Forged for Manhood with Rick Cooper

This is a must listen for anyone who works with people, leads people, educates, coaches, and wants to get the best out of those around them.

We talked very little about sport and rugby, and so much about the importance of culture, human behaviour, creating psychologically informed and safe environments for people to feel trusted and then be able to express themselves freely. 

Here is a bit about the special man I had on......

Dai is a former Welsh rugby union player, capped 4 times for Wales B. He has played for Abercarn, Swansea, Newport and Newbridge. 

Forced into retirement by a knee injury, Dai was then appointed head coach of Wales 7s and assistant coach to Wales u21s.

It was in this period Dai was also elected to become Wales u20 head coach.

In 2008, Dai embarked on a 12 year journey to change and create an infrastructure in Hong Kong rugby, that is thriving today. He recieved The Coaching Excellence award and the Best team sport coach award during his time there.

Dai is an open hearted, authentic, loyal humanistic leader. With 30 years experience working in education and sport. A leader. performance manager, coach and mentor. Dai loves connecting, inspiring, and motivating those around him.

In this episode we have the Urban Ice Man, Ryan Abbott. 

After spending most of his life using linear thinking and numbing himself with stimulants to avoid his feelings, Ryan now embrace's the whole of life with both hands. These personal challenges and development have given him the ability to find and offer a deep presence to others.

Through life experience, learning and practice he has developed a profound understanding and empathy for the human condition. He has acquired skills and tools which he share's with others, so they can have them at their disposal for whenever they desire reconnection or situations become challenging. These skills include functional breathwork, ice therapy, coaching, meditation and embodiment.

Ryan's mission is to build a community by helping others let go of their own limiting beliefs, so they can fully embrace themselves in the here and now, and experience love that may have been lost along their journey.

An old client of mine, friend and recent retired professional footballer Tommie Hoban, joins me this week to talk about his recent shock announcement. 

We chat about the importance of having goals, but highlight something that is often overlooked, is that of the systems and habits installed matter far more than the target, no matter our profession. 

Tommie is open about the pivotal moment that brought forward his decision to hang up his boots at the age of just 27, the sacrifices that the world generally doesn't see in the life of a pro athlete, which includes feelings of shame and guilt around being single minded in the professional arena. 

He was no longer willing to be used as commodity, and understood the need to look after his own long term health to enjoy longevity in his life, including that of a loving father and soon to be husband. 

A conversation I really enjoyed.

Tommie Hoban, a father, fiancee, ex professional footballer with Watford, Blackburn Rovers, Aberdeen and Crewe, is on to the next exciting chapter in his life as a trainee financial planner. 

He epitomises 'How we do anything is how we everything', thorough in all he does, he will be incredible in this new adventure. 

Finding where we are not free is a vulnerable process, especially for a man.

We have been led to believe that to be vulnerable, to have no armour, to be gentle, are signs of weakness and are not tolerated if we want to be part of society as a man or within a group of men.

It is all BS, and the underlying shadow we hold is that of JUDGEMENT. 

I'm vulnerably sharing my own constraints in this episode of how body dysmorphia has affected my thoughts, behaviours and that it was actually how I thought others would negatively judge me if I was just true to myself. 

A one off breathwork session with my good friend Andy Morgan, is was prompted this episode. During the powerful session I was overcome with tears and emotion, my unconscious mind showing up in my body as to me where I wasn't free. 

I share all in this episode and how to locate your own to then really step in to authenticity. 

A solo episode this week in sharing what it takes to go after what you want.

Rick and his family came close to losing their home, car etc just under 3 years ago when an unforeseen redundancy was the opportunity to lean in to further discomfort and grow, not only as people but grow a business from the ground up.

The inspiration behind this episode was the recent interaction with a client asking, can he realistically build a coaching business and create a salary? Who better to ask than Rick. A business start up mentor, Rick shares what it took, the risk, anxiousness, and fear to get going and the power of our 'WHY' to invest in ourselves and make sh!t happen. 

A Short but explosive episode for anyone willing to change from, I would if I could, to, I can and I will. 

High energy, wisdom, know-how, experience, their really isn't many podcasts out there that have this depth to the conversation I shared with Craig.

Craig has had a huge influence in my life, a mentor and close friend. He talks us through his journey of the outward 'hero's journey' to the inward one, where he talks openly about not only finding his own, but how men find identity and purpose in life, and why we struggle so much in our generation, particularly through the toxic or non-existent rites of passage and initiation process that men struggle to find and experience today into having a feeling of safety and real acceptance from other men. 

