Alex Love is a stand-up comedian, freelance writer and serial blogger. He has been performing comedy regularly since 2010  and his first solo show, How To Win A Pub Quiz has sold out a number of times at both the Edinburgh Fringe and New Zealand Fringe festivals. He has also been blogging honestly about his journey, his successes, his failures and his bowels(!) since 2011. 

I wanted to learn how he is able to do what so many of us, myself included, shy away from with regards to public speaking, putting yourself out there to be judged and criticised, getting it wrong, failing in public, and interpersonal confrontation. Alex has written extensively about how he deals with these exact things, so I knew that he would be the perfect guest to help us really dive into how to face negative emotions and figure out how to lessen their power on us so that they don't hold us back from doing what we want to do.

Episode highlights: 

• What do you do after hitting rock bottom?
• Rewiring your brain for positivity
• What to do with the voice in your head that tells you you’re not good enough
• Why you should welcome nerves before putting yourself out there
• The best way to exercise failure demons
• How to deal with deliberate knobheads
• Blogging as therapy
• Philosophies for life
• Why make the effort to improve?
• What do chilli con carne and jokes have in common?
• How using your phone less can help with climate change
• And of course, Alex sets his personal environmental challenge in line with his values

I’d love to hear your thoughts about the episode. Do you feel more empowered to put yourself out there and go for the things you want regardless of whether you succeed or fail? Are there any failures that you think you could learn more from? 

Inspired by Alex’s honesty and desire for continuous improvement I invite you to let me know if there is anything that I can do to be a better podcast host and give you a more enjoyable listening experience. Come on over to my Facebook page or connect with me on Instagram.

And don’t forget to follow Alex’s blog and Twitter for more laughs and wisdom.

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Rather than do a standard "my year in review" type episode, I thought I'd mix it up completely and do it in the style of a board game. For the lols. Because honestly, my year has felt like one big hilarious game of snakes-and-ladders-cum-monopoly-cum-charades-cum-I-don't-know-what's-going-on-anymore-pass-me-the-gin-please. And I'm pretty sure if you've been living through the pandemic too then you will know exactly what I'm talking about and can appreciate me poking fun at it all.

Thank you for sharing this year with me and I hope we can have more fun and explorations in 2021 and beyond.

Alison xxx

P.s. Yes, I am really rolling a dice and flapping cards in front of the microphone. Am I taking it too far? Probably.

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Seeing as it’s the most wonderful time of the year, I have a special bonus festive episode for you! This one doesn’t follow my usual podcast interview or solo format, instead, it is more of a relaxed conversation with my friend Joshua Spodek. Some of you may remember Josh from episodes 1 and 2 of this podcast where we talked about adventure and how constraints don't have to constrain you - highly recommend you listen to episode one here and two here - but for those who don't know Josh he is a speaker, author, podcaster, professor, sustainability role model and all-round interesting dude.

Because it is the season for giving, we talk about STUFF. Buying gifts, receiving gifts and getting rid of things that you have once upon a time bought and enjoyed but now can’t wait to get it out of your house! We discuss the emotions underlying consumption, how Buddha could have been more enlightened and what you can give Josh if you are ever invited to a dinner party at his house.

If you are interested in how you can have a meaningful, joyful and sustainable Christmas, then you will love this episode. After you’ve listened, come on over to my Facebook page to say hello, I’d love to hear your thoughts and if you enjoyed the different conversational style format.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all. Wishing you a wonderful break and a fantastic time with loved ones.

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This is Part 2 of the conversation with Neil Mclatchie (you can listen to Part 1 here) where we find out how he got on with his challenge. Did he manage to use re-usable coffee cups for a month, and what did he learn in the process?

We also talk about another massive personal transformation that Neil is currently going through regarding his career and identity as a Psychologist. Indeed, it is time for the experimenter to experiment on himself!

Highlights in this episode:

• What should you say to people who tell you that one person can't make a difference to the environment?
• The 8/10 Starbucks coffee alternative
• The hidden maths of ecological alternatives plastic straws versus metal straws
• How to double your environmental impact
• The plastic documentaries that opened our eyes - The Story of Plastic and The War on Plastic
• Autopilot versus memento mori
• What it takes to truly embody a philosophy
• Breaking out of the mould of your identity
• How other people's perceptions can keep you stuck

I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode. Come on over to my new Facebook page to say hi! Let me know what resonated with you and if you will do anything differently. And I cannot wait to come back to you in a few months with the answer to the question; "if no one has done does that mean it's a dumb thing to do?!"

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I’ve been on a bit of a plastic learning journey recently and it’s been super interesting. I don’t know about you but despite using plastics every day, multiple times a day, they were simply not something that I gave much thought to. It was only after I watched The Story of Plastic documentary following a friend's recommendation which then prompted me to do some research, and voila! The mysteries of the plastics were revealed. I have collated my top 10 sexy facts about plastics, AKA facstics, that I didn’t know.

If you are a plastic newbie like me then you will learn:

• The surprising material that plastics are made out of
• How long they take to degrade
• How much plastic has been created, ever!
• What has happened to all this plastic and where is it now?
• The dark secret of recycling
• The even darker secret of laundry
• Hope for a way forward
• Surprising products that contain plastic
• What you can do as a consumer

I really hope you enjoy this episode. I’m so curious, how many of these facstics are new to you too? Let me know your thoughts and come on over and say hi via my Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TSLUntethered

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This is a solo episode inspired by a quote from The Mind Architect - Peter Crone.

