Exploring the creativity of the human spirit with just five simple questions. Those questions give us a window to explore the journey and life story of people that look like they have it sorted.
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 10, 2018
Tuesday Jul 10, 2018
Another week another Podcast. Is interesting how a lot of my friends live the laptop lifestyle. It seems so easy to travel the world and run a business from a rucksack. I know that is not a reality, it is a hard choice. I have not left the UK and it is such a challenge to maintain a good connection. With much of life now in the cloud, no wifi means no nothing. Even with a connection, there are limits trying to record podcasts with guests when the Wi-Fi is unreliable is frustrating.
So I find myself another week without a Podcast. The guests were lined up but the internet made it impossible to have those conversations. But maybe this is a good thing, as I get to tell more of my journey with this project. On this show, we explore where I am at with my passion and where I am taking it.
The truth is we are at the turning point. I am currently going through a rebranding exercise for life pension and business. An exercise that will see a lot of change. There will still be the interviews but there will be more.
The key point is I have stopped searching for answers because they do not exist outside of me or you. My goal is for you to discover your journey, define success for yourself. Find the source of your passion and the meaning of life for you.
Friday Jun 29, 2018
Friday Jun 29, 2018
What is authenticity and what does it mean to be yourself? Why is this important for emotional, psychological and even physical health?
Should we try to be ourselves at work? Should our work and identity stay separate or should they perfectly entwine?
Are we happier when bringing our full selves to work? If so, what are the first steps to take and what is the path to finding a deeper sense of meaning, purpose and happiness in our work and lives?
In this episode Lisa and I continue on our quest for self-discovery and growth, endeavouring to answer age-old questions with the latest research from positive psychology.
We'd love to have you as travel companions, so please come along for the ride here:
Wednesday Jun 27, 2018
Wednesday Jun 27, 2018
My guest on the show today was scheduled weeks back, however, due to numerous issues at both ends, it was postponed until now. But that is the thing I notice the right guest seems to show up at the right time.
In every podcast, there is always an open question when I asked Kevin his answer almost encapsulated my new thinking and purpose for this project. Listen to this man; people pay him a lot of money to be coached or hear him speak. None of it is rocket science, but like any worthwhile journey, it takes effort and commitment to do the process.
Kevin started out in the corporate world and served 25 years in marketing, advertising, in senior-level positions with some of the largest brands in the world. Household name Walmart, American Airlines and BMW
Currently, he is an entrepreneur's mentor and coach, consultant, author, and speaker. The path chose him, but I am jumping ahead of the story.
Kevin's life blew up with divorce and bankruptcy within a few months of each other. It was his journey out of the dark place that gave him the tools to feel good about himself.
Using his experience as the model and his corporate experience Kevin became an executive coach. Since then he has worked in 53 countries and currently serving clients on five continents, Kevin dives deep to uncover roadblocks, operational inefficiencies, and leadership needs.
There is a lot of value here, I hope you enjoy the conversation with Kevin Breeding.
Wednesday Jun 20, 2018
Wednesday Jun 20, 2018
I am always looking for entertaining guests and spend much of my time exploring LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. However, sometimes people approach me, and that's how it was with Frankie Fihn.
We met on Facebook; he is a marketing connection. While I did not know his full story, there was something in what he was saying that caught my interest. Like many of my connection, he seemed to have the ideal life of travel and exotic location.
I went straight into this recording without any preconception, and I have to say it may trigger you as it touches on the use of an illegal substance Ayahuasca. Full disclaimer here as this is by no means an advocation of its use. However, it is a fascinating story.
Frankie Fihn is outwardly successful, he is a well-known speaker, entrepreneur and by his description a Master of the Mystical Arts. He operates a coaching and consulting business for lawyers and builds creative marketing systems. He has a laptop lifestyle allowing him to travel and experience the world with his partner.
However, since his exploration of life through Ayahuasca he looks at the worlds through a different lens. He calls himself a shaman in his coaching uses intuition and vibration to work with people on a different level.
The entrepreneurial life is held up like a chalice, and in reality, it is difficult. Frankie helps his clients express and release fears, frustration and self-sabotage. He helps them to bring more colour, vibrancy and meaningful connections in their lives, all while increasing their business and personal freedom.
It was a great conversation as you will hear Frankie had a real perspective on the big questions of success, passion, and the meaning of life.
I hope you enjoy the conversation with Frankie Fihn
Tuesday Jun 12, 2018
Tuesday Jun 12, 2018
My guest on the show is Geoff Burch; I had seen Geoff speak at a business event some years back. I sent him my usual guest request email, and unusually he picked up the phone and called me to say. “ Yes, let’s do it always up for mischief.”
