The Mavericks Unlimited Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mavericks Unlimited
On this podcast, we speak with Mavericks - creatives, visionaries and gamechangers who make their own rules, do work they love and live life on their own terms.
If you ever thought that putting profit before people is a sustainable business strategy, you need to listen to this episode.
Nikki Gatenby, CEO of Search Listening and Chief Growth Officer of PropellerNet, tells us the story of building one of the most profitable agencies in the country…and they are consistently ranked in the best places to work in the UK as well.
Nikki couldn’t be any more Maverick if she tried and, in this episode, she shares some of the transformational practices that PropellerNet use…and the commercial impact of these. She also tells us what it was like to share this people-first philosophy in her best-selling book SuperEngaged.
Nikki breaks every stereotype of what you might imagine a business leader needs to be like. She is warm, humble and extremely heart-centred. She also walks her talk at every step. Just SuperInspirational.
In this conversation, we talk about: * Why putting people before profit makes complete commercial sense * The journey from seeing the underbelly of the creative sector in London to leading one of the best places to work in the UK * Why giving people time and space specifically to learn drives innovation * Putting life first rather than putting the client first leads to better service, creativity and, ultimately, money * How to encourage people to bring their whole selves to work * The oddest and most productive conversation an MD can have with a new employee * The intersection between people’s dreams and your business plan * Why Propellernet refuses to grow bigger than 60 people…and it may not be what you think! * Why the obsession with business growth can be destructive * The 3 top things that any Scale-up Founder can implement to get the best from their people * A different approach to feedback that can change the nature of performance conversations * Why the people with the loudest are often the least courageous!
Nikki's Social Links LinkedIn | Twitter
Hanna Naima McCloskey is both an inspirational and awesome human being. As the Founder and CEO of Fearless Futures, she is seeking to put social justice, equity and equality at the heart of the business agenda.
So many people are now talking about diversity and inclusion, but we are seeing many ineffective initiatives, committees and training that barely scratch the surface.
Hanna and Fearless Futures give business leaders a true experience of what it is like to experience inequity and prejudice. It is only from that place, she contends, can we really design organisations for true inclusion.
As a person, Hanna is warm, smart and wise beyond her years. As a startup founder, she is focused and purposeful. For me, this is one of the most important episodes that I have ever been part of. Hanna really does blow the lid off what you think diversity and inclusion are.
In this conversation, we talk about: * Why dealing with inequity and inclusion is the transformative path to leadership * How you can be a startup founder and fundamentally create social change * Acknowledging that the world is unequal is the real starting point of diversity and inclusion (D&I) * Most diversity and inclusion work doesn’t address the root causes of the issues that it sets out to address * Never understand the power of a few courageous agitators to create fundamental change in organisations * Webinars on unconscious bias are NOT the way forward * Why you can’t look at diversity and inclusion by looking at gender, race etc as separate issues * How to REALLY approach D&I as a transformative subject that does actually change things * Why Fearless Futures never engage in business case conversations for the work they do with organisations * How Hanna lives her own values as a leader in her own organisation * Why this is one of the most important podcasts that you will listen to this year
Hanna's Social Links LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Medium
Justin Billingsley defies convention. It would be very easy to make assumptions about someone who is one of the most senior people globally in a multinational advertising group. Whatever picture that brings to mind, Justin is NONE of that…and is a true Maverick.
As the CEO of Publicis DACH and Publicis EMIL, Justin runs a multi-billion dollar business. But, he walked into our interview, took off his converse trainers and chatted with me as if I had known him for years. It couldn’t have been more refreshing experience.
In this podcast, Justin discusses his journey as a Maverick and how he has risen to the ranks of being a global business leader, all while staying true to himself.
What impressed me most about Justin is just how down-to-earth, humble, geeky and personal he is. He is also immensely smart. If you work in corporate but long to be more true to yourself, this is a must listen.
In this conversation, we talk about: * Even in corporations, you can be disrupting and entrepreneurial * What is your one-word equity? * What it takes to reach the top of one of the world’s largest and most successful companies * The challenges and opportunities of moving your family and moving to China * How as a Maverick, you have to be able to embrace ambiguity * Despite technology, it is still important to do business by looking people in the eye by being there in person * In the age of information and technology, staying analogue is what keeps Justin organised * As a founder, know your weaknesses and staff up around that * The challenges of integrating family life and self-care and with being a global business leader * How even global leaders have the people that inspire them * When looking for inspiration, read outside of your immediate area of interest…it stimulates creativity and lateral thinking * Assume that you are not an imposter! That holds more people back than almost anything else…
Justin's Social Links LinkedIn | Twitter
So much success depends on ignoring the advice and opinions of others and figuring out what really works for you. That saves time, energy and an awful lot of angst as Tara McMullin, the CEO and Founder of The What Works Network and extremely successful podcast of the same name, has discovered.
For over 10 years, she has been facilitating honest conversations about running and growing a small business and answering the no. 1 question small business owners want to know is: What works? (in marketing, hiring people, selling more, driving results etc).
What I love about Tara is that she is extremely grounded and relatable, yet incredibly inspiring and wise. Tara describes herself as a "natural introvert but digital extravert" and she hits that sweet spot where purpose meets the practical, where the big picture meets pragmatic action.
In this episode Tara shares her experience of what has worked for her in building her business, growing as a person and leader and really discovering what authentic success means for her.
