Vivid Imagination: Recent Episodes
Aluba Fenix
Welcome! I'm Coach Aluba and here I interview people who inspire me to consistently and persistently pursue my potential.
Kiran & Jivan are two amazing human beings that I had the pleasure of working with this year when I travelled to Romania with my wife to join their Tantra retreat for couples. Tantra is a Sanskrit word that means "woven together". Tantra practitioners weave together the physical and spiritual worlds with a non-dual perspective on life. The philosophy is present in many ancient traditions including Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism and western Alchemy.
Kiran and Jivan have been exploring life & love mysteries and working together since 2004. They offer meditation and Tantra retreats, Osho Meditations and Trance Dance & Ecstatic Shaking facilitator trainings, group workshops and individual sessions where they share a way of being and living consciously and passionately in the world by balancing the energy of body, mind and emotions.
I throughly enjoyed this conversation and I hope you all do too.
Ted McKenna is an accomplished sales and customer experience researcher whose work has appeared in the pages of Harvard Business Review. He is a founding partner of Selling Innovations, a customer understanding lab focused on using data and research-backed frameworks to help companies attract, engage, retain, and grow customer relationships.
Ted is a co-author, with Matt Dixon, of the book, The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision. The book is based on cutting edge research mining unstructured conversational data using advanced data science and leading AI/ML tools to build a model of sales excellence from the behaviours of outstanding sellers.
What motivates customers to do nothing? And how do outstanding sellers overcome customer indecision? This is a not to be missed episode for any seller looking to take their game to the next level.
Dr. Jack Kruse is a respected Neurosurgeon and a real pioneer in the field of Quantum Biology and decentralised medicine. His popular blog gets over 250,000 unique worldwide visitors per month providing a valuable resource for those interested in taking greater ownership of their health outcomes.
On this episode I caught up with Jack at his home in El Salvador. We explore how Light shapes Life and why Sunlight is more important than diet and exercise for our health and wellbeing. Dr. Jack slays many sacred cows in this riveting conversation that is both enlightening and controversial at times.
Nairy McMahon is the Director of the Centre for Right Relationship UK (CRR UK), delivering training in Organisational Relationships Systems Coaching (ORSC) in the UK, Ireland and Nordics. On this episode we explore the importance of relationship first and other key principles when in comes to coaching teams.
Find out more about the training CRR UK offers here.
Antifragile is a term coined by author Nassim Taleb that speaks to an ability to gain or grow from disorder. On this episode I am joined by two fellow performance coaches Dr. Nick Holton and Dr. Adam Wright co-founders of the Antifragile Academy. We talk about the concept of antifragility and their work to help individuals and organisations develop it as a capacity. A fascinating conversation in which we discuss the difference between antifragility and resilience, delve into the science of high performance and explore some of the traps that exist when framing the concept of antifragility within organisations. Hope you enjoy!
Learn more about the Antifragile Academy: https://bit.ly/m/theantifragileacademy
Alexandra Borbollais the co-founder of FlowXperience, an organisation dedicated to creating an environment that invokes the magic of a transcendental PEAK EXPERIENCE, unity, and a sense of something bigger, where individuals can embrace the unknown, trust their intuition, and connect deeply with nature and their true selves to FEEL LIFE. Alex is a fellow Human Potential Coach and previously worked as a Peak Performance Coach at ACES Autism. I'm delighted to have this opportunity to explore with her the alchemical transformations that occur when individuals access flow and learn to surrender to the life that wants to live within them. Enjoy!
Tom Carson was my first boss in the IT industry when I joined Compaq way back in 2000. He has held board level and CEO positions for global multinationals and for new business start-ups in Ireland, the UAE and the Caribbean region. What I always appreciated most about Tom's leadership style was the care he displayed towards his people. A great leader, mentor and sponsor to me personally over the years, I am delighted to welcome Tom to the show and to share our conversation with you all.
João Dinis is my neighbour in the beautiful village of Dornes in Portugal. The village forms part of a mystical Knights Templar energy triangle encompassing Dornes, Tomar and Almourol. João along with his wife Marta run an historical and cultural rural tourism centre called Reinado de Dom Dinis. The centre takes its name from King Dom Dinis a key figure in Portuguese history and is also dedicated to the brave Knights Templar that this King protected in an honourable way. João is a brother, a splendid companion and a real source of inspiration. I hope you all enjoy this fireside chat between two fellow Templar Knights.
