I have been mired today, trying to compress a fantastic two-hour conversation with a US Presidential Candidate. I kid you not. He is very funny and may even get a few votes come November. 

My guest with me today is Adam Duran. He was the youngest sibling in his family and always felt like an underachiever. That failure pattern was repeated at and on into high school, where trouble became his middle name. He left without graduation, and his life was on the road to nowhere.

As always, with these stories, the universe offers a hand. During his high school years, Adam’s father rediscovered his faith and encouraged the family to attend church.

So at 18 and out of school without graduation and life looking so bleak, somehow church called him. That right, this tearaway lad was called to theological college, and he had a plan, and it was ministry.

It is fair to say that plan that did run straight, but it was an adventure. Adam built a life that his 15-year-old self never thought was possible. While at college, he met a girl, and they had a child. He got a job in law enforcement as she became a drug addict. Yes, it has all of the twists and turns of a good TV drama.

Our conversation is lively and passionate about how his faith was tested and how he came through the tough times. It is also about living with meaning and purpose and getting what you want. For Adam, it was always about being on purpose and focused. With hindsight, he can understand why his original plan for ministry became a 30-year career in law enforcement career. Because it was where he could be the most effective minister. It was about supporting those whose lives had begun like his but did not have the breaks that he had.

Adam is now retired from law enforcement, and he has moved into his second career as an Author, writer and speaker. He has taken his skills from ministry, law enforcement and fitness and written a book called “Live Life On Purpose.”

Further details about this podcast along with my Guest’s website and social links are all available at:

https://www.lifepassionandbusiness.com/adam-duran-on-purpose

Life Passion & Business is dedicated to exploring what it takes to be Extraordinary, to face challenges and rejoice in the opportunities they bring, and expand our vision into new ways of thinking and living.

There is a lot to gain from listening to other people’s stories, however the real work begins by taking action in your own life.

For full details of Events, Resources and Services visit:

Support For Podcasters:

Running a podcast is fun, but it takes time and dedication. Whenever you enjoy a podcast please share your appreciation with comments, likes, shares and reviews. It helps other listeners find good content and supports the content creators and their guests.

Another way you can support the Life Passion & Business podcast is with small donations: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeandpassion

Reaction or response: I opened the car door, and the harsh words were out of my mouth before I knew it.  His response was just as intense as mine. Did I get out of the car?  

On this show, we are talking about reaction or response. The course of life is a flow with ups and downs, situations, problems, and solutions. Now, we can live, breathe and move with the flow or fight against it.  

So, how do you react to life’s ups and downs? Do you give a measured response, or do you react, and how deep is that reaction measured, or do you go full nuclear?

The situation above was an overreaction of mine in a petrol station to a driver who had pushed into the queue for fuel. It was not my finest hour, that’s for sure. Had it not been for my wife’s calming words and touch, I may have got out of the car, and life may have taken a different turn.

That is the point: reaction might win the battle but rarely changes minds.

Links to focus coaching are below. 

Life Passion & Business Podcast is about finding answers to life’s big questions through weekly interviews with guest speakers. The Shortcast is my ongoing commitment to staying inquisitive and passionate about life with whatever is alive for me each week. Follow the links below to discover what else is on offer.

The Five Questions eBook: https://lifepassionandbusiness.com/the-five-questions

Support The Podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeandpassion

Innovation and entrepreneurship have been the themes of Roberto’s life. He has always been fascinated by cutting-edge of technology.  

Roberto Capodieci was born in Italy near Venice and was a natural entrepreneur from age 5, making and selling stuff to buy more toys.

He did not attend college officially, although he sneaked into lectures that interested him. 

At age ten, he started a computer and electronics club. It became a business when he was 14—he started as a software house selling thousands of pirated computer games. At the time, there was no law to prevent it. With so many callers to the house and so much cash, his parents thought he was selling drugs. While not true, it created a reputation that led to a surprising opportunity with law enforcement. 

By the time he was 19, he was the head of a large company employing 50 people. He had to employ older people to get the credibility of age. As one so young, he would pretend to be the janitor cleaning the floor so he could listen to his salespeople negotiate the deal.

His contributions extend beyond the technical aspects, as he actively educates others, sharing his knowledge through speaking engagements, publications, and mentorship.

Further details about this podcast along with my Guest’s website and social links are all available at:

https://lifepassionandbusiness.com/roberto-capodieci-pirate-to-blockchain-innovation/

Life Passion & Business is dedicated to exploring what it takes to be Extraordinary, to face challenges and rejoice in the opportunities they bring, and expand our vision into new ways of thinking and living.

There is a lot to gain from listening to other people’s stories, however the real work begins by taking action in your own life.

For full details of Events, Resources and Services visit:

Support For Podcasters:

Running a podcast is fun, but it takes time and dedication. Whenever you enjoy a podcast please share your appreciation with comments, likes, shares and reviews. It helps other listeners find good content and supports the content creators and their guests.