In this conversation, we talk about: * Why being a Maverick ultimately means being true to your own values * The way to forge your own path is to take imperfect action * How we limit ourselves as leaders, entrepreneurs and founders through the stories we tell ourselves * Why most goal-setting in business is evolutionary and completely unhelpful * Who you are and how you behave is more important to your success in business than the goals you set * If you don’t decide who you are becoming as a leader, someone else will * Why being a powerful leader is rooted into tapping into your natural strengths…so even ‘quiet’ people can be extremely powerful * The top three strategies that have helped Tara as a CEO and Founder grow her business * As an entrepreneur, focus on energy management rather than time management
Every now and then, someone comes along who is so genuine and authentic that it is hard not to be instantly enrolled in them. That was the case for us at Mavericks Unlimited with Josh Connolly.
Josh is a speaker, coach and spokesperson for the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, who spends his time passionately advocating the power of authenticity, resilience and acceptance. These aren't just concepts for Josh, they are born out of hard-earned experience and an extraordinary journey through life with extreme ups and downs. He also speaks about mental health and why so much of the current debate on this topic is focused on completely the wrong thing.
The thing that I love about Josh is that he speaks so openly and authentically about emotions and feelings that many of us have but are afraid to bring out into the open. More than that, he speaks with courage, acceptance and compassion.
Josh is a true model of what it is to fall down, do the inner work and, ultimately, thrive as a person doing incredible work in the world.
In this conversation, we talk about: * The difference between how we see our lives and what is actually happening * The strategies we use to deal with overwhelm, stress and pain that simply don't work * The difference between how we look to the outside world and what we might actually be feeling inside * The journey through addiction to actually thriving in life * Why being completely present with how you are feeling can literally change everything * How the current focus on mental health in society and the workplace is actually focused on the wrong things * Thriving in life and work is ultimately down to resilience * What resilience is and what it isn't * The keys and techniques to build your resilience * Why stress is good...and when it becomes bad * How to reframe stress in order to become more resilient * The power of authenticity...and how to become more authentic
Josh's Social Links LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube
Change is difficult, but if you want any degree of success, you can't keep doing the same thing over and over again. At some point, you have to take a risk and do something different.
That is the core message of our guest this week, Ray Richards. Ray is the CEO of the Brighton-based tech company Do Something Different and is very much a Maverick in his own right. DSD's mission is to help people create sustainable change in their lives by mixing up their routine and taking small steps or "do's" to expand their behavioural flexibility. It is this behavioural flexibility that is the key to reaching our goals.
In this episode, we talk about what you can do to build your own behavioural flexibility, how you can deal with the unknown and bring the people who matter on the journey with you.
What I love about Ray is that he is extremely grounded, laid-back and pragmatic. Although he believes that change it simple, it is not easy and he is dedicated to making it easier.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: * The definition of insanity is... * The most successful people in life have behavioural flexibility * There is a difference between knowing when to flex...and actually doing it * To make an audacious change, you have to break it down into tiny chunks of doing something different * The 3 keys to behavioural flexibility * What a flying volleyball has to do with taking personal responsibility * You can think your way into a new way of acting, but you can act your way into a new way of thinking * To make a change, you have to actually take action, not just think about it * How to embrace both the unknown and the known (and know which you prefer) * What to do when you have fallen into a rut * Why routines are so important for Mavericks * What the law of unintended consequences is * How to become the Maverick you have always wanted to be! * The risks involved in not listening to the old INXS album... * The impact of other people on your efforts to change * And much much more...
LINKS The Do Something Different website
DSD Social Links - LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
Whatever flavour of Maverick you are, whether change maker, leader or entrepreneur, sooner or later you are going to have to sell people on your ideas and bring them on a journey with you.
And this is what marketeer Wes Kao is a master of. She understands that selling isn’t a dirty word, but rather about deep empathy, walking a mile in another person’s shoes and really helping the other person to feel seen and heard.
She helps organisations launch products, leaders run change programmes and entrepreneurs to really understand their audience.
Wes has also learned from the best having worked closely with Seth Godin as the Executive Director of his AltMBA programme.
In this episode, we do talk about tools and techniques of persuasion, but we go rather deeper into how to really hone your empathy, building your confidence and how to bring your loved ones along on with your on your Maverick journey.
In this conversation, you'll learn: * The life advice that Seth Godin gave Wes * "It was like a knife being sharpened" - the experience of working with Seth Godin * Whether you are a change maker, leader or entrepreneur, you need to be selling your ideas every day * The role of the WIIFT (what's in it for them?) * How to build your empathy (clue: it's not all about you!) * The need to position your ideas in the context of what is important to the person you are trying to bring along with you...not what is important to you * If it is hard to get ourselves to change, why do we wonder why it is difficult to get other people to change? * How to use social proof, FOMO and storytelling to bring people along with us * The role of tribal behaviour in getting people to take action * How to use these techniques to bring your loved ones on your journey * DO NOT try to problem solve with people until they feel seen and heard * Ultimately this is all about establishing and building TRUST * How using sprints and building momentum is so important in building your confidence * Trojan-horsing your idea to get past the "immune system" of your organisation or family * And much much more!
Links Wes' social links - LINKEDIN | TWITTER
We believe that Mavericks can change the world and that the world needs more Mavericks...and that is exactly what this week's podcast guests are doing. Rich Bloom and Ross Taylor are first-degree Mavericks. Having worked in the recruitment industry for years and running their own very successful recruitment company, they felt the need to shake things up and disrupt their industry.
Rich and Ross have literally just launched Hidden, their new recruitment venture, which aims to throw out bad practices that a driven by sales targets and contingencies fees. More than that, they are using technology to further diversity and inclusion by eliminating unconscious bias from the recruitment process...all while providing a much higher level of service to their clients.
