Episode 24: 2021 Review Part One

In this episode, hosts Lisa and Islay, along with a past storyteller and co-host of some of the Business Diaries Live events, Chris Pollard, reflect on the stories shared by our storytellers from January through to July this year and some of the key themes covered in our discussions.

Join us as we look back on what resonated for the three of us. Whilst we all highlighted different aspects, we all agree that our storytellers were inspiring, sometimes sad, always motivating and heart-warming.

We are consistently reminded that triumph can come out of tragedy, opportunity knocks when you least expect it, and just how resilient and capable we all can be.

Episode 23: Paul Cheese

Did you know that the sound of Kent is D Major? In this month’s Business Diaries Podcast, Paul Cheese shares his fascination with sounds, particularly the everyday sounds around us. We find out why dropping a skip in a car park made as much of an impression as oystercatchers in Ipswich, fountains in Sheffield and kicking the bar in Aberystwyth.

Paul is a professional musician, sound artist, producer, singer, cyclist, songwriter. His latest project is TheBigRecordUK He cycled around 5000 miles to every region of the UK to capture the sounds of people & places, then used these to create a new song, The Sound Of The UK.

As well as creating the opening titles music for the Business Diaries Podcast, he has written and recorded music in locations all over the world. From the tops of mountains to deep underground, old places, new places and even underwater, from pillar boxes to ice caves, the Australian bush to the Grand Canyon…

Paul can be found https://www.paulcheese.com/

Episode 22: Corina Goetz

In this month’s episode, our storyteller Corina Goetz shares how her work changed overnight as a result of the pandemic, and how trying something new, revitalised her life, health and work. This is a fascinating episode, and we don’t want to give the surprise away – but would you do this?

Corina runs Star-CaT, providing 5-star Middle Eastern training, coaching and sales representation from professionals and companies working with the Middle East. She has worked with many clients, particularly from the Gulf region, for over 20 years, establishing many long-standing relationships. She travels the region extensively acts as the key point of contact in London for her clients.

Episode 21: Chris Pollard

In this episode, we revisit a story shared at the inaugural Business Diaries Live event in 2017 when the theme was “working away”. As a buyer and seller in the fashion and textiles industry, Chris Pollard travelled frequently, experiencing different cultures and customs. In this episode, he shares a few of his adventures, including a ‘special meal’ and a particularly terrifying aspect of a seemingly ordinary journey.

In the discussion, we consider the importance of empathy and listening when working and travelling abroad, and the value of “doing a bit of homework” and being open to new experiences.

Episode 20: Benita Matofska

Benita is a renowned speaker and world-leading expert on change-making, social innovation, the Sharing Economy and author of Generation Share. In this episode, she shares why she is so passionate about changing the way businesses and individuals think and act. This is a jam-packed episode guaranteed to change the way you think, live and do business.

Generation Share, is the world’s first collection of impactful business models and change-maker stories from around the world, transforming lives and the planet. Each copy is made from 100% waste materials, educates a girl in the slums in Mumbai and plants a tree.

Episode 19: Hazel Addley

Hazel Addley is one of the first 16 Energy Alignment Method Mentors in the world. She has coached hundreds of people to grow their businesses, live powerfully and love life.

However, Hazel’s early years were unstable, filled with uncertainty and change. In this episode, she tells the story of her childhood. She shares how living in different places with different family members affected her growing up and into her early adulthood. Until one sentence at a workshop changed everything!

This is a powerful episode touching on resilience, positivity, digging deep and perspective.

Episode 18: Phil Wilson

Phil Wilson is a professional musician and founder of Inspirational Rhythms at the Medway Drum Studio. He has travelled all over the world with a variety of artists both known and unknown, and more recently as a percussionist, rhythm event facilitator and professional public speaker. However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing! In this inspiring episode, Phil candidly shares how a traumatic event in early childhood caused him to stammer which continued well into adulthood. He describes how he coped at school, as a musician and building a business. Until a networking event more recently, prompted him to decide enough was enough. The stammer had to go. This episode is full of hope, courage and reminds us that ‘it’s never too late’.

Episode 17: Adelle Martin

In this episode, Adelle shares how a routine flight to Edinburgh was the final straw and the misdiagnosis of her early menopause as anxiety prompted her to take matters into her own hands and learn why her body was changing and how she could manage those changes.

In the discussion, we consider the changing attitudes towards menopause, how women are talking more openly about their experiences and men are becoming more interested in understanding more, questions to ask yourself and your GP and so much more in this packed episode.

Adelle Martin is a Midlife Transition Coach, on a mission to ensure all women in business understand why their bodies are changing so they can confidently manage their perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause transition alongside their business or corporate career.

Episode 16: Neil Williams

Neil Williams is an experienced business leader and accredited coach, specialising in career, retirement, business and leadership coaching. He is also an accredited coach supervisor (A coach’s coach). In this episode, he takes us though the rollercoaster of his early career in insurance. Be prepared for some highs and lows and join us in considering the importance of values, changing attitudes towards redundancy and the importance of building personal resilience.

Episode 15: Nick Inge

Nick Inge is a former member of Kent Police, specialising in serious crime and counter-terrorism policing which involved working alongside MI5, MI6 as well as the National Crime Agency. He was responsible for managing informants that were pivotal to high-profile operations tackling terrorism, domestic extremism, serious crime and corruption. Since retiring in 2019, Nick founded and is CEO of specialist whistleblowing consultancy, iTrust Assurance Ltd and is co-founder of WorldlyWise CIC which advises young people as they enter adulthood. Nick has written two books – ‘Exposing the Truth – Whistleblowing Uncovered’ and ‘Jeopardy’. In this episode, Nick shares a story behind his motto, “You never know” and why you should be open to opportunities and enjoy your business journey. In our discussion, we discuss the value of speaking up and telling the truth safely in all levels of business, how to to build a reputation in a new sector and attitudes to risk.

