Speaking Business Podcast

My guest this week is one of the leading Food, Drink and Hospitality brand and marketing minds in business. He has over 20 years Brand, Marketing, Digital and Social Media experience holding senior positions at lastminute.com, Barclaycard, YO! Sushi and Pret A Manger. He co-founded Brand and Marketing agency, WE ARE Spectacular in 2012 and now runs Premium Brand and Marketing Strategy consultancy Supersonic Inc. based in London and Brighton where he helps C-Suite level Marketers and Executives amplify their business across multiple sectors. In 2018, Mark began podcasting and his Mark McC Supersonic Food Marketing Podcast has reached number 20 in the iTunes business charts and is a regular top 100 podcast.  My guest this week is Mark McCulloch. Bio Mark McCulloch is a Senior Brand, Marketing, Digital and Social Media Executive with a career spanning 20 years working for and with brands such as Pret a Manger, lastminute.com, Barclaycard, Costa Coffee, Accor Hotels, The Independent, Viz, NME, Loaded Magazine, YO

My guest this week was Professor of Psychology at University College London for 26 years. He is now Principal Psychologist at Stamford Associates, an asset management company. He has lectured widely abroad and held scholarships and visiting professorships around the world. Currently he is Adjunct Professor of Management at the Norwegian School of Management. He is also prolific writer and has written over 1300 scientific papers and 92 books. Like Noel Coward, he believes that work is more fun than fun and considers himself to be a well-adjusted workaholic. He rides a bicycle to work (as he has always done) very early in the morning. He enjoys writing popular articles, travelling to exotic countries, consulting on real-life problems, going to the theatre and arguing at dinner parties.  I have been a guest at a few of those dinner parties and I've lost everytime. So today I have the chance to talk about one of my favourite subjects with one of the world's leading experts so let's give a warm Speaking Business w

This week my guest has earned global acclaim as one of the world's leading experts on the financial escapades of the underworld.  There is no one with more first-hand knowledge about how international banks and businesses cater to those who own the nearly 2 trillion dollars in criminal proceeds laundered annually.  For years, in the eyes of organised crime leaders he was a highly successful mob connected money launderer that helped them to manage their illicit fortunes.  His clients, some of the most famous and deadly drug cartel bosses, offered a $1/2 million price tag for his head when he was revealed to be a highly trained U.S. federal undercover agent.   He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Infiltrator, a memoir about his undercover life, much of which was spent acting as a conduit between ruthless drug barons and corrupt legitimate appearing senior executives that cleaned billions in blood stained money through otherwise respectable international banks and businesses. It is my honour to wel

This week I've gone back to the archives again and I've pulled out one of the early episodes again. This time it's Philip Hesketh he is our go to guy on anything related to persuasion, influence and selling. Why now? In January 2020, in fact on the 20th January 2020, Phil and I will be running a full day training, we are calling it the Ultimate Sales Day for Professional Speakers and it is exactly that.  It is for any speaker that wants to get booked more and paid more.  So, come along, listen to how Phil has created a great full-time professional speaking business and made several million.  Listen to me from a bureau's point of view as to how we get bookings for our speakers.  So, we hope to see you there, but in the meantime if you'd like a little sample of what Phil is all about, have a listen to his podcast. Bio Having built an acclaimed £48m business in 17 consecutive years of growth, Philip Hesketh now shares the psychology of influence and persuasion as a full-time professional speaker. Audiences world

My guest this week is a leader in the world of base jumping and wingsuit flying and since 1999 he has been part of the Red Bull team.   In addition to being an action sports athlete, he is a graduate of Applied Sports & High-Performance Psychology and a multi-linguist.  For years he has been providing his fellow professional athletes with a mental advantage and skillset required to reach their goals and unleash their full potential.   My guest is Cedric Dumont.  Bio Cedric Dumont is a leader in the world of base jumping and wingsuit flying and since 1999 has been part of the Red Bull team. Cedric Dumont was born in Brussels, Belgium and from a very young age participated in action and adventure sports. In addition to his standing as an action sports athlete, Cedric is a graduate of Applied Sports & High-Performance Psychology, and a multi-linguist who began by providing his fellow professional athletes with a mental advantage and skillset required to reach their goals and unleash their full potential.