It would be easy to dismiss this if recruitment isn't your thing. The real message here though is about what it really takes to build a startup when you are following your principles as well as trying to build prosperity. Rich and Ross are very candid about the challenges they have faces, the difficulty of convincing clients of radically new ways of working and the impact on their families.
What's more though, they are off to a flying start with clients such as Wunderman, VaynerMedia and Dentsu Aegis getting onboard very quickly.
If you are running your own business, dream of doing so or want to be a disrupter, this is a must listen!
In this conversation, you'll learn: * Why there is a need to shake things up in a very traditional industry * What makes Hidden a disrupter in the space * The strategic business case for diversity and inclusion in business * The link between the personal drive to create social change and creating a prosperous business * The impact of mental health challenges for entrepreneurs * The challenge of selling a radically different product or service * The trials and tribulations of long-term business partnerships * The importance of being able to clearly articulate what you are doing and its value * How do you navigate the territory of cashflow?? Simple...credit cards! * Why keeping your husband/wife/partner on side is soooooo important * Strategies for staying productive and not burning out as an entrepreneur * The growth of the human-centred workplace movement * How Christiano Ronaldo and David Beckham inspired two entrepreneurs * And much much more!
Links Rich and Ross' startup - HIDDEN
Hidden social links - TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
Feature article about HIDDEN in The Drum - Hidden targets unconscious bias in the creative industries with ‘in-house talent partner’ recruitment model
You know how sometimes you meet someone who is so effortlessly inspiring, it is unreal. That was my experience with Glenn Elliott, the founder of Reward Gateway and author of “Build It: The Rebel Playbook for World Class Employee Engagement”.
Glenn is a highly successful entrepreneur and former engineer whose approach to employee engagement is simple, down-to-earth and common sense. To him, engagement is not some fluffy HR issue but the single most important business improvement tool. As a result he is a hugely sought after speaker and travels the world championing employee engagement.
Glenn is grounded, warm and real..and that is what makes him so inspiring. There is no inauthenticity or pretense. And that is what makes him so effective.
In this conversation, you’ll learn: * The impact of office design on culture and engagement * "Employee engagement is about creating en environment when people can do their best work and want to do their best work" * The three factors for determining whether a person is going to be engaged at their job * Employee engagement isn't a fluffy issue on the side, it is the single most important business improvement tool * Every factor that will add to your bottom line is connected to people... * Numbers are just a mathematical model of the output of people...so how engaged your people are is critical * According to Gallup, about 70% of people are disengaged at work...and that isn't really changing * Most companies still treat their employees in the same way that we did during the Industrial Revolution (200 years ago!) * If you can't trust the people that work for you, don't employ them...employ people you can trust and build a great team * Most employee engagement is actually quite straight forward common sense and isn't expensive * A huge act of corporate rebellion...saying thank you to people at work ;) * The Bridge Model to Employee Engagement * The easiest places to start in building engagement are communication and recognition
LINKS Glenn's social links - LINKEDIN | TWITTER
Let’s face it, one of the biggest barriers to living life on your terms is a lack of time and having too many things to do. If we could just get ourselves a bit more organised or productive, things would be better, right?
Well, productivity expert Chris Bailey believes that it is not about managing time, it is about managing your attention. Social media and split focus are ruining the quality of our lives AND what we can accomplish. In his new book, Hyperfocus, Chris looks at what mindfulness really means and how it can supercharge our productivity and our life.
Chris is just a warm, compassionate man who is super-knowledgeable and full of practical tips. I also love that he is a bit of a productivity geek as well.
We talk about the neuroscience of productivity, meditation as a time management tool and the difference between getting stuff done vs accomplishing meaningful outcomes.
Other highlights of our conversation include:
- Effective productivity is actually about managing your attention not managing your time
- The first key to turning around overwhelm is looking at where you are stimulated or overstimulated
- Is looking at Instagram or Twitter really meaningful to your life or is it just distraction?
- How to check where your focus is on a consistent focus
- Hyperfocus vs Scatterfocus
- It is when our attention is at rest, that is when our mind is most creative
- Productivity and the power of 3
- Chris' super hack on the 3 Most Important Tasks productivity method
- The power of setting intentions before each task we attend to
- The difference between "how much have I done?" and "how much have I accomplished?"
- There really is no such thing as multitasking...it's impossible
- The real reason why multitasking actually kills your productivity
- Productivity is the by-product of managing our attention..and managing our attention determines the quality of our lives
- When was the last time you spent a day not looking at a screen?
LINKS Chris' website - A Life of Productivity
Chris' new book - Hyperfocus
Chris' TEDx Talk - A More Human Approach To Productivity
Chris' social links - TWITTER
This week we have a very special podcast. On Wednesday I did a facebook live with two of our old podcast guests – Claude Silver, who is the Chief Heart Officer of VaynerMedia and Bryan Falchuk, the author of Do A Day.
This was a chance for me to catch up with Claude and Bryan to find out what has happened since our interviews. More specifically though, we talk about how to reinvent yourself and start living life on your terms.
This podcast is the audio of that facebook live and what follows are 45 minutes of personal insight, actionable wisdom and some of the best tips for living an authentic life.
We spoke about Claude and Bryan’s personal journeys, transformation vs reinvention, how to manage your energy, falling down and getting back up and a whole host of other things.
It was a joy to spend time with these amazing human beings who are masters in their fields and there is so much learning in this session.
So, settle in, grab a coffee or tea and have a listen...