"The future is just a construct that lives between your ears that you create with language."

Oooh, this one's a thinker right?! Join me as I ponder about the magic that we all have within us. Namely, how our thoughts about things that have not yet happened (and may never happen) can change our experience of what is actually happening. How can we think about the future in a way that enhances our experience of the present?

Come on over and say hi to me and let me know your thoughts about this episode on my FB page and tell me, what do you do with your magic powers?!

#mindtether

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Jess AKA Gingie Snap AKA YASSSSS Queen!!!! is a Flexibility, Pole, Burlesque and Aerial Instructor. She teaches group classes at Inversion Pole Fitness Lancaster as well as 1:1 private lessons and online classes. She is also the most body confident, body positive person I've ever had the pleasure to meet, although she hasn't always been that way. Jess has gone from hating her body to celebrating her body, and her message is a beautiful breath of fresh air and something that we desperately need in this airbrushed-perfectionist-you-must-look-a certain-way world that we live in today.

If you have any body issues/discontent/disdain/hatred/negative thoughts/negative feelings at all, or anything less than an absolutely fabulous relationship with your body, then this episode will speak directly to your soul and nourish you. We also talk about Pole Fitness and Burlesque so if you have ever been curious about what happens when a bunch of people prance around semi-naked in public, then listen in!

Episode highlights

• Who exactly likes to dance around in their underwear sized garments in public...for fun?
• What goes on in pole fitness and burlesque classes?
• What on earth is comedy burlesque?
• How mirrors don't just reflect back what you see, they can transform it.
• What is the right way to take a compliment?
• What should you do when you feel like a potato?
• A practice to cultivate body confidence that is for your eyes only.
• How to relate to your body in a way that is not just focused on appearance.
• A practical way to interrupt your negative body narrative.
• What is the one thing that will make you beautiful, no matter what you look like?
• And of course, Jess sets her personal environmental challenge in line with her values.

I loved this conversation and Jess's style of "aggressive" positivity! She talks about so many important concepts as well as giving super practical ideas that you can try today to transform what you think about your body. I also love the idea that we are all children of David Attenborough and can't wait to see the outcome of her challenge. And seriously, if anyone can tell me why my basil keeps dying I'd dearly love to know!

Make sure you follow Jess to saturate your social feed with more body positivity on:

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

The Inversion Pole Fitness Studio Website

And while you're at it, come on over to my new Facebook page to say hi! Let me know what you thought about the conversation, what resonated with you and if you will do anything differently.

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In this solo episode I bare all and let you in on my dirty, not-so environmental secrets. Even though this podcast has a focus on sustainability, I want to be really honest with my listeners about where I am at in my sustainability journey...Hint. I'm at the very beginning!

We all have to start somewhere though and I hope by sharing my starting point with you, that you can look at where you are in your journey. The goal is not to judge or change anything, simply to become aware and be honest with yourself because when you are aware you can make an informed decision about whether or not you want to move forward.

So please enjoy my 10 juicy confessions of an average Eco-Joe.

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In this episode I explain a little bit more about me so that you can get to know your host because I hope this is the start of our fabulous relationship together! I also explain why I'm doing this podcast, what I hope it brings and what untethered really means to me.

Some of the concepts that I talk about are:

• Joy - giving joy and trying to help others to find joy
• "Mind forged manacles" - exploring (and sometimes releasing) the tether they hold on us
• Getting the balance between acceptance and improvement - to make the most of the one chance we have
• Gratitude - doing something meaningful to give thanks and give back

I hope you enjoy this and that it gives you a bit more of a flavour of the kind of things that we will explore together over the upcoming episodes.

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Dr Neil Mclatchie is Psychology Lecturer, martial artist, executive coach and has been my incredible partner in life for the last 11 years. There were many things that I could have talked to Neil about, but the thing that I wanted to focus on for this conversation was the amazing physical transformation he's made losing almost 30 kilos of fat taking him from obese to healthy and now buff.

I wanted to find out how he did something that so many of us struggle to do. What did he change to change himself?

Highlights in this episode:

• The importance of rules to take control and go "mindless"
• Neil's favourite day of the week - aka the glorious "cheat day" (Tim Ferris Slow Carb Diet)
• The compelling goal of becoming a sexy 40 year old
• The joy of cereal - All Bran not included!
• Identifying barriers that hold you back from your goals and smashing them
• Paying a friend to get your butt off the couch
• Instagram as a tool to change your identity
• The calorie revelation (discovering Greg Doucette)
• Neil's new food philosophy - low calorie, high protein, high nutrient and delicious
• Thinking of dieting as a budget
• Committing to no compromise (*95% no compromise)
• And of course Neil sets his personal environmental challenge in line with his values

I loved this conversation. It was so interesting to hear Neil's journey and his constantly evolving view of food and himself. I'm curious to find out what could be next! It was also really refreshing to hear about his struggles of binging/dieting and food bargaining, e.g. "If I eat this, then I have to do this". I, like many other people, I'm sure can relate to his experience.

I really hope that this conversation has helped you if you are on your own weightloss journey. I think we can all do the everyday incredible.

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