The Ben Ryan Podcast

Welcome back to the podcast where this week I take a look back over series one with the help of my partner, TV presenter Michelle Ackerley.

It’s been a fantastic start to the podcast and over the course of the past ten week's we've heard from one of the stars of the Peter Crouch Podcast, Tom Fordyce, sprint coach, Margot Wells, sport psychologist, Dr Austin Swain, Fiji rugby player, Nemani Nadolo, New York Knicks performance leader, Erwin Valencia, Andy Murray's strength and conditioning coach, Matt Little, long-time coach of Jessica Ennis-Hill, Tony Minichiello, eye specialist Dr Sherylle Calder and special forces, turned England sevens star, turned entrepreneur, Greg Barden.

It really has been a brilliant first series and over the course of this review we pick out some of our favourite moments, discuss what we’ve both learnt as well as expanding the chat out to topics such as working in the media, lessons for life in general and we also briefly look ahead to series 2 in July and tease who some of my next guests will be.

More about Michelle Ackerley:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/MichAckerley?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/michelle_ackerley/?hl=en

BBC Profile - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/27tgcc8fTgvffpN3PMXvKcH/michelle-ackerley

Agency - https://www.sirentalent.co.uk/michelleackerley

Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Ackerley

Series 1 Podcast Episodes:

Tom Fordyce - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-1-tom-fordyce/

Margot Wells - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-2-margot-wells/

Nemani Nadolo - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-3-nemani-nadolo/

Erwin Valencia - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-4-erwin-valencia/

Matt Little - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-5-matt-little/

Dr Austin Swain Part 1 - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-6-austin-swain-part-1/

Dr Austin Swain Part 2 - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-7-austin-swain-part-2/

Toni Minichiello - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-8-toni-minichiello/

Dr Sherylle Calder - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-9-dr-sherylle-calder/

Greg Barden - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-10-greg-barden/

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - http://benryan.co.uk/bio/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

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Greg Barden was the youngest to ever pass Special Forces Selection and his journey from the Special Boat Service to England Sevens and company founder is as inspirational as it is interesting.

This was the first time we met each other since we parted ways badly with England Sevens, me as the coach and Greg as the captain. It really was great to see Greg again and something we should have done a long time ago. He has not only done some truly amazing things in his life so far, but he also talks about them so brilliantly and reflects deeply and with real insight.

Certainly, it was very cathartic to talk about how we fell out but it also left me with some mixed emotions. I was genuinely elated to have had that difficult conversation but also disappointed in myself that I had been like that with him all those years ago and not had the tools to mend it quickly. I put those softer skills right at the top of what I think I am very good at but the ego, twinned with the pressure I had put on myself back then, produced a Ben Ryan that was certainly not his best version! I think those dips in my best version were pretty rare but still, as I say to a lot of the coaches and players I have worked with, you can be 99% brilliant in how you deal with someone but one badly placed comment, just as in this case, can destroy all the good work you have built up.

It will be a fantastic next chapter for Greg and Pixie. He spoke so deeply about community and working together. Go to Pixieapp.co to find out more about all he’s up to in his business life and the show notes will provide lots more detail and relevant links to anything Greg and I signposted or referenced.

More about Greg Barden Links:

Website - https://www.pixieapp.co/

Twitter - @GregBarden

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/greg.barden/?hl=en

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-barden-72745817/?originalSubdomain=uk

Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Barden

Show notes - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-10-greg-barden/#show-notes-e10

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - http://benryan.co.uk/bio/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3iUL1eLA7HFKt5gxO7Uf4j?si=oN9YN6uFRSSGbO6kR01ONQ

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Social:

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My guest this week is Dr. Sherylle Calder. Sherylle was part of the staff that helped South Africa win the Rugby World Cup in 2007, having won the same tournament four years earlier in Australia with England. She's also worked in many other sports including Football, Cricket, NFL and Formula One and has also worked on an individual basis with some of the world's best athletes, such as Open Golf Champion, Ernie Els.

Her specialism, that she discovered as a young international hockey player, centres around vision and improving all aspects of that, not just with elite athletes, but also young children and CEO’s. We talked about embracing natural talent, seeing the whole picture, sifting what information is useful and what isn’t, critical non-essentials and the effect of mobile phones on elite sport and life in general. Its another one of those episodes where we cross into many different sports and skills and it was fascinating to hear from someone that has gone deep on one very particular skill and how that can influence so many other areas.

After chatting to Sherylle, I got straight onto her eye gym. It's a lot of fun and her website, eyegym.com is the best place to find out more about what Sherylle does and reach out to her and her team.

