Work, Actually

Send us a Text Message.This week's episode is with the wonderful Claire Doré, a relationship, dating and sex coach, aka The Wild Woman CEO as well as the Relationship and Dating expert on Dublin City FM where she features on Friday's Good morning segment. Claire speaks about working with people to help them tune into their own energy for growth and expansion which has a knock-on effect in our relationships and getting the most out of life and being our authentic selves. Through intuitive coaching she helps bring emotions right up to the surface and getting to the root cause of an issue fast. You can learn more at clairedore.com 

Send us a Text Message.This episode is all about the working career of an animal behaviourist. I chatted with Daniel Warren Cummings. Daniel graduated with a degree in Zoology with Animal Beaviour from the University of Wales and has spent over 10 years working in the animal rescue and rehoming sector. Working as a trainer and behaviourist with some of the largest rescue and rehoming charities in the UK, he is currently working as a behaviourist for Cat's Protection. He has also recently graduated tie a Masters degree in Animal Welfare science, Ethics and Law from the University of Winchester and is a volunteer dog trainer for the charity Dog A.I.D which trains pet dogs ti provide assistance for clients with disabilities.  

If you are interested in the world of sport sponsorship you've come to the right place. Because today's chat is with Ishveen Jolly, a seasoned pro in this field after starting her career in cricket over in the Indian premier League.  - and as she grew to understand the industry more saw an opportunity to start a company that would be a platform where some of the biggest brands could find the right athletes across sports to partner with. OpenSponsorship, now the largest tech platform for sponsorship deals in the world and they work with everyone from LeBron James to new athletes needing sponsorship just to survive their training. I loved chatting to Ish because not only did she disrupt the industry, she's a British Asian woman disrupting a very white male dominated industry and managed to secure a 7 figure investment from Serena Williams. www.opensponsorship.com 

If you are keen to be a budding screenwriter or fancy learning what this job is all about, enjoy this chat with Paul Alexander,  a British sreen  writer who has written or contributed to the likes of Red Dwarf, Goodnight Sweetheart, Babes In the Wood, Lovejoy, My Parents are Aliens, Emmerdale and much more. Paul's website: https://pabloxander.com/ He also recommends those starting out to download screenplays to read as research here: The Internet Movie Screenplay Database: https://imsdb.com/andSimply Scripts annual list of awards-season screenplay contenders: https://www.simplyscripts.com/oscar-screenplays-96.htmlTips from Paul:Keep writingPut the time inRead scriptsWatch TV and films a lotPut your work online across platformsStart to brand yourselfTarget the right peopleCheck your work with others (not just your parents)Don't send scripts out of the blue to agents or producers- ask for permissionCheck agents websites for openingsAsk for recommendations

The Work, Actually podcast is back and we have a very special guest - Georgia Green of Georgia's Cakes, a thriving cake designing business. Dubbed 'the Mary Berry for the younger generation' Georgia's mission was to bring classical baking down to a level that everyone can utilise whilst keeping up with the latest cake and baking trends. Listen to hear how she went from Le Cordon Bleu training to starting her own business and becoming a creator as a consequence - we discuss the opportunities and challenges of that and, of course, her brand new debut cook book full of incredible designs and technical decorating. Georgia's Cakes: A step-by-step masterclass to make every cake a showstopper by Georgia Green (Pavilion Books) is available now. Visit: https://www.georgiascakes.com/Find Georgia on social media platforms at:https://www.instagram.com/georgiascakes/?hl=en & https://www.youtube.com/@GeorgiasCakes

Joanne Koukis is founder of Outpour Wines, a specialist wine business with an aim for a wider, more diverse group of people to feel welcomed into the world of wine and to develop confidence in their own tastes. Today, 80% of wine purchases are made by women, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that wine is a man's pursuit.Joanne sources and sells wine as well as hosting testings to encourage women to feel confident enough to learn and understand the wine world without the fear of judgement. You can find out more at www.outpour.co.uk 