Another way you can support the Life Passion & Business podcast is with small donations: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeandpassion

I am on a project for next week, so I thought I would reshare this episode from January 2022 with Michael Harvey, a storyteller. His journey into the profession is interesting, but more than that, our conversation is about the fundamental need for stories in our lives. 

I believe that story is a fundamental part of who we are; our story gives life its meaning. But there is more; through sharing stories, we find resonance with others, and we build community bonds and stronger friendships. However, the digital world has commoditised it, and stories from music, film and social media surround us. To some extent, we have lost the art of the shared narrative.

If there is one thing that all of the top entrepreneurs have in common, it is the ability to bring people together under a shared narrative. A story of how life could be better if…

With all of that in mind, I am excited to bring you today’s guest, Michael Harvey (no relation), a professional storyteller.

As you will hear in this show, his vocation found him. You will discover the difference between performance and storytelling: how a well-told story creates the illusion of time stopping.  Our conversation covers his journey through myth and magic, and we touch on archetypes like the ‘Hero’s Journey’. Michael also introduces us to the Mabinogion, a Welsh tale of lust and war from the Middle Ages.

Further details about this podcast, along with my Guest’s website and social links are all available at:

https://www.lifepassionandbusiness.com/michael-harvey-story-myth-magic

Life Passion & Business is dedicated to exploring what it takes to be Extraordinary, to face challenges and rejoice in the opportunities they bring, and expand our vision into new ways of thinking and living.

There is a lot to gain from listening to other people’s stories, however the real work begins by taking action in your own life.

For full details of Events, Resources and Services visit:

Support For Podcasters:

Running a podcast is fun, but it takes time and dedication. Whenever you enjoy a podcast please share your appreciation with comments, likes, shares and reviews. It helps other listeners find good content and supports the content creators and their guests.

Another way you can support the Life Passion & Business podcast is with small donations: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeandpassion

Emphatic distress, what does that mean? It was a new phrase for me. It is the term that describes the overwhelm that so many people in modern life experience.

I got here because there has been a theme this week. I have been working with several people who were struggling with focus. But they found it impossible to stick to the main topic at hand and looked to see if it was possible to eat the whole elephant.

This podcast discusses the impact of working towards a big goal and how empathic distress can detract from the task at hand.

Life Passion & Business Podcast is about finding answers to life’s big questions through weekly interviews with guest speakers. The Shortcast is my ongoing commitment to staying inquisitive and passionate about life with whatever is alive for me each week. Follow the links below to discover what else is on offer.

The Five Questions eBook: https://lifepassionandbusiness.com/the-five-questions

Support The Podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeandpassion

I am on a project for the next two weeks, so I thought to reshare this episode from August 2022. The beauty of this podcast is the value of these life stories, which never change; there is always something to learn. 

My guest on the show is an example of someone living a good life by design a man who came from humble beginnings.  

Rocky Lalvani was born in India, when he was two years old, the family emigrated to the US, and while it was a great opportunity, the family had to start at the bottom. 

It was a tough beginning, but they worked hard as immigrant families do, the American dream inspired them, and they built their wealth.

During Rocky’s early life, there were lots of success and money conversations with other ex-pat communities.  While listening to these family chats, he learned the importance of negotiation and how to hustle. 

Starting with his paper route, he discovers how good service leads to good tips. At college, he was buying and selling stuff until he secured a real-estate licence to sell properties.

After finishing high school and going to college, he did a degree in Economics and went out into the world to work.

He did many jobs and eventually built a solid business creating operational and management spreadsheets for small businesses.

Rocky’s challenge was that he found it almost impossible to take the first steps and move his life forward. Our conversation is not about the work he did but the wisdom he developed. We touch on mentors, health, fitness, food and more. All of the steps that help him move forward and build the life he wanted.

Today Rocky calls himself the Chief Profitability Adviser for business owners. He teaches them how to ensure they get paid and that they make pro

Further details about this podcast along with my Guest’s website and social links are all available at:

https://www.lifepassionandbusiness.com/rocky-lalvani-taking-the-first-step

Life Passion & Business is dedicated to exploring what it takes to be Extraordinary, to face challenges and rejoice in the opportunities they bring, and expand our vision into new ways of thinking and living.

There is a lot to gain from listening to other people’s stories, however the real work begins by taking action in your own life.

For full details of Events, Resources and Services visit:

Finding focus is the key to getting stuff done. But how do we do that in a society that has created a distracted industry? Because your phones have given you instant access to everything, and we live in a 24/7 society.

The fact is our average attention span has been dropping. It is now around  47 seconds, and we can see this in how a film or drama series are cut. We can see this in the success of YouTube shorts and Tick-Tok reels.

When the work is boring or has the potential to trigger us into states of fear or worry, it is not surprising that we look for some distraction.

In this podcast, we look at the problems. We will consider the importance of managing our energy and use feelings and emotions to motivate us to finish the work. One of those tools is accountability; one of the keys to my homework completion all those years ago was accountability to those around me.

These powerful tools are part of the kit in focus coaching. If you have a project or something that you want to change or are finding some resistance check out this video. 

Life Passion & Business Podcast is about finding answers to life’s big questions through weekly interviews with guest speakers. The Shortcast is my ongoing commitment to staying inquisitive and passionate about life with whatever is alive for me each week. Follow the links below to discover what else is on offer.

The Five Questions eBook: https://lifepassionandbusiness.com/the-five-questions

Support The Podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeandpassion

It’s never too late to discover your passion and inspiration. Is finding a path that works even after years of effort is possible? 

My guest on this show was always creative, enjoying writing and acting, and life could have been different were it not for a debilitating skin condition. It took away his self-confidence and, with it, his dreams of acting, performing and writing. 

His early education and work were uneventful, and while he thought that he could make his mark in the creative industry, it was not something he chose to follow. 

In his early 20s, he walked past a drama school, went in out of interest and started acting classes. His writing talent was discovered here, and he started the journey towards an acting career. He had an agent and was attending auditions; he was an extra on a number of movies.

However, the acting life is tough, and you must be strong of mind and heart to take the slings and arrows of rejection. This was not easy for John, and it manifested into a skin condition called psoriasis, effectively ending his performance career.

John has been a security guard for 35 years, and his writing has been his saviour, creating character and alter egos of himself. It took him years to publish these short stories, and in 2019 did it.

Our conversation is about that story, how he stepped out of his own limitations and became a published author. John is not your classic success tale. He is living life on his terms, at peace with his journey, and is content with where life is heading.

Further details about this podcast, along with my Guest’s website and social links are all available at:

https://lifepassionandbusiness.com/john-leister-its-never-too-late/

Life Passion & Business is dedicated to exploring what it takes to be Extraordinary, to face challenges and rejoice in the opportunities they bring, and expand our vision into new ways of thinking and living.

There is a lot to gain from listening to other people’s stories, however the real work begins by taking action in your own life.

For full details of Events, Resources and Services visit:

Support For Podcasters:

Running a podcast is fun, but it takes time and dedication. Whenever you enjoy a podcast please share your appreciation with comments, likes, shares and reviews. It helps other listeners find good content and supports the content creators and their guests.

Another way you can support the Life Passion & Business podcast is with small donations: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeandpassion

The question today is, are you feeling it? Our feelings have enormous power over our daily lives, and yet, for the most part, we are blissfully unaware that they are guiding our actions. 

Most of the reactive feelings we experience are responses to a situation filtered through memory or past experience. For example, if you were to meet someone for the first time and their voice triggered a painful experience from the past. It might make you cautious or less interested in the conversation.

Fears and phobias can often be traumatic past events being relived in the present.

While all of the sounds unpleasant, there is an upside. Actors use these techniques to give great emotional performances that are believable and look real. We can use these tools to project forward and create events and feelings around those events or goals we want to happen. Then, use those feelings as motivation to get there.

Check out the show to see how you can play with feelings and create your desired life. 

Life Passion & Business Podcast is about finding answers to life’s big questions through weekly interviews with guest speakers. The Shortcast is my ongoing commitment to staying inquisitive and passionate about life with whatever is alive for me each week. Follow the links below to discover what else is on offer.

The Five Questions eBook: https://lifepassionandbusiness.com/the-five-questions

Support The Podcast:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeandpassion

Welcome to part 2 of my conversation with Scott. The first part of our conversation was about his life in the mobile phone and tech industry. The bit you will hear now is about the shift. 

It is an amazing story of an innovator. Scott Stonham is a Brit born and raised in West London, now living in Reading.

He was not the classic geek, being a bit of a rebel who was inspired by movies like “Back to the Future”, which led to him learning to Skateboard—the Karate Kid, which led to martial arts and finally, the Terminator. Which lead to a university degree in Cybernetics.   

Upon leaving University, there was no cybernetics industry to join, so Scott went into software engineering and later got a job on Vodaphone.

Today, Scott focuses his energy on driving positive impacts for people, nature and the planet. He is driven by the UN sustainable development goals and channels his work through two ventures:

Leading an accelerator for Impact Startups and helping companies understand and address their digital carbon footprints.

Scott is an advisor, speaker, and author of the Exploring Digital Carbon Footprints report, a contributor to the Open University and the founder of Digital Carbon Online.

Further details about this podcast along with my Guest’s website and social links are all available at:

https://lifepassionandbusiness.com/scott-stonham-lifelong-innovator/

Life Passion & Business is dedicated to exploring what it takes to be Extraordinary, to face challenges and rejoice in the opportunities they bring, and expand our vision into new ways of thinking and living.

There is a lot to gain from listening to other people’s stories, however the real work begins by taking action in your own life.

For full details of Events, Resources and Services visit:

Support For Podcasters:

Running a podcast is fun, but it takes time and dedication. Whenever you enjoy a podcast please share your appreciation with comments, likes, shares and reviews. It helps other listeners find good content and supports the content creators and their guests.

Another way you can support the Life Passion & Business podcast is with small donations: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeandpassion