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David Bowie, Musician And Trendsetter There is no doubt that among the history books holding the names of rock legends, the name of David Bowie is up there with the best of them. A man who doesn't just play the game by his own rules, but created the game itself and then ripped up the rules too. He took on the prescribed format of musical output in the early seventies and almost single handedly changed it forever. In this Bowie inspired Join Up Dots biography we take a look at how this unassuming man, born David Robert Jones in Brixton, South London on January 8th 1947, could at first struggle so badly to ignite the flame of success. Mimicking the stars of the day, and stars of yesterday, unable to find his real voice, until stumbling on the very thing that would make him who he is today And that thing was changes, the ability to reinvent himself, and freshen his sound, image and outlook at will, keeping all of us guessing as to his next move for the next forty years. David's start in life was about as normal as a child growing up in the United Kingdom in the 50's could have expected to live. His mother, Margaret Mary worked as a waitress, while his father, Haywood Stenton Jones, from Yorkshire, was a promotions officer for Barnardo's a children charity. Bowie attended Stockwell Infants School until he was six years old, where teachers considered him as a gifted and single-minded child, although not with obvious musical genius, and a singing voice only classed as adequate. When David Bowie was a small child he was fascinated by music, and loved nothing more than tuning into the radio stations of the day to hear the scratchy sounds from some distant DJ in a basement far far away like so many other children. But it was when he was thirteen, and encouraged by his older brother Terry, he picked up a saxophone and started making his own sounds that things started becoming more than a hobby. Terry was nine years older, and inspired and influenced the young David greatly, as most older brothers do, exposing him to literature, rock music and the kind of influences that a thirteen year old child growing up in South London would have been unlikely to discover on their own. David at first tried to teach himself the saxophone, but struggled with it, so made the bold decision to phone the top British saxophonist Ronnie Ross, who he had seen play in the West End of London, and asked for lessons. Ronnie charged David £2.00 per lesson, which was more than this soon to be wealthy practicing rock star could hope to afford. But this wouldn't deter, young Davy Jones, and he got himself a job as a butcher's delivery boy to ensure that he had the cash to allow the fortnightly lessons to occur. Unfortunately, although a major part of setting the fledgling rock star on his way to super stardom, with his encouragement and support, David's brother Terry was not to be in his day to day life for long. Suffering with his own personal demons, the family had Terry committed to an institution fearing for his safety. This no doubt had a huge impact on the young David Bowie, and although good in its intention haunted David for a good deal of his life, even becoming the topic of his song "Jump They Say" after Terry's suicide many years later. At the age of sixteen, David Bowie graduated from the technical high school he had attended in Bromley, only memorable for a fight he had with a school friend that left him with eyes different in colour to one another, and got his first job a commercial artist. He joined as a Junior Visualiser /Paste up Artist for the Yorkshire based company Neven D Hirst. This is a fascinating move for David to make, as although he was still playing for bands, and striving to break into music business in the evening, he still followed the path that most of us follow. He left school and set about getting a job. Is there anyway that we can break from the path that has been trod for generations before us? Even if we have greatness desperate to burst out from inside us?. Probably not, but as we see time and time again on Join Up Dots, the ability to keep on pushing against the rules of conformity is what allows the great to become great. Stopping ourselves from following the crowd, that leave school and enter the offices of the world just because they haven't stopped to question why? Well David, did just that and after only five months, knew in his heart of hearts that he had to take control of his life, if his dreams of working as a musician were to come true. The bands he had performed with every night had cemented the belief that he had what it took, not necessarily to achieve the dizzying heights that he later achieved, but at least earning money doing what he loved. Interestingly, crossing his path in these early days was another musician who would also go on to place his name indelibly in the record books, one Jimmy Page the guitarist of David Bowie's band the Manish Boys. Jimmy Paige of course become a global success with one of the most famous rock bands of all time Led Zeppelin. Several singles