The Good Listening To Show: Stories of Distinction & Genius

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What does it take to turn a derelict pub, a borrowed hotel room, and a spontaneous spa acquisition into a thriving Suffolk brand? Meet the Pilleys! Daniel, James, and Rebecca—for a fast-moving 'Founder Story' about gutsy bets, patient craft, and the kind of trust you can only build at home and at work.

From Salon 9’s leap from 2 hotel rooms to a 9 chair high street salon, to the complete rebirth of The Suffolk Hotel’s bar into the Tiger Fusion Restaurant, to taking the reins of the Gainsborough Health Club and Spa, every chapter is rooted in one idea: Design the feeling first, and the rest will follow.

Daniel shares how leaving a safe job before Rebecca was born set the tone for decades of entrepreneurship, why marketing is oxygen, and how “anything is possible” became the family’s operating system. James opens up about swapping a desk for the kitchen, the art of getting a concept to hum, and a Marco Pierre White–inspired focus on atmosphere over perfection. Rebecca reveals the spark behind Salon 9’s growth, how she builds a team culture that’s warm and a bit wild, and why happiness is her filter for every decision. Along the way we talk teams at scale, managing shiny-object energy, building lanes for momentum, and a win that brings Joe Wicks’ Body Coach app to premium spa members.

Expect practical tactics and real stories: deadline sprints that stick the landing, the value of a coach who compresses time, and the discipline to keep hospitality, wellness, and beauty aligned. If you’re building a family business—or want your company to feel more like one—you’ll find a blueprint here for culture, brand experience, and growth that still feels human.

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who’s building something bold. Which lesson will you try first?

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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What if a Martial Arts Academy wasn’t about belts first, but about belonging? Tony Rice, 5th Dan and Founder of Yarm Martial Arts, opens the doors to a place parents call a "Confidence Factory" - where 5 year-olds learn eye contact and kindness, teens find a safe refuge on tough days, and adults rediscover calm between work and family. We dig into the simple habits that build real courage: greet by name, hold eye contact, ask "how can I make your day better?" and mean it. From the family room where parents exhale to the Reception Desk that becomes a village square, this is a living lesson in community done right.

Tony shares the life events that shaped his ethos—the loss of his dad at 42, a mum whose mantras still steady him—and how those threads are woven into the academy pledge: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit. He explains why sparring isn’t the UFC stereotype; most students never compete. The win is stronger minds, steadier moods, and friendships that outlast school years. You will also hear about Mat Chats that turn mornings and sibling squabbles into teachable moments, a praise–correct–praise coaching style that treats kids with honesty and respect, and black belt celebrations where 11 to 16-year-olds deliver speeches that move a room to tears.

We travel beyond the dojo too. During COVID, Tony kept classes alive online and even coached swimming, proving that great coaching is about people first. Flow shows up when structure meets freedom, and that is why his best talks are unscripted and human. There is humour—yes, the legendary Tony Talks and those fifteen-minute rabbit holes of training videos—and there is heart: a garden where the noise falls away, and a vision to build a space that endures long after the next move. If you care about youth confidence, mental health, positive parenting, and community wellbeing, this story will stay with you.

Enjoy the conversation, then share it with a parent, coach, or teacher who needs a fresh way to build courage. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what value do kids most need right now?

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

Send us Fan Mail

A courageous journey, a chance meeting and a single ring on the bell at the gilded gates of his future, changed everything for Kevin Tewis and launched him into being! And nothing has stopped him ever since!

At 15, a disastrous careers interview informed Kevin that he simply wasn’t good enough and a life of stacking biscuits as opposed to a glorious creative career lay ahead. To quote Churchill Insurance's iconic dog Winston that Kevin subsequently went on to create: "Oh No-No-No-No-No!" 

A day later Kevin found himself at the gates of 5 Star, his very favourite band. And having taken his destiny into his own hands, there at the gates, his future began. That mix of nerve and pitch-perfect timing became a blueprint that Kevin still follows: Create work with staying power, not sugar highs. 

In this extraordinary episode we explore how a shy Superfan became a Photographer, a Music Producer, a Brand Builder, a Creativity Legend and the mind behind one of Britain’s most loved advertising  icons, Churchill’s nodding bulldog Winston: "Oh Yes-Yes-Yes-Yes-Yes!"

