The Starting Line Podcast is BACK.

The first episode of series 2 is being released next Monday - Monday 29th April - and this time, you can choose to watch on YouTube or listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

You won't want to miss it - it's an exclusive conversation with star of stage, screen and film, Brian Cox, recorded in his London home. Brian was open, honest and wonderfully opinionated.

Watch the Series 2 video trailer and subscribe to the show on YouTube here: youtube.com/watch?v=ZXE_Ptj3MzM

Patreon: Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/startinglinepod for just £5 a month

If you have guest suggestions or would like to talk about sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].

About The Starting Line Podcast

From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.

By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers.

Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.

Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.

Follow The Starting Line on:

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

***Parental advisory and all that***

In short - if you don't like bad language, or jokes some might consider vulgar, this is not the Christmas special for you.

As I say in the intro, there are plenty of other podcasts out there. You know, including many chart-topping podcasts listened to by millions of people about real-life terrible things like serial killers, making tonnes of money for the people behind those podcasts, for you to listen to instead. And also, while I'm at it, if you haven't listened to Tim Minchin's 'Pope Song', it makes this point wonderfully. Again, terrible, naughty language absolutely not to be played in front of young ears, but wonderful nonetheless.

Onto the episode!

Kunt and the Gang is a chart-topping British comedy songwriter and performer, a best-selling author and the man behind Shannon Matthews: The Musical (and the upcoming Shannon Matthews: The Musical: The Movie).

With ten studio albums under his belt, and four top twenty singles, Kunt has enjoyed both mainstream and indie success.

He has achieved five UK top five indie hits, with 2 number ones.

He's taking a break from releasing songs around Christmas for 2023, and backing a mystery band, The Krackpots, for this year's Christmas number 1, with their 'love letter' to Christmas hits of years gone by, Proper Christmas. And The Krackpots are definitely, definitely nothing to do with him, OK?

Enjoy!

Follow Kunt on Instagram here and Twitter here.

About The Starting Line Podcast

From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.

By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.

Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.

Follow The Starting Line on:

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final episode of series one, we take you behind-the-scenes of the second half of interviews in this chart-topping first series, with some of the most successful people in the country, from world record breakers to multi-millionaire OBEs.

Join me, Rich Leigh, and, once again, please welcome friend of the show, listener and one of my best friends - of 25+ years! - (Ashley) Stokes.

After exactly 14 weeks since we released episode one - 98 days to be precise - it's goodbye to this first series, and hello to planning for series two!

Subscribe if you haven't already, and you'll be the first to know when the next series begins again, as it'll automatically download and notify you.

Don't be a stranger. Email [email protected] with guest suggestions, what you'd like from the next series or anything else you might want to say, or alternatively, say hi to us on social media.

Follow The Starting Line Podcast on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startinglineshow

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/startinglinesho

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@startinglineshow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startinglineshow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second bonus episode, we take you behind-the-scenes of the podcast, answering listener questions and a few posed by returning special guest, listener and one of my best friends of 25+ years, (Ashley) Stokes.

We speak about why ‘now’ for me to start this show, and how a certain Comedy Dave gave me a kind and gentle nudge, despite concerns that nobody needed another podcast from a straight white man in his thirties.

We speak about emotional interviews, and how my intention is absolutely not to find the person in the world with the ‘worst’ starting line.

I’m asked about my own definition of success - a question I’ve asked all guests.

We get into what, on reflection, I’d have done differently in this first series. We speak about:

• the relentlessness of self-promotion
• the process of getting guests in front of the mic
• dealing with rejection from potential guests
• having A-listers pulled at the last second
• dream guests and more

We’re back with our final episode of series one next week, covering the second half of our guests.

Thank you as ever.

If you’ve got any questions, you’ve got until the end of TODAY to ask them, before we record our final, final episode of this series. 

Email [email protected], or message us on social media.