were recorded and released during this period, but none could have been classed as anything but a learning curve. Allowing the young Bowie to experience a recording studio for the first time and hear his own voice played back to him. Other than working with Jimmy Paige, the only dot on the Join Up Dots timelines that helps us to see the man that he later became, was when when he made the decision to change his name from Davy Jones, and replace his surname with the now recognizable Bowie, after the knife. Davy Jones from the Monkees was riding the crest of the wave, with hits such as "Last Train To Clarksville", and "Daydream Believer", and David felt that this could be confusing to the record buying public, and ultimately could hold him back. Did this make a huge difference, who can tell, but it was better than one of his other choices he made: Tom Jones. It was certainly the first indication of the chameleon like character that has since gone on to characterize so much of his later work. After recording, and performing with the bands, Bowie made the decision to go solo, and pursue a career on his own terms. He recorded his first solo album, which sunk without trace. This was a crushing blow for David Bowie, and instead of working harder on the content he was intent to keep delivering to the world, the musician did something quite unexpected…but quite David Bowie like. He decided to take a break from the music world, and headed to Scotland where for a period in 1967 he lived in a Buddhist monastery along with American musician Leonard Cohen. As he says ""I was a terribly earnest Buddhist at the time I had stayed in their monastery and was going through all their exams, and yet I had this feeling that it wasn't right for me. I suddenly realised how close it all was: another month and my head would have been shaved." So David left, and then even more bizarrely joined a group of mime artists, even starting his own group called Feathers. Although this from the outside seems unusual, as we see on Join Up Dots everyday, a person has to try things that may not seem part of the master plan, to ultimately lead them to where they should be in life. It is during these times, when it may seem haphazard and wasteful that most people absorb different ways of operating. Discovering skills within themselves, that they can utilise later in positions not remotely visible at that time. And that is the case with David Bowie, as the added spirituality and theatricality become more evident in his work, as was displayed in his own classic song "Space Oddity" about a spaceman floating around about the earth. Thanks to the BBC's use of the song for their coverage of the US Moon landing in 1969, David Bowie had his first hit record. With the song hitting the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. What is extremely interesting is the state of mind of David Bowie at the time of writing. The words clearly show an individual lost, and forlorn about the future. No surprise after the failures of his previous musical efforts. "Planet earth is blue and there's nothing I can do" – shows the realization that there's nothing he can do about all of the problems he sees in the world. "Can you hear me Major Tom? Can you hear me Major Tom? – He's lost communication with those on the ground (i.e. in reality). David Bowie showed a window to his soul. He was not part of his previous life of domesticity in Bromley, and was neither part of the rock star lifestyle that he so craved. Bowie was floating out in Space, on his own. Slowly getting ready for the true moment that David Bowie blasted into our consciousness, and the televisions and radios across the world. In 1973, the career that had stuttered and faltered for the last four years, exploded dramatically into life, as from that position floating above the world David returned to earth. This time not as himself, but the androgynous alien Ziggy Stardust. It signaled the start of the David Bowie fascination. Where was the man, and where was the music? Could one exist without the other? Was the high camp fashion that he displayed on stage the true mark of David Bowie, or a curtain to hide behind, whilst the crowds surged, screamed and fainted in front him. This was glam-rock at its peak, and quite literally anyone around at that time would be compared to the strutting, preening and bi-sexual pre-madonna that was 1973's incarnation of David Bowie. Even megastars such as T-Rex's Marc Bolan, the flamboyant pianist from Middlesex Elton John, and the upwardly climbing Freddie Mercury were nothing, compared to what the world was witnessing with his classic "Starman" and "Ziggy Stardust" David Bowie was no longer floating high above the world on his own. To the teenagers and music buying public, he was the world, and with his backing band The Spiders Of Mars, the world waited with baited breath to see what they would deliver next. And David Bowie delivered…but once again not in the way most expected, or wished for. Instead of setting off on a world-tour, and crushing the charts with new albums and singles, he announced that