Mark Boler is the founder and CEO of The Mere Gold Resort and Spa. His father bought The Mere Golf and Country Club in 1984, and Mark took over running the business in 1997. Mark spent years developing plans to transform the business into a luxury resort and secured a £15m investment to make his dreams into a reality. The resort opened in March 2012, with Mark selling the business at the start of 2018.

Mark joins Leon Milns for #AdamAsks' first in-person chat since lockdown began to discuss Mark's journey from working for his father's business to overseeing the transformation of the country club into a full resort, and the effect that the journey had on his mental and physical health which led to him heading to rehab.

In this episode, Mark chats all about:

- What it's really like to take on such a large business transformation project

- How his dedication to his business led to a crisis point

- How Mark uses his personal experiences to help others

- The advice that Mark would give his younger self

- Why he believes that people need to become more mindful about their wellbeing

We Are Adam CEO Richard Gahagan is joined by my2be co-Founder Adam Mitcheson, We Are Adam Operations Manager Leanne Scaletta, and copywriter Kimi Wright for a virtual Roundtable discussion about our recently released Whitepaper report, The Future of Work 2020.

The Future of Work 2020 was a partnership between We Are Adam and my2be to investigate the remote working revolution which was accelerated when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived on our doorsteps, the long-term effects that we believe will shape our working lives, and what this means for businesses and their people.

Covering all the topics discussed within the report, the key contributors expand on the research they uncovered whilst creating it, as well as insight and opinions from their own personal experiences. Some of the topics touched on include:

· The positive effects mentoring can have on all parts of a business, from diversity to progression

· Company culture, and the challenges of keeping it alive and well whilst working remotely

· The effects a remote or flexible working policy can have on a business and its employees

· What does a significant shift to remote work mean for the future of the office?

· Employee mental health and wellbeing whilst working remotely

And much more.

Derek Bishop is the Director of Culture Consultancy - experts in business culture, working with the leadership teams of global organisations to deliver sustainable performance improvements. Derek has over twenty years’ experience leading people and delivering results for businesses. As an expert on culture change, Derek returns to the #AdamAsks podcast to talk to Adam co-Founder Leon about the importance of good leadership and company culture as businesses attempt to return to normal over the coming weeks.

In this episode of #AdamAsks, Derek and Leon talk all about:

· The ways in which Derek has seen different company cultures change after such an unprecedented few months

· The risks to company culture in the current climate, and why it is so important to your business

· What business leaders should be doing going forward to help nurture their organisation’s culture and engage their teams

· What the risks and challenges are to an organisation’s culture as workers return to work over the coming weeks and months, and re-integrating teams

· The importance of strong, empathetic, and open leadership as workers return to work

Kelly Gilmour-Grassam is the Director of Making You Content Ltd, a copywriting and content creation agency in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Born in Yorkshire, Kelly is a proud adopted Mancunian who has drawn inspiration from her urban surroundings to create a name for herself and her business.

In this episode of AdamAsks, Kelly talks about how your company’s culture can influence it’s success. She covers:

· How she became a copywriter, how Making You Content came to be, and her journey building her business to become one of Manchester’s best employers

· Advice to aspiring copywriters and business owners

· The business culture that she has created for her employees, how she implemented this, and the benefits it has had for the business

· Where Kelly hopes to take the business in the next few years

· The importance of investing in the personal development and wellbeing of your employees

· The secret of creating great content

Martin Murphy is a former special forces soldier, international adviser and coach to leaders and teams. He’s also a speaker and author with vast experience in forming and leading high performing teams, both in the special forces and in the commercial sector where he trained special project teams worldwide to effectively combat terrorism and narcotics smuggling.

Martin has a unique perspective on what makes great leadership in times of crisis.  At a time of unparalleled crisis for humanity and business alike, he joined us to share his experience and provide advice to business owners.  He covers:

If you're interested in the topics discussed in this podcast and would like to learn more, Martin is offering a complimentary digital copy of his latest book From Mercenaries to Missionaries.  Email [email protected] to receive your copy.

Chris Hyland joins us on #AdamAsks to discuss why last 4 years has been a whirlwind of change both personally and professionally.

He shares about his incredible growth journey from a marketing graduate to seeking investors to purchase his thriving agency, 4Ps Marketing. He reveals the unforgiving process of selling his agency as he reflects on the lengthy transition process. Key highlights include:

· The challenges of running an agency

· The culture shock that results from times of huge transformation

· The relentless transition period that preceded the sale

· How change can create uncertainty and discomfort

Chris then discusses how the process impacted him personally. He touches on how scrutinising questions can lead to self-doubt, revealing the candid reality of selling for entrepreneurs at the start of the process and the emptiness that is left behind when the euphoria subsides.

Driven by a passion to tackle the corporate ‘monsters,’ Chris explains why he launched The Happiness Index to improve society. The conversation is embedded with fantastic learnings around:

· How to actively create a culture that prioritises wellbeing;

· The importance of resetting for creativity;

· Simple steps to avoid burning out;

· How a people-centric approach helps businesses attract and retain the best talent;

· Adapting to your people

Chris also recognises that establishing a thriving cultureis a journey and why you should spend time getting your leadership team onboard. He elaborates on how the ‘freedom to be human’ can empower employees to be themselves and offers some poignant advice for those feeling the pressure of stress.

Listeners will finish by reflecting on their own work-life balance and be reminded that “unless you stop – you will break”.

John Readman is the Founder and CEO of Modo25 and the Co-Founder of Ride25 – two innovative businesses that challenge rigid work structures.