Welcome to Comms, Actually - a sponsored mini-series by Propeller Group, a specialist B2B PR, content and business development agency. You can find out more about them and Comms, Club that they run which brings together people in communications talking about the big issues. You can find out more at www.propellergroup,com This episode is with Tingy Simoes, founder of Wavelength Group, a specialist healthcare PR agency.You can read up more at. www.wavelengthgroup.com 

Welcome to Comms, Actually - a sponsored mini-series by Propeller Group, a specialist B2B PR, content and business development agency. You can find out more about them and Comms, Club that they run which brings together people in communications talking about the big issues. You can find out more at www.propellergroup,com This episode is with Julian McBride, Global comms at Accenture Song, the world's largest tech-powered creative group of Accenture.You can read up more at https://www.accenture.com/gb-en

Welcome to Comms, Actually - a sponsored mini-series by Propeller Group, a specialist B2B PR, content and business development agency. You can find out more about them and Comms, Club that they run which brings together people in communications talking about the big issues. You can find out more at www.propellergroup,com This episode is with Claire Charruau, VP Marketing EMEA at Medialink.You can read up more at https://www.medialink.com/ 

In this episode I delve into the reality of working as an acting coach, interviewing Anne Musisi, also a Film Director and Founder of Anne's Records and Picture House Ltd. With a background in Acting and Global Theatre from Regent's University and an MA Acting for Screen from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama- her main focus is storytelling through the medium of film. Her mission is to create, develop and support narratives that promote equality, inclusivity and are representative of diverse people. You can find out more about her at www.iampro.com 

Welcome to Comms, Actually - a sponsored mini-series by Propeller Group, a specialist B2B PR, content and business development agency. You can find out more about them and Comms, Club that they run which brings together people in communications talking about the big issues. You can find out more at www.propellergroup,com This episode is with Tom Holder, the head of communications for the British Retail Consortium, the trade association for retailers in the UK. He delves into the reality of managing comms and how busy it gets as the retail landscape continues to change and technology shifts consumer behaviours. You can read up more about the BRC at www.brc.org.uk 

Very honest and interesting insight into the world of being a restaurateur - meet Roop Partap Choudhary, founder of Colonel Saab in the heart of Holborn, London.www.colonelsaab.co.uk 

Series 4! Kicking off with a Workplace Special and looking at the topic of sustainability and social impact within careers - how can you prioritise that as an individual or business leader? Shannon is a CSR and Sustainability Consultant working with many big and small businesses. She has also written a book called Good Work: How to Build a Career that Makes a Difference in the World and we chat through the themes offering listeners a bit of an insight into her work and how she helps people bring about meaningful change and place values at the heart of shaping a career.Find out more about her at www.walkoflifecoaching.com 

We've all encountered them. But, guess what, sometimes we can be the twat too. This episode is about recognising bad behaviour and learning the best approach so you feel empowered to change it and not remain stuck. Find out more about Carolyn at www.carolynhobdey.com 

Today's workplace special is looking at the topic of working parents and navigating the challenge of having children and returning to work. The chat is with Suzy Hunt, a qualified coach and founder of Future You - find out more at https://www.futureyou-coaching.com 

Today's workplace special is looking at the topic of imposter syndrome with Gemma Brown, a qualified coach. You can find out more about her at www.gemmabrowncoaching.co.uk 

Today's episode as part of the mini-series looking at workplace challenges is focused on addressing and resolving conflict, with qualified business and performance coach, Lisa Robyn Wood. Lisa runs GRIP coaching https://www.gripcoaching.co.uk a professional coaching service to support emerging, evolving, growing leaders to refine their skills, achieve greater success, and enjoy their careers. She is also co-host of The Coaching Cast podcast, exploring all things ‘work related' - you can listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-coaching-cast/id1550925416 

As part of a series of Workplace Specials where we look at themes within the workplace, today's episode is with leadership psychologist Tony Brooks on how to become a more effective leader - and how your mindset is the key to your future growth, success and fulfilment. Not only as a leader but in your life as a whole!Read more on Tony's work at https://theleadershiptrainingworkshop.com 

