Speaking Business Podcast

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

Each week I invite one of my speakers to talk about their life, work, passions and leisure so that you can get to know the person who is the speaker behind the mic. My guest this week is a pioneer in the fields of change and performance shift and the author of the bestseller “Taming Tigers”. He always tests his ideas on bold fast change on himself first. He adapted from an overweight non-rider to televised jockey in 12 months and from non-free diver to the first Briton past 101m in 8 months - both whilst doing the day job. He embraces the lessons of neuroscience in delivering adaptation and change - ideas he first experimented with in his deep diving.  He confesses that when he was at school all he ever wanted was a job, he was terrible at sport and is a huge fan of Luke Bisson. Bio Jim Lawless is one of the world’s leading motivational speakers and a pioneer in the fields of change and performance shift. He has inspired and empowered over half a million people on five continents. Jim’s message is that change

This week’s guest isn’t a speaker but instead she is one of our favourite MC’s.  She says that her role is to help event organisers to transform events into memorable experiences.  Witty, energetic and funny she’s had the honour of introducing political figure heads, CEO’s and household names on to the stage.  Welcome the event organisers’ secret weapon, Lovelda Vincenzi. Bio International event MC and Moderator, Lovelda Vincenzi has been speaking and performing on stages since the age of 13.  With a background in event creation herself, Lovelda now specialises in MC’ing and moderating business conferences & summits for organisers who have want to create memorable events.  She is a professional, dynamic & versatile MC who is an asset to any event management team. Throughout her career Lovelda has introduced senior executives from companies such as Time Inc., Telefonica, Vodafone, Twitter & Google to the stage as well as household names such as Rachael Elnaugh (former Dragon on Dragon’s Den) and Mo

My guest this week is the author of 8 books, a coach, consultant and of course a speaker.  His focus on authentic leadership and high performance is under-pinned by his inspirational 'purpose' approach which has been utilised by world-class companies.  In our discussion he shares how to find your purpose and how once you have, how to lead with purpose.  Please welcome Ben Renshaw.  Bio Ben Renshaw is a global leadership expert specialising in purpose-led cultures. Ben’s focus on authentic leadership and high-performance is linked by his inspirational ‘purpose’ approach utilised by world-class companies. He is an engaging and inspiring keynote speaker, who transports his audience’s thinking beyond what they first thought was possible. Ben has written 8 popular books inspiring people to be the best version of themselves including “Purpose: Why leading with purpose drives your success”, “Lead: Be inspired, inspire others” and “SuperCoaching: The missing ingredient for high performance”.  In Purpose, Ben provides

  My guest this week is Moonshot Futurist, Chief eXploration Officer and co-founder of the business consultancy TomorrowToday Global. He is also cancer slayer and a lover of all things cycling.   He’s a TEDx speaker, author and internationally renowned for his insights on business impact, innovation and future trends. He is a guest lecturer at bothOxford and Henley business schools where he talks about disruptive forces and the power of innovation as a force for good.   He works with clients to deliver 10 times the impact and is on a quest to create a better working world. My guest is Dean van Leeuwen.     Bio Dean van Leeuwen believes in challenging people to use the power of business to innovate and do remarkable things. He believes that the most amazing innovations of the 21st century are yet to be invented. But a remarkable century will not just happen, we have to create it. So, Dean is on a quest to challenge audiences to unlearn and relearn, mobilising them to forge innovative solutions for the new Age

My guest this week first stepped on to the stage over 40 years ago as a founder member and drummer with the band Scritti Politti. Following a power cut at a gig in Berlin he found that keeping the beat going, even in the dark, meant the show could most definitely go on. 20 years later he set up Instant Teamwork, a global team building company, giving out 200 drums to his corporate audiences so they could not only hear that beat but they too could CREATE it.   Breaking down barriers, working in harmony, and getting corporate teams ‘into the groove’ leads to agile mindsets in the companies he now works with. He is most definitely an interactive speaker.  Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mister Tom Morley.   Bio Tom Morley was the original drummer and a founder member of Scritti Politti, the 70s / 80s band who were pioneers of DIY music before appearing on the dance scene. Unlike other bands Scritti used to make half their songs up on stage. How is this significant to you? Simply because Tom creates INSTANT

