Podcasts
DIARY OF A CEO
Stephen Bartlett, of Dragon’s Den fame, interviewing a wide range of people. They’re lengthy, mostly 90 mins plus.
There are really 2 types of guest:
1. Elite performers from a variety of disciplines, including sport, the arts and business. They are almost invariably thoughtful and insightful. Bartlett is a great interviewer, who brings humility, candour and intelligence, and lets his guests do most of the talking. although his own contributions are interesting in their own right.
2. Alarmingly certain smooth-talkers who are selling their proprietary approach to business or romance or health. The titles frequently include ‘They’re lying to you’ and finish with exclamation marks e.g.
‘They’re Lying To You About How To Get Rich! Hard Work Doesn’t Build Wealth!’
‘How To Seduce Anyone, Build Confidence & Become Powerful’
They often sound to me like snake-oil salesmen/women, although there are a few that are worth a listen.
The series began with Bartlett seemingly genuinely wanting to better himself and understand why he’s been successful in business but struggled in his romantic relationships. So it’s a little disappointing that as the podcast has grown in popularity, it’s morphed and much of it now caters to the appetite for hacks that will bring success without having to put in much effort. And Bartlett demonstrates a taste for sensationalism in the way episodes are described.
There are also ‘Moments’ releases featuring the best few minutes from particular guests, so I’ve recommended some of these too.
My favourite episodes
FRANK LAMPARD
The legendary Chelsea and England midfielder. He’s particularly good on ambition for excellence and the importance of working with people who raise the bar rather than lowering it (around 40 mins in). There’s also a lovely moment when he describes worrying about how to blow the whistle to signal the end of his first training session as a manager. This is a man who played 109 times and scored 29 goals for England, as well winning numerous Player of the Year awards for the Premier league.
ANNA HEMMING
Moment 28 - How to overcome your limiting beliefs
Britain’s most successful ever female marathon kayaker, who overcame Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at the peak of her career and battled back to win a further 3 world titles. The link below is to a the section where she talks about overcoming limiting beliefs, although the rest of the long version is also worth a listen.
AFRICA BROOKE
Moment 162 - The one thing stopping you from reaching your full potential
The show notes describe Brooke as a writer and mentor but I’d not heard of her before. She has a lot of provocative and controversial things to say, in this brief section, about personal responsibility. And in the full interview she also talks candidly about her own difficult background, including her alcoholism, with much honesty and wisdom.