Fancy working in the world of fragrance production?Listen to this chat with Holly Hutchinson, founder of Memoize Perfume (and featuring Holly Dymock, someone keen to potentially get into this area as a possible side hustle!)After spending seven years developing niche fragrance products at a global perfume house, Holly Hutchinson founded Memoize London to create perfume with a different approach. The vision was to tailor truly unique and directional perfumes that combine effortless wearability with a personalised, bespoke touch. To do that, Holly curated a top team of experienced British perfumers, utilising materials sourced from the world's most reputable material suppliers, to produce a world class collection of scents.Listen to get a real insight into this world, running a small business, the attributes needed and why it's an industry that supports each other. Find out more about Memoize at www.memoizeperfume.com 

Ever considered a career as a horse trainer? This week's chat is with Lucinda Russell, a hugely accomplished and successful horse trainer based up in Kinross, as you'll hear Lucinda - and together with her husband Peter Scudamore, an eight time champion jockey who rode 1678 winners in his career - run LRR which trains and prepares national hunt horses. Lucinda has trained over seven hundred winners including nine graded winners and winners at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals so absolutely top of her game in this space and the chat was fascinating learning what goes into that process, the huge benefits of getting to work with horses and understanding them and what they need, why she says a horse will only race if it wants to, what goes into the training, what happens when a horse can't race, and of course what she believes are the attributes you need to work in this space. www.lucindarussell.comwww.nationalracehorseweek.uk 

Ever considered a career as a film/ tv agent? This week's episode is with Linda French, founder and MD or APM Associates which has grown and developed into one of the leading personal management agencies in the UK.Linda heads up a dedicated team of agents, assistants and marketing experts all focused on delivering clients' individual and targeted management to support and realise their full potential.APM Associates successfully represent clients in the UK and Internationally throughout all genres of the entertainment industry including Film, Television, Commercials, Voiceovers, Theatre, Musical Theatre and Dance.https://apmassociates.net 

Ever imagined what it would be like to have a career as a news reader? This week's episode is with the fantastically accomplished Jess Dunsdon, currently ITV news reader in Jersey and someone with two decades of experience in the field. This chat is a great resource for anyone interested in getting into this area of news journalism and understanding what the job is really like. Jess details her route in, the challenges, the opportunities, the differences in regional, national and international news, the changing nature of the newsroom and much more.Read more about her here:https://www.itv.com/news/meet-the-team/jess-dunsdon Also check out Coaching Cast, a podcast run by Suzy Hunt & Lisa Robyn Wood exploring all things 'work related' - matters impacting you at work right now - each episode takes a different topic including discussion with some special guests along the way, sharing ideas, hints, and tips to try yourself.https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-coaching-cast/id1550925416 

I love the fact I get to speak to brilliant, interesting and passionate people as part of the podcast- each one inspires me in different ways. This week is no exception and even more special as I had the pleasure of interviewing my dad, Bob. Dad was a news journalist for most of his career and for many years specialised in the craft of obituary writing for BBC TV news, BBC Online, radio and then freelance at national newspapers. It's a career that's often very misunderstood - firstly, many don't know what an obituary is - for the record it's an article or report offering an account of a person's life who has died. So in the UK, our media tends to feature obituaries, or obits for short, on famous people who die - you can read the obit section of a newspaper or when you watch the news and you hear a report and see footage taking you through the highlights of someone's life. So where people might think it's a bit of a depressing area of journalism, you'll learn in this chat that it's the opposite. As a journalist who used to be on the radio dad's used to being recorded and interviewed and I think he brings it to life really nicely. I hope you like it and come away with a new appreciation for the obituary! You can buy his novel Little Black Trains - a tale of life, death and commuting at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Black-Trains-death-commuting/dp/0957667418/ref=sr_1_10?crid=DXCKAN4FBPKD&keywords=little+black+trains&qid=1657277993&sprefix=little+black+trains%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-10 Visit dad's website and podcast at www.consideringart.com for interesting interviews with different artists.

Ever considered working as a luxury property agent seeing the top 1% of luxury properties in the world? That's exactly what today's interviewee does - meet Mariek Anselme, co-founder of A.M.A Selections, a local boutique holiday rental company on the French Riviera. With just over 15 properties, the company launched in 2014 with the sole purpose of delivering an exceptional experience while inspiring guests to discover the region.A.M.A Selections has since established itself at the forefront of the luxury vacation rental industry. With more than 20 years of combined experience and one of the highest average client spend in the industry, we know how to fullfil the expectations of the most discerning clientele.Here all about how Mariek and her business partner set up the business and what the reality is behind the job. www.amaselections.com 

Ever considered a career as an interior designer? It's a job I get asked to cover a lot and I finally have - with the wonderful Sarah Ellison, founder of Frank & Faber (FrankandFaber.co.uk) - this chat offers fantastic insights, tough truths, highlights, experience, and, of course, passion. Full of learnings for anyone thinking about this as a career choice. 

Fancy feeling inspired? Listen to today's episode with polar expedition leader Wendy Searle, a mother of four who decided to train and take on the feat of skiing solo from the coastline of Antarctica to the South Pole, unsupported. And she did it! Listen to her story and her journey in gaining physical and mental resillience and learn more about the trips she puts on for people wanting to take on their own polar expedition at https://shackleton.com 

Ever considered a career as a sound engineer or intrigued to know what it's like to work on the sound for TV and film? You've come to the right place - this week's episode is with Alistair Bolt a sound engineer for SNK Studios. Alistair details his job working across film and TV for all things sound, including voice-over work, sound effects, music and a process called ADR (automated dialogue replacement) - this chat is full of great advice and insights and tips for those looking to enter the industry. www.snkstudios.co.ukFind out more about Alistair here

Work has undoubtedly changed for a lot of us - companies are facing challenges in navigating hybrid working, changing company cultures and expectations, the great resignation and finding good talent. Therefore, fostering the right environment and mindsets on both an individual basis and team one is more important than ever.This week I spoke to Jeremy Snape, a former England and club cricketer and now a performance consultant and expert. After retiring from cricket, Jeremy completed a masters in sports psychology. He went on to work with different teams as well becoming a recognised name in the media on sports psychology . He took his learnings and approaches to start Sporting Edge, a company that works with businesses in helping foster and develop winning mindsets that transform behaviours and then results. www.sportingedge.com

Ever considered a career as a sleep expert or struggle to sleep each night? This week's episode is with Dr Nerina Ramlakhan a sleep expert with 25 years of experience helping people and organisations to thrive. She uses a unique blend of physiology, psychology, philosophy, professional and personal insights to create profound shifts in awareness and consciousness. www.drnerina.com 

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a professional golfer? Today's episode is with Carly Booth - Carly became the youngest ladies' club champion in Britain at the age of 11 at Dunblane New. At 12, she played with Sandy Lyle in the British Masters Pro-Am and at 14 she appeared in her first professional event, the Ladies Scottish Open, and finished 13th. She was rated the No1 junior in Europe after winning the European Junior Masters in 2007, the same year she lifted the Scottish Under-18 and Under-21 titles. In 2008, she became the youngest player to represent Great Britain & Ireland in the 76 year history of the Curtis Cup, facing the Americans in the 35th staging of that match at St Andrews. She also played at the Junior Ryder Cup in 2006 and 2008 and won the Daily Telegraph Finals in 2007 and 2008.At the end of 2009 aged 17, she became the youngest ever Scot to qualify for the LET. As a youngster, Carly was able to practice on the course made exclusively for her and her brother, professional golfer Wallace Booth, by her father Wally at the family farm near Comrie. Sporting achievement runs in the family, Wally was a British wrestling champion and Carly's second brother Paul was a medal winner at the 2010 Special Olympics. Carly is a fierce opponent, who loves the winners circle and recently returned to it by securing victory in the 2019 Tipsport Czech Ladies Open, her first tour victory for 7 years.www.carlyboothgolf.com 