Follow The Starting Line Podcast on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startinglineshow

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/startinglinesho

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@startinglineshow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startinglineshow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus episode, we take you behind-the-scenes of the first half of interviews in this first series, with some of the most successful people in the country, from Olympic gold medallists to multi-millionaire OBEs.

From revealing the name of the now-famous undercover cop Levi Roots claims set him up and landed him in prison, to sharing the story of how a beloved TV star accidentally stood us up, we want to bring you closer to the fun and madness of how we built a chart-topping podcast in just a few short months.

Join me, Rich Leigh, and welcome one of my best friends and special guest (Ashley) Stokes, who’s supported me for as long as I’ve talked about creating this show. He’s listened to every episode, and having known me for 25+ years, brings a thoughtful balance and asks questions you might well have had while listening.

We’re back with a Q&A episode mid-week, and will have a second bonus behind the scenes episode for you next week, covering the second half of our series one guests.

If you’ve got any questions, you’ve got just a few days to ask them, before we record our final, final episode of this series. 

Email [email protected], or message us on social media.

Follow The Starting Line Podcast on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startinglineshow

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/startinglinesho

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@startinglineshow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startinglineshow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You are NEVER too old to change your life" - and this final guest interview of the first series could just be the episode that changes yours.

Those are the words of today's guest - the world record breaking Susie Chan, named “the number 1 runner to follow on Instagram” by Runners World and the Evening Standard.

Peloton instructor Susie is an endurance runner, but she's unlike any other athlete I've ever met.

She is a wonderful, joyful, exuberant personality to finish the series on, and proof that no matter what your starting line is or was, you can absolutely take control and change the direction of your life, at any age.

Single mum Susie was in her mid-thirties. By her own admission, she was lost. Smoking, drinking, and without direction.

Her brother convinced her to run a half marathon with him. And she got hooked.

From there, her second race was a marathon. And from there? She found herself competing in the Marathon des Sables - a six-day, 250km endurance race in the searing heat of the Sahara Desert.

She's since run the Marathon des Sables more times than any other UK female. She's broken the world record for the most miles run on a treadmill in 12 hours, and among other incredible achievements, she's forged a new career path for herself that she would never have dreamed possible.

Follow Susie on Instagram here and Twitter here.

About The Starting Line Podcast

From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.

By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.

Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.

Follow The Starting Line on:

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is with Charlie Mullins OBE, the founder of Pimlico Plumbing and the self-styled ‘most famous plumber in the world’.

Charlie was born in 1952 in north London to a working class family. In his own words, they were very poor, and he remembers going to school with holes in his clothes. He began working from the age of 8 or 9, and that work ethic stuck. He started his company when he was still in his twenties, and sold it two years ago for £147m.

He was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to business, and has been an advisor to a handful of prime ministers and governments.

We talk about a lot of topics, including his upbringing, what kind of father and husband he thinks he was, his recent ban from Twitter - having, in his words, stepped over the line when speaking about London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and how that is likely to impact his own Mayoral ambitions, how he thinks he wouldn’t have said those things was he in better health at the time, the new business he’s creating that will rival Pimlico Plumbing - and how he doesn’t care that they’re upset about his new venture, and much, much more.

Charlie says some things, both in this conversation and outside of it, which I don’t necessarily agree with. 

I think it’s important to be able to sit across a table and have conversations with people we might not always agree with, in good faith.

I think all too often, in 2023, we are seemingly, collectively, almost foaming at the mouth in our want for people to be punished and cancelled. I think that’s a dangerous game to play, and a sure way to ensure that the question isn’t if something we’ve done or said comes back to bite us on the backside, but when. I’m sure there’s a phrase about throwing stones and glass houses that applies, and I would sooner have a conversation than maintain this polarisation. At the best, opinions shift. At the worst, opinions don’t change and each of you are only more staunch in your belief, which is no bad thing.

About The Starting Line Podcast

From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.

By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.

Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.