he was retiring from touring and that Ziggy Stardust and of course the Spiders were no more. As he announced whilst on stage "Of all the shows on the tour, this one will stay with us the longest because not only is this the last show of the tour, but it is the last show we will ever do." This surprised everyone in the house – not least the members of his band. The hysteria was over almost as soon as it had started. Which looking back, was an amazingly brave decision to make, but one that showed that David Bowie was in control, and knew what was right for his career. Instead of saying "this is what you want, so this is what you'll get", he quite firmly, and with huge confidence stated "You will get what I want, and when I want to give it to you!" This in no short measure ensured that the mystic that has grown up around David Bowie was started off in the perfect manner. He was not going to give an inch. And we are no doubt glad that he took that stance, as his music was becoming more creative and experimental because of it. He had created the freedom to explore what he was capable off. And so began his personal odyssey from country to country, city to city, playing and recording with such eclectic names as John Lennon, Brian Eno from Roxy Music and even Luther Vandross, It was whilst in New York jamming with John Lennon that the riff which became the iconic Fame was first heard, and led to David Bowie's first American number one. And his later move to Berlin in Germany, harnessed even greater creative imagery and unexpected musical releases with the classic stripped back "Low" and the Eno produced "Heroes", made whilst he lived in semi seclusion, painting, studying art and recording with Brian Eno. "Heroes" was marketed by RCA with the catchphrase, "There's Old Wave. There's New Wave. And there's David Bowie…" which is very apt, and something that Bowie would have done well to remember in later years. It is true that Bowie likes nothing more than going in quite different directions than what the world expects. Throughout his career he has explored the world of acting from his early roles in "The Man Who Fell To Earth", through to "Absolute Beginners And "Labyrinth" where he acted beside a series of Jim "The Muppet" Henson's creations, and even a three month run in the Elephant Man on Broadway. None of the roles or performances would be classed as landmarks in his career. In fact many would argue they were just a distraction to where he should have been placing his attention. On his music. The creativity being focused on areas of interest to David, more to his loyal followers. What becomes a truth with David Bowie, is when he appears to move towards the obvious routes to success, he becomes a pale inferior version of himself. Following the global success of the Nile Rodgers produced album "Lets Dance" in 1983, he appeared influenced by the Music of the time. And one thing for sure being in Duran Duran is never going to inspire the same level of performance as working the bars, and studying the architecture in Berlin or other such locations. David Bowie needs to be off the radar, to be truly authentic. He needs to be tapping into the yet to be seen musical movements, instead of being the leader of the popular and current ones. And so for the next few years David Bowie produced work that was neither memorable nor commercially successful in the same way as his earlier successes. He was falling further behind the crowd, and lost between the teenagers now grown up who adored him in the seventies, and the 80's versions focused on Wham, Duran, and Rick Astley. Throughout the next ten years, Bowie's musical career was in decline, with the albums Tin machine and Tin Machine II being commercial and public failures. David Bowie was finished. He had achieved everything that the 13 year old saxophone learning kid could have ever dreamed off and more. He had inspired the world to believe. He had created a new generation of musicians who studied his back catalogue with a religious fervor. He disappeared. Retreating from the limelight, he closed the door on his New York apartment and became David Jones again. Father, husband, music legend, and enjoying retirement. For over ten years, other than a few sightings David Bowie was invisible to the world. We had the memories of past glories and nothing else. But as we have seen throughout the years, Bowie returns stronger when on his own terms. When he is in control to what the world will receive. That is when he delivers, and in 2013 after ten years in the wilderness "The Next Day" David Bowie's 24th album shook the world. The Spaceman, the Clown, The Alien, The Smooth Groover, the enigma that is David Bowie was back where he belongs. In the ears, and stereos of the world. Saying things the way that only David Bowie can. A musician, a mystery, a creative, a leader, a decision maker, a controller, David Bowie has learnt through all the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs what leads to success. And that quite simply is being himself. A lesson that for so many of us is the hardest one to learn.