NOTE - because this is a recording of a Facebook Live, the audio quality is not super top-notch. We have cleaned it up as much as possible and hopefully, it won't get in the way too much.
Links Claude's social links - LINKEDIN | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
Bryan's social links - FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM
"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone" - Neale Donald Walsch
Let's face it, the single biggest barrier between you and the life of freedom and adventure you yearn for is inertia i.e. your comfort zone. Most of us would rather stay comfortable than taking risks and pushing ourselves to become the person we know are capable of becoming. Sooner or later, if you want to change, you have to bust out of your comfort zone.
That is exactly what this week's podcast guest, Andy Molinsky, has spent a lifetime studying. Andy is a Professor of International Business and Organisational Behaviour at Brandeis University and has written extensively on moving beyond your comfort zone. For him this was born out of personal experience, having initially suffered from a crippling fear of public speaking. Public speaking is now a huge part of what Andy does for a living and he shares some of the techniques he used.
If you feel like you are in danger of stagnating and aren't feeling as successful as you would like, listening in is an absolute must.
In this conversation, you'll learn: * How, regardless of our background or profession, the same things keep us in our comfort zone * The three main roadblocks that keep us in our comfort zone * How most people avoid expanding their comfort zone..and how that makes it harder next time around * The three tools that help us to step out of our comfort zone * Why having a purpose can help you overcome your fear * How to make a challenging situation just a little more comfortable * How props and symbols can connect you to your courage * Why you have more power than you think you do to create change * How to see taking a leap of faith as a learning opportunity...and how this is the trick to stepping outside your comfort zone * How to manage your inner state to stop fearing the worst case scenario * Why you stack the deck for success when you plan and prepare * Don't underestimate how brave and courageous you can be...and have been many times in your life already
Our guest this week is the speaker, writer and chef, Brooke Siem. Brooke describes herself as “categorically homeless”, having created a life as a digital nomad entrepreneur.
Brooke was a highly acclaimed chef and food writer in New York. However, she suffered huge depression and had been on anti-depressants since the age of 15, following the sudden death of her father.
So, she made a massive change by booking a one-way ticket to Malaysia and getting off the meds. Two years and 17 countries later, Brooke's primary focus is on advocating for mental health and wellness without the use of prescription drugs.
What I love about Brooke is her direct approach to life, her joy and her passion. She has wisdom beyond her years and is radically compassionate.
Some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- What life is like as a digital nomad/multi-entrepreneur
- The experience of finding wellness after coming off of anti-depressants
- The impact of being unmedicated while travelling around the world
- How to keep yourself grounded while going through a big change
- How losing the apparent big opportunity can be a blessing in disguise
- You can be in charge of your life but YOU have to take control of your life
- How the use of metaphor can have a transformative effect
- What the process of writing a book is like
- The problem with how we look at anxiety and depression in the modern world...and a more empowering way of looking at it
- Why "selfishness" is actually the key to staying healthy
- The gift of being focused on the present rather than the future
- Between the highlights is a lot of sweatpants and computer time!
- The need to take personal responsibility, even when you feel you are the victim of your circumstances
- The importance of learning to deal with your emotions rather than suppressing them
- An entrepreneurial idea that is just waiting for someone to exploit it!
Our guest this week is world-renowned yogi, entrepreneur and modern mystic, Daniel Aaron.
Daniel travels the world teaching yoga teachers and in 2012 set up the highly acclaimed Radiantly Alive yoga studio in Bali. He has also taught at Esalen and Omega and studied with many of the modern yoga masters.
Daniel firmly has both feet on the ground and has founded, run and sold several businesses. He works with business leaders using his signature mix of personal inquiry, breathwork and coaching to create transformation.
What I love about Daniel is his wisdom, open heart and open mind. He follows his intuition and sees everything as an opportunity to grow and learn. Something we all could learn from.
In this conversation, you'll learn: * What the impact of a moment of clarity/epiphany/spiritual awakening can be * "Before enlightenment, laundry. After enlightenment, laundry" * "To be well adjusted to an insane society is not a sign of sanity" - Krishnamurthi * How depression can actually be a gift with big benefit, though often only in hindsight! * For some people, there is no choice other than to be a Maverick * Why we need to celebrate confusion/being confused! * The rituals and routines that can keep you in a good/resourceful state * The purpose of negative feelings and what we can learn from them * How to overcome negative feelings and take fuel from them * Taking 100% responsibility is the key to getting unstuck * The benefits of taking a cold shower! (Trust me, it is worth it!) * Why just believing what our senses tell us keeps us feeling helpless and hopeless * The benefits of living with the principle of "ahimsa" - how can I live doing as little harm as possible?
Links You can get Daniel's FREE download - The Top 10 Tips for Living Vibrantly - at danielaaron.com
Daniel's social links - FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE
On this week’s episode, I am speaking to positive psychology coach and author of the book, “Ditch Your Inner Critic At Work” - Susan Peppercorn.
Like all of us, Susan battled her own inner demons. However, she has studied with some of the world’s leading authorities on positive psychology and has come up with many evidence-based practices to really kick that critic into touch.
Susan has been featured in the New York Times, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review and US News amongst others.
What I love about Susan is how down to earth and human she is. She really walks her talk as she has put everything she talks about into practice. Susan is a real example of “do as I do” rather than “do as I say”.
In this conversation, you'll learn: * The journey to figuring out what can make you happy and make you money * The physical impact that listening to your inner critic can have * How to start to tackle your own inner critic * A short daily practice that can change your brain to focus on the positive * Gratitude as an antidote to the negativity bias of the brain * The mental gremlins that get in the way of fulfilment and how to wrestle them down * Treating failure like a scientist * A brilliant exercise to gain a positive perspective * What the science says about the causes of happiness * How to understand and use your strengths * Why it is important to set stretch goals * The huge impact of giving small moments of attention to other people * And a whole lot more!
