In this brand new podcast show and series, business advisory experts, James Lay and Mark Curtis, bounce around impromptu views and ideas on topical business issues. Hear how to navigate the tricky waters of business, during this extraordinary time with COVID-19, as well as learning on-the-go strategies, which other businesses are implementing; to keep their corner of the economy going and their employees happy during a year of extended lockdown and in isolation. www.larking-gowen.co.uk enquiry@larking-gowen.co.uk (c) Larking Gowen LLP
Four years, 131 episodes, 38 guests and three presenters later, it's time to say goodbye to the Leadership & Life Chat ‘band' as we know it. In this episode, original presenter, James Lay, makes a triumphant return and, alongside Becky, questions Mark on exactly how he's been able to pre-plan and orchestrate his retirement at only 49, and the lessons he's learnt on the way. Mark is, as always, open about his views on taking control of one's life, and recognising choices while always having a focus on a roadmap for the future, both in business and personal life. The team also dive deep and reflect on the importance of embracing personal purpose. They discuss the insights of previous guests around living to your values, stepping out of your comfort zone, overcoming fear, the power of support and encouragement, fears of public speaking, making sacrifices, challenging the perception of success, the importance of continuous learning, the power of asking questions and so much more. In this final EVER episode, Mark reflects on his past success and failures, shares the advice he would give to his younger self, and looks back on what he's learned throughout his career, including the importance of being brave and speaking up, avoiding black and white thinking, and developing an internal locus of control. *Insert profound heavy metal lyric in honour of Mark here*…. Producer Lizzie can't think of any, she's a Taylor Swift fan… Show notes Impromptu Business Chat/Leadership & Life Chat episodes: • Interview with Paul McVeigh - the power of beliefs in business • How to be an AWESOME leader and achieve a great work-life balance, with coach and author Ben Coomber • Selling up is hard to do. What comes next? With business strategist, Dawn Bloomer • Highway to the conquer zone with profit hunter Freddie Bennett • Interview with Dr Chris Mason on Leadership Success • Find meaning in your work: Meaningful May • Power of public speaking with Andrew Brammer • Special interview episode with Damian Horner: The Dark Art of Marketing Marks Books/Podcasts Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! The Way of Wyrd Never Finished David Goggins The Fifth Sacred Thing – Starhawke Reality Blind: Integrating the Systems Science Underpinning Our Collective Futures The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens podcast
In this episode, Garath Symonds, the founder of Reconnect Coaching, joins Mark and Becky to discuss his upcoming book, ‘The Anxious Leader'. They explore how anxiety impacts decision-making and leadership, the importance of rational thinking and ego reflection, as well as strategies for tolerating anxiety as opposed to rejecting it. They delve into the role of meditation and self-reflection for leaders, along with managing trauma's impact and the importance of vulnerability and psychological safety in top level roles, and ultimately, embracing life's lessons. Tune in for fascinating insights into leadership and personal growth in the podcast's penultimate episode! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Connect with Garath on LinkedIn Reconnectcoaching.co.uk Books The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World – Ronald A Heifetz The Bhagavad Gita – Eknath Easwaran What Matters Most – James Hollis Keep your eye on Garaths channels for the release of his upcoming book 'The Anxious Leader' - due to be published in 2024 Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
In a world of quiet quitting and the ‘Great Resignation', what should employers be doing to keep their best people? This week Mark chats to Steve Jacobs, a director at WTW, to discuss the importance of employee benefits and how to navigate the ever-changing trends in the workplace. With the shift in employee expectations post COVID-19, and a focus on flexibility and work-life balance, they look at the differences between employer and employee perspectives on what constitutes a ‘benefit' now and, in particular, what employees sometimes value above money. They discuss diversity and inclusion, global differences in legislation and the challenge of the multi-gen workforce. With a background in the Merchant Navy, and now working for WTW, a world leader in data driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital – Steve has seen it all, and his business has helped businesses to navigate stormy, unpredictable waters. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes • Connect with Steve on LinkedIn • Find out about the work of WTW: wtwco.com & UK: wtw-healthandbenefits.co.uk • Leadership & Life Chat – Andy Nicol and Sue Liburd • Brené Brown podcasts • Ken Blanchard: ‘The One Minute Manager' • Ravin Jesuthasan: The future of work Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
You might not think this topic applies to you – but it's a conversation that might be important for someone you love. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains mention of drug addiction, depression and suicide We open the LAST EVER series of the podcast with Mark and Becky chatting to Nick Jonsson in one of our most frank, honest and powerful episodes surrounding the often brutal reality of leadership and its toll. Nick opens up about his personal journey with executive loneliness and his own ‘rock bottom', what led him to seek help, and his path to creating a safe space for senior executives and business owners to discuss their challenges. Nick is the co-founder and Managing Director of EGN, one of Asia's premier networking organisations, and his path takes him from his native Sweden to Australia and beyond! Nick is passionate about the need to change the perception of vulnerability and encourages leaders to embrace it as a strength. This conversation is a powerful dive into the realities of identity and purpose in the workplace, the impact of isolation on younger generations and the dangers of inflated ego in CEOs and business owners! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes Nick's website Nick's book: Executive Loneliness SUICIDE SUPPORT – UK: SAMARITANS Call 116 123 USA: Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741 Vistage – peer network Leadership & Life Chat: Be more Labrador! Building trust at work with Darryl Stickel PhD
Do you listen to music whilst you work? There are countless studies and arguments on whether music can really make us more productive. We often hear radios playing in forecourts, offices and shops, and since the launch of Spotify and shrinking of headphones, playing music at work has become much less frowned upon. But what is the scientific impact on our brains? Should we be encouraging or discouraging our teams to embrace Beethoven whilst working? (or in Marks case, Metallica…) GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes Leadership & Life Chat - Practical guide to de-stressing with Havening Technique expert Tony Burgess Impromptu Business Chat - Up Your Energy - Increase your energy levels (part 1 of 2) Andrew Huberman – Huberman Lab podcast Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
