Winning Minds With Wilkinson

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode of Winning Minds with Wilkinson, I sit down with my client and friend Ross Linnett, CEO of Recite Me.

Ross shares how his early years as a competitive sprinter, breaking records in the 100m and 200m, gave him the mindset and discipline that carried over into business. We talk about:

• The healthy side of competitiveness and how to keep it in check so it doesn’t spill over
 • Managing a negative mind and why mastering it is critical for performance
 • The power of pivoting and letting go when something isn’t working
 • Lessons from leading the student union at university and how it prepared Ross for business
 • Building and scaling Recite Me into an international company
 • Why honesty and trust were so crucial at the beginning of the company’s journey, especially when survival was on the line
 • Exploring the mindset and behaviours of a CEO
 • Why health and wellbeing are non-negotiables for entrepreneurs

This conversation goes deep into the realities of sport, business, and performance with no fluff, just the lessons Ross has lived and continues to apply at the highest level.

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

In this episode, I sit down with professional footballer and coach Coleby Shepherd, someone I’ve known since he was a teenager, when I used to train him at my gym. 

From never touching alcohol to investing almost half his wages in training at 16, Coleby’s discipline and mindset are rare. He opens up about his disappointment of being released from Sunderland Academy, to overcoming that and what it really takes to become a professional athlete, and the mental toughness required to compete day in and day out.

Coleby shares his insights on Leeds United star Sam Greenwood and what he learned from him during their time at the academy. 

We discuss confidence, failure, and the psychology of high performance, exploring how lessons from elite mentors, such as Manchester United’s former S&C coach Mick Clegg (The man Ronaldo credited for this increase in performance), have shaped his life.

We also explore how he’s channelled that same mindset into business, launching his own gym and football academy to pass on the lessons to the next generation.

If you want to know what true commitment looks like — and the mindset behind elite performance — this one’s unmissable.

Key talking points:

Getting released from Sunderland at 15 — and how rejection fuelled his drive.

Training with men at 16 — and the mindset shift it demanded.

Never drank, smoked, or partied — full commitment to the game.

Confidence vs competency — why skill trumps self-belief under pressure.

Behind the scenes of pro football — no off days, constant competition.

How to handle setbacks and stay match-ready, mentally and physically.

Lessons from elite mentor Mick Clegg — the man who trained Ronaldo.

Bringing the athlete mindset into business — and coaching the next generation.

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

Can’t Stay Motivated and being consistent? Here’s What’s Really Going On

How hidden patterns, burnout, and perfectionism are getting in your way.

In this solo episode, I’m breaking down the real reasons high performers struggle with consistency, and it’s not what most people think.

If you’re someone who’s driven, with high standards and big goals, but you still find yourself falling off track, feeling frustrated, guilty, or burned out… this is for you.

Most advice tells you to add more routines, systems, or motivation. I’m here to show you it’s more about what you need to remove.

These 10 blocks from perfectionism and mental fatigue to deeper subconscious patterns are the hidden roadblocks getting in your way.

If you want consistency that’s sustainable, purposeful, and doesn’t burn you out, start here.

I'll also take you through the process of discovering what's blocking you and what to do next. 

This episode offers solutions to help you get back on track without adding more to your already busy life. 

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

In this powerful and personal episode, I sit down with my wife, Helenlee — a high-performing woman, mother, wife, and business owner — who shares her story with honesty. 

We go into her story of survival: losing her Mam at 12, being homeless at 17, navigating estranged relationships, and how all of that eventually caught up with her, forcing her to stop, look inward, and begin to truly heal.

Through therapy, she reconnected with a long-buried creative side and stepped into her creativity, which had been suppressed, resulting in her launching her own business, Style Code. We talk about the transition from survival to self-expression, the motivation to keep showing up after 15 years in business, and the mental tools she leans on to stay aligned to her goals.

If you're going through a personal challenge, navigating a transition, or just feeling stuck this episode will speak to you.

🧠 In this episode, we dive into:

• Starting a business from one Facebook post and building it from the ground up
• How grief, trauma, and survival mode shut down her creativity
• The moment everything changed — therapy, healing, and looking within
• Reconnecting with her creative side and building a business from self-expression
• Navigating a relationship breakdown while running a gym
• How trauma patterns can quietly shape your business decisions
• Staying motivated, aligned, and self-aware after 15 years in business

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

For this episode, I took a question for a client and regular listener of the show.

His question was - How do we move forward when faced with chaos?

To add some context, he wants to know how to move forward when you are faced with overwhelm, stress and things or people in life that frustrate you, including your progress. 

This got to reflect on the coaching framework I use for coaching clients who come to me with similar challenges. 

In this episode I will share with you the 5 stages of this framework and why it gives you complete clarity and self awareness on how to flip any situation in your favour. 

There will always be things in life that frustrate, annoy, or even anger us. We are humans, but it's how we handle these and turn them in our favour that can make the difference. It's not about control, manipulation or deception. It's more about using this framework to move you forward and regain control of your emotions. 

I promise you, this episode is worth 30 minutes of your time. 

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

This may sound a little controversial coming from a coach who lives and operates in a world where it's about goal setting and achieving goals, where often the first question asked by a coach is - What do you want? What are your goals? What do you want to achieve?

In this podcast, I am going to explain why 92% of people don’t hit their goals and why at least 50% of people struggle even to set goals or define what they want. 

I’ll also share the top 5 biggest problems I have seen regarding goal setting and the negative effect this is having on people. Leaving people feel helpless, directionless or even questioning their discipline. All of this is BS, and I'll explain why. 

Also, if you struggle to set or achieve goals, I’ll help break this down and explain what you CAN do to start setting meaningful and achievable outcomes for yourself. 

I give you 5 x solutions to break through your goal-setting struggles and start getting clear on what you want, why and how to achieve them. 

PLUS, in this episode, I reveal the most powerful self-reflective questions you can ask yourself to end your year on a high and set yourself up for success in 2025. 

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

My intention for my interview-style sessions is to invite my clients as guests so they can share their stories. They will share their business journey, their highs and lows, and how coaching has supported them in pursuing their potential. 

I had a good laugh recording this podcast with my guest, Graham Marsh, Co-founder and Director of Digital Edge. I have known Graham since 2020, when he became a client through a mutual introduction. 

Graham's and my conversation is packed with honesty and vulnerability as he shares the highs and lows of his life and journey from working in youth work to running his own business. 

Graham's love for impacting people and doing it creatively is abundantly clear, and he shares some brilliant ideas and analogies on how to implement what he calls "Creative Leadership." I believe any leader of people will get a lot from what he shares. 

We also discussed how coaching helped Graham grow his self-worth and the dramatic impact that it has had on him and his business, specifically on his confidence to change his value and worth.

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

My intention for my interview-style sessions is to invite my clients as guests so they can share their stories. They will share their business journey, their highs and lows, and how coaching has supported them in the pursuit of their potential. 

In this unique interview-style episode, I spoke with my client, Nick Williams, Co-Founder and joint CEO of Growth Provision. 

Nick has been a client of mine since late 2019, and we have worked together religiously every month since then. 

Nick shares his story of being a stockbroker and the highs and lows of that world. He also discusses the breakdown of his marriage, being in a career that wasn't serving him, and how he used alcohol to cope. 

Nick talks openly about how he knew he had more inside of him and had a deep feeling he could live at a high level in life but didn`t know how to access that from the low point he was in. 

We discuss Nick's coaching journey, what got him to reach out for help, and the difference it has made to him as a man and now as a business owner with his own company. 

Nick has turned his life around in all areas, and this truly is an inspirational story, and I know anyone who gives this interview time can resonate with Nick and be inspired by his breakthroughs for their own life. 

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

This episode is a little different because I’m not going to discuss one subject area in depth…

I’m actually going to share the top 9 things I have learned this year about performance, mindset and personal development. These learnings have inspired me for my own learning growth and so I wanted to share them with you. 

The best thing is, these 9 behaviours can be adopted by anyone who wants to create consistent levels of high performance in their life. 

These come straight from the mouths of top athletes and the sports psychologists who worked with them. 

I cover: 

• How to create peak performance in business, life or sport
• How to create a bulletproof mindset that can handle pressure and adversity
• How to establish emotional stability in a stressful world 

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com

The topic of self-worth and not feeling good enough will speak to almost everyone. 

The challenge is when it affects us achieving the results and outcomes we want for our lives; for most people, this happens unconsciously.

In this episode, I reveal why humans struggle with this deep-seated issue and what we can do to overcome the prison limitations it places us in. 

- Where struggling with self-worth comes from as humans 
- How it affects our everyday lives, whether we are aware of it or not
- Why do strategies and trying harder work against us when it comes to achieving what we want
- Where lacking self-worth and not feeling good enough were created 
- Why humans people please and what does this have to do with self-worth
- How to start dealing with your lack of self-confidence and value
- Why most people are the source of their own rejection
- Why do our fears affect us and put us out of performance into survival mode
- And how integration is the secret to moving through our deep-seated insecurities 

To connect with me beyond my podcast, head over to my social media channels 

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwilkinsoncoaching/ 

Website: www.iamdavidwilkinson.com