Episodes

  • Feel the fear and retire anyway! How exactly did Mark Curtis retire before 50?

    Feel the fear and retire anyway! How exactly did Mark Curtis retire before 50?
    Apr 4 2024
    Four years, 131 episodes, 38 guests and three presenters later, it’s time to say goodbye to the Leadership & Life Chat ‘band’ as we know it. In this episode, original presenter, James Lay, makes a triumphant return and, alongside Becky, questions Mark on exactly how he’s been able to pre-plan and orchestrate his retirement at only 49, and the lessons he’s learnt on the way. Mark is, as always, open about his views on taking control of one's life, and recognising choices while always having a focus on a roadmap for the future, both in business and personal life. The team also dive deep and reflect on the importance of embracing personal purpose. They discuss the insights of previous guests around living to your values, stepping out of your comfort zone, overcoming fear, the power of support and encouragement, fears of public speaking, making sacrifices, challenging the perception of success, the importance of continuous learning, the power of asking questions and so much more. In this final EVER episode, Mark reflects on his past success and failures, shares the advice he would give to his younger self, and looks back on what he’s learned throughout his career, including the importance of being brave and speaking up, avoiding black and white thinking, and developing an internal locus of control. *Insert profound heavy metal lyric in honour of Mark here*…. Producer Lizzie can’t think of any, she’s a Taylor Swift fan… Show notes Impromptu Business Chat/Leadership & Life Chat episodes: • Interview with Paul McVeigh - the power of beliefs in business • How to be an AWESOME leader and achieve a great work-life balance, with coach and author Ben Coomber • Selling up is hard to do. What comes next? With business strategist, Dawn Bloomer • Highway to the conquer zone with profit hunter Freddie Bennett • Interview with Dr Chris Mason on Leadership Success • Find meaning in your work: Meaningful May • Power of public speaking with Andrew Brammer • Special interview episode with Damian Horner: The Dark Art of Marketing Marks Books/Podcasts Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! The Way of Wyrd Never Finished David Goggins The Fifth Sacred Thing – Starhawke Reality Blind: Integrating the Systems Science Underpinning Our Collective Futures The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens podcast
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Leading through anxiety – Let’s get philosophical with Garath Symonds

    Leading through anxiety – Let’s get philosophical with Garath Symonds
    Mar 28 2024

    In this episode, Garath Symonds, the founder of Reconnect Coaching, joins Mark and Becky to discuss his upcoming book, ‘The Anxious Leader’.

    They explore how anxiety impacts decision-making and leadership, the importance of rational thinking and ego reflection, as well as strategies for tolerating anxiety as opposed to rejecting it. They delve into the role of meditation and self-reflection for leaders, along with managing trauma's impact and the importance of vulnerability and psychological safety in top level roles, and ultimately, embracing life’s lessons.

    Tune in for fascinating insights into leadership and personal growth in the podcast’s penultimate episode!

    GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us!

    You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here

    Show notes
    Connect with Garath on LinkedIn
    Reconnectcoaching.co.uk
    Books
    The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World – Ronald A Heifetz
    The Bhagavad Gita – Eknath Easwaran
    What Matters Most – James Hollis

    Keep your eye on Garaths channels for the release of his upcoming book 'The Anxious Leader' - due to be published in 2024

    Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk

    © Larking Gowen LLP

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    59 mins
  • S8 Ep2 The war on talent rages on! The impact of the Great Resignation, with Steve Jacobs from WTW

    S8 Ep2 The war on talent rages on! The impact of the Great Resignation, with Steve Jacobs from WTW
    Mar 21 2024

    In a world of quiet quitting and the ‘Great Resignation’, what should employers be doing to keep their best people?

    This week Mark chats to Steve Jacobs, a director at WTW, to discuss the importance of employee benefits and how to navigate the ever-changing trends in the workplace.

    With the shift in employee expectations post COVID-19, and a focus on flexibility and work-life balance, they look at the differences between employer and employee perspectives on what constitutes a ‘benefit’ now and, in particular, what employees sometimes value above money. They discuss diversity and inclusion, global differences in legislation and the challenge of the multi-gen workforce.

    With a background in the Merchant Navy, and now working for WTW, a world leader in data driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital – Steve has seen it all, and his business has helped businesses to navigate stormy, unpredictable waters.

    GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us!

    You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here

    Show notes

    • Connect with Steve on LinkedIn
    • Find out about the work of WTW: wtwco.com & UK: wtw-healthandbenefits.co.uk
    • Leadership & Life Chat – Andy Nicol and Sue Liburd
    • Brené Brown podcasts
    • Ken Blanchard: ‘The One Minute Manager’
    • Ravin Jesuthasan: The future of work

    Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk
    © Larking Gowen LLP

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    52 mins
  • S8 Ep1 - It doesn’t have to be lonely at the top – with campaigner and award-winning leader, Nick Jonsson

    S8 Ep1 - It doesn’t have to be lonely at the top – with campaigner and award-winning leader, Nick Jonsson
    Mar 14 2024

    You might not think this topic applies to you – but it’s a conversation that might be important for someone you love.

    TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains mention of drug addiction, depression and suicide

    We open the LAST EVER series of the podcast with Mark and Becky chatting to Nick Jonsson in one of our most frank, honest and powerful episodes surrounding the often brutal reality of leadership and its toll.

    Nick opens up about his personal journey with executive loneliness and his own ‘rock bottom’, what led him to seek help, and his path to creating a safe space for senior executives and business owners to discuss their challenges.

    Nick is the co-founder and Managing Director of EGN, one of Asia's premier networking organisations, and his path takes him from his native Sweden to Australia and beyond!