Today's guest joining us on the Join Up Dots podcast is a lady with not just a cool nickname, but also is someone that everyone in the online world needs to know. Known as "One Click Lindsay", today's guest has become the go to person if you want to know more information about landing pages, email sequences, search engine ranking, newsletters, analytics, social media, pay-per-click ads, websites, blogging to name just a few. She is a lady who loves to know the nuts and bolts that turns a business into a succesfull and thriving business. Which means, she knows how to get customers to your business, and then convert them into super customers. People who cannot resist your products. And it seems in classic Join Up Dots style, this was a path that she was always destined. As she says "Even as a young girl, I loved bringing a business to life and watch it grow. Other girls wanted to babysit, while I worked out the percentage I could charge for getting them jobs and managing them. A lemonade stand was not a "fun" way to waste a summer afternoon, it was a very serious business involving customer acquisition and profit margins. I was born an entrepreneur, and I believe you are either born that way or you're not. I see an opportunity, and I have no other choice but to create the business capitalize on that opportunity. My husband, on the other hand, just wants a job (so I made one for him). After years of struggling through being an "employee" I started Web Impakt, which over the last 10 years, I perfected (if I do say so myself). I've led my team to launching everything from simple web pages to enterprise level systems. I've managed dozens of developers and designers, yet still have had to roll up my sleeves on a Saturday evening (after all, if you want a job done right, eh?). And most importantly, I've gotten very good at generating traffic and leads, not only for my business, but for my client's businesses as well." So being born to be an entrepreneur, does she feel that she had all the talents inherently that makes someone rocking and rolling, or has she still had to learn what makes someone successful? And did she struggle at the beginning, or was it whooosh straight to the top? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, with the one and only Lindsey Anderson.

My guest today, on the Join Up Dots free podcast interview is the co-founder of Sales Elite and is a sales professional with over 12 years of sales and leadership experience within the technology industry. Most recently he has 9 years' experience at Oracle America, Inc. building a successful Sales and Business Development organization of over 100 sales professionals. He is a certified sales professional and also President of the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals Austin Chapter. Which all sounds very grand, and I suppose less than unusual. But it seems to me that it was the big decisions in his earlier life which were unusual and formed so much of what he does today and where he does it. From the decision to move away from home in Belfast as a child and attend school in Scotland, to deciding to work in Japan where her met his now wife, he took on experiences and challenges bold and exciting. But it wasn't until attending a leadership development program at George Mason University and participating in his first triathlon that the spark to light his entrepreneurial journey truly began. And the rest is history. So why did this boy from Northern Ireland take such big steps as a child? And has his journey been one, that when reflected upon was perfect and planned to perfection, or one made up of seemingly unconnected dots? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only entrepreneur Mr Gary Smyth

My guest today on the Join Up Dots free podcast interview is an man who is perfect for a show like this one. As he made the brave decision a few years ago to leave his successful corporate gig and follow his heart. He made the decision to set out to discover what would bring him personal satisfaction in life, play to his strengths, and then turn it into income by creating the Trademarked MIKE cartoon sports character. MIKE is an animated microphone with a sharp wit, humorous turn of phrase, and the go to guy if your TV programme wants a different approach to interviewing live celebrities and sports figures. But of course he is so much more than just a cartoon character, as within his small body he holds the dream, passions and future for our guest all rolled into one. But like all guests today's started his career as far away as is possible from where he is today, surrounded by the green grass, and bright lights of American sports stadiums and TV studios. Beginning his career as the Corporate Merchandise & Import Manager for CVS & Rite Aid) he spent his time travelling around the Far East importing consumer electronic & personal care appliance merchandise, before later setting up his own company in Sweeney Sales inc. He hustled, travelled and worked hard in an environment that seems from the outside a strange fit for this creative guy. But maybe that wasn't the case and this was the period of key learning that without it, MIKE the character could never have been born. So was he always entrepreneurial in spirit, but truly needed that thing that played to his own creative side to get going in life? And of course its great to have a fun and creative idea, but how do you keep the buzz when things don't go your way? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only entrepreneur himself Mr Jim Sweeney.

Happy New Year to all of you! If we could come round to all your houses on the beginning of a new adventure, yep a new year then we would. Because without you all we wouldn't have achieved what we have personally achieved in 2015. So what is it that you want to achieve in 2015? Have you set the goals. Have you decided on which dream you want to go for this year? Well David Ralph talks in this episode, how setting goals is a great thing to do but you shouldn't go for the big goals. In many ways these are destined for failure. Big goals are too much for us to achieve after the new year enthusiasm wears off. He believes that we should simply start with very small goals, and by achieving them the incremental goals lead to something amazing. But of course we don't. We set off going for the gold, and upon the first obstacle we fall by the wayside and slip back into our old returns. So what type of things should you look for, and where do you find the support you need to become amazing? Well you will find out all the answers in this episode of Join Up Dots, and you might even get a little bit of Abba too! Happy New Year to You All

Today's guest joining us on the Join Up Dots free podcast is a man who calls himself a rockstar, and with very good reason too. No he doesn't strut around doing the Jon BonJovi return,or perhaps he does. Instead is he is a rockstar in regards to his methods for money management, and can help us all get out of debt, save money and therefore retire at a young age. As he says "I grew up in small town America and now live in the big city of Dallas, Texas. I'm an early retiree who gets to work because I want to, not because I have to. If one of your goals is to do the same, I'm here to help. My mission is to educate, empower, and entertain people from all walks of life by helping them experience real breakthroughs in their lives through hope and financial freedom. My goal is to create insightful, relevant content that you can put to work simply and immediately in your personal life. " Now that all sounds amazing doesn't it. And what makes it even more amazing is this guy wasn't born with an inherent skill to make money, keep money and grow his stash of cash This guy was someone who as he says "I went from a money moron at age 22 to self-made millionaire 13 years later" He has made huge mistakes in his past, but has learnt from them. He has worked at filling in the gaps in his education to become a master of those mistakes. And now with his platform, and newly released Podcast "Financial Rockstar" he is rocking and rolling and loving life. So what was the moment when he realised that things couldn't keep travelling on a one way journey to broke-ville? And is this something that can be done easily, or is it a case of sacrificing every bit of comfort and niceties in your life? Well let's find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Mr Scott Alan Turner

Merry Christmas to everyone of you! Yes, today is that special day that is all about spending it with your loved ones, whilst enjoying and savouring everything that we have in our life. Being woken up at the crack of dawn by excited children, and watching Nan and Granddad snore loudly on the sofa after the huge meal. And it will be no different in the world of Join Up Dots, after all that is what its all about. But in today's episode your host David Ralph, wants to share with you his plans for 2016 and to hopefully make you realise that the most wonderful time of the year, should in fact be everyday. We should wake up everyday like those excited children, ready for the wonder that life has to offer. We should not groan when the alarm clock goes off, but in fact shout "Yayy!" when the ringing starts in the darkness. So have you set your plans for the coming year? Have you started to consider what you want to make 2016 be? Well, we hope that we can be part of your journey and as we started the page with "We wish you and your loved ones the happiest time you could wish for!" All the best David Ralph and the whole Join Up Dots team

My guest entrepreneur today, on Join Up Dots free podcast interview is an amazing lady who has pushed herself to achieve true greatness in her life. Yes, she is someone who has demostarted true womens Leadership. Yes, I have never seen this, but I bet many of you will have had this question appear on trivial pursuit at one time or another. "Who was the first woman to row three oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian single handedly?" Well today's guest is the answer that you will be looking for, holding four world records for ocean rowing, including first woman to row three oceans, whilst rowing over 15,000 miles, taken around 5 million oar-strokes, and spent cumulatively over 500 days of her life at sea in a 23-foot rowboat. She uses her success in ocean rowing adventures to inspire action on the top environmental challenges facing the world today. But the interesting thing to me is that she was not an obvious choice to be awarded as adventurer of the year in 2010. As we will discuss this during the show, perhaps if she hadn't attended Oxford University one of the big two rowing universities, then there was a good chance that she wouldn't have stepped onto the water. And the second interesting thing, amongst all the interesting things is why she upon leaving university, slipped effortlessly into the corporate environment for six years, where now everything points to big adventures, big dreams, and probably big blisters. So looking back on her life would she have skipped the corporate gig, and launched straight onto the waves? Or was this a key part of finding the lady that she is today? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only, entrepreneur and adventurer Roz Savage MBE

