Tigers and living proof of why we all need to act boldly as time is limited.
As a result of an unfulfilled job as a corporate lawyer and unsure about what the future looked like, Jim decided to act boldly and left the city to explore what would give him greater purpose in his life.
Jim shares his story and how Taming Tigers came about.
As a result of taking on a bet from one of the audience to ride a horse in a televised race, Jim embarked on training to become a Jockey. First of all it's worth pointing out that Jim had never been on a horse before in his life. People laughed of course and some of the videos of Jim (learning to ride) are hilarious.
Taming Tigers is centred on Ten rules;
1.Act boldly today - time is limited
2.Re-write your rule book - challenge it hourly
3.Head in the direction of where you want to arrive, every day
4.It's all in the mind
5.The tools for Taming Tigers are all around you
6.There is no safety in numbers
7.Do something scary everyday
8.Understand and control your time to create change
9.Create disciplines - do the basics brilliantly
10.Never, never give up!
Furthermore in this episode, Jim shares some of the risks that he's taken and how he sometimes feels confidently lost (similar to Gavin Oattes on episode 14). He talks about his own vulnerability and turning up messy.
Some final words of wisdom from Jim;
"Enjoy it. We're not here forever. Don't get down about it; let's enjoy today."
Find out more about Jim and what he's up to here
You can get your hands on Taming Tigers here
Start a conversation with him on;
17. PI #17: Heath Armstrong - sweet ass domination part 2
Part 2 of this episode picks up where we left off, with more openness and thoughts provoked from Heath.
If you're a fan of reflecting and / or like to set goals and write to-do lists, then the Sweet Ass Journal is for you.
Heath talks us through how the Sweet Ass Journal came about and how it's helping people make changes and achieve more in their lives. With an emphasis on developing the 'happiness muscle' the journal focuses on 100 days. Heath has created some templates to navigate you through this process.
With the Sweet ass domination journal Heath has drawn his ideas and inspiration from a number of sources and says;
"You need to take the things that inspire you, the things other people have made and then make it your own and share it with other people."
As well as being the author and creator of sweet ass domination journal, Heath is also a fellow Podcaster and has interviewed over 100 of the Top Entrepreneurs.
You can listen to his podcast; Never Stop Peaking here
Find out more about Heath and what he's up to here
Get your hands on his book: Sweet Ass Journal here
Start a conversation with him on;
16. PI #16: Heath Armstrong - sweet ass domination part 1
On this episode I interview Heath Armstrong; creator of the Sweet Ass Journal and Sweet Ass Domination Deck.
Part 1 of this 2 part episode is packed with honesty and no bullshit. Heath says it how it is which is refreshing and enlightening in equal measure.
His energy and enthusiasm gets you straight away as he recounts part of his own story and the times in his life when things weren't going particularly well for him.
Having decided to make some different decisions in his life, Heath has opened up his own mind and mindset to one of affirmation and one of positivity.
As with most of my guests so far, you get to hear that he hasn't just arrived at this point in time. There's been a number of people and influences along the way; who have either mentored, advised or just shared their views.
As well as being the author and creator of sweet ass domination journal and deck, Heath is also a fellow Podcaster and has interviewed over 100 of the Top Entrepreneurs.
Heath gives us a flavour of the domination deck cards and how they include the light and the dark. Here's a short quote from him;
"Life is about how you choose to react, when it happens."
Find out more about Heath and what he's up to here
Get your hands on his book: Sweet Ass Journal here
Start a conversation with him on;
15. PI #15: Emma Lannigan - give play love learn
On this episode I interview the inspiring Emma Lannigan; co-author of the book Be Life Happy; give play love learn.
Emma is a mentor and coach working across the well-being and marketing sectors; having started out as a marketer.
She openly admits to not 'fitting the model' expected in the workplace during her career; being a strong, opinionated and passionate woman.
Emma shares with us her journey of long lasting change and how it's OK to have more than one career (she's doing it!).
She talks about how you may love your job (or career) at times but does it love you?!
Emma gives a personal account of what it was like to experience acute anxiety a depression in her early 20's and some of the strategies that have helped her to overcome these.
She talks passionately about 'Be Life Happy' her first book and why it's important for each of us to give some time each day or each week to; giving, playing, loving and learning.
In life and certainly from a mental health perspective Emma encourages each of us to;
"Give yourself time to process your own thoughts."
Find out more about Emma and what she's up to here
Get your hands on her book: Be life happy here
Start a conversation with her on;