Ever considered a career in songwriting? This week's episode is with the fantastic Clare Dove, a professional songwriter and now singer. She details the reality behind working in the music industry, the painful truths as well as the creativity and inspiration. Really honest chat and full of advice and learnings. You can learn more about Clare's songwriting work and workshops at www.claredovewrites.com and you can check out her new music at https://www.grlbunnyworld.com 

Ever considered hypnotherapy or wondered what the treatment is like? This week's episode is with Kate Hoyle, a hypnotherapist who specialises in Rapid Transformational Therapy also known as RTT. Kate details how she retrained to become a hypnotherapist after being so impressed by the results - and why it's so effective at quickly treating conditions such as phobias, addictions, anxiety and depression. You can learn more at www.katehoylehypnotherapy.com 

Ever wondered what it would be like to be one of the Dreamboys? Or to understand what the job really entails? Look no further, this week's episode is with @Jordandarrell and @zacharysmithfitness two of the cast of @dreamboys one of the longest running and most successful male strip shows. We talk all about how they got into the cast, what the show stands for, the bond they have with fans and how important it is to so many. Fascinating insight into this world by two impressive cast members. Enjoy!www.dreamboys.co.uk

Ever thought about a career in radio? This week's episode is with Lucy Horobin, a British radio presenter well-known for presenting Heart Dance. Lucy details her own journey from student radio up to a big national station, the opportunities for people and what it takes to do the job. We also discuss the role of radio today and why it still has a place. You can find her on social media at @lucyhorobin

Reverend Dr Jenny McKay combines a working life as both a veterinarian pathologist and a Church of England minister - she's what is referred to as a minister in secular employment. After a life-changing event changed her outlook, she decided to train as a priest alongside her professional career. In this episode we discuss her work as a pathologist, including how she got to the position, a period of huge disruption and how she felt a calling, leading to her ministerial training. Very interesting conversation about the benefits of working in both fields and how they complement each other - and asking the question should there be more ministers that work in secular employment owing to the experience and knowledge they can bring to their ministerial position. Thoughts? Get in touch!www.thereverendvet.co.uk

Have you ever been asked to do a wedding speech? Maybe you are due to be a best man and are already terrified about the prospect of delivering something that meets the expectations of the couple, the guests, the families, etc. You are not alone and this pod is for you. Listen to how Adrian Simpson has carved a niche and is the UK's leading wedding speechwriter - there is huge demand for it. Adrian is founder of All Speeches Great and Small - he takes great pride in being the most highly rated and reviewed professional wedding speech writer. Every person he writes for, every speech he creates, is a new and exciting challenge, each with a unique story. There are no templates, no cut and paste jokes and no dreary cliches. If you've run out of time, don't know where to begin or feeling the pressure of making people laugh,  get in touch with him and let him help! https://www.allspeechesgreatandsmall.com 

This week, I spoke to Dr Courtney Raspin, a Registered and Chartered Psychologist with a specialist in eating disorders. She has over 15 years experience helping clients develop better relationships with their bodies and overcome their difficulties with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.She worked for 10 years within the NHS,  an is now Clinical Director and founder of Altum Health (https://www.altumhealth.co.uk) a  private team of eating disorders specialists  based in London. She also lectures in the Counselling Psychology Doctoral Programme at City University, London.Joining us in the chat is Ashleigh Kesson, Head of Guidance at a high school and someone who has experienced an eating disorder. She joins to offer her own personal experience and truth as well as her work with young people and the challenges she sees them face today.

Ever considered getting into the world of distilling? You've come to the right place - listen to this brilliant chat with Carmen O'Neal, MD of 58gin.com an award-winning distillery set in the heart of Haggerston, East London. Carmen details her whole gin-making journey up to where it is now - a fantastic distillery selling direct to consumer and the trade. But not just gin - now vodka and seltzers! Check out the whole range at www.58gin.com and also learn about how the distillery stays sustainable and Carmen's pledge to be almost zero waste.