We dig into the craft. Kevin’s teenage habit of hand-charting Top 40 hits helped him decode what makes a song endure across formats and decades. That data-meets-feel approach fuelled records designed to live on Heart and Smooth long after the charts. It also birthed a branding masterstroke: “Winston,” a bulldog that turned insurance into affection by blending British heritage with warmth and simple, memorable language. You’ll hear how he later applied the same logic in government, naming ANTENNA for Number 10’s secure comms by building inward and outward meaning straight into the word.

Mentors loom large in Kevin’s story. From Five Star’s kindness to Eddie Gordon’s industry schooling, he shows how generosity scales careers—and why he now mentors young creators, sits on a school trust, and argues for business literacy in classrooms. We talk ad quality, radio’s surprising strength, Simon Cowell’s new boy band era, and why AI is best treated like Grammarly: a sharp helper, not a stand-in for empathy, timing, and taste. Creativity remains stubbornly human because what moves us keeps shifting.

The most luminous turn arrives with fatherhood. Kevin shares the joy and honesty of building a family through surrogacy and egg donation, keeping both women an active part of his children’s lives. It’s a lesson in dignity, clarity, and the kind of legacy that truly lasts. Anchored by a favourite line from Kipling’s If—keep your head when others lose theirs—this conversation is a guide for anyone who wants to make things people will still love in ten, twenty, thirty years.

Enjoy the story, share it with a friend who needs a nudge of courage, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review so more listeners can find these conversations. What bold step will you take today?

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

Send us Fan Mail

What if staying sharp has nothing to do with age and everything to do with curiosity? We sit down with Harry Mount, editor of The Oldie, for a brisk, generous tour through a life shaped by language, architecture, bicycles, and the courage to change course. Harry opens with the soul of the magazine—why it prizes wit over celebrity and celebrates people “with snap in their celery”—and takes us inside Oldie Of The Year, where legends and unsung heroes share a stage and a laugh.

From there, we travel to his “clearing” on the Pembrokeshire cliffs and the four moments that defined his path: the quiet impact of a brother he never met, a childhood powered by worry and exams, a sharp pivot from barrister-in-waiting to gossip columnist, and finally the long, lively challenge of editing a 100-page print institution. Along the way, Barry Humphries’ razor wit, Giles Brandreth’s encomiums, and the thrill of clean copy land with warmth and precision.

Harry’s passions animate every page: the “R factor” of great buildings, from Vanbrugh to Hawksmoor; the classics as living tools woven through two-thirds of English; and the deceptive ease of comic prose from Wodehouse, Waugh, Mitford, and Amis. He shares honest distractions—the tug of the internet, the tonic of Hampstead ponds—and a love of press trips where purpose beats the pressure to have fun. There’s a personal twist too: his distant cousin Tony Adams, whose openness about addiction helped shift the culture around recovery.

Two lines frame the wisdom here. From Virgil: “One day it will help to remember even these things,” a balm for hard seasons and a nudge toward meaning. From Arthur Balfour via Bill Deedes: “Nothing matters very much, and very few things matter at all,” a reminder to edit life with a lighter touch. The dream? To be remembered for a great comic novel—and, failing that, for meeting interesting people, doing interesting things, and writing them up right.

If you love good stories, beautiful buildings, late‑period Elvis, and the feeling of wind-in-your-face clarity on a bike, you’ll feel at home. Listen, share with a friend who needs a purposeful nudge, and leave a review so more curious minds can find us.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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Calling all High Performing Business Travellers! What if travel didn’t drain your energy but amplified your performance? That question sits at the heart of our conversation with Founder Ingrid Sanderson of Principal Travel, a boutique, independent firm built to help professionals arrive fresh, not frazzled. We dig into how her team blends concierge-level care with smart digital tools to protect a traveller’s most precious assets: time, money, and wellbeing.

Ingrid shares the origin story behind a 27-year journey through ash clouds, strikes, airport outages, Brexit, and a once-in-a-century pandemic. The constant theme is trust. From rapid responses to proactive fixes, her team creates calm where there could be panic, so clients stay focused on keynotes, boardrooms, and big moments. We talk about why independence from airlines and hotel chains matters, how invoicing adapts to a client’s finance stack, and why a hybrid model—human expertise plus online booking—is the sweet spot for global time zones and fast decisions.

