Access to Inspiration

Sue Stockdale welcomes Simeon Wood, a multi-talented musician, educator, and composer, to celebrate the Access to Inspiration podcast's 100th episode. Simeon shares tales of his 30-year journey as a guest entertainer perfoming all over the world in concert halls, on cruise ships, and even in a prison.

Simeon describes his two homemade instruments - the walking stick flute and the bicycle pump - and explains why he believes humor and communication are integral to forming a meaningful connection with his audience. At the end of the podcast, listeners are treated to a recording of one of his tracks from his latest album, Feeling Good.

Simeon was born in Huddersfield, England and started playing the flute at the age of 8. He studied at the Trinity College of Music, London, was where his performance and writing skills were honed. When he's not touring Simeon is regularly commissioned to write music for television and theatre productions and has appeared on Britain's Got Talent, the BBC’s One Show and the Chris Evans Breakfast show.

Connect with Simeon Wood at his website : Facebook: LinkedIn; Spotify

Timestamps:
[00:03:11] The importance of humour in music
[00:07:51] Inspiration to learn flute.
[00:11:38] Practicing like a professional.
[00:22:16] Inspiring children with music.
[00:26:06] Bringing families together.
[00:29:36] Bringing joy to prisoners.
[00:33:53] Listen to 'Feeling Good'.

Key Quotes:

• The first instrument that I invented was the walking stick flute.
• I think humour breaks down a lot of barriers, as does music.
• It's important that you understand that as an entertainer, that you're not just performing at people, but you're performing with people.
• I had a teacher that said the difference between a professional and an amateur is that the amateur will practice something until they get it right. A professional will practice something until they can't get it wrong.
• People give me a lot of inspiration. Kindness of people. The emotions that I see in people's faces, inspires me to write because I want to capture it.
• Words speak a particular message, but music speaks a different language.
• I want people to be happier and, take them away from some of the difficulties in life.

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations. Find out more at squadcast.fm

Read the transcription for this episode on www.accesstoinspiration.org and connect with us:

Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : LinkedIn
Sign up for our newsletter
Read our Impact Report

Sound Editor: Matias de Ezcurra (he/him)
Producer: Sue Stockdale (she/her)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

Who would have thought that a Bronx-born rookie cop would go on to become a successful author, giving readers an intimate look into the world of law enforcement? In conversation with host Sue Stockdale, Vic Ferrari talks about the powerful connection between his deep love for the NYPD and his mission to share his experiences through his writing.

Growing up in the Bronx, Vic always dreamt of becoming a police officer, and he eventually achieved that goal at the age of 21. Throughout his 20-year career, Vic worked in various precincts and specialized units, honing his skills in understanding the complexities of the street and the people within it. With a wealth of knowledge and a penchant for storytelling, Vic transitioned to the world of writing, bringing readers an authentic and intriguing look at the life of an NYPD officer.

To find out more about Vic Ferrari’s book on Amazon
Connect with Vic Ferrari on Twitter and Instagram

Key Quotes

• Field training was not like the movies where you're crashing up cars or getting into gun fights.There's a lot of consequences for your actions.
• My books are a behind-the-scenes look of what goes on in different precincts and specialised units.
• We went down to the morgue, and it looked like a mechanic shop. There was eight bays and a bunch of people working on bodies.
• Becoming a member of the New York City Police Department for me was like the highlight of my life.
• When I got into writing these books, I knew a nothing about writing, and nothing about the publishing process or how to get the book to market.
• If you're a first-time writer and you're not skilled, you didn't take a lot of courses - never write in chronological order. It will paralyze you.
• If you have writer's block, stop writing, call up your friend, or somebody that you know you could talk to and say, I want to tell you a story and tell that story.

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations. Find out more at squadcast.fm

Read the transcription for this episode on www.accesstoinspiration.org and connect with us:

Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : LinkedIn
Sign up for our newsletter
Read our Impact Report

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

In episode 98, Berit Lewis shares her personal story of how she arrived at her area of interest in helping people over 50 in their later years of life. Berit talks about how she found a passion for psychology, mindfulness and learning to regulate her physical sensations as a way to manage her thoughts and emotions. This theme of primary and secondary suffering is also brought up, with Berit suggesting that our caveman brains naturally try to keep us safe but not thrive.

Berit Lewis is the owner of Thriving Life, offering workshops, courses and retreats in mental well-being. As well as being an experienced and accredited Mindfulness Teacher, she holds a BA (Honours) in Psychology, a MSc in Vitality and Ageing and a MA in Communication and has carried out Mindfulness Based Vitality & Ageing research in cooperation with Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) and Leyden Academy of Vitality and Ageing in the Netherlands. Berit is Danish and lives in the Netherlands with her Welsh husband and two teenagers.