This conversation is far from a laugh riot, but is a fascinating insight into the reality of what it's like for many teams members out there right now working under bad bosses. The stats will blow your mind! Fearless Organisation Practitioner Rob Kalwarowsky, famous for his speech ‘How to Avoid Becoming an As*hole Boss'; outlines the 6 different destructive leader types: • The arrogant or violent boss • Abusive narcissist • Messy boss • Cowardly boss (ghost managers) • Passive aggressive boss • Passive egocentric boss Do you recognize yourself as any of these? If so, it might be time to make a change. They seem extreme but Rob outlines the data and research behind how these categories came into the lexicon and how too much stress on teams will result in costs for businesses in the long term. There is a demand for the right people needed in businesses, but there's a disconnect with the overall quality of leadership in businesses across the world – recent trends of quiet quitting and the great resignation are directly tied to specific managers. Rob believes that his insights can literally help to change your business and the lives of those working with you, forever. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes Contact Rob: elitehighperformance.com Watch the full speech How to Avoid Becoming an As*hole Boss here Find Rob on: Instagram Youtube Linked In TikTok Spotify Thanks to www.expertbookers.com - visit them and find out how they can help support your podcast! Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn Jamesclear.com No Bad Parts - Dr Richard Schwartz Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself – Michael Singer 7 Rules of Power: Surprising - But True - Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance your career – Jeffrey Pfeffer Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
In this episode we talk all things chaos theory. No, not the ‘interdisciplinary area of scientific study and branch of mathematics focused on underlying patterns and deterministic laws of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions' (thanks Wikipedia). Rather, how our unpredictable behaviour can impact our work and those around us. Mark and Becky discuss how there's a difference between chaotic and energetic, how the differences impact our productivity, and how the pros and cons of what can be perceived as chaos in the workplace impact our relationships. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes Leadership & Life Chat - How to cultivate creativity at work Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Psychotherapist, Gin Lalli, supports people in finding practical solutions for mental fitness when feeling out of control, and how to avoid negative thinking with the aim of limiting your stress. Stress is a consequence of negative thinking, and the responses come from the part of your brain that is designed to keep you safe – they were vital for survival in caveman days, but we don't need them daily in 2024. We can retrain our brains to understand that thoughts and internal chatter are NOT facts. It takes time and commitment, but it is possible. Gin outlines the scientific role sleep plays in our mental health; how to cope if we don't get enough sleep; the importance of micro-interactions; what the cause and effect of modern-day stress is and how our cortisol levels really work for and against us. There's a lot of polar bear talk, supermarket self-checkout rage, and ‘Producer Lizzie' even manages to wedge in the psychological benefits of horror films! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes: Visit Gin's website at Ginlalli.com Gin's book - Solution-Focused Therapy Handbook: How to Empty Your Stress Bucket & podcast - Stress Bucket Solutions The Chimp Paradox – Prof Steve Peters The work of Trevor Moawad Susan Jeffers – Feel the Fear and do it anyway Just One Thing – Michael Mosley podcast Sleep is your superpower – Matt Walker TED Talk Why We Sleep – Matthew Walker Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
We are back for series 7! Loyal listeners will know that Mark and Becky are huge fans of Jim Collins, so they decided it was time to dive deep into his work, and look at the seven key questions he claims all leaders need to ask themselves. They outline how each question can help with recruitment and retaining our talented people! Jim once said leaders should be “rigorous, not ruthless.” Can this really be applied to success? GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes Jim Collins – Good to Great Value setting within business episode of Leadership & Life Chat – Working 9-5, not the only way to make a living Leadership & Life Chat - You've got the power The 7 questions Are you beginning to lose other people by keeping this person in the seat? Do you have a values problem, a wills problem or a skill problem? What is the person's relationship to the window and the mirror? Does the person see work as a job or a responsibility? Has your confidence in the person gone up or down in the last year? Do you have a bus problem or a seat problem? How would you feel if this person quit? Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Do you think you've grown as a person, or as a leader, or have you allowed your challenges or failures to hold you back? Human Potential Coach Kamini Wood is passionate about helping people to understand their worth and grow their personal and professional paths, or as she puts it, “I mess with how people think!” Do you ever feel like you don't belong? You don't fit in? What do you allow your inner critic to tell you? Kamini started her journey into personal development after realising, as a mother of five, she needed to start adopting a more conscious parenting tactic, as she was projecting too much of her own emotion onto her children. She could see people doing this at her family law firm too. Our relationship with ourself is the most important one we'll ever have, so Mark and Becky chat to Kamini about how we can tap into our goals and values, and reject the fear response for the better of our businesses and brains! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kamini.wood.5 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/itsauthenticme/?hl=en LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaminiwood/ Kaminiwood.com RiseUp - Live Joy Your Way podcast Atlas of the Heart – Brené Brown Viktor Frankl Russ Harris – The Happiness Trap Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
This week, Mark and Becky reflect on a topic which keeps coming up with their guests – the importance of emotional intelligence. They look back on their AI episodes and how the human in the loop theory will become more important in the future, extending past the technical aspects of a job, and into how to retain the people in your team; after all, people join organisations but leave managers. They discuss how EQ skills can be taught and learned, and why it's so important for leaders to get hold of their own self-awareness, set the drum beat and audit their own emotions and how others perceive you. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes AI Special roundtable with Alison & Alix Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
This episode is a complete refresh on the topic of leadership. Antonio Garrido, former architect and author of My Daily Leadership: A Powerful Roadmap for Leadership Success, has dedicated the latter half of his career to helping CEO's better tap into their emotional intelligence, understand the art of truth telling and create more productive working relationships. His energy and experience offers a reinvigorated perspective on modern day business, as he philosophises with Mark over the reality of business ownership and management in 2023, he gives some uncomfortable examples of the type of personalities still allowed to operate at top levels, and why those businesses open themselves up to failure. Do you want to create a carrot or stick culture? GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes LinkedIn www.mydailyleadership.com Email Antonio: antonio@mydailyleadership.com Blinkist Leadership & Life Chat – How to cultivate creativity at work My Daily Leadership book Example of someone who has worked from the bottom up – Karen Hester COO of Adnams on Tourism Business Chat. Books Freedom from Command and Control: A Better Way to Make the Work Work Ted X – Itay Talgam - Lead like the great conductors The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, Gary Keller 10x Is Easier than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less, Dan Sullivan Eating the Big Fish: How Challenger Brands Can Compete Against Brand Leaders Seth Goden books Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable Servant Leadership in Action: How You Can Achieve Great Relationships and Results The Creative Act: A Way of Being Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