Links You can download Susan's free eBook, a career-fit assessment called “Are You in The Right Job?”, at her website - positiveworkplacepartners.com
You can buy Susan's book - Ditch Your Inner Critic at Work - on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Susan's social links - FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN
Kathryn Haydon has spent her life figuring out what creativity really is, helping to nurture it and being a passionate advocate for creative strengths.
She believes the troubled kids at school - the class clown, the rebel, the misfit - are actually misunderstood and are actually what the world needs more and more, due to their ability to think differently.
In this fascinating conversation, Kathryn suggests that as a society, we don't really know what creativity is. However, if we can nurture creative strengths, both in school and the workplace, so much more is possible.
What I love about Kathryn is her passion and thoughtfulness. She cares deeply for people who have previously been seen as troublesome and reframes them into creative heroes. Kathryn really is a true Maverick!
In this conversation you'll learn * Many creative thinkers are being marginalised at a young age, especially at school, because they display behaviours that are seen as disruptive or rebellious * That pattern is repeated as the divergent thinker goes into the world of work * What creative thinkers need to thrive * The difference between many see as creativity, and what creativity actually is * Many of the 'troublesome' characteristics of divergent thinkers are actually huge strengths that we need in the world right now * The place where your strengths, interests and values overlap is your creative spark * One of the best ways to apply creativity in the workplace is the 'creative problem solving process' * How to apply the creative problem solving process * How to create an organisation or ecosystem where creativity thrives * Why routines are crucial for optimal creativity * How to create rituals and routine for yourself when you hate routine * Not every creative is energised by every part of the creative process * The best advice for nurturing creativity
Links You can download Kathryn free strengths identification tool, mentioned in the podcast, here - www.sparkitivity.com/strengthsspotter
5 Ways To Support Creative Strengths
You can also find Kathryn's book, "Creativity for Everybody", on Amazon (also on Amazon UK, also Creatividad para todos is the Spanish translation)
Kathryn's social links - FACEBOOK | TWITTER| LINKEDIN
On this week’s episode our guest is life coach, writer and deep thinker, Olivia D’Silva.
Olivia went through had a life changing moment in 2006 which led her on a journey to discover what is truly valuable in life. Through different ups and downs, and moments of thinking “is this all there is?”, she has cultivated an approach to life that really is values based.
This led her to train as a coach and write her book – the Whole Life Economy. As she says, “recognise your true value and improve the quality of your life”.
I love that Olivia has written based on her own experience and experiments. Her work is deep and heart-based yet practical in everyday life. Some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- That moment when you realise that something HAS to change
- Often the first change you make isn't the one that will stick
- The seven resources that we have as humans that we take for granted - and if we valued them more, we would love our life a lot more
- Why your 'Why' is so important for getting you through the nitty gritty
- The importance of the 'attention economy' and why what you give you attention to is so important
- How to increase the value of your time
- When you value your body and physicality, you will want to exercise, eat better etc, meaning your quality of life will increase
- Most people don't actually want more money but rather what money brings (freedom, choice, security etc)
- You increase your wisdom by recognising that you have something unique to bring to the world
- Compassion fatigue and knowing the time to time to give help and the time to ask for help
- Self doubt can be the clue to what you actually want in life
LINKS
You can download the introductory chapter from Olivia's book - The Whole Life Economy - and receive her free 7-day Whole Life Economy e-mail course at www.oliviadsilva.com/mavericks Buy The Whole Life Economy at Amazon The World Beyond Your Head: The World Beyond Your Head: How to Flourish in an Age of Distraction by Michael Crawford
Our guest this week is the author, TEDx speaker and C-level executive of a major finance company, Bryan Falchuk.
In this interview, Bryan shares the importance of self-love, knowing your truest deepest motivation and then executing consistently every day...without letting yesterday's baggage or anxiety about the future get in the way.
This has enabled Bryan to lose 100lbs, become a marathon runner, a best-selling author and writer for Inc Magazine, as well as a much sought-after speaker.
What I love about Bryan is his realness, groundedness and presence. There aren't many C-Level execs of major companies you hear talking about self-love, service and helping people. He is a genuinely big-hearted guy with a huge message about how you and truly transform your life.
Some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- The impact of childhood on setting up the changes we need in later life
- Even extreme challenges don’t always trigger the change needed
- Focused execution everyday underpinned by true motivation means you can smash any goal, often ahead of schedule
- Setting up a system means that you automatically achieve goals, especially health goals
- Tackling underlying anxiety is actually one of the most important things you can do
- The starting point of any change is Self-Love - believing that you deserve better and are capable of better
- Your TRUE Motivation is always much deeper than you believe..and you have to dig for it (and it can take years!)
- You need time-based goals which you execute each day
- Do A Day is about wiping the slate clean…staying present in today so you don’t bring in yesterday’s pain or anxiety about tomorrow
- True Motivation (the why behind the what) is what keeps you going when it gets tough and keeps you focused on a day-by-day basis
- Being egotistical is outwardly praising yourself for things that you are NOT doing…everything else that you are doing deserves self-praise
LINKS
Buy Bryan's book - Do A Day
Watch Bryan's TEDx talk - Overcoming Challenges to Achieve Goals
Bryan's social links - FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
Our guest this week is my very dear friend and a Maverick in the truest sense of the word, Slade Roberson.