Connect with Berit Lewis on LinkedIn : Facebook :
Blog and Newsletter on Substack: Ageing Upwards
Book: Ageing Upwards – a mindfulness-based Framework for the Longevity Revolution

Key Quotes

• I would describe mindfulness in one word - awareness.
• Research shows that we do tend to become much more mindful when we get older.
• I see it as a physical sensation that is feeding into a thought that is feeding into emotions.
• It's that awareness about how we are controlled by our innate genetic wiring in order to keep us safe, and that's not always good for our wellbeing.
• I've always had a passion for learning.
• Instead of being the emotion, or the thought, it's about stepping back and saying, I'm having the thought - that it's a passing thing that comes and goes and not get caught up in it.
• We are so much in our heads. I think it's very important that we take pauses to step back and just notice what's going on.

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations. Find out more at squadcast.fm

Read the transcription for this episode on www.accesstoinspiration.org and connect with us:

Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : LinkedIn
Sign up for our newsletter
Read our Impact Report

Sound Editor: Matias de Ezcurra (he/him)
Producer: Sue Stockdale (she/her)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

Roshni Pandey, who is Indian by ethnicity, Fijian by birth, Australian by citizenship, & Singaporean by residence, explains how her experience of freedom, imagination and creativity as a youngster influences her work today as a creative strategy consultant, angel investor and social entrepreneur.

She reflects on how self-imposed limitations can get in the way of new idea generation, and how a desire for planning hindered her own ability to follow her passions.

Roshni is Founder & Managing Partner Lexicon; Co-Founder BlueBox and Founder of TRIBE. She specializes in creative problem solving and strategy delivery and firmly believes in the balance between art and science, and intuition and data. With an innate ability to align consumer, market and business needs with creative solutions, Roshni uses her experience to take a project from articulation of business challenge, to design, assessment, planning & embedding solutions in order to drive sustainable business value.

Amongst Roshni’s accolades she was recognised at the 2015 World Brand Congress’ as “Asia’s Most Influential CMO”; gained SME of the Year Award in 2015 for one start-up; and Best Leader Award (2013) IHG AMEA for leadership & talent development.

Connect with Roshni Pandey via Linkedin

Key Quotes

• I was born in Fiji in a city called Lautoka. You were bare feet 90% of the time.
• I think living on an island, you just feel the warmth, whether it's from the sun, or from the people.
• Growing up I thought I could be whatever I wanted to be, because there was nothing that you weren't allowed to do if you were interested in doing it.
• In Fiji life is basic, but it's never boring because you invent your own fun.
• A lot of great ideas are often preceded by a silly idea.
• I don't think good ideas just happen. I think they're built.
• I got a tattoo when I left my job, and it says, ‘if you desire something just ask the universe’.
• The comfort zone that we think we have is created only in our minds, because we've imagined the other parallel world to be so difficult or so scary.
• If I spend enough time exploring something, it will become comfortable and not scary anymore.
• Often our subconscious mind is our biggest saboteur.
• If you are not aware and in tune with your intuition or your gut feel, you often miss a lot of wonderful things.

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations. Find out more at squadcast.fm

Read the transcription for this episode on www.accesstoinspiration.org and connect with us:

Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : LinkedIn
Sign up for our newsletter
Read our Impact Report

Sound Editor: Matias de Ezcurra (he/him)
Producer: Sue Stockdale (she/her)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

Judith Keys talks to Sue Stockdale about how the ups and downs of emigrating to live and work in France. She explains what prompted her to move, how she initially found it difficult to integrate into the French way of life, and what helped her to adapt. Originally from Ireland, Judith has now lived in Provence for over 10 years. In 2013 she left her corporate job in Scotland, sold her house, and decided I wanted a better dream than the standard 9-5.

Since the birth of her youngest son in 2021, she has created two businesses, My Food in France, and My Best Friend in France, with the aim of helping people to get comfortable and learn about French food - through cookery classes as well as to help them with the social and emotional impact of moving and living in a different country.

Connect with Judith Keys
My Best Friend in France: My Food in France: Website: Linktree: Podcast (My Best Friend in France):

Key Quotes

• I think it took a big commitment to make me realize that I needed to change.
• I think for a lot of people it's a dream life
• The same issues that I had before were still here when I moved to France, but I just was in a more beautiful place to deal with them.
• I thought – I could do this; I could do an online cookery class. I don't have to do it physically here.
• The people who come into my membership are people who love food and inspiration.
• A lot of people are bored with what they're eating all the time. We just get into a habit. So, my idea was to make it accessible, but also inspirational.
• I was extremely excited about this change, but there were so many times that I felt very lonely.
• I just knew in my heart it was the right choice and I needed to do it, and it was going to work out one way or the other.