There's not many people in the world, or at least those that I have met, who when asked what they are most proud off would say "Keeping my family happy and safe during a massive earthquake and starting again and thriving through it". But that is the case with today's guest on Join Up Dots. She is a lady from New Zealand who has been on a journey of discovery which lead her from her hometown, into Africa and then back again. As she says "I've always wanted to 'change the world' and help people. Ever since I was in high school and in the GAIA and Amnesty International Club. I went to Guyana when I was 19. It was eye opening and wonderful and when I got home the Malaria kicked in. So did the realisation that My degree in International Development gave me great insight but I didn't have the skills or knowledge to really help. Not in the way that I wanted to. I turned my attention to helping people by using the Outdoors as a medium for personal development. I returned from Canada to my home country of New Zealand. I competed in (and completed) the famous Southern Traverse 5 day non-stop Multi-sport race. I used the outdoors to facilitate personal development and for me, it wasn't about the rock climbing or the kayaking… it was about the people. The looks on their faces when they did something that they never thought they could achieve." And that was one of those moments when she realised that her talent, passion, skills, and authenticity was linked to making a difference to others. Helping them to achieve greater and greater things, especially in creating a business was the thing that lit her up inside. So could she have got to where she was without this detours and seemingly unconnected dots in her life? And without sounding trite, was experiencing the earthquake a true moment that shook her up and changed her life forever? Well let's find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only, serial entrepreneur herself Natalie Cutler-Welsh To hear more from Natalie Cutler-Welsh go to: Podcast: Go To Girl Social Media & Networking Description: Go to Girl is all about helping women and mums in business to get savvy with social media and networking. Natalie Cutler-Welsh presents weekly interviews with inspiring and successful women, as well as information and tips on using social media for your business. Get motived by others' stories and connect with other women who understand the joys and challenges of running your own business. Topics include Social Media, Interviews, Reviews, Networking. The stories behind the women. How they got started, their biggest challenges and why they're passionate about running their own business.

Today's guest is a wife, mother of three awesome kids, writer, entrepreneur, mentor, yogini and finance executive. She lives in the mountains outside of Colorado Springs, CO with her domestic cats, dog and mountain lions. Yeah honestly, these are full fledged mountain lions, the scary ones that you see in films terrorising communities, and making chickens fly into the air! But if you think that this lady is someone born to be living in the wilderness, then think again. Growing up in New Orleans then moving to Boston for college and the beginning of her career, she was a "city girl" who never spent much time outdoors. But after seven years in Corporate America, she wondered if that was what she was supposed to do with the rest of her life. The intuitive answer was a resounding NO but like so many of us find out, she had no idea what the answer was. So she dropped out, put all of her things in storage, packed up her Jeep with some essentials and followed the voice in her head that said, "Go west and do something with horses." Her logical mind asked, "Where west and do what with horses?" And the voice wisely answered, "You go figure it out." And so off she went, into the unknown and a future that was less than certain, which I think is the perfect starting point to today's episode. How did she overcome the fear that usually holds so many of us back as we start to get that vibe of "There must be more to life than this"? And what does she think when she looks back at those seven years in Corporate? A waste of time, or a huge stepping stone to where she is today? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, with the one and only entrepreneur herself Paige Burkes.