We're doing something a bit different on this week's podcast. You know I like to shake things up, just to make sure you're paying attention.  So, in addition to finding out more about my guest and getting a bit of an insight into his speeches we dissect his speaking business.  We find out how he got started as a speaker, how he started charging, where his paid gigs come from plus lots more.  We go deep stopping just short of asking him for his bank balance.   So, let's roll the podcast ….  My guest this week is a young adventurer, author and fundraiser from Chester. At just 24 he's already delivered over 170 talks to businesses, schools and events around the UK and Europe, and he's also done a TEDx.  He's made two attempts to climb Mount Everest, both ended in disaster.  He shares his unique experiences of redefining failure, embracing change and staying resilient through adversity.  He has just released his second book Another Peak and has set up a social enterprise supporting mental health through outdoors

This week we are talking about language, but first let me give you a little bit of context. Most organisations don't connect with their customers and staff half as well as they could and as a result, they're losing customers and employees at a shocking rate.    My guest is the Language Strategist, he's helped companies like Vodafone, Allianz and Google to be more human and make that connection.  He's going to reveal how language is the key that'll unlock the door to a more authentic brand and happier customers.   My guest is Ben Afia. Bio Ben Afia is a consultant, writer and speaker, specialising in brand strategy and language. His claim to fame is helping Ronseal work out what to say on the tin. He's helped companies manage their brand and tone of voice longer than most, starting in 2001 at Boots, when managing language was only just becoming a thing. He created a new tone and went on to help people across the business to get better results from agencies and freelancers. In 2005, with a first baby on the way

This week I've delved into the archives and I've pulled out an episode from the very early days in case you missed it, in case you've only just started listening recently and if you've heard it before it's actually worth listening to again. My guest is one of today's foremost practitioners of performance enhancing psychology and is an expert in high performing teams. He's ranked amongst the most influential figures in British sport as well as a powerful figure in the business community where he has worked with business leaders and companies helping them to fulfil their full potential by delivering change and performance programmes.  In sport, he's worked with 5 Ryder Cup captains, Premier League footballers, Formula 1 racing drivers and the Ashes winning England Cricket team.  My guest is Jamil Qureshi. Bio Jamil Qureshi is one of today's foremost practitioners of performance enhancing psychology and is an expert in high performing teams. As the co-founder of change agencies, We Do Things Differently, Loudhou

My guest this week is a millennial trust futurist, innovation strategist and speaker. His book, The Trust Economy, champions a new lens on trust and innovation in the digital age.  Please welcome Philipp Kristian Bio Philipp Kristian Diekhoener demystifies change by looking at trust as the engine of human advancement. Without it innovation is impossible, and the future remains imagination. With great energy, hard-hitting insight and a healthy dose of pragmatism, he unveils why designing and managing for trust is the new imperative for success in the digital age. Kristian's keynotes explore the future of work, breakthrough technologies, smart cities, corporate innovation in the digital age, start-up ecosystems and the role of digital ethics and sustainability in shaping this progress. Distilling the complexity of our digital world into simple bold takeaways, he demonstrates that the future is a product of who, what and how we trust. This makes him go-to speaker on trust and digital innovation economy. Philipp

This week's guest founded Shazam Entertainment, the world's first mobile phone-based music recognition service which was acquired by Apple in 2018 for a reported $400 million.  In 2015 the Financial Times named him one of Europe's Top 50 technology entrepreneurs. Previously he was Head of Banking Innovation at Virgin Money, responsible for developing new digital services for students in the UK. He has also worked in media, entertainment, technology and in charity at Save the Children. Now he is an angel investor in "Tech for Good" start-ups and a regular speaker on innovation, entrepreneurship and emerging technology.   My guest is Dhiraj Mukherjee. Bio Dhiraj Mukherjee is co-founder of Shazam and an experienced digital business executive and entrepreneur, with a proven track record in both corporate and start-up environments. Recognised by the Financial Times as one of Europe's Top 50 technology entrepreneurs in 2015, Dhiraj Mukherjee was previously Head of Banking Innovation at Virgin Money, where he was re

Niall Breslin known as Bressie, is an Irish musician and former Westmeath Gaelic footballer and Leinster Rugby player. Breslin found success as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter with pop band The Blizzards, as a co-writer and producer with XIX Entertainment and as a solo artist. He was the winning coach on the first and third seasons of The Voice of Ireland. Bio One of Ireland's most prominent mental health advocates and sought-after public speakers, Niall Breslin's ability to communicate with inspiring candidness, expert knowledge and authenticity has helped to pioneer a sea change in the public perception and narrative on mental health and emotional well-being in Ireland. A dynamic, charismatic and compelling communicator, he has produced and written several documentaries about mental health and performance psychology, and has consulted with the Irish government and the EU parliament to further influence the discussion and development of future policy in the area of mental health including chairing

My guest this week is rare beast – a stand-up comedian who for 20 years performed at some of the most famous comedy clubs and a trained conductor who now enjoys a career conducting world-class orchestras from St Petersburg to Australia.  For corporate audiences he uses these incomparable skills to discuss that most vexed of questions, 'what does a conductor actually do?'.  And, having clarified us on that, he goes on to explain what the symphony orchestra can tell us about other complex organizations.  It's an analogy that is amazingly rich and, as he tells it, an awful lot of fun.  With his virtuoso musicians he also runs musical team building for groups from 6 to 600 people.  It's an experience so amazing, it has led some participants to going off to form their own choir…. Please welcome conductor and comedian Rainer Hersch. Bio Rainer started his working life in concert agencies, managing some of the greatest artists of the world.  At the same time he developed a hobby – performing stand-up comedy on the L

My guest this week, is Australia's most successful author, writing 18 Top 10 bestsellers including 11 number ones. His books are translated into 55 languages and have sold over 32 million copies. He researches and studies the psychology of selling, relationships and human communication. He teaches simple, field-tested skills and techniques that get results.  His research has been on the cover of magazines ranging from Marketing & Readers Digest to Playboy, Cosmopolitan and Oprah.  His monthly relationship column has had over 20 million readers.  His work with his wife Barbara has been the subject of 11 television series, 4 stage plays, a number one box office movie and TV series, which attracted a combined audience of over 100 million.  My guest is Mr. Body Language himself, Allan Pease. Bio  Allan Pease researches and studies the psychology of selling, relationships and human communication. He teaches simple, field-tested skills and techniques that get results. And he delivers his message in a humorous w

Shivvy Jervis is a four-time award winning Futurologist, headline speaker and broadcaster focusing on sustainable innovation. She reaches hundreds of thousands each month through her video editorial and global talks; and was recently voted one of Britain's Influencers of the year for 2019. A documentary she just released for discovery channel "piloting the digital future" uncovers the future of our cities and how we will live in the future.  Bio Voted one of Britain's 2019 Role Models of the Year and Europe's most trailblazing women in digital, Shivvy Jervis is a four-time award-winning Innovation Futurist and Discovery channel Broadcaster. TED Global commend Jervis as having "a remarkable ability to analyse the socio-economic impact of new technologies", the World Economic Forum cite her as "a thought leader beyond compare" and Britain's former Digital Minister finds Jervis to be "a true expert".  Jervis' global talks and broadcasts on how to navigate the digital economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

My guest this week is a Trendspotting Futurologist and author of books with titles like Minifesto, Everything we know is wrong and Attack of the unexpected. He is Swedish, an economist by training, a failed novelist and rock star, former cat litter salesman and advertising executive. He has been speaking about trends and the future around the world for 20 years. A recent client said 'He is the best Swedish export since ABBA and meatballs.' My guest is Magnus Lindkvist BIO Magnus Lindkvist is a trendspotting futurologist and author who weaves together important current trends to forecast what life, society and business might look like in the future. As a writer, Magnus Lindkvist is driven by a relentless curiosity about our mental space where the outside world collides with the human brain. His recent book Minifesto (2016) tells us why small ideas matter in the world of grand narratives. By sharing a vision of the future we can strive to surround ourselves with as many strange, conflicting ideas that we can in

Many people talk about success, but my guest this week has actually been there and done it. Nine years in the army physical training corps prepared him for an athletic career, which led to major Olympic and world class achievements. his greatest individual triumph was becoming the European champion while breaking David Hemery's 22-year-old British 400m hurdle record; a record that still stands to this day. However, he will probably always be remembered for being part of our iconic 4 x 400m relay team that beat the mighty Americans and clinched the gold at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo. As well as working in the media, he has over the last 25 years developed his passion for public speaking.  He is one of the biggest personalities you'll ever meet.  Ladies and gentlemen pls welcome the one and only Kriss Akabusi Bio Kriss Akabusi rose to fame on the athletics track, where his greatest individual triumph was winning the gold medal in the 1990 European Championships. This was the day he beat David Hemery'

My guest this week helps individuals transform the way they work with others. He specialises in communication, collaboration and conflict resolution, enabling people to work together more effectively.  He is the author of the bestselling book "You can choose your friends…" and is known as "The Family Man" - for his unique comparison methods. Put simply, he is a Collaboration and Practical Communications Specialist who helps turn relationships into results. My guest is Nick Saunders.  Bio Nick Saunders has a 25-year track record as a keynote speaker, trainer and bestselling author.  4 out of 10 of us report being involved in some kind of interpersonal conflict at work, with managers spending at least 20% of their time dealing with conflict issues (CIPD Survey Report). The CBI estimates that conflict in the workplace costs UK businesses £33 billion per year. Nick Saunders has helped over 150,000 individuals transform the way they work with others. He specialises in communication, collaboration and conflict reso

My guest this week is an expert in cyber security and the human side of security. She is a winner of the Top 100 Women In Tech Award.  Previously she has worked for a Police Cyber Crime Unit and has also spent time working in Counter Terrorism Intelligence. She speaks around the world and regularly appears on BBC radio shows discussing topical cyber security issues.  Today she is going to give us some insights into her world. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Lisa Forte. Bio Lisa Forte began her career working in anti-piracy intelligence off the coast of Somalia, before moving into counter-terrorism intelligence for a UK Government agency. Lisa researched the process of online radicalisation by terrorist groups and the risky social engineering process undertaken by terrorist recruiters. She then moved into one of the UK Police Cyber-Crime Units where she got to know the attackers' mind sets and methodologies well. The unit dealt with serious cyber-crime cases working closely with agencies such as the FBI. V

My guest this week was a young police officer when he became a member of the Armed Response Vehicles team and whilst attending some sieges, he saw negotiators in action. He was impressed by how they managed to resolve conflict by keeping cool and finding ways of connecting with people in crisis. His career thereafter focused on both specialisms of armed policing and negotiation.  In 2014, he became Head of Hostage Negotiation and Armed Policing, bringing together two specialisms which previously were separate entities. Hostage Negotiators have a 99.9% success rate in saving lives and ultimately connecting with people and being able to influence them. So, in December 2017, after 30 years police service it made sense for my guest to bring the skills of hostage negotiation into the world of business. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Kirk Kinnell. Bio A recently retired and highly experienced police negotiator, Kirk Kinnell has been deployed as the lead negotiator on a number of occasions where UK nationals ha

If you want to make your events and conferences more engaging and interactive, you'll be interested to hear from my guest today Roy Sheppard. A delegate once wrote on their feedback form "Roy Sheppard breaks more ice than the Russian fishing fleet!"  Roy has a background as a BBC news presenter and reporter – but for the past 25 years he has worked as a specialist conference facilitator and MC.   Listen out for Oscar the rescue dog making his podcast debut. Bio Roy Sheppard is a specialist conference and international congress MC, facilitator and workshop speaker/trainer, in particular, corporate and association medical and technology events. He facilitates high-stakes advisory boards and 'C' level strategy meetings. Roy is particularly event-tech savvy and highly-experienced at delivering online, hybrid and multi-hub meetings. As a speaker, he is the acknowledged European expert on building profitable business relationships through networking and presentation skills coaching. He has spoken at conferences all