The following ten-minute conversation had me crying with laughter. If that happened in the program, I had wondered how I would hold it all together. There was nothing to worry about Geoff was a great guest, and the show is worth a listen.
Geoff Burch is a best-selling author with six books to his name; he is a business guru and a successful speaker.
He started his working life driving bulldozers, went to art college in a terylene suit, became a hells angel and at some point, stared to buy and sell businesses. He owned a scrap yard, a paper mill and a haulage company to name but a few.
By his admission, he is the original cynic calling himself a “miserable bastard”. In truth, he is a natural storyteller, and the cynic is part of the story. His skill is the ability to create humour from any situation even his near-death through open heart surgery.
He can take a serious business message and delivery it using memorable stories and characters. It has led to a radio shows and television appearances, books, conference keynotes and after dinner speaking.
Geoff is naturally funny and cannot help but make jokes. During our conversation, we hear him describe his journey as a happy accident. How he met his wife. We get the answer to those big questions and how he survived the last year leading to surgery, which nearly killed him. He also reminds us that he still wears the secret Hells Angel ring.
I hope you enjoy the conversation with Geoff Burch
Monday May 28, 2018
Monday May 28, 2018
My guest on today's programme is Stuart Mason a local connection for me but not that I knew it at the time. We met on Linkedin as I do with most of my business connections. I was great to discover that he lives just a few miles from me and so we met at the local Costa to see how we might work together.
When I heard his story, I realised that he would be a potential guest for the programme and he said yes.
Stewart left school in the 1980s with limited qualifications, he was running a business from his parents' attic and making more money than he father. "Who needs exams?"
It turns out that he did, as getting into the RAF without them was challenging but not impossible, but it did prevent him from flying.
You will hear how stated a business 1990 and ran it very successfully for over 20 years while driving fast cars and flying helicopters. The financial crash came in 2007/8 and put an end to it all.
I think you need to listen to the Story to find out what happened next. But here returned Lossiemouth and brought with him a successful business coaching practice. He has also returned to his printing roots setting up "The Moray Business Store." offering various printing and web services. The printing business dovetails together well with his coaching skills
In our interview, he explores what went wrong with his print company and how he sees the same mistakes in the business he supports.
Stuart speaks well, and I am sorry that the audio recording is not the best all the same I hope you enjoy our conversation.
If you would like to connect with Stuart you can find him at
The Moray Business Store
Tuesday May 22, 2018
Tuesday May 22, 2018
My guest on the programme is a Maverick, and she has always been that way including the time when life did not allow for that expression.
Shari is a mindset coach and creative strategist. She is there to defrag the brain when you are stuck. She helps people find their unique path in all areas of life and wellbeing.
But she did not start this way. Her current success is the product of 12 years of hard and intense work.
Born into a Jewish community just outside New York. She followed the plan as she knew it and became the stay at home mum.
But, while it may have been pretty on the outside, and the maverick was screaming and urging her to break free.
Freedom comes with a cost, but the prize is worth having, we get to hear that story.
It is a journey that has given her some fantastic tools and allowed her to develop a unique zone of genius. She helps people to find the creative spark, inner drive and individuality. All of the attributes need to fuel success meaning and fulfilment.
She does the deep work right alongside her clients she is not afraid of walking into the dark places. For Shari, every person has the potential to uncover and rediscover whom they once were before they lost their spark.
Now listen carefully because this New York girl talks quick
I hope you enjoy that conversation with Shari Teigman
Tuesday May 15, 2018
Tuesday May 15, 2018
It would be right to say that this weeks guest does not sit about. I am not sure if he was always a man on a mission, but Alastair McGill is driven.
Although a trained and qualified as an accountant, he does not answer to that label. When pushed he says he was a creative accountant, but in truth, he is so much more.
He is a competitive runner and believes in living life to the max; there have been highs and lows. Making money and losing money.
But he is never short of ideas; some come small hours or when pounding the streets at 5 am, training for the next race.
Unlike many of my guests he has never lost his passion, and for him, it does not feel like hard work. He is always busy and loves thinking of creative ways to be disruptive.
“Why does it have to be that way?”
His businesses ( yes multiple) and life reflects his values and beliefs. He does not conform to industry stereotype. You could never call him a boring accountant.
He takes the modern approach that breaks boundaries where ever he goes he looks to create a positive, dynamic and fun environment for clients and staff alike.