Leadership #Coaching #Desire #Dignity #Respect #Belief #Mindset #Templars #Vivid #Imagination #Liberty
On this episode I join an ex-colleague of mine from Google, Jasmine Arora, on her podcast Heart on Sleeve. We discuss the important topic of feedback. Why feedback is a gift, and how to give and receive it skilfully.
Coaching #Leadership #Feedback #Potential #Performance #People #Growth #Awareness #Adaptability #Liberation
On this episode I am joined by world renowned neuropsychopharmacologist Professor David Nutt. Professor Nutt's research specialises on drugs that affect the brain and conditions such as addiction, anxiety and sleep.
In Jan 2008 he was appointed as Chairman of the UK Government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs having previously been the chair of its technical committee for over 7 years. He came in for much criticism by the Government over his classification of the harmful effects of various drugs. This eventually led in 2009 to his dismissal by the Government from his position after he famously claimed that Alcohol was a more harmful drug than many illegal drugs such as LSD, Ecstasy and Cannabis. Following this Prof Nutt turned his attention to focus on creating a safer alternative to Alcohol. This led to his Founding of Sentia Spirits, the world's first GABA Spirit. GABA is a neurotransmitter in the brain that promotes relaxation and enhances creativity and communication. Prof. Nutt's innovation with Sentia has centred on creating a complex blend of all natural plant ingredients that impact the GABA system and so offer a responsible and safe alternative to Alcohol.
I hope you all enjoy this episode over the Yuletide!
Leadership #Coaching #Sentia #GABA #Addiction #Government #Liberty
Ben Yeger is the Founder and co Director of Moving Conflicts. Having served in the Israeli Army from 1983-86, in 2006 Ben became a Peace Activist and joined Combatants for Peace (CfP). In 2007 he became the UK representative of CfP, responsible for nurturing the inner process of both #Israeli and #Palestinian activists. His work centres on designing innovative and collaborative interventions, which transform challenges and difficulties from barriers to relationship into opportunities for change. He is a highly experienced Therapist, Facilitator and Coach.
This is an important conversation at the current moment. I am very grateful to Ben for making the time to come on the show and for sharing so openly, vulnerably and courageously.
Ben will be delivering training on the Conflict Transformation process starting in November. Those interested can join up here.
Leadership #Conflict #Transformation #War #Peace #Coaching #Respect #Vivid #Imagination #Liberation
Delighted to welcome Nicholas Policarpio to the podcast to talk about his new project The Human Transformation School. Nic is a former mentee of mine from my time at Salesforce. Currently, he works as a Sales Director at SAP where he also runs weekly meditation classes for teams across the company globally. Nic draws on his training in different meditative practices including Taoism, Tantra, Primal Dance and Transpersonal Psychology to offer Inner Education designed to develop people's capability to be more #Resilient. In addition to his online courses Nic also offers retreats in London, Barcelona and South America.
#Coaching #Mentoring #Meditation #Mindfulness #Resilience #InnerGame #Leadership #Vivid #Imagination #Liberation.
On this episode I am delighted to share one of my own sources of inspiration. Anamaria Aristizabal is a Master Certified Coach (MCC), author of the absolutely succulent book Life re-Vision and founder Re-Vision Academy, which offers learning journeys in purpose discovery and leadership. Anamaria experienced a monumental life re-vision herself after a double masters in business and environment from Yale and prestigious jobs at McKinsey, the World Bank, and the Colombian government. As a former biologist, her work is full of metaphors from nature to remind us of our place in the web of life. Anamaria participates in various organizations promoting inner and social transformation, and lives with her husband in the Aldeafeliz Ecovillage, outside of Bogotá, Colombia, an intentional community she co-founded in 2006.
This conversation is full of soul essence. I hope it leaves you all feeling as nourished as it did me.
An ability to engage with confidence and have impact at C-level is fundamental for any seller interested in closing complex solution deals. Enter Declan Tyrell, the CFO Whisperer, who supports sales professionals to communicate with authenticity, bravery and clarity at c-level and so better add value to the clients they serve. Declan is an associate at Vivid Imagination and we have worked together for many years helping sellers to develop the mindset and strategies required for success at board level. If you are a seller looking to improve your game and set a new standard for how you show up, then this conversation is a must listen.