I am thrilled to be joined by trend caster, economist and a New York Times best-selling author Dr. Shawn DuBravac.  Shawn spent over a decade as the Chief Economist for the Consumer Technology Association and is now President of Avrio Institute. His research focuses on how technologies are rewriting the nature of work, how the next era of ‘datafication’ will influence consumers, and how companies should prepare for the forces that will define their organisations in the coming decades.    Bio Dr. Shawn DuBravac is author of the New York Times Best Seller Digital Destiny: How the New Age of Data Will Transform the Way We Work, Live, and Communicate, which explores how the world’s mass adoption of digital technologies portends the beginning of a new era for humanity in the realms of business, healthcare, finance, transportation and culture. Shawn DuBravac is a well-regarded futurist and trendcaster who writes frequently on disruptive technological shifts. He advises companies and C-level executives on market opp

Each week I invite one of my speakers to talk about their life, work, passions and leisure so that you can get to know the person who is the speaker behind the mic. My guest this week started his career managing high profile rock stars – and yes of course I get him to name names.  He is now an internationally recognised leader in business creativity and innovation. For over 20 years, he has been advising CEO’s, entrepreneurs, educators, governments, leaders, writers and rock stars on how to build innovative organizations, unlock creative potential, and increase productivity. His forthcoming book is called “Augmented Creativity: Becoming SuperCreative in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”. My guest is James Taylor. Bio James Taylor M.B.A. F.R.S.A. – who started his career managing high profile rock stars – is now an in-demand keynote speaker and internationally recognised leader in business creativity and innovation. For over 20 years, he has been advising CEO’s, entrepreneurs, educators, governments and lead

My guest is serial entrepreneur and author Simone Vincenzi.  Simone has helped launch more than 500 profitable businesses all before the age of 30.  He is the go-to expert in selling from stage and in this episode, we talk about the differences and indeed the many similarities of speaking to sell and being paid to speak. Two Italians chatting about speaking, this is an episode not to be missed. Simone also shares his “Selling from stage check list” and “15 ways to get speaking gigs” which you can pick up in the show notes.  NB: This was originally recorded as a video and it was an interview in my Speaking Business group on Facebook so there are some references about how we both look. If you want to check out Simone’s amazing hair you can follow the link in the show notes. Bio One hundred million new businesses start every year, and 90% of them fail within three years. How do we create sustainable companies? This is the question Simone Vincenzi answers every day. Simone is a multi-award-winning serial entrepre

In this episode I struggle to contain my laughter, you might hear me squeaking in the background, and I also have to warn you that my guest drops a couple of naughty words.  But it’s all done in the best possible taste. My guest this week is a leading authority on sales, leadership, customers and change and has been voted Business Communicator of the Year by the Speechwriters’ Guild. He is a regular contributor and presenter on TV and Radio and was the star of BBC television’s hit business show ‘All over the Shop’.  He is regularly seen as a business correspondent and presenter for BBC television’s Inside Out programme.  He is the author of many highly successful business books and he has taken a break from guruing around the world he is business guru, Geoff Burch. Bio Geoff Burch is an international business expert, best-selling author, master storyteller and TV presenter. Geoff is the leading authority on sales, customers, leadership and change. His credentials are impressive, working extensively with the w

My guest this week worked both Obama campaigns, starting in January 2007 as Director of Special Events, a position that would take him through 30 states with Barack Obama. Along the way he helped revolutionise how data is gathered and used, how old tools like TV and radio are harmonised for maximum effect with social media, and went on to serve in both Inaugurations, both Administrations, and the President’s re-election. He says “The Obama campaigns are like 10 years of a corporation distilled into 18 months. In those few months the campaign is born, learns how to walk then gallop, then blossoms into a billion-dollar corporation that must reach out to 130 million people all in less than 2 years. It is marketing, social media, communications and branding all happening at once and all happening at light speed.” He is the Principal at New Day Strategy, bringing these skills to clients in the business world. Please welcome Roger Fisk. Bio Roger Fisk is the political campaign, marketing and media strategist widely

My guest this week is an industry acclaimed A.I. Scientist, Tech Pioneer and Venture Partner at Deep Science Ventures, a venture-focused science institute where audacious entrepreneurial scientists explore solutions to the world’s challenges. She is an advisor to both the UK Parliament and the EU Technology Commission in matters of digitalisation and Big Data. Fortune and TIME have described her as one of Europe’s top talents in social engagement through technology, and FastCompany labelled her a “firestarter”.  Please welcome Inma Martinez. Bio Inma Martinez is an engaged figure in the entrepreneurial, innovation and digitalisation sectors. An industry recognised Artificial Intelligence and digital visionary that pioneered 1:1 personalisation in the early days of the mobile Internet, Inma has been credited to be part of the original development teams behind Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), mobile music and video streaming, wearable technologies, “widgets” – the precursors to mobile apps, and the “connected ca