While we can’t avoid the inevitable, we can still find agency. When we’re navigating a professional or personal transition, it may seem like we’re living in chaos, and there’s nothing we can do that can make things better.

In his book At Work in the Ruins, Dougald Hine asks a question about the climate crisis: how did we find ourselves in this trouble? Is it simply a piece of bad luck with atmospheric chemistry, or might it be a consequence of the way we have been approaching the world?

This conversation aims to create a little campfire alongside the big path of life to sit with the questions and the uncertainty together. You don’t have to go through it on your own, and not knowing how to act is ok.

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• Join the next Vision 20/20 cohort

When people join the Happy Startup School’s Vision 20/20 program and talk about what they want to do, one phrase pops up again and again:

“I just want to be paid for being me.”

But it’s not always easy to get to this point. Sometimes it takes a circuitous route, as we get more and more used to showing up as our full selves and discovering what it is we truly want to do.

One such alumnus of our program who’s taken the long way around is creativity coach Mark Steadman. As someone who’s able to do it all, from coding to design to writing, he’s become a legend in our community for his ability to “ship” - to transform ideas into reality and get them out into the world.

But he’s tired of constantly cranking out new projects and hustling all of the time. He wants to take a break from constantly “doing” and allow himself to “be” more instead.

He now wants to use his knowledge, experience, and skills to help other creative people unlock their own creativity. He’s realised that that's the thing that brings him the most joy.

But to do that, he needs to put other projects to rest. And that’s tough. To make this change, he needs to give himself permission.

Carlos and Laurence talk to Mark about what it’s like to be a “relentless creative” who has constantly made and shelved projects while he’s discovered what he really wants to do now.

They discuss what it’s like to constantly put out new projects while you try and find “your thing”, and what that's meant in terms of finding his purpose. And they explore whether it’s possible to be paid for just being ourselves.

They also ask him how he feels about putting all of his different creative endeavours in one place, under his own name for the first time, so that he’s finally embracing his role as a creativity coach.

If you want to empower others to act and not just fill their heads with facts, Crowdcast is a platform that can help you do that. It was founded by Sai Hossain who got the idea in 2013 while at a retreat in Costa Rica.

Laurence and Carlos started using Crowdcast in March 2020 which was the time the platform exploded from 500,000 users per month to 2.5 million.

On this episode, you’ll hear more about how Crowdcast came about, Sai’s personal journey as a founder, and his thoughts about what it takes to build a community as well as a business.

If you want to make a living sharing your knowledge and experience, or you’re curious about growing your business using live video, you’ll definitely get something from this conversation.

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• Join the next Vision 20/20 cohort

John Pritchard was the founder of Pala, a brand driven by purpose. The mission was to produce high quality, long-lasting eyewear whilst making a commitment to minimise the impact on the planet and maximise positive social impact on people.

Longevity of product was important to minimise resource usage, but that makes for a very different approach to business.

The Pala strapline was “see the world better”, which enabled him to go into numerous directions around how to help others “see the world better”.

However, after 9 years, the mission took its toll and earlier this year John had to make the decision to close down the business.

He now needs to take a pause, but feels conflicted about that.

His sense of purpose was strong but he also needed to pause to look after himself.

He feels the tension between doing stuff and not doing stuff with conflicting stories about being of service to others but also needing to look after himself.

Now that the business is winding down he’s a lot less busy and t’s something that’s going to take some getting used to. Some internal rewiring is needing to happen.

John is now entering a time of transition where he’s pondering how to change the world while also changing his world.

In this episode, Carlos and Laurence learn about what it took to start, grow and run Pala and the lessons he’s learned about purposeful business and about himself.

You’ll learn about the questions he’s now having to ask himself about how to fit purpose into his future work alongside making a commitment to his own wellbeing.

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Professional women are under overwhelming pressure to achieve it all – career, kids and caring partner.And to do it with an effortless smile.But it isn’t that easy.

It doesn’t mean that you can’t have it all, but according to Emma Draper, award-winning retail entrepreneur, property developer and mother, “we need to release ourselves of the guilt and just do the best we can”.

On the outside Emma is an amazing role model for female entrepreneurs. Over 23 years she’s built a multi-million pound business, had three kids and truly loves her work. But it didn’t come easy. She had to work damned hard to make it allwork.Patience, purpose and persistence have been key.

In this episode, Emma joins Carlos and Laurence to share what she’s learned about business, and more importantly, about herself over the past 23 years.

They cover leadership, culture and positioning as well as more personal topics like motherhood, personal growth and finding your why.

If you’re a female entrepreneur at the start of your journey or you’ve been in business for a few years but now feel stuck… and overwhelmed… this episode is for you.

It’s OK to want it all. Just give yourself some slack if it doesn’t come as easily as Instagram says it should.