More About Dr Sherylle Calder:

Website - eyegym.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sherylle-calder-7850336/

Twitter - @sheryllecalder

Twitter - @EyeGym_science

Instagram - eyegym_science

Show Notes - Show Notes - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-9-dr-sherylle-calder/#show-notes-e9

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

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Social:

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In this episode I delve into coaching the individual. Toni Minichiello worked with dame Jessica Ennis-Hill from her teenage years to continental, world and Olympic titles. You need to keep things fresh in coaching. Sometimes across just one season, it can prove to be hard to keep pressing the right buttons with an athlete to get the best performances out of them, so to chat to a world class practitioner like Toni who has been able to do that successfully for a very long time was brilliant. We talked about the partnership that exists between coach and athlete and how decisions are made and adjustments agreed upon and chat about the art of coaching and how sometimes saying less is more. Dealing with pressure, none as great as he had to make sure Jessica was at her absolute best at a home Olympics in 2012 and how the coach feels after such seismic moments. I met Toni pre lockdown at the indoor track at English institute of Sport in Sheffield, a city he grew up in and has been part of moulding his personal journey too and we opened up about discussing some of the nuances between team and individual sports.

More About Toni Minichiello:

Website - https://toniminichiello.com/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/coach_toni

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coach_toni.m/

Show Notes - Show Notes - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-8-toni-minichiello/#show-notes-e8

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3iUL1eLA7HFKt5gxO7Uf4j?si=oN9YN6uFRSSGbO6kR01ONQ

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Social:

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If you have listened to last weeks episode then you would have heard leading psychologist, Dr Austin Swain, talk about coping with pressure, confidence, psychological safety and a whole lot more. We continue that conversation in this week’s show as we jump into the world of business and work-life, from a leadership point of view, but also the different styles of leadership and new ways of working, communicating and avoiding burnout.

From stories of the battle between Coco-cola and Pepsi, to bringing values to life, adapting to a new role and the idea from one of the greatest-ever TED talks that “every contact leaves a trace', we’re going deep!

I also bring some of this back to sport with recollections from my own career, but also remember - the vehicles we use to tell these stories might be relevant to Austin or me but like so much of our learning , we can use these ideas to morph into our own world’s and thoughts. Whether we realise it or not, we all use a form of performance psychology in our everyday lives to varying degrees. It might be a simple moment of appreciation to someone you work with that lifts their esteem and reinforces positive behaviours or it could be in performing the role of mentor, but we start today’s chat around the subject of feedback - giving it, receiving it and it’s importance in any high-performing structure.

More About Dr Austin Swain:

Website - https://www.lane4performance.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-swain-11411063/

Show Notes - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-7-austin-swain-part-2/#show-notes-e7

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3iUL1eLA7HFKt5gxO7Uf4j?si=oN9YN6uFRSSGbO6kR01ONQ

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Dr Austin Swain is one of the co-founders of Lane 4, experts in organisational performance that have a 25 year track record of world-class and ground breaking delivery. He was England Rugby’s first Sports Psychologist and has worked with many top-end professional sports teams and athletes, but he’s also spent a huge amount of his career in the corporate sector too.

I have known Austin since my student undergraduate days at Loughborough University when I attended his Sport Psychology lectures. Much of my coaching success has been grounded in my man-management and those softer skills to what I would now call, creating an environment of Psychological Safety and It was Austin's dulcet tones and engaging way that inspired me and sent me on a life-long learning journey around leadership, management and performance.

This discussion had so much in it that we have decided to make it a two-parter. This first part starts with Austin beginning to discuss how we all deal with pressure.

More About Dr Austin Swain:

Website - https://www.lane4performance.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-swain-11411063/

Show Notes - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-6-austin-swain-part-1/#show-notes-e6

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3iUL1eLA7HFKt5gxO7Uf4j?si=oN9YN6uFRSSGbO6kR01ONQ

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TuneIn - http://tun.in/pkdsm

Social:

Follow me on Instagram - https://bit.ly/2Z5QSit

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If you watch tennis, you might recognise his face. You aren't sure what he does but you see him at the Grand Slam events as the cameras pivot to the players team and families seating. Maybe in the short video played before Andy Murray, Britain’s greatest ever tennis player, comes onto centre court at Wimbledon, you see him on the same practice court chatting to Andy as he then disappears into the locker room. Matt Little is a world renowned coach and he has been Andy Murray’s strength and conditioning trainer since 2007. In that time, so much has had to be faced. The joy of Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold, the despair of career-threatening injuries to Andy that didn’t seem like they would ever shift. If you need reminding how fragile an athlete’s career can be and how they need those around them help them through those moments then this interview is probably it.

I met Matt when we were allowed to meet outdoors socially distanced , so you will hear our conversation occasionally accompanied by the sound of the wildlife in Richmond Park, London. With that backdrop we discussed the importance of setting values, experience, loyalty, listening to learn, data and other key topics around performance and culture and started with Matt telling a story about when he was based at Loughborough University, one of the worlds great sporting institutions.