The world of business is changing again and, where once we were encouraged to be proactive in our businesses, now, thanks to the advancement in AI, we might have to start being predictive – but how easy is this for humans, and will the world look like Minority Report! Mark and Becky reflect on their special roundtable chat this summer with AI experts, Alison Alexander and Alix Rübsaam, and discuss their fears around AI and the reliance that we might put on it, going forwards. They discuss the bias that will exist in the algorithms, how we must always be questioning AI's answers, the potential stunt in creativity, and the possible dangers around predicting human behavior, especially in business. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes • AI SPECIAL - Roundtable with Alix Rubsaam & Alison Alexander • Jocko Willink - Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win • Minority Report (2002) Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Studies suggest that selling your business or retiring early do not necessarily make someone happier. Dawn Bloomer, a former veterinarian turned strategic advisor, knows this all too well. Dawn guides us through her journey after selling her successful practice and finding herself adrift – she hadn't planned what to do next! She chats to Mark and Becky about the importance of exit plans and considering ‘what comes next'. They talk about the accountability and logistics often over-looked in any move, and the toxic ‘workaholic' culture that still exists despite its known impact on our wellbeing. Dawn prefers to look at work-life balance as ‘integration'. This is a great episode for anyone looking to climb the career ladder, but who's worried about the sacrifices they think are needed; those planning for an exit; and managers who need to better understand the implications of their teams returning after maternity, sickness or other forms of leave. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes Contact Dawn - www.productivepressure.com Linkedin Larking Gowen Corporate Transactions Books Transitions (40th Anniversary): Making Sense of Life's Changes - – William & Sue Susan Bridges The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level – Gay Hendricks Reinventing Yourself – Steve Chandler – get the audio-book! Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
We're back for series SIX, and what better way to start than letting Mark do what he does best – philosophise about himself! He muses around what ‘being a creative person' really means, and how we can embrace creativity and innovation in our businesses. Mark and Becky look at how creativity can't be forced and how the pressures of work diaries, workloads and deadlines, particularly for business owners, can stunt creativity and what impact this has on your work and wellbeing. They discuss practical ways to empower your teams and how permission to think outside the box is sometimes all a person needs to find that spark! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We'd also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes The Creative Act: A Way of Being – Rick Rubin Impromptu Business Chat with Damian Horner - The Dark Art of Marketing (2021) Leadership & Life Chat - Practical guide to de-stressing with Havening Technique expert Tony Burgess Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
How can you use, shape and lead AI in business – with experts Alix Rübsaam and Alison Alexander. Should we be worried? What does the future of humanity really look like? You might aready be familiar with ChatGPT, but there's a whole world of AI out there, and it's rapidly impacting how we live and work. For this special roundtable episode, we invited previous guests, Alix Rübsaam, Head of Curriculum and Expertise at Singularity Education Group and an expert on the human influence on algorithms, and Alison Alexander, the co-founder of Metacampus, and expert on Web3. This conversation takes us into the world of large language models, government legislation and policy, prompt engineering, Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG), the human fear response, historical tech trends and, most importantly, the philosophical and moral implications of using AI in our businesses. This episode will help you navigate the real-life application of AI in your work, and learn how business owners can avoid a ‘wild-west' situation with unintended consequences simply by implementing policy, systems and boundaries. If you're still scratching your head wondering what on earth is going on, this one is not to be missed! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here to watch this weeks episode Show notes Alix • Alix on LinkedIn • Singularity Group Alison • Alison's Substack • Alison on Twitter - @AMETAVERSEA • Alison LinkedIn • Metacampus General • DALL.E 2 • Claude 2 Anthropic AI
Darryl's journey is nothing short of inspirational. Darryl was already living with degenerative eyesight, resulting in becoming legally blind, when he was brutally attacked at 17. Rather than recoiling from the world and pursuing resentment, he decided to embrace empathy and his life and career of thinking was brought hastily forward. Darryl achieved his doctorate at Duke University and wrote his thesis on building trust in hostile environments. Inspired by Darryl's guide dog Drake, who serves as his company's ‘Director of Goodness' (DOG), they talk about how to pursue a life of positivity, integrity, embracing neutrality in toxic work relationships, and how vulnerability is the key to building trust, which is proven to improve business levels. Mark and Darryl nerd out on their shared interest in tribalism and the bigger philosophical questions around leadership and discuss Darryl's equation: Uncertainty x vulnerability = risk. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Building Trust - Exceptional Leadership in an Uncertain World – Darryl Stickel trustunlimited.com Leadership & Life Chat - The new office, and the generation gap Thinking, Fast and Slow: Daniel Kahneman Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
‘Stuff' happens, as Becky politely put it– but how do we deal with it now we're all facing a new wave of challenges? There's a lot going on; geo-political, environmental, and economic pressures and worries infringe on all our lives in some way, so Mark wants to revisit resilience. But that's a bit of a buzz word now, so they work on the peripherals of what this encompasses, looking back on the Locus of Control technique; how you can learn, rather than defend yourself, in tricky situations; and how to avoid pity parties. They take inspiration from the work of Dr Lucy Hone and psychologist Owen Fitzpatrick. You can watch on YouTube here GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! Show notes 3 secrets of resilient people – Dr Lucy Hone Leadership & Life Chat – You've got the power! Impromptu Business Chat – Owen Fitzpatrick, a practical guide to psychology in business Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
It's widely considered that the US Marine Corps is one of the best examples of leadership in the world. Veteran Janet Polach chats to Mark and Becky about how best to leverage the skills of your team and avoid being a selfish leader. They examine each step of Janet's book, The Seven Mistakes New Managers Make, and delve into Janet's ‘make it worse' technique. After discussing the importance of people knowing their responsibilities and role, and the value in one-to-ones, they reflect on the impact of the transition between feedback frenzy in school, into the feedback desert that is the workplace. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Contact Janet – janet@inthelead.co LinkedIn The Seven Mistakes New Managers Make - Janet Polach Adam Grant PODCAST/WORK Attitude of gratitude - Leadership & Life Chat Olga Dies Dreaming – Xochitl Gonzalez Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Mark is inspired this week by a TEDx talk which leads him to reflect on one of his favourite topics – evolution, tribes and what makes humans tick. It's a tough question to ask yourself, but are you creating a cult or a culture? Mark and Becky discuss where the idea of culture comes from and what it really means for businesses. “Cult leaders see greatness in themselves”, whereas, if you operate as a culture, you see greatness in the team. They also discuss the impact the CEO/owner has on a culture and why active engagement is important. They consider the negative connotation behind the term ‘HR' and why, perhaps, this no longer fits the modern world… GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us. You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Corporate Anthropologist, Michael Henderson – TEDx Michael Henderson website Jocko Willink – Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win Jim Collins – Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't The three secrets of resilient people – Lucy Hone – TEDx Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