We dive in to the incredibly transformative retreats Craig masterminds, Men Without Masks, one I have been on myself, and just how powerful it truly is for mankind. 

This episode really cannot be missed, it is full of education and true authenticity.  

Without further ado, I would like to welcome Craig White to the show. 

Some of you may already be familiar with Craig and his work but for those who are not I would like to give a brief introduction.  Craig is a High-Performance Coach, Mentor, Retreat Facilitator, and Team Building Consultant. He has over 25 years’ experience working predominantly in professional sports, most notably rugby. He has worked or consulted for more than 30 different rugby nations, perhaps more than any other coach in his field. He is widely respected around the world for his willingness to embrace different cultures and mentor developing staff within those countries. He is the Founder of Craig White Mentoring, a company dedicated to the development of Leadership, Purposeful Vision and Interpersonal Skill Development within Professional Sports Coaching.

In recent years he is also working within the field of men’s health and wellness, offering private men’s life coaching and group retreats. He is the Creator of Men Without Masks, an organisation dedicated to support the lives of men who want to overcome limiting beliefs and move forwards into a life of inspired purpose.

Craig has dedicated most of his working life to the pursuit of learning how to improve performance and in more recent years how to cultivate a meaningful purpose in life. His quest for learning has taken him from books and Academia, to the Gymnasium and rugby field, to the Ashrams of India, the Jungles of Asia, the Mountains of South America, and ultimately from his head into his heart and his body.

I now present to you Craig White.

We have a proper east-end geezer with me this week. 

Resilient, driven and a passionate family man. He is a professional boxer, who has had to face the up and down emotions of getting his pro career on track, most recently the emotional rollercoaster of being flown back to the UK from Las Vegas, fresh out the Mayweather camp, due to the pandemic. George is also an ex West Ham trainee and knows a thing or two about hard graft. His upcoming documentary is in the making and he shares more of his inspirational story with us. 

I want to welcome George warmly to this weeks show. 

Its not often you can get your hands on someone still playing at the top of their game on to a podcast. 

One of the nicest blokes I've met, Ross gives some real insight in to professional sport, the highs, lows, and how he personally found from a young age the importance of grounding via family and loyalty.

It is refreshing to listen to someone value enjoyment and fun as benchmarks and values in sport, and how he is nurturing to enrich the lives of others with his obvious passion and experience.

Ross is professional rugby player with Gallagher Premiership team, Harlequins. Ross's loyalty to Quins see's him in his 12 season as a professional with the club. Starting his career at local club Haywards Heath, he earned a place in Harlequin's Elite Player Development Group. 

Ross's talent and hard work saw him promoted to the senior set up where he has enjoyed winning English rugby unions biggest prize, The Aviva Premiership, The LV Cup and Amlin Cup.

Whilst still playing at elite level Ross is carving an impressive reputation for his coaching ability, leading Sussex men's rugby to a county final at Twickenham and now the Head of Performance at London 1 South side, Horsham.

If your on LinkedIn but don't know Lea, your not really on LinkedIn. 

Simply the queen of that platform, helping change peoples lives by increasing their ability and knowledge on how to use the platform to make meaningful connections and grow our business. I say our because she helped me with mine last year. 

This lady unconsciously or consciously gives permission to people to be yourself, not fxcks given. Our people are attracted to us, our tribe and our vibe. 

If your not authentic, your being fake. 

This is listen is GOLD.

Lea Turner crashed onto LinkedIn in October 2019 with no knowledge of the platform, but her vibrant, personable and uplifting posts drove countless leads and over 10,000 followers in her direction within the first two months. Since then, she has amassed 84k followers and more than 780 inbound paying clients and grown her training business from nothing to six figures. She now teaches other people how to bring themselves to LinkedIn, grow their network with intention, attract inbound leads from their ideal clients, and have fun while doing it!

This weeks guest Dave 'JACKO' Jackson AKA The Human Flag (check out his IG), opens up about the opportunity that came about from having one to many bumps to the head in his career, leaving him close to death. An energy ball of a man, Dave co-created the school of calisthenics, finding ways to use his body and keep motivated, passing on this knowledge and infectious enthusiasm to others.

David Jackson is an Advanced Oxygen Advantage breathwork coach, a former professional rugby player, accredited UKSCA Strength & Conditioning coach, NASM performance enhancement & corrective exercise specialist that combines movement and breathwork to develop freedom in our bodies and minds.

​Having worked with professional & recreational athletes and clients seeking better stress management through breathwork and even those suffering with long COVID he is passionate about helping people fulfil their true potential through breathwork whatever their goals.