Slade launched his blog – Shift Your Spirits – in 2006. Since then he has built a huge following for his gritty, no-nonsense, highly practical take on spirituality that is exemplified by his tagline, “fewer hearts and flowers than other new age blather”.
Slade is also a professional intuitive and mentor to budding intuitives, healers and coaches. He is also a passionate fiction writer and has published two novels.
What I love about Slade is his huge sense of authenticity. In this interview, he shares the ups and downs of his journey as a Maverick with his trademark mix of humour, realism and a healthy scepticism.
Some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- How it is possible to be spiritual and practical at the same time
- The shift from corporate to entrepreneurial to authentic
- How a ‘dream job’ can actually be the worst thing for you
- What can happen when you truly step onto an authentic path
- The journey of one of the Internet’s first bloggers
- How it can be important to say “F*&k you” to all the things you are ‘supposed’ to do to build your business
- The most important thing in building your brand
- There is a power that is connected to your authentic voice in a way that trying to do things for the market is never going to have
- How to find your authentic voice
- The power of doing a little step every day
- How to get unstuck by priming the pump
- Why it is so important to find balance and what feeds and inspires you
Links & Resources To read Slade's blog on spirituality and personal development, go to Shift Your Spirits.
To find out about Slade's mentoring programme for intuitives, healers and coaches, go to Automatic Intuition.
Slade's novels - Havenwood, The Fairy Killers and Cloudbusting
In the final episode of our “Unleashing Superpowers” season, we talk with Phil M Jones. Phil is an author, keynote speaker and international sales trainer. He has written 5 best-selling books including Exactly What to Say and Exactly How to Sell.
Phil has trained over 2million people in 56 countries with the goal of demystifying sales and overcoming the many negative stereotypes around the subject . He has also grown his own property investment business generating over £240 million in revenue.
In this illuminating interview Phil shows some incredibly practical tips and observations around the psychology of persuasion, whether for sales or enrolling people in your mission. Phil shows a depth of insight and mastery that is intriguing and inspiring.
In this episode, some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- Why figuring out where you don’t want to be can be the key to finding where you do want to be
- You can’t control your success but you can always create opportunities
- How most entrepreneurs are shouting out but no one is listening
- How nobody wants what you have, what they want is the result of what you have
- Go hunting the problem, find the people who are passionate about solving it and show them how your solution is better than what they currently have...and you will have people on the journey with you
- How changing one word can completely change perceptions
- How getting curious about your user base with a purpose is what creates connection
- See influencing and persuading as a game, the learning and growth that come from playing the game is much more important than the immediate outcome
- There is a huge difference between mistakes and failure…and failure needs to be encouraged
- Be on the quest for better rather than best!
- The importance of a person’s WIIFM - what’s in it for them?
- How ‘Just imagine..’ is the key to creating visions that you want other people to move towards
- The phrase that gets almost anyone to agree to just about anything
In episode 6 of our "Unleashing Superpowers" season, we talk with Dorie Clark. Dorie is a marketing strategy consultant, author and speaker who specialises in "self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives".
Dorie is an adjunct professor at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. She has interviewed hundreds of successful entrepreneurs and professionals and distilled what makes them successful in her three best selling books - "Reinventing You", "Stand Out" and "Entrepreneurial You". "Stand Out" was name by Inc Magazine as their no. 1 book on leadership in 2015.
What we love about Dorie is her highly pragmatic and practical approach to the business of self-reinvention. She is absolutely passionate about helping people take control of their professional life and make an impact. This interview is chock full of tips about how to give yourself more freedom, more security and to really live up to your potential.
In this episode, some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- How the first thing you try in after college or even after a pivot will often not be the thing that sticks
- What thinking like an entrepreneur is really about
- How to think like an entrepreneur, even if you are in a full-time job
- Why it is best to start small, spread the risk then lean into what is working
- Why data and testing are needed to validate hunches and intuition
- The 3 keys to being seen as an expert in your field
- “If you want to be known for your ideas, you have to SHARE your ideas!”
- Great networking tips for introverts and reluctant extroverts
- How taking action is so important, but it can be micro-steps
- How to give yourself more freedom or career security by creating new income streams, even if you have a day job
- How one experiment and lots of learning led to $200,000 of extra income
- Why you should use what your friends already see you as really good at as a starting point for entrepreneurial ventures
- Dorie’s productivity hack - Maker Days and Manager Days
RESOURCES
The Recognised Expert Evaluation Toolkit - dorieclark.com/toolkit
The 88 question Entrepreneurial You self-assessment - dorieclark.com/entrepreneur
HBR Articles - Networking for Introverts / Personal Branding for Introverts
In episode 5 of our "Unleashing Superpowers" season, we are talking with the inspirational Dr David Hamilton. David is a speaker and author in the realm of neuroscience, holistic healing, kindness and spirituality.
David is an organic chemist and spent 4 years in the pharmaceutical industry before following his heart to write his first book. He has since written 10 best-selling books including "The Five Side Effects of Kindness" and "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body". David's mission is to use science to inspire and he has opened the worlds of personal growth and the mind-body connection to thousands of people.
What we totally love about David is that he is genuinely inspired by science. He passionately shares things like why kindness is scientifically good for you. He is a just a really lovely man, very grounded, humble and extremely human.
David is a great example of someone following their heart to find their passion.