On this episode I sit down with Rory Lawson a former Scottish rugby international, entrepreneur and today leadership Coach at Ceannas. Having being capped 31 times for Scotland, Rory suffered a chronic injury that forced his retirement from the game in 2013. We discuss how he navigated his dark night of the soul to re-invent himself as a successful entrepreneur and the work he does today supporting business leaders to develop high performing teams. Rory is full of heart. I really enjoyed our conversation and I know you will too!
#leadership #coaching #sport #performance #rugby #teams #entrepreneur #courage #respect
Resilience is our ability to endure life, no matter what comes our way. With awareness and focus on very specific areas, we can actually train ourselves to be more resilient. On this episode I am joined by Steve Howe, a former colleague of mine at HP and Founder of ResilienceBuilder, a new assessment that offers a revolution in how to enhance our levels of resilience both individually and collectively. If you aim to "endure to the end" no matter what life brings your way, then sit back, relax and enjoy this episode.
Coaches wishing to undergo certification to use the ResilienceBuilder assessment with their clients can reach out to steve.howe@resiliencebuilder.co.uk
On this episode of the podcast I'm delighted to be joined by Emmanuel Pacheco a colleague, dear friend and master of Cubo Mágico. We explore how the cube offers a wonderful model for problem solving and the work Emmanuel has been doing to help others learn its secrets so they can apply it to the problems they face in life. What are you solving for? Whatever it is, you will not want to miss this episode!
A full list of Emmanuel´s lessons on the cube can be found here on YouTube.
problemsolving #coaching #cube #success #performance #resilience
On this episode I introduce a unique mother and daughter entrepreneurial duo, Yvonne and Jasmin Eskenzi, founders of The Zensory. The company provides a very cool, fun and playful way to incorporate multi-sensory mindfulness tools into your working life. Whether you are seeking to access a high performance focused state, or a more clam relaxed state, the Zensory has tools to support you. And all delivered in an easy to use interactive app. What I love most about this conversation is the beautiful bond that exists between mother and daughter and the creative magic that has sprung from that. Yvonne also reflects on how her own parents have been real role models and sources of inspiration in her life. I hope you all enjoy the conversation and also highly recommend you check out the app.
Daniel Kish, President at World Access for the Blind, and inventor of FlashSonar (Echo location) system for the blind has been described as The Real Life Batman! Having lost both eyes at 1 year old from retinal cancer, Daniel learned to address his challenges at an early age with a self-directed and self determined attitude supported by his very pragmatic parents who desired freedom first beyond all else for their child. This no limits philosophy and Daniel's amazing resilience led him to develop a human sonar capability that through his work teaching others now enables blind people globally. His work has been featured in over 150 publications and numerous media outlets reaching an audience of over 2 billion viewers globally. I recently had the pleasure of hosting Daniel when he joined as a participant on one of Vivid Imagination's African Meditation retreats. His story is such an inspiration! Not only does Daniel work to help blind people cope with their challenges, he also helps sighted people face their fear of the dark and has delivered corporate presentations on the importance of mindset to PayPal, Proctor and Gamble, and Apple amongst others. This is a conversation not to be missed!
Delighted to share this conversation I had with fellow Coach, Dante DiBattista, on his podcast The Pursuit of Self Actualisation. We discuss my own healing journey and the impact it has had both on my worldview and the work I do with leaders today. Specifically, I share my experiences working with the tribes of the African interior and with leaders in modern digital tribes of the west. This coming summer I'll be running a number of unique retreats in Portugal to share the wisdom that has been imparted to me by the elders of these African tribes. Those interested in discovering more can visit my website for details and to request participation. Places are limited and by invitation only following an initial consultation.
Teresa Clark is the Founder and CEO of The Wellness Revolution or to use her official title The Alchemist. The company is on a mission to inspire organisations to lead with purpose by putting wellbeing and human experience at the heart of everything they do. Loved this conversation that explored ways to foster cultural change at the organisational level, but also the importance of individuals exercising their own agency particularly in relation to the boundaries they set. If you are interested in how to flourish within the workplace then this episode offers an optimistic perspective on the future.
Felix Hirschburger is a Professional Coach, licensed hypnotherapist, Switzerland's first Wim Hof Method Instructor and co-founder of Psychological Fitness International and Louma Empowering People. I've know Felix for many years and it was great to sit down with him again to talk about the science and art of Breathwork. We discuss the benefit of certain breathing patterns to help relieve anxiety and stress, boost performance and invoke transformational experiences. Breathing practices have been part of our religious traditions cross culturally for generations and in recent times have started to re-emerge backed by science and promoted by people such as the Ice Man, Wim Hof. Exhale, relax and prepare to inspire and be inspired by this wonderful conversation.