We all have a personal brand, whether we know it or not. Born in Romania, under a Communist regime, personal brand expert, Mihaela Berciu, faced more than the usual teenage worries. Simply saying the wrong thing would have landed her in a lot of trouble, but, little did she know that this lived experience, of having heightened anxiety over her own behaviour, would lead her into a post-revolutionary world. Mihaela headed to the UK, Cambridge University no less, then hosted her own tv show, and has forged her path to become a pioneer in the introduction of personal brand. When you hear the word ‘brand' you possibly think of a logo, posters, or adverts. In reality, a brand evolves and incorporates every aspect of your business. The traditional ‘corporate brand' mindset has been a powerful force and often a huge burden for those working under it. Mihaela chats to Mark and Becky about how empowering your teams to embrace and grow their own personal brand is good for the bigger picture as well as the company brand. Promoting the personalities of your people builds trust with your customers—and authenticity is key. In the current working world, businesses must consider personal brand, particularly if they are reliant on referrals. The team also discuss how to handle Gen-Z politics entering the workforce, and potential problems with social media; how we can cleanse our past habits and ways of thinking; and why it's not always good to be a people pleaser. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Mihaela's website Connect with Mihaela on LinkedIn The Five People You Meet In Heaven: Mitch Albom The Surrender Experiment, Michael Singer Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Mark loved explaining how Einstein was not great at making sandwiches this week! He didn't grow the wheat, didn't knead the dough, so did he really make a sandwich? The point being none of us really ever make it on our own. We're all reliant on so many factors around us that help guide, support and ultimately achieve our success. They challenge the listener to think about whether they lean into their technical capabilities, as it's easy to hide behind expertise, but to think about how many ‘soft-skills' they could honestly claim to be expert in. Richard Branson can't build a plane after all, he motivates, leads and inspires others to do it for him! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Mark mentions Adnams – listen to their COO Karen Hester chatting to Chris Scargill on Tourism Business Chat about her journey from part time cleaner to one of the industry's biggest success stories Aubrey Marcus podcast Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Becky makes a great point in this episode – “it's only bragging if it isn't true”. Doubting ourselves is part of our genetic makeup as humans, but we no longer need as much of a ‘fear instinct' as our Homo sapiens predecessors – we're fairly high on the food chain now! Context is key, and you can use this as a driver when assessing decisions you need to make as a leader. A fear of judgment can also be a barrier for businesses, so Mark and Becky let us in on what they have learnt about how to conquer the voice in your head that makes you doubt yourself, and how fear can change us, and impact all our life decisions. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes The Weight of Gold documentary Philosophize This! podcast Civil Disobedience – Henry David Thoreau Leadership & Life Chat with Robert Jordan - Who do you think you are? Embrace your style Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
This week, Mark and Becky connect with a local Norfolk organisation, whose insights have global relevance – why businesses should embrace a strong Corporate social responsibility (CSR) package. (And we find out who Mark's favourite Womble is!) Voluntary Norfolk connects businesses and charitable organisations, to help businesses meet their community objectives. In previous episodes, Mark and Becky have discussed the change in what younger generations are expecting from employers, and how they now look beyond just salary in job searches. CSR forms a huge part of most company employment packages and is a key part of Employer Brand, our guests this week discuss why volunteering initiatives are a popular offering, and the benefits they bring to the employee, as well as the business. Laura is a Volunteer Coordinator, supporting organisations and matching them to volunteers, and Nicola is a HR Consultant at CBR Business Solutions, who works as a consultant to SME businesses and voluntary social enterprises. They discuss the opportunities available to people who have had career breaks and are perhaps lacking in confidence and up to date skills, the changes lockdown brought, and they identify the mental health impact that strong CSR packages are proven to bring to the employee, and how this in turn helps to cultivate a healthy and more profitable work environment. They also discuss how hesitant business owners should see volunteering as an opportunity to identify skills in their teams that they were not aware of, and how neutral environments not based on ‘a night out' can embolden teamwork and unity, all things that are good for business! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Voluntary Norfolk Evolve Workplace Wellbeing podcast UEA tool Institute for Volunteering Research CBR Business Solutions Get Involved Norfolk Leadership & Life Chat - The Attitude of Gratitude: reap the rewards of appreciation Leadership & Life Chat – The new office and the generation gap The Wombles! Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
With Gen-Z now entering the workforce, how do you go about navigating the massive cultural divide that might now exist in your office? Typically, Gen-Z are no wallflowers; strong minded, often politically active and not afraid to call out inappropriate ‘banter'. They are moving into workspaces with Gen-X, millennials and even boomers, who have not had to deal with such a big cultural leap in the generational divide for some time. How you operate on a day-to-day basis may start to look different, not necessarily for better or worse, just different. Mark and Becky troubleshoot what leaders could face and how they would handle different opinions and create a safe culture and boundaries for everyone. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show Notes Teen depression statistics Twitter post Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
TRIGGER WARNING – This episode contains mention of suicide Not only is Serena's business journey inspirational, but she's also doing important work in empowering and supporting women's mental and career health! Shortly after facing redundancy, Serena founded ProspHER, a business providing training, practical support and mentoring for women in business, with a focus on empowerment and community. Serena is a breath of fresh air in her honesty around the challenges women often face in their careers, and how honesty, authenticity and workplace cultures are integral to success – things we know tick all of Mark and Becky's boxes! They have a fascinating chat about vulnerability, relationship and confidence building, flexible working and the pros and cons of social media and how we consume it. It's worth listening just to find out how Mark manages to tie Serena's insights into his leek crop on his allotment… Check out the work ProspHER do here. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Contact Serena on LinkedIn HER Funny Business – Serena Fordham Abraham: THE KEY TO EFFORTLESS MANIFESTATION - Esther & Jerry Hicks Dream, Create, Believe, Achieve: Success; It Really Isn't Rocket Science – Darren Lewitt Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! – Robert T. Kiyosaki Leadership and Life Chat: How to be an AWESOME leader and achieve a great work-life balance, with coach and author Ben Coomber Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