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It’s hard to put into words what happens at Summercamp. And that was never truer than in 2023.

There’s an enormous amount of love, growth and connection that happens; and the openness and vulnerability that takes place in a field near Hastings every year is astounding.

In this special episode, you’ll hear from Laurence and Carlos about what the event brings them, and a little of what it requires. Plus you’ll hear from some of the attendees who experienced life-changing moments last September.

• Bag one of the last remaining tickets to Summercamp 2024
• Find out more about Summercamp

In an age where meaningful leadership and authentic connection are more crucial than ever, Jerry Colonna, coach, entrepreneur, and author of the transformative books Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up and Reunion: Leadership and the Longing to Belong.

Jerry has worked with CEOs and change-makers from across the world. His company offers a complete foundation for what it means to emerge as a leader through coaching, 360-degree performance reviews, bootcamps, peer groups, internal training and organisational change management, along with plenty of rich resources for entrepreneurs, including their podcast.

This two-part conversation looks at the internal barriers and personal histories we need to face to unlock our true leadership potential. And it continues into the subject matter of "Reunion", extending this journey outwards, exploring how leaders can foster a sense of belonging in a fractured society through authenticity and shared stories.

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Whether it's problem-solving an issue, coming up with a new product, or making a mark on the world, our personal vision of success often needs new ideas. But what if you’re stuck in a rut?

What if the usual ways of “shaking the snow globe” just won’t cut it any more?

What if the way forward isn't the state of our business plan but the state of our consciousness?

On this episode, Carlos and Laurence welcome Dr David Luke, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Greenwich, for an enlightening conversation.

He’s published over 100 academic papers, including ten books, and is also a co-founder and director of Breaking Convention: International Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness. His research includes altered states of consciousness, especially via psychedelics.

Why? Because there’s an ever-increasing body of renewed research into the use of these substances to help nudge our brains out of our habitual thinking patterns.

But you don't need to take drugs to access the states of mind they trigger.You can feel more creative, less inhibited, and more connected to yourself, others, and the natural world.You just need to know how your mind truly works.

Discover how altered states can:

• Disrupt habitual thought patterns to spark innovative ideas
• Increase neuroplasticity and open the door to personal growth
• Foster a deeper connection to yourself, others, and the natural world

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Forget thinking about business in terms of B2B or B2C – It’s time to think H2H; human to human.

As much as lawyers and accountants will tell you that businesses are independent legal entities, in the end, they’re a bunch of humans working together for some reason or other.

Too many solopreneurs and founders hide behind the idea of being a “big business” when in fact they are human beings wanting to serve others.

They forget that people want to connect with other people, and that connection can help them sustain their businesses financially and energetically.

Human beings are hardwired to connect but we have too many barriers between us including screens, cultural biases, and our own limiting beliefs.

In order to work well, we need to learn how to connect more.

At the Happy Startup School, we believe in building a community around your business. But to build community you also need to build connections. And you can’t really connect with others when you can’t connect to yourself. It’s a journey from the inside out.

In his book, The Connection Playbook: A Practical Guide to Building Deep, Meaningful, Harmonious Relationships, Andy Chaleff invites us to investigate how we think about connection and to work on ourselves as well as our relationships. He asks us to foster more empathy, compassion and non-attachment in order to deepen our connection with others.

The more we’re able to stand on our own and not depend on others, the more we’re able to connect and be in deep relationships with them.

It seems paradoxical, but by not holding tightly onto outcomes and content, and focusing more on being present and the process of connection, we’re more likely to bond with those before us, be they friends, family, romantic partners, or customers.

Listen to this episode if you’re curious about feeling more connection in your life and building a business that gives you a deeper sense of meaning through a deeper connection with those you serve.

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In a world that wants to keep hustling and believing that “bigger is better”, we’ve always had a different measure of success.

For Laurence and Carlos, it’s about forging deep friendships and relationships, getting out in nature, making things that give people delight, and making sure that those you love get more of you.

To do this can mean simplifying our lives. It can mean focusing on what matters and recognising that there’s another way to be in the world - and in the business world.

The Happy Startup way of thinking has been influenced by Small is Beautiful by the economist and environmentalist EF Schumacher. But they’re not the first to be influenced by this classic text.

In 1991 Satish Kumar, a former Jain monk and activist, launched the ground-breaking Schumacher College near Totnes with a short course on Gaia Theory led by James Lovelock. In this episode, Laurence and Carlos talk with him about getting off the treadmill of endless competition and consumption, as discussed in his book Elegant Simplicity.

They explore what it means to prioritise happiness, social equity, and a desire to tread lightly on the earth. Hear why we “need to go wild” and reconnect with our souls, the soil, and our society in a less complicated, less wasteful, way. Find out what it means to “live like a poet” and find purpose through relationships, contribution, and connection to the environment around us.

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