We also explore culture and leadership: a long-tenured, highly trained team; the role of mentors and “Nigel’s 90 minutes” to protect strategy time; and the personal influences that shape a female-led business. You’ll meet Casey the Briefcase, plus avatars Bella Businesswoman and Max Mileage, who bring travel tips to life through playful storytelling. And you’ll hear blunt, useful advice for anyone still DIY-ing complex itineraries: know your worth and delegate outside your genius. The hidden costs of fatigue, rework, and missteps are real; a dedicated travel partner prevents them.

If you travel multiple times a year and care about performance, this is your playbook for stress-free, high-impact trips. Subscribe, share with a colleague who spends too many hours on airline sites, and leave a review to tell us your biggest travel pain—what should we solve next?

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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Pressure doesn’t just test us; it can transform us. My guest, Diana Esther Berschader, introduces us to her "Diamond Within" Spiritual Philosophy: A living source of inner guidance that many of us forget under layers of fear, fatigue, and old stories. Her path runs from a Soviet childhood where a ballerina’s dream was dismissed, through years of illness and an eventual cancer diagnosis, to a profound reconnection with the quiet voice that first said: Do not be scared.

We explore what it means to treat consciousness as practical—how you think, feel, and act today—not an abstract ideal. Diana draws a clean line between religion and a personal spiritual connection anchored in the heart. She frames midlife as a powerful crossing for women, a time to shift from pushing to flowing, from seeking external permission to trusting inner light. The conversation moves from philosophy to practice: a simple daily heart ritual, the subtle signals the body sends, and how small moments of presence can restore clarity, courage, and ease.

Diana shares the tools she built to make the path real: An online programme designed to peel back the layers that hide our inner brilliance, and two books—one a roadmap from rough to flawless, the other a collection of spiritual poems that cut through noise with feeling. We talk about community, mentorship across generations, and a belief that personal transformation scales to cultural change. When one diamond shines, the crown brightens.

Ready to meet your own guiding light? Listen now, visit thediamondwithin.co.uk to book a free Diamond Clarity Session, and if this conversation resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a spark today.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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What if your best leadership tools were already inside you—waiting for the right spark? Expert Coach & Advisor to Founders & Leaders, Rachel Shelmerdine, joins us for a 'Founder Story' that blends rebel grit, design-world savvy, and the gentle audacity to be yourself. Once one of the first specialist coaches in the UK design sector, Rachel stepped back to homeschool her son in Italy and is now stepping forward again, bringing a richer lens on creativity, courage, and clarity.

We talk about how “Alchemy Inside” turns survival mode into agency. Rachel unpacks the Coaching philosophy that helped major firms like Landor and Gensler, then dives into the work behind the scenes: shaping identity through story, protecting flow for deep work, and leading with humour and heart. 

Her mental clearing—the Lido di Venezia—becomes a metaphor for stress slipping away so that better choices can appear. Along the way: Laurel and Hardy, the power of good design that marries beauty with function, and the surprising tale of reading castles and trees on beermats in a Belgian pub.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to perform someone else’s script, this conversation offers a reset. You’ll hear practical ways to reclaim your narrative, sleep on tough calls, and use language to make strategy sing. Rachel’s take on coaching isn’t a formula; it’s a catalyst—reflecting your strengths back to you until you can see them clearly enough to act. Leaders facing anxiety, phobias, or a crowded market will find grounded tactics for momentum without the burnout theatre.

Ready to rediscover your own gold and be known for the right reasons? Listen now, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review to help more creative leaders find their clearing. Subscribe for more founder stories, creative leadership insights, and warm, human conversations that move work—and lives—forward.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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Alex Prince is a Bristol based Osteopath and Inventor of the Z Chair by Sit Straight, an ergonomic chair to promote better posture and better spinal health.

I'm sitting on mine now! You can get YOURS at https://www.sitstraight.co.uk or simply Google the Z Chair!

Alex and I have engaged in a perfect bit of reciprocity: We've exchanged a Show for a Z Chair! 

Alex gets to tell you his Story and I'll be sitting very upright as he tells it!

Get you hands and your bottom on a Z Chair! 

And Alex will tell you why and how! Your chair might be coaching your spine into pain. We sit down with osteopath and Z Chair inventor Alex Prince to unpack why most seats flatten the spine’s natural S curve, switch off your core, and quietly load your discs through the workday. Alex shares the story of turning years in clinic—treating the same avoidable injuries—into a simple, affordable design that makes good posture the default: a sloped seat that drops the knees below the hips, cues a gentle pelvic tilt, and helps you sit tall without trying.

We trace Alex’s path from rugby pitches and a near-miss with medicine to osteopathy’s more holistic lens. Mentors who shaped his practice, the clarity he finds in long runs and open landscapes, and a family thread that frames resilience all feed into a clear mission: prevention over firefighting. You’ll learn why “active sitting” matters, how microbreaks every 20 minutes protect tissues and sharpen focus, and the counterintuitive truth that backrests can become crutches. Alex’s favourite reminder—give the body a crutch and it will lean on it—lands with practical steps you can use today.

Expect grounded, useful ergonomics: raise the hips above the knees, keep screens at eye level, plant your feet, and let posture breathe. We also explore how a sloped seat can improve presence on video calls by naturally bringing you forward, and why graded movement beats total rest when pain flares. Whether you’re dealing with back pain, managing a team, or just trying to stay sharp at your desk, this conversation offers simple changes with outsized impact. Sit better, move more, and let your environment work for you.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow for more founder stories and practical wellbeing insights, share with a friend who slouches, and leave a quick review—your feedback helps others find the show.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

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What if your team’s friction isn’t about difficult people—but mismatched “food”? We sit down with Nigel Risner, the self-styled Chief Zookeeper, to unpack a disarmingly simple idea: people are different, not difficult. From that starting point, Nigel shows how to stop serving steak to dolphins, how to read the room fast, and how to change your language so action follows naturally. He’s direct, funny, and unfiltered—and he cares about results more than applause.

Nigel walks us through the moment his model clicked, staring at labelled buckets in a zoo and realising communication is about feeding styles, not forcing messages. We talk about being responsible to the audience, not for the audience; why the best meetings prize presence over note-taking; and how small changes in pace and detail produce big jumps in buy-in. His 211 vs 212 framework nails peak performance: most days are very good, but a few tip into “boiling” when energy and clarity align. You can’t fake those days—but you can study and repeat what makes them possible.

There’s heart and grit here, too. Nigel shares the story of a brain aneurysm after a relentless travel schedule, how COVID forced a reset, and why “be where your feet are” became more than a line—it became a way to live. We riff on tennis and the inner game—play the point you’re in, serve well, and reduce interference—and translate that into everyday leadership and customer service. He also gives us four punchy values to carry forward: drink from the fountains of knowledge, swear to make today your best, steal time to help others, and, when you lie down, be grateful for dreams.

If you lead teams, speak to customers, or simply want more 212 days, this conversation is a toolkit: practical, human, and immediately usable. Listen, share with a colleague who needs clearer conversations, and subscribe for more stories that sharpen your leadership. Then tell us: which animal are you feeding first this week?

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening! 

Send us Fan Mail

The conversation opens with a tender contradiction: how do you keep the best of your childish self while learning to say goodbye to what no longer fits? Adam Buxton joins us to trace that thread from DIY TV to Decca, from late-night Channel 4 oddities to the calming crunch of Norfolk gravel under foot. We talk about his second memoir, I Love You Bye, the bomb-blast of losing parents, and the quieter grief of habits shed. He’s frank about the relief of leaving social media and the lingering “voice” it left behind, and he gives that voice a name you’ll remember: Clickbait Wally.

We get into why he fiercely protects audio-only conversations. Cameras change how people speak; microphones invite candour and curiosity. That belief shaped The Adam Buxton Podcast intros, the walks with Rosie, and a style of interview that feels like meeting someone at a party and gently falling in love with their mind. We map the influences—Mark Maron, Monty Python, Channel 4’s late-night culture buffet—and share why good documentaries (Turn Every Page, Thank You Very Much) can rewire the way you see power, craft, and comedy.

Then the craft reveals its joy. Adam lights up about jingles and the small alchemy of turning ads into songs, where silliness meets precision. Those sketches evolved into Buckle Up on Decca and a live show that lets him fire samples, sing about unabsorbent tea towels, and savour the old dream of being in a band. There’s practical wisdom too: patience is genius; a soft answer turneth away wrath; join a band even if it’s terrible; keep going. Legacy, for him, isn’t a monument. It’s a folder of favourite work, an honest archive his children can open when they need a reminder that curiosity and kindness still count.

If you enjoy smart, human conversations about creativity, loss, and the calm hidden in ordinary moments, press play and come walk with us. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a gentler listen, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'.  If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email  me about the Show: [email protected]
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!