Ali is all about compassion, empathy, about treating people well. If I was going to apply a label to what he is and does, he is an accountant, designer and educator. Yes even without university degree he was asked to be a course lecturer.
Currently, he helps organisations to work together, to create better companies.
I hope you enjoy the conversation with Ali McGill
Tuesday May 08, 2018
Tuesday May 08, 2018
Since the beginning of the years, I have learnt lots on this podcast journey. What I have discovered is that meaning and living a good life is available to all of us. My guests are living proof. But how do you and I get there?
I am stepping up and taking the journey, and I would like you to come with me. You will discover more on the programme or by joining the email list at life Passion and Business .com
This week's guests is a young family man who is living the dream with his wife Liz and their 3 Children. Does that sound corny and what do I mean by young. At my age anyone under 40 is young.
Danny Clark is in his 30th year and to some extent, he has done all of the traditional life journey and found it wanting. He felt controlled and unhappy.
On leaving education, he became a council surveyor, he did well and that could have been a job life, but the routine ground him down. It was the start of the feeling of being controlled and unhappy. His solution was to quit and go travelling.
They say travel broadens the mind and in this case, it was true, it changed his thinking. On his return, he went back into the world of work.
He explored estate agency, Insurance, Recruitment and eventually, he entered the financial services industry.
Somewhere on that journey he got married and had three children.
Life was good, he had over ten years of experience in the direct sales and achieved considerable success both personally and professionally.
But he and Liz had a dream of a different life with more freedom; they saw an opportunity in Multi-Level Marketing.
Before you groan, this is not a pitch for MLM or a particular company; it is the story of how they bucked a system that did not want to be bucked.
Danny and his wife Liz achieved huge success in the MLM industry, earning multiple incentives and being recognised as being in the top 1% of the company.
They did this by dumping the usual routine and using normal business practice. The company hated them for not following the system and pushed them out.
Not wanting to lose what they had gained Danny and Liz used the techniques they had developed to build an online coaching system for people in the MLM space.
In the last 12 months alone he has personally recruited 624 members to join his coaching programs.
Using the power of online platforms and social media Danny and Liz have created an income that is not bound by their location. After many years of feeling controlled and being unhappy. He is now living the dream and travels the world full time with his wife and family.
Tuesday May 01, 2018
Tuesday May 01, 2018
Carla Young is a twitter connection from the time when people had conversations on the platform. It is still possible to have conversations there but that is another topic. I have followed Carla on various platforms and have always appreciated her dry wit and sharp writing.
She is a freelance technical writer, maybe there is a theme here I did not realize that so many of my connections were In the text writing business. What comes over in our conversation it that Carla has designed her business to fit in with her life. She does not really compromise if it does not fit it goes.
She is living proof that women can have it all – and then some – She has built multiple businesses on a virtual work-at-home model, and is an example to anyone looking to start a lifestyle business.
During her early days as a mother and entrepreneur, by her own admission, she made every mistake in the book and a few new ones for good measure.
She realized that “doing it all” was unhealthy and unsustainable. So she started by getting organized to the extreme, developing support systems for both her work and family.
Carla is a writer for hire in the technical space, she can make your pipes or sprockets shine and sound interesting. However, at the time of our conversation, she was on a writing sabbatical from the technical stuff, taking time out to complete a work of fiction. As you will hear it is a different process, but at 75,000 words project is well on the road to completion.
In her own words she is a “badass and does things her own way” I hope you enjoy my conversation with Carla Young.
Tuesday Apr 24, 2018
Tuesday Apr 24, 2018
My Guest today is Russell Dalgleish he is a serial Scottish entrepreneur and investor. He is known as a strategist and innovator. In reality, he is a technician and a project manager, he looks at the world through that lens, using those principles to run his life very successful.
He is an advisor to business and governments, and it often called on by the media to comment on business issues.
From the beginning, Russell developed an interest in technology and it has allowed the development of a successful international career in the technology sector.
He focuses his efforts on supporting owners and the boards of small and medium-size companies to devise and implement growth strategies to create shareholder value.
His portfolio business accomplishments is extensive, if there is a list of businesses influencers, then Russell will be in the top 100 or just outside of it. If you want to his full biography, please check the podcast website, as it there too much to list in this introduction.
My interest in Russell is what drives him, he is fiercely competitive and has been on my podcast radar for a while. I was delighted that he trusted me enough to say yes.
During our conversation, we explore my usual questions, and in return, he put me on the spot.