More About Matt Little:

Website - www.matt-little.online

Book - https://amzn.to/3cztsIr

Instagram - @_matt_little_

Twitter - @MattLittleSandC

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-little-b1a6512a/?originalSubdomain=uk

Show Notes - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-5-matt-little/#show-notes-e5

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3iUL1eLA7HFKt5gxO7Uf4j?si=oN9YN6uFRSSGbO6kR01ONQ

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TuneIn - http://tun.in/pkdsm

Social:

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We go stateside this week and talk to Erwin Benedict Valencia or simply ‘E’. I have know Erwin since 2016 when we met in New York City in his role working in Basketball and we’ve been good friends ever since. I would regard him as a polymath, hugely competent in many different and diverse domains. At the last count he had over 30 letters after his name but that really is just a by product of who he is.

He grew up in the Philippines but moved around a fair bit as a kid before getting his first break working in professional sport with the Pittsburg Pirates in Major League Baseball. From there he went into professional basketball where he remains today. He's widely sought for his views and skills and the athletes he works with benefit hugely from his continuous learning, his curiosity and his positivity. During this chat, we touch on resilience, recovery, over-training, mindfulness, meditation, breathing, manifestation and positive psychology.

For this episode there is a tonne of links to the topics we talked about in the episode show notes which can be found at benryan.co.uk/podcasts

More About Erwin Valencia:

Website - https://erwinvalencia.com/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4J6ic3GGNbKnFp6u3Ofn2w

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erwinbvalencia/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/erwinbvalencia?lang=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ekinetiq/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erwinbvalencia/

Show Notes - benryan.co.uk/podcasts

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3iUL1eLA7HFKt5gxO7Uf4j?si=oN9YN6uFRSSGbO6kR01ONQ

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From his beginnings in Sigatoka ‘Rugby Town’ in Fiji, to gracing every top professional league in the world, rugby superstar, Nemani Nadolo’s story is an engaging one. One of the world's best Rugby Union wingers in the last twenty years, it’s not been a straight path to his many achievements and honours. Indeed at one stage it looked like Nemani might not have a career in rugby at all, but thoughts of lucrative work in the mining industry soon turned to following his passion and eventually lighting it up at a Rugby World Cup. It’s a story full of takeaways and cognisance.

I met Nemani, pre covid in a park in Oadby, Leicestershire, shortly after he had signed to play for the Leicester Tigers in the Gallagher Premiership. As the lawn mowers buzzed in the background, we spoke about the importance of understanding the individual, controlling your ego and a whole lot more. This became an emotional chat and I thank Nemani for opening up to me.

It was also a conversation I wanted to have early in The BenRyan Podcast as he was one of the first people I reached out to for advice when I began my time in Fiji. Just chatting to Nemz in a place thousands of miles away from the south pacific, instantly reminded me of the warmth of the Fijian people and the importance of family and relationships. To get the best out of anyone, first, you listen and then you learn.

More About Nemani:

Twitter - https://bit.ly/3edDMIP

Instagram - https://bit.ly/3kE7k37

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NemaniNadolo/

LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/2NX59fb

Show Notes & Transcript - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-3-nemani-nadolo/

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3iUL1eLA7HFKt5gxO7Uf4j?si=oN9YN6uFRSSGbO6kR01ONQ

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Welcome to another show where each week I'm joined by some brilliant minds that deliver their take on what they think really makes the difference in performance.

My second guest on the #benryanpodcast is Margot Wells, one of the great unsung heroes, but not by the many international sportsmen and women who have benefited hugely from her talents and expertise. Her personal performance journey began as an International sprinter back in Scotland in the 1970’s before she took on the task of coaching her husband, Alan Wells, to the 100m Olympic Gold Medal at the 1980 Moscow games.

In those subsequent years, she has worked across a whole spectrum of sports and athletes to make them more powerful and make them run faster. If you would like to know more about Margot than pop across to her website at wellfast.co.uk and its also where you contact her directly too.

I met Margot, before Covid restrictions kicked in, on a wet evening down at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford. In the stand at the running track she calls her second home we had a conversation I will remember for a long time. Just like the speedball she uses so much as a training tool, she neither holds back her punches or minces her words.

Open your mind, listen to our conversation and enjoy the honesty and rawness she brings and I hope you love this as much as I did.

More About Margot Wells:

Twitter - @WellfastLTD & @Margot_Wells

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/margot-wells-98638a26/?originalSubdomain=uk

Show Notes & Transcript - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/episode-2-margot-wells/

Listen & Subscribe to The Ben Ryan Podcast:

Ben’s Website - https://benryan.co.uk/podcast/

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ben-ryan-podcast/id1553400216

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3iUL1eLA7HFKt5gxO7Uf4j?si=oN9YN6uFRSSGbO6kR01ONQ

Amazon Music - https://amzn.to/3shGDnO

Follow me on Instagram - https://bit.ly/2Z5QSit

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Read about me - https://amzn.to/2NLu0Ck