This week's episode is based around a quote from the business icon that is, Dolly Parton “Find out who you are, and do it on purpose”. Becky makes the argument that attaching your personal values to your work, makes for clearer messaging within your business, from your reputation through to recruitment. Her and Mark debate the idea of not leaving business to chance, and how living and working consciously is important, and not having your core values as part of your business plan can be detrimental to its success. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Simon Sinek – Start with Why Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
What does giving 100% really mean? For most of us, we go straight to working more, but is that really the best way forward? High performance coach Ben Coomber talks to Mark & Becky about what the reality of working ‘smarter not harder' really involves, and addresses what leaders need to do to change and adapt to new behaviours to improve their personal and professional lives. They discuss Ben's entrepreneurial journey; from owning more than one business, writing his bestselling book How to Live an Awesome Life, to the epiphany he had which led to his passion for helping others achieve their goals. They discuss the cultural badges of honour associated with work and careers, the impact of burnout, the phases of life and their impact on your career path, and ‘state changes'. Ben's insights will help you get on your feet, and give you the prompt you might need to make positive improvements in your work-life balance. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Find Ben on Instagram @bencoomber and on LinkedIn The Knowledge Project podcast Books How to Live an Awesome Life Extreme Ownership - Jocko Willink and Leaf Babin Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Back in 2016, renowned entrepreneur and New York Times Best Seller, Kevin Kruse, published a popular blog that piqued Mark's interest, and here we are seven years later, digging through the best bits of '15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently'. His points are still as relevant now as they were then. There's so much good stuff in Kevin's work, that this is the second of two episodes, click here to listen to PART 1 Kevin interviewed over 200 people who were considered highly productive, including billionaires, Olympians and straight-A students, and published his 15 secrets to productivity based on his findings. Success can't happen without productivity, so Mark and Becky break down their favourite secrets from the blog, and how they can be applied to our everyday lives. In this episode they discuss everything from the R.A.F.T method, to why you should only check emails 3 times a day! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Listen to PART 1 here Read Kevin's article, originally published by Forbes magazine here Book – 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management Blog - 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Productivity Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
This week's episode is a fascinating insight into a brilliant mind! Brenda Harrington is a business coach, founder of Adaptive Leadership Strategies, and author, who advocates for the benefits of learning and development outside of our core competencies and professions. These skills were vital for business leaders to help them ‘survive' the COVID-19 lockdowns. This period also allowed Brenda the space to put onto paper her thoughts and lessons on diversity, empathy and inclusion in business, publishing her book Access Denied: Addressing Workplace Disparities and Discrimination. Mark and Becky are both huge fans of coaching, a topic discussed on the pod many times, and they pick Brenda's brain about why there are so many business leaders who still don't have coaches. Brenda breaks down the difference between coaches and mentors, and how coaching provides a safe environment for leaders to not just vent, but also find inspiration and guidance, all whilst being respectfully held to account GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk Show notes Brenda's book - Access Denied: Addressing Workplace Disparities and Discrimination Connect with Brenda - LinkedIn, Instagram @theauthorbharrington, Email Adaptive Leadership Strategies International Coaching Federation Podcasts On the Balcony Philosophize This Tackling diversity in the workplace; Interview with Sue Liburd MBE, and Andy Nicol Books Leading Inclusion - Dr Gena Cox Hope Leans Forward: Braving Your Way toward Simplicity, Awakening, and Peace – Valerie Brown The Magic of Creative Thinking: Tools and Tricks to Break Thinking Patterns and Make the Impossible Possible – Yarin Kimor 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management - Kevin Kruse © Larking Gowen LLP
Back in 2016, renowned entrepreneur and New York Times Best Seller, Kevin Kruse, published a blog that piqued Mark's interest, and here we are seven years later, digging through the best bits of his article, '15 Surprising Things Productive People Do Differently'. His points are still as relevant now as they were then. Kevin interviewed over 200 people who were considered highly productive, including billionaires, Olympians and straight-A students, and published his 15 secrets to productivity based on his findings. Success can't happen without productivity, so Mark and Becky break down their favourite secrets from the article, and how they can be applied to our everyday lives. There's so much good stuff in Kevin's work, that this is the first of two episodes! Look out for part 2 coming soon… GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here Show notes Read Kevin's article, originally published by Forbes magazine here Book – 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management Blog - 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Productivity Book – Eat That Frog!: Get More of the Important Things Done Today Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
This is the one hundredth podcast for Mark, after starting Impromptu Business Chat back in May 2020, and to celebrate this milestone, we needed a very special guest, and they don't get much better than local legend (and Tractor Boy!) David Sheepshanks CBE. David was Chairman of Ipswich Town Football Club (soccer to our US listeners) during their success in the 90s, including their infamous win over Manchester United, but was also there to witness the fall into relegation out of the Premier League. He chats to Becky and life-long Ipswich Town Football Club fan, Mark, about how he brought a fresh approach of leadership to the club back in the late 80s, which involved revolutionising the approach to staffing, training and even who was playing on the pitch! They chat about how running a football club successfully meant taking a business-like approach; it wasn't just about putting a ball in the net anymore. David reminisces about his determination to win back the heart and minds of fans, and the initiatives they brought in to refresh the club and increase footfall to the stands during a dark period performance-wise. He reflects on their community work and emphasis on youth training and development, some of which was revolutionary at the time, and how he focused on culture change, and improved morale and a sense of comradery throughout all levels at the club, breaking barriers and focusing in on a ‘customer is king' approach across the board. David also discusses his time in the FA (Football Association) and his work on St George's Park, a new and visionary football centre, created to host a new generation of coaches who could grow with the changing world of football. This episode is not to be missed, not just for football fans, but for those seeking to learn what it really takes to win at any top level. “Buildings don't win tournaments; environments and people do.” GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! Show notes: Books: The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey Good to Great - Jim Collins Turn the Ship Around - David Marquet Matthew Syed - Rebel Ideas Radical Candor - Kim Scott Links Podcast Sir Michael Barber: Accomplishment https://vistage.co.uk/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqmdLcyES_Q Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Sometimes stress and anxiety can get in the way of our personal or professional progress, but there are a multitude of techniques, therapies, and systems available to help us combat these barriers. One such being the Havening Technique, of which Mark is already a big fan. We welcome expert practitioner, Tony Burgess, to the pod, who gives a ‘hands-on' practical demonstration of how this application works. Tony shows us how it impacts our brain and can help to change our lens; and relax, stimulate and unburden our minds, making way for a more positive and improved mindset. You might prefer to watch this episode on YouTube and follow along with the practical demonstration Tony puts Becky through, but, either way, Tony creates a vivid and inspirational mantra we could all benefit from. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! Show notes Books The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The complete works of Florence Scovel Shinn Links www.learn-havening.co.uk www.aha-success.co.uk www.aha-disc.co.uk www.pinkbucketthinking.co.uk A link to some guiding videos on 'Self Havening' to let go of minor stress and tension in your day: https://learn-havening.co.uk/selfhavening/ For anyone who has anything more 'heavy duty' to work on such as clearing the effects of trauma or releasing overwhelming feelings, Tony would recommend working with a certified Havening practitioner. A full list of practitioners globally can be found here: https://www.havening.org/ Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
We're back, and avid listeners to the pod will know that Mark loves a challenge, especially when it comes to following rules, and in the first episode of series 3 he discusses the relevance of workplace dress codes and workplace etiquette with our fabulous new co-host Becky Ames. The lockdowns of 2020 brought about many changes in how we work, least of all what we wear whilst we're doing it, but has it changed the meaning of ‘dress for success'? Becky and Mark discuss if dress codes even matter anymore, and if they're in place, what they represent and the expectations, restrictions and pitfalls that can come with them. Should we advocate for more individuality and personality at work? What does ‘dress for success' really mean? And are you really what you wear… GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Christmas is a wonderful time of year for many, but it can also be a time of great demand, monetarily, socially, and emotionally. We put great pressure on ourselves to be happy, generous and organised, and many will be struggling to balance pay cheques through the rising costs of, well, everything. James and Mark believe mindfulness is key to surviving the season – it's so easy to get wrapped up in the idea of a fairy-tale Christmas. Learn how to embrace imperfections and manage expectations as they sprinkle some Christmas cheer and give us one of the best free gifts, some sage advice and wisdom, with a little bit of humour, in this re-release of the 2021 Christmas special episode, as relevant now as it was then. We also announce some exciting changes for Leadership & Life Chat Season 3! We wish all our listeners a joyful, relaxing and mindful festive season, and we can't wait to see yule in 2023! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here © Larking Gowen LLP
TRIGGER WARNING – this episode contains mentions of miscarriage, child-loss, suicide, eating disorders and self-harm. If you're a male business leader, this episode may be of particular interest. Our special guest is occupational health specialist Hilary Horton. Hilary has decades of personal and professional experience and insight into the complexities of women's health. She chats to Mark about how managers and business owners need to educate themselves to better support their teams. Many modern businesses haven't kept up with societal change, and women still face barriers in the workplace, particularly around maternity leave, depression, menopause, complex premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and even religious understanding. Hilary highlights the importance of empathy and education for leaders, particularly male ones, as businesses that tap into the power of women in the workplace and embrace and support them, are the ones who are often more successful. Hilary is a former military nurse, who learnt empathy and leadership in her very early years, as part of the ‘over-spill' working class community in the West End of London. She made it to be Head Girl at school, and realised young that if you have a skill, it's your duty to pass it on. After a spell of mental health issues during her broad and fascinating career working in prisons, hospitals and the military, and studying psychology, Hilary made it her life's mission to advocate for better health support within the workplace. Mark also chats to Hilary openly about his own personal experiences being child-free and how this impacts his life at work, and they discuss what leaders can do to support employees going through grief and loss of all kinds, from miscarriage to divorce, to the loss of a pet or taking time off because of menopause symptoms, and why these factors need to be considered in appraisals and in the construction of policy and procedures, as people deliver their best at work when they feel supported; we are all human after all. Show notes Hilary's business - Enspirita Hilary's LinkedIn Chris Anthony on Impromptu Business Chat Books Tales of the Sea – Maggie Chiang Man's Search For Meaning: The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust – Viktor E. Frankl In Search of Mary Seacole: The Making of a Cultural Icon – Helen Rappaport GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here © Larking Gowen LLP
Profit Hunter Freddie Bennett, and The Sober Exec Chris Anthony both spoke openly to James and Mark on what you consume impacts how successful you can be in business. They reflect on both their personal and professional experiences with the impacts of the corporate party culture and how it can be combated for the better of profits, and our mental health. Ahead of the festive season, this is a great insight into the full value these guests have to offer team leaders in spotting signs of issues both within their team and themselves. Listen to the full episodes here: Freddie Bennett Chris Anthony GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk or leave us a voice note here. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Janet Mui is Head of Market Analysis at RBC Brewin Dolphin, and is top of her game in a male dominated industry. Janet handles over 60 million pounds in investments and is a regular face on news channels commentating on economic issues. Having grown up in China, Janet chats to Mark not just about why wealth management is important for entrepreneurs and business leaders, but also how she had to learn to adapt to British culture in order to ‘make it'. Janet speaks frankly about her experiences as ‘the only woman in the room', battling prejudices around ‘diversity hires' and feeling like she has to prove that she really is the best person for the job. She believes in the importance of diversity and financial education, discussing how we don't talk enough about money, or educate young people in how to deal with it. Janet also chats to Mark about the realities of how you can sleep at night when handling big money, what people get wrong about personal finance, and how not to lose yourself on the way to the top. Show notes: You can find Janet on LinkedIn here Visit RBC Brewin Dolphin here LinkedIn Top voices in finance! Money Made Easy podcast Become an expert commentator BBC 50/50 The Equality project Jamie Dixon Leadership & Life Chat episode Books: Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works - Roger L. Martin Lean In A Woman Makes a Plan – Maye Musk The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan Housel GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk or leave us a voice note here. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! © Larking Gowen LLP
In our most popular episode to date, climate change expert Dr Mathew Hampshire-Waugh chats to James and Mark about the realities of what's ahead, and what steps businesses can take to protect themselves. In this BITESIZE episode, we focus on Mathew outlining the history of the climate crisis and how we got to where we are, as detailed in his book, Climate change and the road to net-zero. Listen to the full episode here, or why not watch this engaging chat in full on YouTube. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk or leave us a voice note here. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! © Larking Gowen LLP