Jade Green is an Australian Entrepreneur, Podcaster, Trainer, Facilitator, Surfer and Chief Ripple Creator at VÄRE. Her mission is to be the ripple of change in the world and in the workplace, helping enable humans to be happier at work by leading teams through a Total Team Transformation. I had the pleasure of first meeting Jade during my study with the Flow Research Collective and found her Mindset and Passion a real inspiration. Full of energy and fun this is an episode you are sure to enjoy! Jade shares her story from growing up on a trailer park to life as a successful entrepreneur. The transformations she has undergone and the lessons she's learned along the way. We also touch on the devastating floods that have occurred in the region of Australia where Jade is based and lack of visibility this human tragedy has had in the mainstream media.
Today marks the 48th year of my journey around the Sun! So what better way to celebrate than to sit down with my South African cousin Eric Wiebols to talk about his Solar Energy business (My Generation Solar). I always find Eric fascinating to speak with and recently when I visited him in Johannesburg I was inspired by how he generates enough energy himself to run his entire house, plus his car and with the surplus mine Bitcoin. We discuss Eric's perspective on the decline of the nation state and the rise of the sovereign individual enabled by decentralised access to resources. Eric also shares how his travels around the world on a mountain bike early in life forged him into the person he is today. Enjoy!
How do you take your game to a whole new next level and 10X performance? The answer is Flow! Flow is a state where you feel and function at your best. And you can learn how to hack it! On this episode I share an interview I did with Katie Stoddart for her show The Focus Bee. We explore the preconditions for the flow state and the blockers for the state and I share how I work with corporate executives and teams to help them hack the state so they can achieve sustainable high performance over the long term.
After a considerable break the Podcast is back and I'm delighted for the opportunity to sit down with a man who has been a great leader, mentor and friend to me. Simon Macklin is the Senior Vice President for Customer Success at Salesforce in the UK&I and France. I first met Simon while working at Salesforce a number of years ago. He was a wonderful sponsor for my work and an inspiring leader. Since then he has become a client of my coaching business and remains a close friend. One of the things I most appreciate is Simon's attitude towards the customer and his philosophy of acting as a concerned friend. In this episode we explore Simon's reflections on leadership both within business and in the context of the wider challenges we face as humanity on the planet today. Sit back, relax and enjoy!
Sammy Seager is an actor, podcast host, YouTuber and film producer. On this episode we explore her journey to find balance between the demands her creative work and the demands of motherhood. Sammy talks openly and vulnerably about her struggles to overcome alcohol addiction and narcissistic abuse. And her most recent project to produce a new film called "Invincible". An open and raw conversation with a courageous woman whose story offers hope and inspiration to many.
Support the crowd fund for "Invincible" here: https://igg.me/at/tNoJHjJaa-s/x/16038959#/
Listen to Sammy's YouTube channel "How narcissistic abuse can transform your life" here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTDyKjEoa7HPHNQet7fsk2Q
Connect with Sammy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-seager-79695074/
On this episode of the Podcast I'm joined by Qigong practitioner and bodyworker Pawel Wiacek. Qigong literally means life energy cultivation. It is an ancient Chinese system of body movement, breathing and meditation that has its roots in Taoist philosophy. It's used for the purposes of health, spirituality and martial-arts. We explore Pawel's own journey with Qigong. How it has supported him in his personal development and how it enables him to treat others as an energy healer and bodyworker.
To find out more about Pawel's work and to book an appointment connect:
website: https://www.pawelwiacek.com/zhineng-qi-gong/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yinyangbodyworks/?hl=en
This episode of the Podcast explores a topic that truly breaks my heart. Unfortunately, in 2021 slavery is still very much with us. In fact, modern day slavery is estimated to be a $150 billion industry globally with 46-64 million people still held in situations of slavery. I'm joined by Rachel Harper of UNSEEN, an international lawyer and manager of the modern day slavery helpline to discuss the data from the recently published annual report from the helpline. We discuss the patterns emerging during the pandemic and the policy implications for addressing this systemic issue in our society.
UNSEEN has an aspiration to see a world without slavery. To find out more about their work or contribute to the charity please visit www.unseenuk.org
The ways we are working are not working! Burnout and disengagement are serious systemic issues across the corporate world impacting both our wellbeing and performance. Now is the time for revolutionary change!
Enter Milena Regos, a rebel entrepreneur, visionary, and founder of Unhustle, on a mission to inspire people to take their lives back from the “always-on” exhausting work culture, create sustainable success, and unleash their human potential.
An ex-marketer, Milena has worked with some of the most powerful brands in the wellness industry such as Hard Candy Fitness founded by Madonna, Steve Nash Fitness World, UFC Gym, and Dr. Weil.
Her work with Unhustle has been featured in CNN Business, NPR, Thrive Global, and Authority Magazine. Milena has also presented at the World Economic Forum at Davos, sharing the stage with business luminaries and world leaders to activate change on a global scale.
I'm delighted to sit down with this inspiring woman and a very kindred spirit, to talk about this crucially important topic. To find out more about Milena's work and to join the Unhustle revolution visit: unhustle.com.
wellbeing #performance #coaching #productivity #success #Unhustle
Lock-down has many of us suffering with cabin fever and longing for the time we can travel again. On this episode of the Podcast I sit down with someone who has traveled to more countries and crossed more borders than anyone in history! Sasha Grabow is an adventurer, author, former ATP ranked tennis player, and photographer. Between 1998 and 2016 he visited all 193 UN countries. However, what is so fascinating about Sasha's travels is that he completed them all mainly by hitch hiking or walking. We discuss his peak experiences, some hair raising encounters and reflections on the light and dark side of humanity.
For those who want to discover more about Sasha adventurers you can read about it in his book - Traveling: 30 years around the planet.
What can you do to upgrade the space within which you work? On this episode I'm joined by Feng Shui Master practitioner, Sue Holmes of Professional Harmony. Sue works with a synergy of practicality, ergonomics, Feng Shui and aesthetics creating harmonious work environments that support and empower your optimum potential for success. We discuss some key Feng Shui principles to be mindful of when setting up your home office space.
In addition to personal consultations, Sue also offers Master classes on Feng Shui and ergonomics to organisations across the corporate world. To connect with Sue please reach out to her at https://professional-harmony.com/ or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-holmes-0186144/
Bokaye! A very special episode this month as I interview one of my teachers from the African spiritual tradition of Bwiti. Bwiti means 'emancipation' and the tradition comes from the country of Gabon in West Africa. A key pillar of the tradition is the use of a sacred plant medicine known as Iboga. In this conversation with Nganga Tatayo we discuss the tradition of Bwiti and also the tours that he hosts for people to experience its beauty at his facility, Ebando, in Libreville.
An excellent webinar series on the Bwiti tradition can be accessed at https://ceibaibogaine.teachable.com/p/bwiti.
And for those interested in visiting Gabon you can reach out to Nganga Tatayo at Ebando http://ebando.org/.
Basse!
Bjorn Heijligers describes himself as a Cosmologist gone rogue and an empowerment Coach for the intellectually gifted. On this podcast we explore the concept of embodied wellbeing and how by coming back to our senses we can engage with the deeper wisdom that resides within our bodies. Fascinating conversation. Enjoy!
For those interested in connecting further with Bjorn the best way is to reach out via LinkedIn.
This week I'm joined by Dr. Mark Atkinson to talk about Psychological Fitness a unique approach to optimal well-being and performance. Dr. Mark is a long time mentor and friend who has been instrumental in my development as a Coach. For those interested in learning more about the system that is Psychological Fitness you can check out the Vivid Imagination website for details on my training program that commences on the 31st October 2020.
Belinda Raitt, owner of Relaxscape, has found her ikigai and her peace in the beautiful region of Tomar, in Portugal. Delighted to have had the opportunity to sit down with this remarkable woman who left the stress of life in the UK to rediscover herself in a new land. An inspiring story of courage, curiosity and one woman's quest to connect her passion with her purpose.
Chris Bussing is one of my mentees and fellow colleague at Google. Chris YouTube channel 'Pursuit of Possibility' looks to build a community of people looking to take their game to the next level. Really enjoyed being a guest of Chris on his show and sharing some perspectives on how to enhance performance and avoid burnout as a corporate athlete.
This episode of the Podcast is a very special one, as I welcome the crew of Sail Saoirse, my sister Aisling Fenix and her husband Wolfgang Bee who have just completed a voyage across the Atlantic with their two small children Cúisle and Óisin. An inspirational story about family and connection.
“You must know for which harbour you are headed, if you are to catch the right wind to take you there.” Seneca