Along The Road

Graham Allcott is the founder of Think Productive, one of the world's leading providers of personal productivity training and consultancy. They have offices around the world, and have had clients like WWF, Boots, British Airways, BT, KFC, and Sainsbury's. Graham's fascinated about the world of productivity, and has written multiple books, including the global best-seller, “How to be a Productivity Ninja”. He also hosts a podcast (“Beyond Busy”) diving deep into the subjects of productivity, work/life balance, and how people define happiness in their lives. ⏳ Topics 1:51 How Time Management Has Changed Graham tells us about how he feels most of the well-known time management techniques come from the books that were written before 24/7 instant communication, and the type of society we live in now. He introduces his idea of 'attention management'. Graham also raises the point that there's no such thing as a 'clean slate' when it comes to to-do lists, and it's more about how we react to the tasks. We discuss the importance of breaks. 15:41 The Boss and Worker Modes Graham reveals how the 'Boss and Worker' mentality can be used to improve clarity around work that needs to get done. He also tells us about a couple easy techniques for when we feel behind. 21:33 How 'Think Productive' Came into Existence I ask Graham about whether he always had so many mentalities and knowledge around productivity throughout his life.Graham tells us about how the creation of his company stemmed from a period in his life where he noticed his lack of productivity knowledge, and was something he stumbled upon. We also discuss the things Graham is still learning day-to-day about productivity. 35:55 The 5 Ending Questions I ask Graham the famously difficult 5 ending questions!

Spencer Kelly is the lead presenter of the BBC's flagship tech show, Click, where he and the team travel around the world every week to report on the latest tech news. He's spent over 15 years as a tech tourist, finding out how tech is changing lives around the world. Across his career, Spencer's conducted interviews with massive names like Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, Paul McCartney, Will.I.Am, Steve Wozniak, and more. He's also got loads of experience in the radio world, having presented a breakfast show for 7 years, among other involvements. ⏳ Topics 1:40 Spencer's Career Journey Spencer tells us about how he first got involved with broadcasting through radio aged around 17. We go through how he got to BBC Click, and his journey in radio, TV, and journalism. Spencer shares his tips for getting a career in broadcasting. 33:50 How Radio and TV Have Changed, and How They Will Change in the Future With Click celebrating it's 22 year birthday , over time the show has seen the arrival new video-streaming platforms like YouTube, as well as other game-changing technology like mobile phones. We discuss whether Spencer's past predictions for radio and TV were correct, and how he sees the mediums evolving in the future. Spencer tells us about the difficulties local stations may now face. We also go over how the live aspect of broadcasting is a key to it's success, and also how radio and TV will work alongside these new technologies in the future. 54:05 How BBC Click Works Spencer tells us about how the weekly Click episodes are produced from start to finish, and the workflow involved in a programme that broadcasts every week without exception. We discuss what the team looks like, and what different roles are required and how they are allocated. We also go over how items for the programme are found, produced, and organised. 1:13:00 The 5 Ending Questions I ask Spencer the famously difficult 5 ending questions!

Kitty Perrin is a musician and radio presenter based in Norfolk. She hosts two shows on BBC Radio Norfolk: “The Social”, aimed at 14–22 year-olds in the local area, as well as “BBC Music Introducing in Norfolk”, which celebrates the work of new local artists. She's always loved writing and playing music and, at the time this episode was recorded, had just released her debut single, “The Escapist”, with her band. ⏳ Topics 5:00 Gaining Confidence in Showing your Work to The World Music and radio can be very personal, and I wanted to know how Kitty felt about showing her work to the world, and the fear of what others will think. We discussed how important being personal can be a key to success, and the thought process around doing this. 16:43 The Importance of Feedback Kitty shares her experiences with feedback on her new single. We go over its creation process, and how her confidence levels fluctuated throughout. I explain the “Ikea Effect", and Kitty tells us her thoughts on the concept in relation to her experience with the new single. 28:20 Whether Numbers and Streams Are Truly a Measure of Success Kitty shares her opinion on stream counts, and how she feels that they are often used as a quantification of success, despite not truly reflecting on the success of an artist as a whole. I raised that streaming numbers could be important in order to make a career out of being an artist. Kitty shares her advice about not getting too attached to the numbers. 33:27 Finding Your Way in the World Kitty tells us about how her career ideas changed over time, and why she feels trying new things is important. We discussed whether it matters if you don't know what you want to do in the future. 40:10 The 5 Ending Questions I ask Kitty the famously difficult 5 ending questions!

Daniel Sands is a computer programmer from Dorset with a passion for photography. When he set up a Facebook page in late 2016, his work gained him an incredible 500 followers in the first month, and he continues to experiment with the art. His recent toy photography project, "Bricks From Another Galaxy", started when he couldn't leave his home as frequently due to COVID restrictions, and decided to try something new. This stemmed into an ongoing series of incredibly realistic toy photography, where he recreates iconic scenes from the Star Wars films using LEGO and homemade special effects, which has gained a lot of attention online. During our conversation, Daniel talks about how he got into photography, the processes behind his work, and how accessible he believes the art is. You can find out more about Daniel Sands on his website, https://danielsandsphotography.co.uk/, and you can see his work on his social media profiles, like his Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/danielsandsphotography/. He also has a YouTube channel where he posts tutorials about "Bricks From Another Galaxy": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSchp9X4E7ke_1XzEzjDFLQ. If you enjoy this interview, you can find more at www.theyanismix.co.uk

"A lot of people probably think that writing children's book is maybe easier, and I wouldn't necessarily say it is easier because, you know, you can't underestimate children - they're so smart, and they're so ingenious, and they're so sensitive, and they're incredible" - Hannah Gold Writing has been a long term passion for her, along with animals and the idea of being a vet. Having recently finished her debut children's book, "The Last Bear", she has settled on her first dream, although her love for the natural world still shines through the pages of her novel. Her dream for writing was one she pursued in her early 20's, with the idea for "The Last Bear", her first book to receive a publishing deal, and to receive endorsement from Michael Morpurgo, sparking in 2019. "I also really like the freedom in children's books, it's like sometimes adult's books can be boxed into they have to be particular genres and you can't cross genres. I think there's a lot of adventure and freedom and this idea that anything can go in children's books, and they're just really hopeful. They're really hopeful books and they're sort of celebrations and you can read them and they can be just like really good escapism" - Hannah Gold This is Book Club Episode 4 with Hannah Gold. ---Get Hannah Gold's debut novel, "The Last Bear", here (https://bit.ly/3nAGhpn)--- www.theyanismix.co.uk --- Social Media --- Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheYanisMix Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theyanismix YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheYanisMixYouTube

Plastic is everywhere. Wherever we go in our day to day lives, we find it. It is present in our homes, our streets, the nature around us and, of course, in our supermarkets. It is a well-known yet shocking fact that plastic is probably also present in our diets. Scientists have estimated the average person eats approximately a credit card worth of plastic every week, and roughly 100 microplastics per meal. To show you the scale of the problem, picture this: Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enters our oceans each year. There are enough pieces of plastic in the ocean to circle planet Earth more than 400 times. There are more microplastics in our oceans than stars in the galaxy. In this audio documentary, I would like to shine the light on supermarkets – our frequent go to place for our regular products we use on a day-to-day basis. You'll hear from an Ipswich plastic-free shop-owner, the founder of a litter-picking and plastic awareness group with over 800 members, and a local person who has raised over £10,000 to open a plastic-free shop in Ipswich. The aim of this audio documentary is not to discredit the work supermarkets have been doing to tackle various world issues, or even the plastic issue. It's to emphasise how it's up to us to work with our stores, change our mentalities, and fix the plastic problem together. This is Destination Zero Plastic. --- Find out more about Mel and CupboardLove on her website (https://www.cupboardlove.shop/) . Find out more about Debbie and Litter Free Felixstowe on the Facebook group (https://bit.ly/35zq4dY) . Find out more about Lucy and Unwrapped And Refill on her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/unwrappedrefill) . --- www.theyanismix.co.uk --- Social Media --- Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheYanisMix Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theyanismix YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheYanisMixYouTube --- Music Credit --- Ashamaluevmusic - www.ashamaluevmusic.com

"I think even the fact that you've written one or now two books before, it doesn't make it any less scary to sit down and just think: Wow. I've got to create this whole story from nothing" - Nicola Gill She's wanted the job since she was 5. She published her debut in February 2020, her second in September and is already writing her third. She went from being an unpaid intern running from one job to another to her dream career - writing. Her uplifting and comedic stories, although not covering the most lighthearted of themes, emphasise the bold contrast between the light and the dark - something she believes provokes comedy. "It's the light and the dark together that I really like - I like writing and I like as a reader as well" - Nicola Gill "Sometimes, in the darkest times in our lives, we'll still find humour" - Nicola Gill This is Book Club Episode 3 with Nicola Gill ---Get Nicola Gill's debut, "The Neighbours", here (https://bit.ly/3skHvZl) and get her second novel, "We Are Family", here (https://bit.ly/2K8Hx5r) --- www.theyanismix.co.uk --- Social Media --- Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheYanisMix Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theyanismix YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheYanisMixYouTube

"Writing a novel is a brilliantly weird thing to do. You tell people you're going to do it and everyone is very excited for you, but the actual sitting your bum down to tap one word after the other is akin to stuffing a squid in a jam jar; you know it's possible, but it's so bloody hard and you frequently want to chuck it in the sea." - Abigail Mann, CWIP Website. She was always passionate about English. After trying out her fixed idea of being a vet, she moved on to other career options. Being an author was never something she thought about. As a secondary school teacher, she rediscovered her love of writing and started to gain confidence that perhaps it could hold a future for her. When she took a year to write her novel, she embarked on a challenging but rewarding adventure that ended in a book she never saw coming. Her debut novel won her a runner-up prize in the Comedy Women In Print Awards 2019, one of the biggest and most exciting moments of her career. This is Book Club Episode 2 with Abigail Mann. ---Get Abigail Mann's debut novel, "The Lonely Fajita", here (https://bit.ly/3i8KgZh) --- www.theyanismix.co.uk --- Social Media --- Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheYanisMix Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theyanismix YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheYanisMixYouTube

She decided to trade the jaw-dropping landscapes of Australia to the grey views of a rainy Heathrow airport after failing to love the country her friends couldn't get enough of. It was only as the plane touched the ground that she realised the had made a mistake. Her secret dream, to become an author, may not have been actualised so well if this hadn't happened. And if it weren't for the encouragement of the Australian man she wanted to marry, she might of just given up. After writing a novel based in this country, her dislike of it slowly evaporated, leaving only a deep longing to go back. Her debut novel has now been published. It was selected as "one of five new thrillers and mysteries to offer welcome distraction" by The Washington Post, "one of 5 psychological thrillers you should read this May" by CrimeReads, and has been reviewed by some of the most impressive names. This is Book Club Episode 1 with Susan Allott. --- Get Susan Allott's debut novel, "The Silence", here (https://bit.ly/3sjjIsT)--- www.theyanismix.co.uk --- Social Media --- Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheYanisMix Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theyanismix YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheYanisMixYouTube