Whatever flavour of Maverick you are, whether change maker, leader or entrepreneur, sooner or later you are going to have to sell people on your ideas and bring them on a journey with you.

And this is what marketeer Wes Kao is a master of.  She understands that selling isn’t a dirty word, but rather about deep empathy, walking a mile in another person’s shoes and really helping the other person to feel seen and heard.

She helps organisations launch products, leaders run change programmes and entrepreneurs to really understand their audience.

Wes has also learned from the best having worked closely with Seth Godin as the Executive Director of his AltMBA programme.

In this episode, we do talk about tools and techniques of persuasion, but we go rather deeper into how to really hone your empathy, building your confidence and how to bring your loved ones along on with your on your Maverick journey.

• The life advice that Seth Godin gave Wes

Wes' social links - LINKEDIN | TWITTER

We believe that Mavericks can change the world and that the world needs more Mavericks...and that is exactly what this week's podcast guests are doing.  Rich Bloom and Ross Taylor are first-degree Mavericks.  Having worked in the recruitment industry for years and running their own very successful recruitment company, they felt the need to shake things up and disrupt their industry.

Rich and Ross have literally just launched Hidden, their new recruitment venture, which aims to throw out bad practices that a driven by sales targets and contingencies fees.  More than that, they are using technology to further diversity and inclusion by eliminating unconscious bias from the recruitment process...all while providing a much higher level of service to their clients.

It would be easy to dismiss this if recruitment isn't your thing.  The real message here though is about what it really takes to build a startup when you are following your principles as well as trying to build prosperity.  Rich and Ross are very candid about the challenges they have faces, the difficulty of convincing clients of radically new ways of working and the impact on their families.

What's more though, they are off to a flying start with clients such as Wunderman, VaynerMedia and Dentsu Aegis getting onboard very quickly.

If you are running your own business, dream of doing so or want to be a disrupter, this is a must listen!

• Why there is a need to shake things up in a very traditional industry

Rich and Ross' startup - HIDDEN

Hidden social links - TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Feature article about HIDDEN in The Drum - Hidden targets unconscious bias in the creative industries with ‘in-house talent partner’ recruitment model

You know how sometimes you meet someone who is so effortlessly inspiring, it is unreal. That was my experience with Glenn Elliott, the founder of Reward Gateway and author of “Build It: The Rebel Playbook for World Class Employee Engagement”.

Glenn is a highly successful entrepreneur and former engineer whose approach to employee engagement is simple, down-to-earth and common sense.  To him, engagement is not some fluffy HR issue but the single most important business improvement tool.  As a result he is a hugely sought after speaker and travels the world championing employee engagement.

Glenn is grounded, warm and real..and that is what makes him so inspiring.  There is no inauthenticity or pretense.  And that is what makes him so effective.

The impact of office design on culture and engagement

"Employee engagement is about creating en environment when people can do their best work and want to do their best work"

The three factors for determining whether a person is going to be engaged at their job

Employee engagement isn't a fluffy issue on the side, it is the single most important business improvement tool

Every factor that will add to your bottom line is connected to people...

Numbers are just a mathematical model of the output of people...so how engaged your people are is critical

According to Gallup, about 70% of people are disengaged at work...and that isn't really changing

Most companies still treat their employees in the same way that we did during the Industrial Revolution (200 years ago!)

If you can't trust the people that work for you, don't employ them...employ people you can trust and build a great team

Most employee engagement is actually quite straight forward common sense and isn't expensive

A huge act of corporate rebellion...saying thank you to people at work ;)

The Bridge Model to Employee Engagement

The easiest places to start in building engagement are communication and recognition 

Glenn's social links - LINKEDIN | TWITTER

Let’s face it, one of the biggest barriers to living life on your terms is a lack of time and having too many things to do.  If we could just get ourselves a bit more organised or productive, things would be better, right?

Well, productivity expert Chris Bailey believes that it is not about managing time, it is about managing your attention.  Social media and split focus are ruining the quality of our lives AND what we can accomplish.  In his new book, Hyperfocus, Chris looks at what mindfulness really means and how it can supercharge our productivity and our life.

Chris is just a warm, compassionate man who is super-knowledgeable and full of practical tips.  I also love that he is a bit of a productivity geek as well.

We talk about the neuroscience of productivity, meditation as a time management tool and the difference between getting stuff done vs accomplishing meaningful outcomes.

Other highlights of our conversation include:

• Effective productivity is actually about managing your attention not managing your time

Chris' website - A Life of Productivity

Chris' new book - Hyperfocus

Chris' TEDx Talk - A More Human Approach To Productivity

Chris' social links - TWITTER

This week we have a very special podcast.  On Wednesday I did a facebook live with two of our old podcast guests – Claude Silver, who is the Chief Heart Officer of VaynerMedia and Bryan Falchuk, the author of Do A Day.

This was a chance for me to catch up with Claude and Bryan to find out what has happened since our interviews.  More specifically though, we talk about how to reinvent yourself and start living life on your terms.

This podcast is the audio of that facebook live and what follows are 45 minutes of personal insight, actionable wisdom and some of the best tips for living an authentic life.

We spoke about Claude and Bryan’s personal journeys, transformation vs reinvention, how to manage your energy, falling down and getting back up and a whole host of other things.

It was a joy to spend time with these amazing human beings who are masters in their fields and there is so much learning in this session. 

So, settle in, grab a coffee or tea and have a listen...

NOTE - because this is a recording of a Facebook Live, the audio quality is not super top-notch.  We have cleaned it up as much as possible and hopefully, it won't get in the way too much.

Claude's social links - LINKEDIN | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Bryan's social links - FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | INSTAGRAM

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone" - Neale Donald Walsch

Let's face it, the single biggest barrier between you and the life of freedom and adventure you yearn for is inertia i.e. your comfort zone.  Most of us would rather stay comfortable than taking risks and pushing ourselves to become the person we know are capable of becoming.  Sooner or later, if you want to change, you have to bust out of your comfort zone.

That is exactly what this week's podcast guest, Andy Molinsky, has spent a lifetime studying.  Andy is a Professor of International Business and Organisational Behaviour at Brandeis University and has written extensively on moving beyond your comfort zone.  For him this was born out of personal experience, having initially suffered from a crippling fear of public speaking.  Public speaking is now a huge part of what Andy does for a living and he shares some of the techniques he used.

If you feel like you are in danger of stagnating and aren't feeling as successful as you would like, listening in is an absolute must.

• How, regardless of our background or profession, the same things keep us in our comfort zone

Our guest this week is the speaker, writer and chef, Brooke Siem.  Brooke describes herself as “categorically homeless”, having created a life as a digital nomad entrepreneur.

Brooke was a highly acclaimed chef and food writer in New York.  However, she suffered huge depression and had been on anti-depressants since the age of 15, following the sudden death of her father.

So, she made a massive change by booking a one-way ticket to Malaysia and getting off the meds.  Two years and 17 countries later, Brooke's primary focus is on advocating for mental health and wellness without the use of prescription drugs.

What I love about Brooke is her direct approach to life, her joy and her passion. She has wisdom beyond her years and is radically compassionate.

Some of the highlights of our conversation include:

• What life is like as a digital nomad/multi-entrepreneur