Have a business idea you want to get off the ground? Listen to this great chat with Rachel Wilson, founder of Our Remedy, as successful women-focused business selling organic CBD oil that can help with anxiety, stress, period pain and PMS. Rachel offers so many learnings - this is her third successful business venture - as well as detailing the importance of having platforms where women can talk about issues affecting them without the taboo.www.ourremedy.co.uk

This week i had an amazing chat with author and life/ work transformational change coach Carolyn Hobdey. We touch upon lots of different topics including the changing workspace, expectations we place on ourselves in life and work, managing difficult situations, negative beliefs, low self-worth, esteem and shame. And all the twats we meet along the way… as detailed in her book of the same name. Her new book ‘Redefining Selfish' looks at the mistakes women often make in trying to do everything to feel better about themselves and why this is destructive. After struggling for years with her identity, battling low self-worth and unable to find where she was meant to ‘fit' in the world, what was needed was an extensive reconstruction of mind and body.Carolyn embarked on a process of deep self-discovery; it led her to leave the corporate world behind and focus instead on helping others to bring about change in their lives.Her intention is to shine a light into the dark corners where shame, low confidence, unworthiness and sometimes even worse lurks about how we speak to ourselves. By being a role model for uttering the truth about how we feel about ourselves and with the fervent belief that we can change our self-narrative to live a happy life, Carolyn works to share and guide others through the ‘How To' process that she's discovered along the way.Carolyn's passion is to help people thrive and shine based on her belief that everyone has the right to live the life that's right for them. A life where our flaws are accepted and then worked upon from a place of positivity and self-kindness.https://www.carolynhobdey.com 

Meet Mari Thomas, founder of sports bra and lifestyle brand www.maaree.com- Mari is fantastic - she is a rising star in women's sports performance apparel and her company Maaree is a game-changing brand in sports bras. As a sports bra tester, she spotted a gap in the market and made it her mission to empower, champion and support women in achieving their full potential in sport with high-performing products for them to exercise in comfort and style.The first collection of sports bras was a sell-out success at the start of 2020; October 2020 saw founder Mari Thomas support CoppaFeel! and Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a limited-edition bra which sold out in a couple of days; the next generation Solidarity Sports Bra landed at the end of 2020, and, 2021 has seen some new SS21 colours launch. The likes of Bella Mackie, Chessie King, Zoe Sugg and Megan Rose Lane have been spotted wearing MAAREE designs. Great chat with lots of good business advice and tips!

Fancy learning about the career of an animator? Virpi Kettu is a film director and animator working extensively in the EU and Canada.In 2002 Virpi was hired by Aardman Animations and she worked as an animator on the Wallace and Gromit Oscar winning feature film ‘Curse of the Were-Rabbit', 'Shaun the Sheep' and  ‘Creature Comforts'. Since Aardman she has worked with The National Film Board of Canada, DreamWorks, Passion Pictures, Max Films, Cuppa Coffee and Universal Pictures in animation, consulting, production and directing.Her work in creating music videos has crossed both sides of the Atlantic, it includes artists such as Ron Sexsmith, RTJ, Father John Misty and Radiohead. Her current work includes Augmented Reality and academic research on efficiency of animation in education and Transmedia Storytelling.  In 2012 she founded Kettu Studios, an Animation and Film Production studio in collaboration with exceptional artists based in Canada and EU. Working with respected teams, lecturing and teaching on both sides of the Atlantic provides Kettu Studios with exciting project opportunities and expertise to deliver on comprehensive high quality productions.www.kettustudios.com 

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a celebrity photographer? Look no further than this fabulous chat with the incredible Andy Gotts MBE.Andy has taken more photographs of A-list celebrities than Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey and Lord Snowdon combined! His work can be seen in the biggest newspapers and magazines as well as the National Portrait Gallery which holds a selection of his photographs in their permanent collection.Featured just in this chat are stories about Stephen Fry, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Derek Jacobi, Bob Hoskins, Anthony Hopkins, Harrison Ford, Gwyneth Paltrow, Morgan Freeman, Pierce Brosnan, John Hurt, Kate Winslet, Brad Pitt, Clint Eastwood, Doris Day, Joan Fontaine, Mia Farrow, Arthur Miller, Rita Ora, Tom Jones, Barry Manilow, Juliette Binoche, George Clooney, Tony Curtis, Christopher Lee, Dick Van Dyke, Mel Brooks, Angela Lansbury, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Monty Python, David Bailey, Rankin, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Leo DiCaprio and Rita Ora....Projects for 2021 include 'ICONS which launched in March and  'NEMESIS' to coincide with the launch of the new James Bond movie He is also the former president of the British Institute of Professional Photographers.www.andygotts.com 

PART 2:I speak to Carlton King, a former black secret intelligence, national security & governmental close protection officer.Carlton autobiography ‘Black Ops - The incredible true story of a British secret agent' (BO) provides a truly unique glimpse into the creation of modern multi-racial Britain and the corresponding changing world; through the unique perspective of Carlton as a black covert secret intelligence and national security officer.Carlton's time in the secret world is truly unique as no other officer, regardless of race, has functioned within so many different covert roles or agencies. So it's through this backdrop of involvement in world geo-political events, such as the Cold War and being detained at Berlin's Check Point Charlie as an American spy by East Germany's dreaded STASI in the late 70's, or being the first British intelligence officer to infiltrate a home grown Jihadi organisation in the late 80's or working as a senior MI6 officer and creating a totally new ‘agent' (secret informant) recruitment scheme to counter terrorism in the UK and around the world, that highlights his unique involvement.Readers of his book will also learn how in 2004 Carlton was head hunted to take on the role of Chief of Iraq's Secret Police as the aftermath of the West's invasion became a free for all blood bath. Readers also learn how Carlton and a colleague undertook a secret Special Branch operation to ambush an IRA active service unit (ASU) primed to assassinate a senior British official in his London home during the IRA bombing campaign of the late 1980's. In short, Carlton was involved in most geo-political national security events between the late 70's and his retirement in 2012. You can buy his book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Ops-incredible-British-secret/dp/1541047656 

PART 1: I speak to Carlton King, a former black secret intelligence, national security & governmental close protection officer.Carlton autobiography ‘Black Ops - The incredible true story of a British secret agent' (BO) provides a truly unique glimpse into the creation of modern multi-racial Britain and the corresponding changing world; through the unique perspective of Carlton as a black covert secret intelligence and national security officer.Carlton's time in the secret world is truly unique as no other officer, regardless of race, has functioned within so many different covert roles or agencies. So it's through this backdrop of involvement in world geo-political events, such as the Cold War and being detained at Berlin's Check Point Charlie as an American spy by East Germany's dreaded STASI in the late 70's, or being the first British intelligence officer to infiltrate a home grown Jihadi organisation in the late 80's or working as a senior MI6 officer and creating a totally new ‘agent' (secret informant) recruitment scheme to counter terrorism in the UK and around the world, that highlights his unique involvement.Readers of his book will also learn how in 2004 Carlton was head hunted to take on the role of Chief of Iraq's Secret Police as the aftermath of the West's invasion became a free for all blood bath. Readers also learn how Carlton and a colleague undertook a secret Special Branch operation to ambush an IRA active service unit (ASU) primed to assassinate a senior British official in his London home during the IRA bombing campaign of the late 1980's. In short, Carlton was involved in most geo-political national security events between the late 70's and his retirement in 2012. You can buy his book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Ops-incredible-British-secret/dp/1541047656 

This week's chat is with a really impressive woman called Jillian Kowalchuk who launched an app back in 2018 called Safe & the City - it's now an award-winning app designed using real-time data to help people plan safe routes when walking around a city. Just over a month ago we had the very sad news story about Sarah Everard who disappeared in south London and her remains were found a few days later. Unsurprisingly, it created a massive wave of emotion, largely from women talking about feeling unsafe on the streets and questioning why we are still at risk - and why there isn't more done to help stop the kinds of harassment that take place on a daily basis. Jillian was a victim of harrassment when she was going to meet a friend in Soho and the route on Google Maps took her into a dark alleyway. She then decided more was needed to help women stay as safe as possible when walking around and how technology can play a major role in that. www.safeandthecity.com 

Ever wondered what the life of a baker is like? Listen to my chat with Paul Baker, a third generation baker (hence the name) and founder of St Pierre Groupe, a branded bakery business which includes St Pierre, Baker Street and Paul Hollywood bakery brands in its portfolio. The company now has America's number one brioche brand and is worth over $100m. Paul was raised in a bakery and one of his earliest memories was mixing dough with his feet when the family bakery's machinery broke down! Paul tried to get out of baking, determined not to become his namesake but after a failed events business and some tough taught life lessons, he trained as a master baker in France before running the hugely successful St Pierre Groupe. www.stpierregroupe.com 

Ever wondered what it's like to be a London barber?Mark Maciver, aka SliderCuts, has been cutting hair professionally since 2003. During that time, he has nurtured an impressive client list, which includes basketball player Lebron James, world heavyweight champion boxer Anthony Joshua, TV personality Reggie Yates and high-hitting UK rappers Stormzy and Tinie Tempah, amongst others.With over 89k followers on Instagram, and 20,000 subscribers on YouTube, SliderCuts has travelled the globe cutting hair, making him a worldwide renowned barber. His razor-sharp skills make him an expert figure in his field, and his vast knowledge and business acumen has made him a trusted figure within the wider community. As a result, Mark was recognised for his position as one of the UK's top black business people following his win at the acclaimed Black British Business Awards in 2018, and was nominated for a prestigious Evening Standard Business Award in 2019.Through these things and more, Mark continues to perfect his craft while equipping small businesses, his community and the younger generation with the expertise and self-belief they need to flourish and succeed. Through his craft, Mark has built up a highly recognisable brand in SliderCuts that has stretched his reach and impact far beyond the barbering industry, landing him features in Nike's “Nothing Beats a Londoner” campaign, Facebook's “Let's Get to Work” campaign, features in magazines such as GQ and Time Out to name a few. Not only that, Mark opened the SliderCuts Studios barbershop in East London in 2018; is working on creating a product line; and released his debut book in 2019 titled Shaping Up Culture, where he shares key business insights.Mark's passion, drive and diligence has allowed him to not only build a successful business, but to also become a role model to many.

Ever wondered what it would be like to work with endangered species? Listen to this chat with Bridget Johnson, a research and conservation manager at Knowsley Safari in Merseyside all about her role and what it's like to work with all kinds of different animals. We talk a lot about the work Knowsley does with the Bactrian camel and how they offer lots of learnings to teams out in Mongolia trying to help ensure there remains a wild population of the species and why they are critically endangered. We also talk about how she got into the role, the highs and lows and advice for those keen to do something similar.www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk 

This week I spoke to a really lovely and inspiring woman called Laura Brown who runs a company called Intuitive Alchemy - Laura calls herself an intuitive lifestylist which essentially means she's helping people with different healing practices including tarot reading. Tarot is a large part of what she does so we focus a lot on that in the chat but essentially it's all rooted in how Laura helps people open up to their multidimensional selves - unlocking real potential and start living a life that is more aligned and in keeping with what you truly want. I would really like to know your thoughts - have you had tarot reading? Are you someone who sees an alchemic expert? Please do get in touch - and also if this chat has inspired you to either explore the world of tarot or even train in it. https://www.intuitivealchemy.co 

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a professional chocolate maker? Listen to this chat with Maya Simler, founder of the educational and organic chocolate brand PLAYin Choc that Maya claims is the kindest chocolate brand on the planet. Designed to be a healthy alternative to the chocolate we see on the market full of allergens and preservatives, this one is made with just three ingredients as well as having packaging that is sustainable and educates children on different animals and why looking after the planet is so important.Read up more here: www.playinchoc.com Ethical chocolate companies: https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/ethical-chocolate-companies