    Nick is passionate about the need to change the perception of vulnerability and encourages leaders to embrace it as a strength.

    This conversation is a powerful dive into the realities of identity and purpose in the workplace, the impact of isolation on younger generations and the dangers of inflated ego in CEOs and business owners!

    GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us!

    You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here

    You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here

    Show notes
    Nick's website
    Nick’s book: Executive Loneliness
    SUICIDE SUPPORT – UK: SAMARITANS Call 116 123
    USA: Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741
    Vistage – peer network
    Leadership & Life Chat: Be more Labrador! Building trust at work with Darryl Stickel PhD
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    55 mins
  • S7 E5. If music be the food of success, rock on?

    S7 E5. If music be the food of success, rock on?
    Feb 15 2024

    Do you listen to music whilst you work? There are countless studies and arguments on whether music can really make us more productive. We often hear radios playing in forecourts, offices and shops, and since the launch of Spotify and shrinking of headphones, playing music at work has become much less frowned upon. But what is the scientific impact on our brains? Should we be encouraging or discouraging our teams to embrace Beethoven whilst working? (or in Marks case, Metallica…)

    GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk.  We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify;  this really helps people find us!

    You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here

    You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here

    Show notes

    Leadership & Life Chat - Practical guide to de-stressing with Havening Technique expert Tony Burgess

    Impromptu Business Chat - Up Your Energy - Increase your energy levels (part 1 of 2)

    Andrew Huberman – Huberman Lab podcast

    Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk

    © Larking Gowen LLP
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    38 mins
  • S7 E4. How not to be a bad boss, with coach and TEDx speaker Rob Kalwarowsky

    S7 E4. How not to be a bad boss, with coach and TEDx speaker Rob Kalwarowsky
    Feb 8 2024
    This conversation is far from a laugh riot, but is a fascinating insight into the reality of what it’s like for many teams members out there right now working under bad bosses. The stats will blow your mind! Fearless Organisation Practitioner Rob Kalwarowsky, famous for his speech ‘How to Avoid Becoming an As*hole Boss’; outlines the 6 different destructive leader types: •    The arrogant or violent boss  •    Abusive narcissist  •    Messy boss •    Cowardly boss (ghost managers) •    Passive aggressive boss •    Passive egocentric boss Do you recognize yourself as any of these? If so, it might be time to make a change. They seem extreme but Rob outlines the data and research behind how these categories came into the lexicon and how too much stress on teams will result in costs for businesses in the long term. There is a demand for the right people needed in businesses, but there’s a disconnect with the overall quality of leadership in businesses across the world – recent trends of quiet quitting and the great resignation are directly tied to specific managers.  Rob believes that his insights can literally help to change your business and the lives of those working with you, forever. GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk.  We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify;  this really helps people find us! You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here Show notes Contact Rob: elitehighperformance.com Watch the full speech How to Avoid Becoming an As*hole Boss here Find Rob on: Instagram Youtube Linked In TikTok Spotify Thanks to www.expertbookers.com - visit them and find out how they can help support your podcast! Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn Jamesclear.com No Bad Parts - Dr Richard Schwartz Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself – Michael Singer 7 Rules of Power: Surprising - But True - Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance your career – Jeffrey Pfeffer Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk © Larking Gowen LLP
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • S7 E3. Chaos, in theory?

    S7 E3. Chaos, in theory?
    Feb 1 2024

    In this episode we talk all things chaos theory. No, not the ‘interdisciplinary area of scientific study and branch of mathematics focused on underlying patterns and deterministic laws of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions’ (thanks Wikipedia). Rather, how our unpredictable behaviour can impact our work and those around us.

    Mark and Becky discuss how there’s a difference between chaotic and energetic, how the differences impact our productivity, and how the pros and cons of what can be perceived as chaos in the workplace impact our relationships. 

    GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk.  We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify;  this really helps people find us!

    You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here

    You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here

    Show notes

    Leadership & Life Chat - How to cultivate creativity at work

    Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk

    © Larking Gowen LLP
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    41 mins
  • S7 E2. What’s in your stress bucket? With solution-focused psychotherapist, Gin Lalli

    S7 E2. What’s in your stress bucket? With solution-focused psychotherapist, Gin Lalli
    Jan 25 2024

    Psychotherapist, Gin Lalli, supports people in finding practical solutions for mental fitness when feeling out of control, and how to avoid negative thinking with the aim of limiting your stress.

    Stress is a consequence of negative thinking, and the responses come from the part of your brain that is designed to keep you safe – they were vital for survival in caveman days, but we don’t need them daily in 2024. We can retrain our brains to understand that thoughts and internal chatter are NOT facts. It takes time and commitment, but it is possible.

    Gin outlines the scientific role sleep plays in our mental health; how to cope if we don’t get enough sleep; the importance of micro-interactions; what the cause and effect of modern-day stress is and how our cortisol levels really work for and against us.

    There’s a lot of polar bear talk, supermarket self-checkout rage, and ‘Producer Lizzie’ even manages to wedge in the psychological benefits of horror films!

    GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk.  We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify;  this really helps people find us!

    You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here

    You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here

    Show notes:

    Visit Gin's website at Ginlalli.com

    Gin’s book - Solution-Focused Therapy Handbook: How to Empty Your Stress Bucket & podcast - Stress Bucket Solutions

    The Chimp Paradox – Prof Steve Peters

    The work of Trevor Moawad

    Susan Jeffers – Feel the Fear and do it anyway

    Just One Thing – Michael Mosley podcast

    Sleep is your superpower – Matt Walker TED Talk

    Why We Sleep – Matthew Walker 

    Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk

    © Larking Gowen LLP
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    1 hr and 13 mins