Follow The Starting Line on:

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Olympic silver medallist Dan Norton, born in Gloucester, is the the all-time record try scorer in the World Rugby Sevens Series, crossing the tryline 358 times for England over the course of 92 tournaments, totalling an enormous 1804 points in total (including 7 conversions - a 100% kicking record, he tells me!).

Norton bowed out of the game as the fourth highest points scorer of all time, going down in history as a legend and one of the greatest sevens players ever, also playing for Team GB at two Olympic games.

Shortly after we spoke, Dan announced his retirement from sevens after a 13-year career, and broke the news of a move into coaching, with China’s rugby sevens squad.

Dan's was the first episode recorded - back in spring 2022 - when I decided to embark on starting this podcast. It took more than a year before I'd be in the position to begin releasing The Starting Line, as a result of a difficult business year for PR and marketing, and I'm incredibly grateful to Dan for being the first person to agree to speaking.

This episode is unique in that it's two conversations, 18 months apart. You'll first hear from Dan, having achieved everything possible in the game of sevens, as he prepares for retiring as a player, and then now, in October 2023, as he looks back at the enormous impact of retiring from professional sport, and why his Chinese coaching opportunity was cut short.

Follow Dan on Instagram @Dan_Norton4, and on Twitter, also @Dan_Norton4.

About The Starting Line Podcast

From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.

By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.

Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.

Follow The Starting Line on:

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ultra-endurance athlete Sean Conway, born in Zimbabwe, has been the subject of documentaries aired on Discovery and Amazon Prime. He is the author of six books and a highly sought-after motivational speaker.

Multiple world record holder Sean has:

Cycled the length of Britain. Sailed the length of Britain. He’s swam the length of Britain. He’s cycled across Europe. He’s run the length of Britain. He’s cycled from London to the Alps. He completed a 4,200 mile long Ironman.

Another time, he cycled around the world.

And, in perhaps his biggest and most recent challenge yet - and I’ve not even listed half of them - Sean broke the world record for the most consecutive Ironman triathlons in a row. He did an Ironman every single day for 105 days.

I contextualise this in the interview with some actual figures, but that means Sean swam 2.4 miles. And then, after that swim, he cycled 112 miles. And then, after that cycle, he ran a marathon.

He did that every day, for 105 days. 

I visited Sean in the beautiful rural North Wales - by myself and without my usual production support! - where he lives with his wife Caroline and their two young children. We chatted about life, his accomplishments, his drive - and believe me, there aren’t many people with the single mindedness Sean has.

Follow him on Instagram @seanconwayadventure and on Twitter @Conway_Sean. More about his successes, dreams and hiccups at seanconway.com.

About The Starting Line Podcast

From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.

By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.

Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.

Follow The Starting Line on:

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- Content warning: suicide -

For the first time this series, we're going to put a content warning. In this episode, we talk about suicide, grief and loss, and if that's not for you, that's entirely understandable.

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Suicide is the biggest cause of death of people under the age of 35. 4x the number of people die by suicide than in road accidents every year.

In this episode, we speak to Mike McCarthy, the co-founder of the Baton Of Hope UK, the biggest suicide awareness and prevention initiative the UK's ever seen.

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Mike lost his son Ross to suicide.

Ross had left a farewell letter to Mike to campaign for better mental health support. He was 2 weeks into a 6 month waiting list for mental health support.

After meeting with Steve Phillip, who also had lost his son Jordan to suicide, the pair came up with the idea of an Olympic-style relay tour that could create a national conversation.

The ‘Baton of Hope’ started from Glasgow on the 25 June 2023, before finishing in London at 10 Downing Street, where Mike was presented with a Points of Light award by Health Minister Maria Caulfield MP. The award recognises outstanding individual volunteers, and prompted support from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, among many others.

In this incredibly powerful, important episode, we discuss Mike's life as a journalist, the impact of losing Ross, the system as it stands, how and why Mike believes we need to work towards a zero suicide society - and much more.

Follow the Baton of Hope on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About The Starting Line Podcast

From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.

By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.

Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.

Follow The Starting Line on:

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.