Recently, John joined us to talk about his experience on Dragon’s Den, the innovative path that Modo25 has chosen to take and how to establish a healthy work-life balance.

When reflecting back on his experience on Dragon’s Den, John shares about:

· Ride25’s impressive story of growth - transforming from a fundraising idea into a sell-out business opportunity;

· What entrepreneurs should consider when facing challenging investors.

Jumping from the past to current day, talk turns to Modo25 with John revealing the practical implications behind his ‘people first’ culture. This includes:

· Executing a quick recruitment strategy to support growth without compromising standards;

· How a seven-figure investment helped him to realise his ‘wish list’ of top talent;

· Increasing productivity with a market leading wage structure and a flexible, 4-day week;

· The knock-on effect of happy employees improving client satisfaction.

John also makes some important points about how the right infrastructure is essential as society shifts towards remote working and discusses the importance of empowering your employees.

Finally, the podcast draws to a close with an inspiring conversation around the charity work that shaped his business and some humbling advice for budding entrepreneurs who may feel isolated on their journey to success.

Vikas Shah MBE is a philanthropist, a serial entrepreneur, and an investor that has a passion for technology-driven businesses. He holds positions as Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan (Lisbon), Honorary Professor of Business at the University of Manchester and an Honorary Industry Fellow at the University of Salford Business School. It’s fair to say that he has an impressive CV and is a powerful mentor for the next generation of entrepreneurs. However, his multi-faceted portfolio doesn’t stop there. Vikas also hosts an interview series – Thought Economics – which discusses poignant topics with some of the world’s leading thinkers, including Holocaust survivors, Athletes, Presidents and Celebrities - just to name a few.

​Vikas started his business career at the tender age of 14, exploiting the early stages of the internet boom to create a graphic design business to fund his dream of becoming a pilot. An impressive start right? In this podcast, we discover what he’s achieved since on his entrepreneurial journey.

​Unlike most entrepreneurs, Vikas doesn’t have a strict life plan. Instead, he has an innate curiosity to follow paths to see where they lead. In this podcast, we discover how Vikas’ desire for variety led him on a journey full of disruption that expands beyond his angel investments in tech-enabled or related businesses and deep into elements he never expected, such as his practical involvement in teaching and his inspiring philanthropy. He also shares how he juggles his time – subsequently encouraging listeners to apply a ruthlessness to their priorities and to hire the best people to help you achieve your objectives. He also discusses how he consciously defies the unsustainable 'always on the grind’ culture by ensuring he has time for hobbies and downtime with his adorable cats.

​Vikas offers advice to those wanting to build their own business in an entrepreneurial landscape that discourages focus and encourages distraction through an environment of collective hype and shares why securing investment is only the beginning of your journey as a responsible leader. Listeners should expect insight into what Vikas looks for as an early-stage investor, common mistakes he sees start-ups make and why Manchester still has a long way to go in being a top global digital city.

​Finally, Vikas reflects on how interviewing peace-makers and incredible survivors can challenge how we look at the world.

Fresh out of University, Amman Ahmed’s career began in sales.

Inspired by the situation of his partner, a producer from a dangerous, gang-run neighbourhood in El Salvador, Amman found himself drawn to research about music therapy. Applying it to his own life and driven by his love of animals, Amman identified a gap in the market for animals with anxiety to support their wellbeing without the use of drugs or physical manipulation.

In this podcast, we discover how Amman took a data-driven approach to grow his business Music for Pets, a TV and music streaming service for animals, from a part-time “side hustle” to an impressive service used by over 20 million pets from all around the world. Now, Amman’s obsession with his customers drives a rapidly growing business that has a positive impact on pets and owners alike.

Amman’s passion and determination to build a legacy is paramount, with ambitious plans for future growth. In a bid to warn others following suit, Amman also shares with our Co-Founder, Leon Milns, how he balances his ‘addictive passion’ for work with enough rest to ensure he doesn’t burn out.

To finish up, Amman touches on how social media can have a negative impact on our mental health when comparing ourselves to others. Listeners are advised to prioritise their own vision, reduce distractions and focus on authenticity in what they’re building.

Amman’s learning curve resonates an impactful message that accepting your strengths and weaknesses can help you enjoy your own journey.

Nick Entwistle, owner and founder of the Bank of Creativity and One Minute Briefs, shares how a heart attack at 26 impacts your outlook on life.

In this reflective interview, Nick shares how he re-evaluated what was important when he had a life-changing heart attack at 26. The podcast urges listeners to consider whether their levels of stress are making them ill and reminds us that life is too short to be in jobs and situations that make us unhappy. Nick’s changed outlook is inspiring as he speaks of a new lease of life that enables him to be himself at all costs and chase his goals with tenacious focus, speed and authenticity.

One Minutes Briefs (OMB), which evolved from a small University project many years ago, has become a notorious platform for individuals to demonstrate their creativity and build their portfolio. In this podcast, we discover how OMB can become a way of life: improving time-savvy problem-solving skills and dynamic analysis. Nick discloses the beauty in using short time restrictions to reveal ‘cold thoughts’ which often leading to ideas that win awards and create the most effective campaigns. He also speaks about the importance of building your own brand and offers poignant advice for those looking to establish a successful career on the creative circuit.

Within this blog, you’ll discover more about how Nick plans to grow this community and the good causes they support by streamlining his business model to enable OMB the time it deserves to continue growing within the Bank of Creativity: Nick’s advertising agency that seeks to be a community hub of creatives from across the world.

Listeners should expect to finish this podcast with a refreshed sense of time – considering how much time we over think and what really matters at the end of the day.