Highlights

[00:01:22] Leaving corporate life for adventure.
[00:05:42] Moving to France without a plan.
[00:07:55] Online cookery classes.
[00:10:28] Cooking classes and recipes.
[00:15:42] Realities of moving to a different country.
[00:16:50] Making connections as an ex-pat.
[00:23:27] French cooking membership community.

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations. Find out more at squadcast.fm

Read the transcription for this episode on www.accesstoinspiration.org and connect with us:

Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : LinkedIn
Sign up for our newsletter
Read our Impact Report

Sound Editor: Matias de Ezcurra (he/him)
Producer: Sue Stockdale (she/her)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

Ray Martin created his own path in life after facing a crisis. In 2005, shattered by divorce and the loss of his father, he decided to let go of being a successful business leader to embark on a journey of reinvention by taking a six-month sabbatical which ended up lasting fourteen years. He explains to host, Sue Stockdale what he learned from this experience, and how he completely re-evaluated his life and personal mission.

Ray Martin, aka The Daily Explorer, is an entrepreneur and award-winning business leader. As a coach, mentor, facilitator, speaker, writer, and mindfulness teacher, he is a torchbearer for greater human consciousness. He courageously explores both his external and internal world daily in pursuit of greater insight and wisdom about life, for himself and others. He created the Calling All Angels Foundation and runs marathons to raise money for causes he believes in, which have included an orphanage in Nepal and an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. Whatever he does, his mission is to bring more joy and happiness into the world.

Connect with Ray Martin at his website and LinkedIn.

Key Quotes:

• I kept wondering why I wasn't feeling in my deepest core, really happy. I had this sense of unease and unhappiness all the time.
• I came out of the monastery after 10 days in a completely different space, my energy had just really calmed down.
• I made a decision to adopt the principle of self-acceptance.
• One of the toughest challenges to reconceptualize my life without having a permanent home.
• We've got a huge need to control our external reality as human beings.
• Moving towards a less effortful way of living, is about tuning into your intuition
• If you got a strong core, you know what your values are, you know what your vision and purpose is, at least have a sense of it.
• The greatest source of happiness for me has been when I'm taking my knowledge and wisdom and experience and using it to empower others to have an amazing life.

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations. Find out more at squadcast.fm

Read the transcription for this episode on www.accesstoinspiration.org and connect with us:

Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : LinkedIn
Sign up for our newsletter
Read our Impact Report

Sound Editor: Matias de Ezcurra (he/him)
Producer: Sue Stockdale (she/her)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

Faisal Hoque talks to host, Sue Stockdale about how mindfulness has helped him in his life and work by enabling him to be present, patient and accepting the different circumstances he has found himself in. Whether it was at university where he had to work several jobs whilst studying, being let go by the investors that took control of the company he founded, or supporting his son through cancer treatment, Faisal has used mindfulness to stay calm and see beyond the challenge.

Faisal is the founder of SHADOKA, NextChapter, and other companies that focus on enabling sustainable and transformational changes. Throughout his career, he has developed over 20 commercial business and technology platforms and worked with public and private sector giants such as the US Department of Defense, GE, MasterCard, American Express, Northrop Grumman, CACI, PepsiCo, IBM, Home Depot, Gartner, and JPMorgan Chase.

As a thought leader, he has authored a number of award-winning books including the #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller Lift – Fostering the Leader in You Amid Revolutionary Global Change (Fast Company), and the #2 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller Everything Connects – Cultivating Mindfulness, Creativity, and Innovation for Long-Term Value (Fast Company). His work has appeared in Fast Company, Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal, Businessweek, Fox, CBS, Financial Times, Mergers & Acquisitions, Forbes, and Leadership Excellence, among others.

Key Quotes

• Mindfulness can transform your business
• Everybody is struggling with something and everybody has a various level of emotion that runs through their daily lives.
• Patience comes from this mindfulness and empathy.
• I wrote Lift and my message was that if you want to lift others, you have to lift yourself first.
• When I face adversity, somehow I get very motivated to do something.
• My greatest strength is perhaps being mindful, staying calm and seeing beyond the fog.
• You can't be constantly happy, but you can find momentary joy and momentary impact.