Episode 14: Hasmita Reardon

Hasmita came to the UK from war-torn Uganda in 1972, with her mother and younger brother, when she was just 11 years old, unable to speak English, with just one suitcase and £20. She is now a multi-award-winning entrepreneur who specialises in buy-to-let properties and mentors anyone who wants to learn the property business. She is a mum to 3 grown-up sons and 1 granddaughter, and in 2012, Hasy founded New Leaf support, a charity to help anyone experiencing domestic abuse. In this podcast, she takes us back to the time when she left Uganda; the trip to the airport, saying goodbye to her father, the walk across the tarmac to the plane in the blazing heat to landing in London where it was snowing and how this experience has shaped her character and business values. An incredibly powerful story … one not to be missed.

Episode 13: Rosemary Williams

Rosemary Williams is a qualified business coach and mentor. She offers one-to-one coaching, group workshops and hosts regular business discussion groups focused on solving issues for sole traders, owners and managers of businesses from all sectors. But Rosemary has another passion and interest – that is seafood – which comes from her family’s three generations as shellfish merchants in Kent. She is an author of several books for chefs and home cooks detailing how to prepare and cook shellfish and can regularly be found giving talks and masterclasses on this topic. In this podcast, she shares how her passion for shellfish all began…

Episode 12: Andrea Barker

Andrea is a confidence coach, a clinical Hypnotherapist and an NLP Practitioner. She empowers her clients, to feel more confident, to Like and Love themselves and reach their potential. She is a qualified trainer and regularly gives talks and workshops, as well as her one to one sessions one-to-one therapy sessions. In this episode, Andrea shares how a flying clipboard was the last straw.

Episode 11: Ann Read

Ann is a Virtual Personal Assistant and Founder of The PA Portal.  She supports her clients with so much more than admin, she’s a social media and digital marketing whizz.  In fact, she’s Digital Women’s Highly Commended VA of the year, a UK wide award for women working in the field of digital marketing.  She is also a Mailchimp Partner, an expert in email marketing and communications.

Episode Ten: Chris Murphy 

Chris trained as a physiotherapist, worked in the NHS, was a university lecturer and ran a training consultancy for 18 years. After 2 years spent gutting and renovating his home, becoming a beekeeper and an award-winning public speaker. Chris now mentors people who dislike speaking in front of an audience, helping them become clear, confident and engaging speakers. In this episode, Chris shares some of the key lessons he learned from running his own business and why he does things so differently now.

Episode Nine: Deborah Turner 

Deborah describes herself as a multipotentialite, running two very different businesses. As a property consultant, she focuses on strategic estate management advice for local authorities and business development/project management for private clients. With You Image Consultancy she specialises in personal branding helping clients ‘dress for success’. Also, Deborah is the Champion for Women in Business for the Federation of Small Businesses, FSB Area-lead for Kent, National Lead for BAME Women in Business and co-founder of Breakthrough Women, a not for profit organisation celebrating women in business and raising the visibility of women succeeding in business. In this episode, she shares a pivotal moment in her career which prompted her to turn over a new leaf.

Episode Eight: Margriet Steyn

Magriet (aka the Stepfamily Harmony Coach) is a professional Life Coach and Certified Step Parent Coach. As a step mum to two adult stepchildren, bio-mum to two teens, and co-parent with two ex-husbands, she understands the complexities and challenges surrounding stepfamily life.

In this episode, she shares how two curveballs changed her life forever and how she now uses the lessons she learned to help families all over the UK create stepfamily harmony through having an open mind, sense of humour, open dialogue and compassion.

Episode Seven: Steve Wells 

Steve is a global futurist, strategic advisor, writer and founding Director of Informing Choices Ltd. His work helps business leaders and policymakers make informed choices about the emerging future. In this episode, he shares his reaction to being made redundant and why he believes having a growth mindset is more important than having a plan and so much more…

Episode Six: Emma Rourke 

Emma is the founder of Hephzibah Horses. She is an IFEAL qualified (International Foundation of Equine Assisted Learning), facilitator of Human Development. Emma shares her story based upon the theme A Curve Ball and tells us how horses are masters of the art of non-verbal communication.

Episode Five: Paul Andrews 

Kent Entrepreneur, Paul Andrews, has been kind enough to share two stories with us in the past. We continue the discussions here and learn a little more about his life in business. Paul plays a very supportive role in the Kent Business Community and can be found at bizradio.co.uk where he is the host of the popular Business Bunker Radio Show.

Episode Four: Jo Dodds

based upon the theme of Embracing Change, Jo shares how she handled a dramatic change when she was younger. Jo is an employee engagement consultant & speaker and presenter of the POWER to live more podcast.

Episode Three: Beverley Webb

Beverley is an award-winning coach and speaker specialising in overcoming abuse and trauma. She also runs a positive peer to peer support group in Kent for survivors of sexual abuse.

Episode Two: Aly Harrold

Aly Harrold is a Professional Speaking Coach, she helps you to move past the fear of public speaking and coaches you to tell your story authentically. Aly talks to us about her early life in entertainment.

Episode One: Amanda Flanders

Our very first storytelling event was back in March 2017 and the theme was Working Away. Amanda Flanders was our first storyteller. She told us how she followed her dreams and went off to work in Greece. She managed to find a job but there were a few cultural differences.  We discuss this in the podcast and learn the ups and downs of working in another country.