He has a view on success and the meaning of life, he also has the formula and gives the suggestion as to how you might discover your own.
As ever I hope you enjoy the conversation enough to share it.
Tuesday Apr 17, 2018
Tuesday Apr 17, 2018
There is a natural calm; you know you are in safe hands. As with all of my conversation, we explore the questions to which there are no right answers. The point is we cannot copy the path of another, but we can learn from their experience.
Jeff Nemeth left university with a degree in the hospitality industry and spent five years in hotels restaurants and catering
At some point on that journey, he discovered he was not as fit as he was and decided to do something about it.
That was his cue to leaving behind the hospitality. It was the start of a 15-year tour of the fitness industry, He became a personal trainer, later a gym manager and eventually a gym owner.
His life is a story and a journey that led him towards the personal development world. It begins with his early experience of the fitness industry.
As he found success in the gym and the personal training world, he realised that there was a gap. There is a way to get what you want in life without feeling lost in the process.
He is now a specialist in human performance coaching. Over the last two years, he has developed programmes and applies them to real-world applications. He brings the tools to increase calm, clarity and harmony in the lives of busy people.
Jeff has some tips and tools to share, as ever I hope you enjoy the conversation.
If you enjoy the show and find something useful, do get in touch I would love to hear from you. You can find me on the podcast website, on LinkedIn or Facebook.
As ever please share the podcast there will be people in your network that will appreciate you for it. It only remains for me to say thanks for listening and I will catch you later.
Tuesday Apr 10, 2018
Tuesday Apr 10, 2018
My guest on today's programme is Simon Middleton. He was a connection I followed and made through LinkedIn. So imagine my surprise to during our conversation when I discovered that Simon is the author of "Build A Brand In 30 Days" a reference source I regularly use with marketing clients.
It is true to say that Simon is in his later years and has had a long and varied career. On leaving education, he trained as a primary school teacher. On qualification, he discovered that teaching was not for him.
Moving into public relations, he honed his creativity and writing skill. Then in one of those volte-face moments, he decided to retrain as a Nurse and spend ten years working in the NHS.
On leaving the health service in another career shift, he returned to the PR and branding world. It was a time accelerated growth, and his career took off, writing books, speaking at events, running a successful brand consultancy. He did the TV slots. He did the world travel.
Moving on again for health reason, Simon relocated to his beloved Suffolk and found inspiration on the beach and in the harbour at Southwold. That inspiration has led to the launch of a new menswear clothing brand. "Blackshore"
In our conversation, you can hear us enjoying the journey. We touch on branding, Stories, What is a success, the meaning of life and the reason why TV detectives drive Volvo cars.
I hope you enjoy the conversation with Simon Middleton.
Tuesday Apr 03, 2018
Tuesday Apr 03, 2018
The podcast today is a little different from the previous conversations in that there is no guest.
The main reason for that is I have been travelling throughout March, that has meant limited internet access, limited scheduling windows with guests and technology problems. It finally caught up with me today; I could not make it happen.
That was it I am left with a show and no guest. In considering what was the best thing to do I realised that the one person you have not heard from is me, what is my story.
I might have shared a little bit of it on the website or in the podcast, but I have not told my actual story. Or where I sit with the theme of this show, I have said I am on the journey of discovery. But not explained my thoughts on the big questions of success passion and meaning.
It is time I set the record straight and gave a little bit about my life and where I come from.
This podcast covers my early life, the loss of passion for the work that I did, it also looks at how my passion shifted as my circumstances changed.
I talk about my thoughts on success, meaning and at the end of the podcast I share a resource that is working for me at the moment.
Tuesday Mar 27, 2018
Tuesday Mar 27, 2018
What we have learnt so far
During the last 10 weeks or so we have had a number of interviews and discovered some common threads around life passion and business
One of the things comes through it is about following the energy, all of my guests had a curiosity for life
They have an interest in what is going on around them.
There is something about discovering the qualities of your character because when you explore and express those qualities you are fulfilling the purpose you were made for
What is Success
This is not necessarily something that is comparable with others. Your success may look and feel different.
Money is not always the answer but it can be a tool
Following your joy can be the same as following your passion
Passion is often about serving the world or serving a greater purpose.
But the one thing that is important if you are going to follow a life of passion and purpose is to make sure that you're serving your own purpose and that you are looking after yourself.
Dan put it best when he said. Are you earning enough to give you the freedom to do the things you are passionate about?
My conclusion in making this programme was that it is difficult to review and distil ten interviews without telling you everything. I can only say listen to them they are worth the time.