Connect with Faisal Hoque: Website and LinkedIn

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations.

Read the transcription for this episode on www.accesstoinspiration.org and connect with us:

Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : LinkedIn
Sign up for our newsletter
Read our Impact Report

Sound Editor: Matias de Ezcurra (he/him)
Producer: Sue Stockdale (she/her)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

Clive Steeper and Sue Stockdale, founders of Access to Inspiration podcast, reflect on the recent guest-hosted series and the key insights that they gained including:

• The value of reflection
• How to overcome fears and step into the unknown
• The importance of leadership and self-leadership

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations. Find out more at squadcast.fm

Read the transcription for this episode on www.accesstoinspiration.org and connect with us:

Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : LinkedIn
Sign up for our newsletter
Read our Impact Report

Sound Editor: Matias de Ezcurra (he/him)
Producer: Sue Stockdale (she/her)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

In our final guest-hosted episode, researcher and designer Josh Wasserman, from episode 44 talks to Andrew Freear, Director of Rural Studio which part of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture of Auburn University.

Freear lives in a small rural community in Hale County, West Alabama, where for twenty years he has directed this unique architecture program where students design and build community buildings, homes, and landscape projects for under-resourced local towns and non-profit organization.

Freear explains how the project has evolved over the years, and about the unique experience where the students live and work in-situ and are responsible for all aspects of the design and build process including liaison with community partners, local authorities, and those who will be using or living in the buildings.

About Andrew Freear:

Andrew Freear is the J. Streeter Wiatt Professor and Director of Rural Studio. He was educated at the University of Westminster and the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. He has designed and built exhibits for the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Whitney Biennial, the Museum of Modern Art, the Milan Triennale, and the Venice Biennale. His honours include the Ralph Erskine Award, the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, and the Architecture Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Freear was a 2018 Loeb Fellow at Harvard University and in 2020 received the President’s Medal from the Architectural League of New York.

Connect with Rural Studio:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Rural Studio Farm

Connect with Josh Wasserman on LinkedIn

Key Quotes

• We're here to educate architecture students and help them get a good design education.
• Architecture students get to not only design their projects, but they get to build their projects.
• There's a responsibility to make sure that you are building something that will be here a long time.
• In the late nineties we built a house out of carpet tiles.
• We asked ourselves could we come up with an affordable home that anyone and everybody could afford.
• We bring young folks into a place like this and they bring energy and it breaks down some boundaries. class boundaries, race boundaries, misconceptions about this place.
• We have ambitious students who want to, save the world and you can't come to a place like this and tell people how to live their lives
• I think we should care about the craft of things. We should care about the way things are put together. And from concept to compete completion. It's a richer world if it's that way.

This series is kindly supported by Squadcast –the remote recording platform which empowers podcasters by capturing high-quality audio and video conversations.

Read the transcription for this episode at our website

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra 

Cori Myka, from Orca Swim School talks to Rob Lawrence (from episode 42) about how she supports adult non-swimmers who often have a fear of deep water, to realize their dreams. And it's all to do with healing the mind. You will learn how she teaches learners remotely to help them become aware of their thoughts and change their subsequent behaviour.

About Cori Myka
Cori is co-owner of Orca Swim School and creator of the Foundations of Change learning method. For over 20 years Cori has been taking adult non-swimmers from fearful beginning to achieving their dreams. Her unique teaching is so highly regarded because it is based on training and healing the mind so individuals can learn physical steps which takes swimming beyond the pool and into life.

Based in Seattle, USA Cori has been training students and teachers locally, across the US and in the UK and Singapore.Cori started her swim teaching career at the young age of 14, when she volunteered at a local pool. In 1999, she co-founded Orca Swim School, together with her husband Bruce.

Cori’s continued love of learning and exploring has further developed Orca’s own curriculum to include the most recent developments of brain training, life coaching, mindfulness, and online learning.

Connect with Cori Myka and Orca Swim School via Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Connect with Rob Lawrence https://www.roblawrence.co

Key Quotes

• What we are teaching our students is to learn to trust themselves.
• We start this process to notice the difference between the reactions our body has because of our thoughts.
• Children of color drown at a higher rate than white children in the US.
• Everything that we do in the world starts with our thoughts.
• We bring people to the present and sometimes what occurs to people in the present is a memory from the past.
• It is really about this process of bringing people's awareness and then slowing things down.

Connect with Access to Inspiration on social media via Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn

Sound Editor: Matias de Ezcurra (he/him)Producer: Sue Stockdale (she/her)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee


Host: Sue Stockdale 
Producer: Sue Stockdale  
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra