A Bit Of A Boost

In today's solo podcast I get into the vast topic of exercise. With so many different approaches, is it really possible to claim one way is the 'best'? And what 'results' are we looking for anyway?

We talk about the difference between activity, exercise and training, the WHO recommendations and what they really mean, the FITTA principles of exercise, the 5 components of physical exercise, the strength / endurance continuum, and why some people are 'low-responders' to exercise.

My guest on today's episode is double Paralympic gold medalist archer Danielle Brown.

After becoming disabled as a teenager, Danielle realised that even in adversity we have a choice. Choose to let the things outside your control defeat you, or choose to control your response to it.

Taking up archery on her fifteenth birthday, Danielle made the Great Britain team three years later, jumping straight in as world number 1. She hung onto that position for her entire career. Danielle is a five time World Champion and 2 time Paralympic gold medallist, winning gold in Beijing 2008 and retaining her title on home soil in London 2012. She also became the first disabled person to represent England as an able-bodied competitor at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, where she won gold.

Danielle was awarded MBE in 2013 and now works as a keynote speaker and mentor. She specialises in helping others unlock their potential, break through barriers and achieve more. Always wanting to put something back, she is very passionate about helping young people achieve all that they are capable of and develop strong foundations for success.

I got to know Danielle through her work as a speaker and she has such an amazingly positive mindset I knew she'd be a brilliant guest and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

In today's interview we talk about the book and some of the incredible stories she shares in it, as well as her mission to educate boys and girls, men and women about the importance of inclusion.

I ask her about archery, and what kept her going after back for more her first experience despite not being a 'natural'. Oh, and we clarified that the middle bit isn't actually called the bullseye as I originally thought!

This conversation is really all about resilience and mindset, put into practice in the most stunning of ways.

Danielle's published works include:

• Be Your Best Self: Life Skills For Unstoppable Kids
• Run Like A Girl: 50 Extraordinary and Inspiring Sportswomen
• One Hundred Reasons To Hope, curated with Captain Tom Moore's family's support

You can find out more about Danielle and her work here:

https://www.daniellebrown.co.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-brown-mbe

https://www.instagram.com/daniellebrownmbe

https://twitter.com/danibrownmbe

The theme of today's episode is happiness, and my guest is a man who knows a thing or two about the subject - Raj Nayak.

Raj left a high flying job in one of India's largest media networks to launch his own business driving positive change and bringing happiness to workplaces around the world.

But how do you even begin to talk about happiness when there is so much devastation in the world right now, especially in India, where Raj is based?

We get to talking about this among many other topics in today's episode of the podcast.

Raj spent over 3 decades in media. He was one of the founding members of Rupert Murdoch's company Star TV in India, he launched India's largest news network NDTV, and then joined Viacom where spent 8 years, ending up as the chief operating officer.

He shares how and why he quit his job to start his new mission, some of the challenges he's faced already and those that he anticipates are up ahead and we talk about one of his old companies that had a tattoo allowance, and whether or not Raj took advantage of this unusual perk!

Raj has also started a 'global happiness campaign' which you can get involved in by filming a 45- 60 second video in horizontal mode about what happiness means to you, with your name and location and emailing it to [email protected].

You can find out more about Raj and follow him on social media here:

https://happyness.me

https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-nayak-53a15b69

facebook.com/Rajcheerfull

My guest on today's podcast is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, Chris Fensom. We've known each other for a long time now and he's a real goldmine of wisdom and insights. When I was going to his classes he would regularly drop a thought bomb that would stop me in my tracks, and I wanted to see if we could capture some of that essence in today's conversation.

Typically, Chris came to the interview armed with questions for me! So what you're about to listen to is very much a 2 way conversation which was great fun to record!

They say that a BJJ black belt is a white belt who never quit, as it typically takes over 10 years to get there. Chris is also an analyst for Battle Arena TV on Sky, a former ISKA British MMA Champion at middle weight and light heavy weight, coaches more than 200 kids in karate, and is a proud father to 4 of his own.

We talk about failures and mistakes, ego and the Beginner's Mind, Stoic philosophy and SAS Who Dares Wins, parenting and why I never post pictures of my kids on social media - which was one of his questions!

Find out more about Chris's classes here:

https://a1martialarts.co.uk

In the world of ultra endurance, one thing I've come to realise is that no matter how much you're doing or how far you're going, there's always somebody doing more or going further.

Logically then, there must be a person who is doing the most and going the furthest, and it's quite possible that this person is my guest on today's podcast, Adam Holland.

We recorded this episode on a Monday, the day after he had completed a 24 hour ultra marathon. I've done a couple of these in the past, and I can tell you I was good for nothing for more than a few days!

This particular ultra marathon - which he won with over 118 miles of running - was preceded by cycling over 500 miles as a part of another challenge.

He's run over 1000 miles in 28 days, he holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest half marathon on a treadmill, and also the record for the fastest average time for 10 marathons in 10 consecutive days.

And he does all this whilst holding down a full time job and raising a family.

In our conversation we talk about motivation, comparing ourselves to others, how 10 back to back marathons becomes 'easy' after you've done it a few times, and how you would even start preparing for the next challenge he has his sights set on… which will be bigger than anything he's done before, if you can imagine that such a thing exists!

You can find more inspiration from Adam over at his Facebook page.

We all know that feedback is valuable. It can lead to growth, accelerated improvement and see things from different perspectives.

But it can also feel uncomfortable and we put up defences that stop us from benefitting from it.

Whether it's solicited or unsolicited, the 6 steps I talk about in today's episode will increase your chances of getting the best from what's being offered.

It's another podcast first for me today, as I welcome not just one but TWO guests to speak to! In 2019, Nigel Pattison, Steven Gregory & I completed the Frog Graham Round, a 42 mile ultra marathon in the Lake District that included swimming across 4 of the lakes.

These guys have been hugely inspirational to me both for a long time, and I gain a lot by watching their approach and attitude to whatever they take on. They're both fitness industry pros (Steve runs a local gym (https://www.fitlife.co.uk) and Nigel is an exceptional personal trainer and class instructor) and they share their enthusiasm and passion for fitness and wellbeing with everybody around them.

They're both currently training for Iron-distance triathlons, and I wanted to ask them some questions about their sources of motivation, and what changes they've seen in the world of fitness over the last 14 months.

It's quite possible that you'll want to get up and go for a workout or sign up for a marathon after listening to these two guys, but for now get ready for a bit of a boost of motivation!

https://www.instagram.com/fitlife.steve

https://www.instagram.com/nigelpattison

My guest today is a Katherine Blackler, CPO Certified Professional Organizer, a London-based decluttering expert who was the first certified professional organiser in the UK, and for the last 3 years has been president of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers. Yes, such an organisation exists and has been enjoying a period of tremendous growth over the last few years.

In our conversation we talk about the difference between tidying up and decluttering, why some people have tendencies towards hoarding or just general untidiness, and the reason I started folding my underpants in a 'special way' a few years ago.

Katherine is a goldmine of life hacks and ideas to help create the systems that make it easier to maintain order and calm and she shares a ton of useful ideas in this conversation.

If your life could do with a bit of extra order and little less 'stuff', you're going to love today's episode.

You can find out more about Katherine on her website SortMySpace.co.uk and to find a helping hand in your area go to APDO Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers

www.findanorganiser.co.uk

Katherine can also be found on social media here:

Facebook: @sortmyspaceuk

Instagram: @sortmyspaceuk

Twitter: @sortmyspaceuk

LinkedIn: @katherine-blackler-sortmyspace

We're returning for season 2 of A Bit Of A Boost after a short break, and I was delighted to speak to my first guest Jen Martin LLB MAaPPCP to kick things off.

Jen is a Psychological Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. Through her research with business, government and sporting leaders, she specialises in vulnerability and psychological safety. In addition to her work in Ireland, Jen has spent the last decade working with non-native English speaking C-suite executives, politicians, diplomats, and actors, in Europe, Russia and Asia, where she leverages her vulnerability research to optimise their performance and communication.

Other areas of work and research interest include self-efficacy, imposter phenomenon, psychological capital and optimal performance. She is deeply passionate about human connection, belonging and inclusion.

In our conversation today we talk about the impact that Covid has had on our collective vulnerability, and she explains more about what 'psychological capital' means.

You can connect with Jen and follow her updates on her work over on LinkedIn.

My guest today is clinical psychotherapist Emma Reed Turrell, who I first heard being interviewed on one of my favourite podcasts, How To Fail with Elizabeth Day.

Emma was talking about her new book 'Please Yourself' - 'how to stop people-pleasing and transform the way you live'.

In our conversation today we talk about the 4 people pleasing types that Emma has identified through her clinical practice, and how most of us will have tendencies towards each one in different situations.

I asked her about some of the steps we can take to start saying 'no' and set up firmed boundaries, but without swinging so far the other way that we end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

I was also interested in Emma's views on people pleasing in men, as this isn't just a female trait (I personally identified with many of the stories she shares in the book!).

I highly recommend reading the book, which is available from all good book stores.

Emma also puts out some great content on Instagram and you can find her here:

https://emmareedturrell.com

https://www.instagram.com/emmareedturrell

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-reed-turrell-mbacp-accred-42328436

https://twitter.com/etcounselling