Jamie has worked with 160 multi-national companies as a corporate coach and trainer and has lived in Shanghai for 15 years. He chats to James and Mark about the profound impact Chinese culture and traditions has had on his thinking and how he delivers his work to his clients, specifically around the ideas of pragmatism, practicality and philosophy, and what he has learnt about high context communication. He reflects on his early years in China and how the language barriers made him feel vulnerable and inspired in equal measure. He shares lessons he learnt about the cultural differences in not just business, but also daily life, and how businesses should learn and embrace Chinese culture in order to successfully break into the Chinese market. Jamie chats about his passion for helping people to learn the tools needed to help reframe thinking, and create and connect with stories within their business, and how we can better cultivate our relationships by focusing on a mindset of understanding, to aid in success. This is a must-listen for anyone thinking of dipping their toe in the Asian market, with some valuable insights from a prolific coach and author on working in the market. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! © Larking Gowen LLP Show notes Shapingpaths.com Jamie Dixon LinkedIn Jamie's books: The Story Habit: How Leaders Shape Stories That Drive Action Overcome and Get It Done Books: Stephen R. Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People The Patterning Instinct – Jeremy Lent Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human, and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain – Lisa Feldman Barrett
Mark reflects on the chat earlier this year with artificial intelligence specialist, Alix Rübsaam. In this BITESIZE episode she discusses accessibility and legislation around algorithms, what businesses can do now to keep up with what's coming, and how discrimination and bias works across apps, websites etc. She also covers avoiding compliancy around the technology whilst pursuing efficiency and outsourcing to it. This episode is the perfect buddy to last week's chat with Alison Alexander on the metaverse. We recommend you listen to both to get a full picture of the future of tech and the internet, and how technology will impact the human element of how we perform business. You can listen to the full episode with Alix here, and why not follow up with Alison's episode here. Don't forget you can also WATCH both episodes on our YouTube channel! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk or leave us a voice note here. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! © Larking Gowen LLP www.larking-gowen.co.uk
You might be wondering, what is Web3? If so, this episode is definitely for you! You might already know what it is, but not fully understand the implications it has for you and your business. Either way, the insights of Metacampus co-founder Alison Alexander, who describes Web3 as the fourth industrial revolution, are not to be missed. Alison previously held top level roles within local governments, including Director of Children Services, and started her career in the metaverse through Virtual Reality - by creating immersive learning environments to help people understand the realities of others. She's passionate about educating everyone in what the future of the internet holds, and how we need to get on board, as change is coming. In this fascinating chat, she breaks down the decentralisation of the internet, a world where the web starts to change our mindset and the rewards that web3 will bring. Basically, we live in web2 where we don't own anything, not even our own data, it's all up for sale - but in web3 we'll have more control and ownership of what we post, and importantly, our data and money. Alison talks us through the safe avenues that businesses can take to protect themselves and venture into the web3 world now, and explains blockchains, exactly what NFT's are, how Crypto works, virtual wallets, bitcoin and the responsibility people like herself, and others already working in the metaverse/web3 space have in creating a more environmentally friendly approach to crypto while making the world more inclusive. Her work with Metacampus creates space for people to transform their companies, understand the changes coming in a digestible way, and link new people in the space with investors. This episode is a real game changer, particularly for women breaking out into tech, and small business owners such as artists and those who create their own products or have trademarks. IMPORTANT NOTICE - Crypto is highly volatile – it's a ‘medium' NOT money! Please seek advice before making any investment/changes to your business in this area. Show notes Contact Alison on Twitter - @AMETAVERSEA LinkedIn Metacampus website Buy your .eth address! Podcasts: Alix Rübsaam chatting A.I and the human impact on Leadership & Life Chat Crypto with English Hello Metaverse Women of Web 3 Holly Shannon Other: Film - Ready Player One Book - Snowcrash TV show - Silicon Valley GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here © Larking Gowen LLP
In this week's bitesize episode, we look at the power of belief; belief in ourselves, in our teams, and in our businesses, but so many struggle with this. Understanding our own psychology and learning new techniques to improve our mindsets are key to making us better and more productive leaders, and indeed, people. TEDx Talk legend and psychologist Owen Fitzpatrick, and former pro-athlete turned performance coach Paul McVeigh both offered fascinating insights into these areas in their separate appearances back on Impromptu Business Chat. Mark reflects on their insights into being our better selves. Listen to Owen's full episode here Listen to Paul's full episode here GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Robert Jordan is the co-author of Right Leader, Right Time: Discover Your Leadership Style for a Winning Career and Company. CEO of InterimExecs, he has spent decades working with leading executives in business, narrowing down the four unique styles of leaders that exist in the workplace which result in excellence. He chats to James and Mark about his experience and research, and how the findings in his book can help identify what type of leader we really are, how we can harness the power of this style and reject the aspects that aren't effective, and learn how to stop wearing multiple hats unnecessarily! Robert also discusses his time working for Yahoo in its early days, as well as the important role that small business plays in economies and the effectiveness of online support services. He also reflects on famous leaders and the legacies of politicians. In a fun and thought-provoking section not to be missed, he explains which Hollywood characters best demonstrate leadership types! Robert's infectious enthusiasm and passion for his work will inspire you back at your desk! GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here Leave us a VOICENOTE! Show notes: Book – Right Leader, Right Time Rightleader.com Interimexecs.com Right leader survey link Chris Mason on Impromptu Business Chat
In this BITESIZE episode, we go back to April 2021 to James and Mark's chat with former RAF Fighter Pilot and Executive Officer of the Red Arrows, Dan Lowes. Mark reflects on their conversation around the power of situational debriefs and how tick box exercises can be avoided. Debriefs help you improve communication, and gauge success, and are valuable to people at all levels, and let's face it, if they're good enough for the Red Arrows, they're good enough for us and our businesses! In these clips, Dan also discusses the ‘Half error technique', and their chat around Top Gun school and playlists is not to be missed! You can listen to the original full episode, and find show notes, here: Impromptu Business Chat with Dan Lowes GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here