In this episode, some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- The journey from organic chemistry and the pharmaceutical industry to speaker, author and inspirer on the mind body connection
- How what you believe actively shifts your biology
- How "One day I want to be..." will never happen unless you do something about it
- The recovery from bankruptcy to following the path to your heart’s desire
- How taking action on your purpose can change everything
- How things get difficult when you don’t do what you feel in your heart you are supposed to do
- Using the scientific method to improve your performance at technically difficult tasks
- How having a break and totally distracting your mind with fun can be the most productive thing you can do
- Being kind as a way to change the world…and the science back this up
- How kindness is anti-aging, heals your heart health and reduces your stress
- Practical strategies to develop self-love to overcome not feeling good enough and feeling like an impostor
- How it is easier to act your way into a new way of thinking rather than think your way into a new way of acting
In episode 4 of our "Unleashing Superpowers" season, we are talking with the wonderful Jenny Blake, business and career strategist, international speaker and author of "Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One".
Jenny's motto is "If change is the only constant, let's get better at it." She wants people to have careers and lives that they truly love but understands how difficult change can be. So Jenny has made it her work to find the practical strategies that help people to not only survive change but to positively thrive from it.
On a personal level, we love Jenny's warmth, compassion and generosity. She gets the reality of pivots having not only helped thousands of people through change, but having been many pivots of her own. She has the rare gift of not only making change doable, but downright desirable. Jenny is an absolutely true-hearted member of the Maverick tribe.
In this episode, some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- How nothing will teach you more about yourself than entrepreneurship and creative ventures
- The kinds of pivots that people are going through, either through choice or circumstance
- The trend of ‘high-net growth’ people who are not willing to stay put
- How people are becoming more fluid in their careers in and out of companies
- Career development as ‘downloading apps’ rather than ‘climbing the ladder’
- The 4- stage PIVOT formula to make change while minimising risk
- How to use small experiments to check out potential pivot moves
- The ’30/30’ and ‘mentor from afar’ methods for learning from other people who are already doing what you want to do
- The kinds of pilots you can do if you are in an organisation
- “Build first, courage later” as a way to build momentum
- How to fund your pivot - money, bridge income and runways
- Why the next step you take is the most important one
In episode 3 of our 'Unleashing Superpowers' season, we are talking to Chris Chamberlin, General Manager of EFFECT Partners. Chris spent 20 years in marketing and communication agencies but has always been about climate change and environmental causes.
However, in May 2017, he went through a huge life pivot when he left the agency world behind to become the Sustainability Manager for U2’s Joshua Tree 2017 world tour.
In this interview, Chris tells his real-life story as a Maverick following the call of his heart, facing the fears that letting go of a mainstream career can bring and orienting his life to his calling. His story is enough to inspire anyone wanting to make their own rules.
In our conversation, some of the highlights that we talked about include:
- Facing the ‘moment’ when you think “What am I here to do? What is my next chapter? What do I want to do from here?”
- The journey to align personal purpose with professional direction
- Finding the ‘dream summer job’
- The importance of having the support of your family in going through a pivot moment
- The Risk/Reward strategy - what is the highest risk and highest reward option in front of you that will give you the most satisfaction?
- Following the ‘feel good’ - instead of trying to figure out how to manage the transition, following the motivation of what feels good
- That often the opportunity doesn’t appear until you make the decision to change
- What it is like to decide to change you life without a safety net
- The daily reality, challenges and rewards of the ‘dream job’
- That as far as the state of the world goes, there are reasons to be optimistic
- How start-ups and innovative business models and a ‘heck of a lot of fun’ may be the answer to some of the most pressing environmental issues
- The financial handcuffs vs purpose-driven living - how the shift to being purpose-driven can shift the meaning and value of money
- Finding your ‘ikigai’ as the guide for navigating life pivots and changes…and finding joy and happiness
Note - Chris' new business partner, Mike Martin, was our very first podcast guest! Mike is a sustainability pioneer and has worked with some of the biggest names in music to create change around environmental issues. Click here to listen to Mike's interview.
Show References David Yeung and Green Monday
Magic Giant
In episode 2 of our “Unleashing Superpowers” season, we are talking to Sonia Choquette, best selling author, spiritual teacher and visionary in the realms of intuition, inner wisdom and transformational living.
Sonia teaches that we are all creative, whole beings with six senses, not five and it is our sixth sense that leads us to live authentically, passionately and impactfully. The thing is Sonia doesn’t just tell, she walks her talk and is a bright, fiery spirit, full of life and passion but also grace and wisdom.
As well as the wisdom and inspiration that she brings, the thing that we love about Sonia is that she makes intuition practical. She doesn’t believe in theory, prefering tools that make an immediate and transformational impact. Krish counts her as one of his biggest teachers and her impact is life changing.
In this episode, some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- Why most people are looking in the wrong place for fulfillment
- The one thing that, without it, makes the search for purpose futile
- How we have devalued the very activities that put us directly in touch with our inner wisdom
- Why having personal time just doing things we love without an end focus or result is so important
- The ‘Emptying the Garbage’ tool - how to shift out of fear and access your intuition
- The ‘Authentic Question’ - how to reframe a problem into an empowering invitation to change
- How to shift state and open yourself up to intuition and inspiration
- The “19 Solutions’ tool - how to get more accurate and detailed intuitive answers to life questions
- A fundamental misconception that we tend to have about the nature of intuition
- Why it is vital to look inside yourself for answers rather than looking to the outside world
Resources Trust Your Vibes by Sonia Choquette (Amazon.com|Amazon.co.uk}
Amplify Your Intuitive Powers Free Toolkit
In episode 1 of our "Unleashing Superpowers" season, we are talking with the amazing Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer of VaynerMedia and close colleague of Gary Vaynerchuk. Claude has made it her mission to humanise workplaces and is passionate about creating work environments where people thrive and grow. She is the perfect person to leader VaynerMedia's 'people first' ethos as she walks her talk and leads with huge amounts of heart.
Claude's star is in the ascendancy as she is taking her message of humanising workplaces more and more into the world, and she really is a shining beacon for what organisations can do to put people at the centre of a business.
On a personal level, we loved her huge levels of authenticity, openness and humanity. She has seen a lot of life and has really done the work when it comes to personal and spiritual development. As you can probably tell, we are huge fans!
In this episode, some of the highlights of our conversation include:
- How having an intuitive/spiritual perspective has an important role in business
- What it means to be a true servant leader
- The role of empathy and the “kindness and empathy revolution”
- Spot it, you’ve got it! How other people reflect our growth edges back to us
- The mission at VaynerMedia to build the most human-centric organisation on the planet
- Claude’s role in scaling Gary Vaynerchuk’s values throughout the organisation - people first, then comes success
- VaynerMedia’s strategies and practices to make “people first” manifest and real
- The role of applied empathy in leadership, management and life
- What Claude does for self-care
- What it is like to deal with ‘impostor syndrome’ and how to overcome it
- Why it is so important to relax, enjoy the ride and not take yourself so seriously
- How to develop curiosity and fluidity, the keys to living a fulfilling life
Our latest Spotlight is with Michael Bungay Stanier, founder of Box of Crayons and author of the Wall Street Journal best seller, The Coaching Habit. Michael is one of our biggest influences and we are pumped to have got the chance to talk with him.
We were impressed with Michael level of insight and practical wisdom, his levity and sense of perspective on what true success takes and his refreshing level of honesty and openness.
In our conversation, some of the highlights we spoke about included:
- How it can actually take a very long time to figure what impact you want to have on the world
- Why knowing your potential death date can give you focus!
- That showing up time and time again means that eventually something good will come
- When things go wrong, it is rarely just all about you i.e. don’t take failure personally
- How talking a calculated risk led to self publishing a book that has sold 250,000 copies!
- Why it is important to set up structures to keep yourself focused and moving forward
- How a side hustle can help you test what you think you want to do…because often what you think you want to do, isn’t ultimately what you really want to do
- How to actually make your impact in the world by doing a “great work” project
- How a single question can actually help you cut through overwhelm and find focus
- The Finland Bus Station metaphor and why “staying on the bus” can give you clarity on your purpose
Our latest Spotlight is with Zikry Kholil, the Co-Founder and visionary behind Incitement. Named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Asia, Zikry is an absolute dynamo who believes without action, talk is just jacksh*t!
After participating in some of the most inspirational conferences and seminars on the planet, Zikry and his business partner Daniel created Incitement. Incitement is a social movement that blends cutting edge personal development with opportunities to create significant social impact. Since 2011, it has grown exponential to include thousands of people in more than 40 countries.
We were blown away by the level of commitment and passion that Zikry has, his vision for how to create change in the world and by his sheer level of street smarts.
In our conversation, some of the highlights we spoke about included:
- How things like TEDx are great, but they don't always lead to action
- That answer to the equation T-A=JS (the name of this episode)
- How to inspire people and get them into action
- How to truly engage corporations in social change
- Why true networking is possibly the number 1 most important skill in business and social change
- The impact that individuals can have
Neo are a purpose-driven consultancy based in Brighton, UK. Last year, when their Managing Director announced she was stepping down, Neo decided to undertake an exciting and unexpected journey to become a “next-generation” organisation.
Being strongly influenced by the publication Reinventing Organisations by Frederic Laloux, Neo have chosen to become a human-centred, self-managed organisation with no defined leaders. Neo have become part of a small, but growing, movement who are seeking a different way of working. Rather than being purely about money, Neo honours the triple bottom line – people, profit and planet.
Neo are still early in their journey, and in this podcast we speak with two of their Transition Team – Emma and Kat. We speak about the highs, the challenges and the lessons learned so far. In particular we hear how Neo are traversing their journey of change into territory rarely trodden by others.
The thing that impressed us the most is the passion with which Neo has taken on this challenge and the openness and honesty they share with each other and with us. They don’t have all the answers, but they are committed to their vision and finding the best way of reaching it.
We will be following up with Neo once each quarter to find out how their story is unfolding. If you’d like to know more, Neo have written a beautifully illustrated account of their journey that you can read here.
Our guest in this episode of Spotlights is Jo Berry, peace activist and founder of Building Bridges for Peace. Jo tells the remarkable story of how she met and came to build a bridge – and eventually, a friendship – with Patrick McGee, the IRA bomber behind the 1984 Brighton bombing. In that bombing, Jo’s father – Conservative MP Sir Anthony Berry – was killed.
In this podcast, Jo offers hope through a radically different way of perceiving a world seemingly full of strife and disarray. Rather than focus on differences and conflict, Jo turns to the disarming power of empathy and compassion to build bridges across seemingly uncrossable divides.
Our first Maverick Spotlight is with Mike Martin, one of the pioneers of sustainability and the “Green Guru” according to Billboard.
We were impressed by his deep passion, his wisdom and understanding of how society and change really work. Mike really is a Mavericks’ Maverick.
In our conversation, some of the highlights that we spoke about include:
- Mike’s Maverick heroes – Ben and Jerry, Jack Johnson and Steve Jobs
- How a small force can influence the world
- The power of, and need for, focus
- The need to sometimes step back in order to move forward
- The importance of self-care
- Culture and its’ impact on social change
- Leveraging groups and networks to create change