Freddie's baaaack! Series 2 of Leadership & Life Chat kicks off with a former guest, professional adventurer and profit hunter, Freddie Bennett! Freddie first joined James and Mark back in early 2021 on Impromptu Business Chat, chatting about how he uses the lessons he's learnt in life to advise and inspire businesses on how to motivate their teams and embrace change. Since then, Freddie has had some major life changes, including packing up and moving his family to New Zealand, so the team invited him back to find out why, and talk about his new book and career change – tapping into customer bases to discover new lines of profit. Freddie has worked with some of the biggest companies in the world and conquered some mammoth personal demons along the way, having left the corporate grind behind him. He speaks passionately about choosing your battles, whether we really need to smash our comfort zones, his own theory on the relativity of time, and how we should all be more aware of our own waypoints! He also discusses how we should embrace the seasons of change in our lives and businesses, and how we can reject hustle culture. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can also now watch us on YouTube! Click here – link to relevant episode Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP Show notes: Find out more about Freddie – https://freddiembennett.com/ Listen to Freddie on Impromptu Business Chat here BOOKS Starting at Zero – Freddie Bennett Man's Search For Meaning: The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust by Viktor E Frankl The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware
Success and failure ultimately come from good or bad communication. How we verbalise our thoughts and feelings, and internalise them, affects our performance, relationships and wellbeing. James and Mark discuss what you can do to retrain your brain and learn new ways of looking at how you speak to others, and to yourself, and how focusing on this can help build your personal success as a leader. They discuss all sorts of themes, including the art of the ‘pity-party', energy vampires, the power of verbalising thoughts, and how to deal with awkward office conversations! GET IN TOUCH! Leave us a voice note here, we'd love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, and you might even feature in our next episode! You can also email us on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk Thank you to our sponsors, Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors. Check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here to watch this week's episode © Larking Gowen LLP Show notes: Trevor Moawad video Six Thinking Hats: The multi-million bestselling guide to running better meetings and making faster decisions – Edward de Bono Leadership & Life Chat - You've got the power Definition of a Mentalist = ‘a magician who performs feats that apparently demonstrate extraordinary mental powers, such as mind-reading' – The Mentalist tv show The Detectorist on BBC Leadership & Life Chat – Public Speaking Power with Andrew Brammer
Susannah is a member of the global business coaching platform, Mindshop, and back in 2021 received the coveted Value to Others award for European advisors. Mark describes her as the motivational map ‘Yoda'! She chats to James and Mark about how you can learn new behaviours, and how motivational maps can help you do this. In this clip they discuss the value in psychometric testing, embracing others' ways of learning and working, and how investing in training your people will build confidence and motivation – all good for business! You can listen to the full Impromptu Business Chat episode here. GET IN TOUCH! Leave us a voice note here, we would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, and you might even feature in our next episode! You can also email us on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
Greg is Head Coach of British Para Table Tennis and a performance coach. He believes that the best performers rely on their gut when it matters, whether that's on a track, field or in business. But this only works if you know yourself! They discuss how you can learn to focus on yourself, and understand what makes you tick, and how knowing your strengths, triggers and blind spots will help you perform under pressure, and nurture positive personal relationships. Greg deep dives into the process of performing under pressure – a tactical approach, physical preparation, and how we can't ignore how we operate under stress, as this can negate any technical ability. They also look at constraint based learning; how to adapt efficiently to cope with context; and how to harness positive and empowering relationships, particularly at work. Greg lets us in on what it really takes to ‘make it' at Olympic-level sport, and what he has learnt from the inspiring journeys of the Paralympic athletes he has worked with. He also discusses his work in trying to dispel the stigma behind the Paralympics, and how we can all learn from what it really takes for coaches to train the top level. GET IN TOUCH! Leave us a voice note here, we would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, and you might even feature in our next episode! You can also email us on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk You can also watch us now on YouTube too! Click here Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP Show notes: LinkedIn Greg Baker ACC British Para Table Tennis website Books: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage – Alfred Lansing Turn The Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders - L. David Marquet Podcasts: High Performance – Damian Hughes Steven Bartlett – The Diary of a CEO Impromptu Business Chat, Dan Lowes – Power of the debrief Leadership & Life Chat – You've Got the Power!
Confidence is king. Success comes from being confident; we need confidence to make decisions for the betterment of both our business and personal lives. We wouldn't marry someone unless we're confident we love and trust them; likewise, don't go into business with someone unless you're confident in their skill, commitment and honesty! James and Mark discuss the current lack of confidence in society that has followed lockdown, and the negative impact a lack of confidence can have. It can be catastrophic for businesses in particular, but there are ways in which we can reprogramme our brains to find the positives in any given situation and reframe our thinking. They look at the process of comparing our inner thoughts with other people's external projections; how to influence and encourage; the nature vs nurture argument; and how understanding what confidence really is and how to achieve it will ultimately lead to success. GET IN TOUCH! Leave us a voice note here, we'd love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, and you might even feature in our next episode! You can also email us on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk You can now watch us on YouTube! Click here to watch this week's episode Thank you to our sponsors, Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors. Check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP Show notes: Books: Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway: How to Turn Your Fear and Indecision into Confidence and Action - Susan Jeffers Mindset - Changing The Way You think To Fulfil Your Potential – Dr Carol S.Dweck The 5 Second Rule: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Live, Love, and Speak with Courage: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage – Mel Robbins The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life – Mark Manson Video: How Do Genes Influence Our Behaviour? - Robert Plomin
The team were thrilled to welcome renowned former BBC sports journalist, Simon Mundie, to the pod back in early 2021. Simon has interviewed hundreds of elite and world-famous sports stars, and in this episode they discussed how the lessons those stars have learnt can be applied to success in business. In this bitesize clip of that interview, they discuss imposter syndrome, as well as Simon's personal journey to try to change the exclusionary language around sport, and how this prompted the creation of his hit podcast, Don't Tell Me the Score. There's also a great story about rugby's Jamie Peacock, not to be missed! You can listen back to the full episode here. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. GET IN TOUCH! Leave us a voice note here, we would love to hear your thoughts on today's episode, and you might even feature in our next episode! You can also email us on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP