Building Trust and Authority Through Podcasting with Freddie Pullen

The Tiny Experiments Approach to Goals, Energy, and Burnout with Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a neuroscientist, founder of Ness Labs, and the bestselling author of Tiny Experiments. Her work sits at the intersection of science, curiosity, and high performance, helping ambitious individuals build smarter, more sustainable ways to grow without burning out. Despite achieving early career success, Anne-Laure found herself feeling disconnected and unfulfilled. That disconnect led her back to university to study neuroscience, where she began to understand why so many driven people follow paths that look impressive but feel empty. What started as a personal exploration turned into a global body of work that now helps leaders rethink how they approach growth, goals, and decision-making. In this conversation, Chris and Anne-Laure unpack the concept of tiny experiments. Instead of chasing rigid, long-term goals, they explore a more adaptive approach rooted in curiosity and iteration — one that allows you to make progress without the pressure of having everything figured out. They also get into how this mindset rewires your relationship with failure, why the scientists in the room aren't wired differently from the rest of us (they're just trained), and how a simple weekly tool called Plus/Minus/Next can help you stop overcommitting and start building a business you still love five years from now. If you are building for the long-haul and want a more grounded, flexible way to move forward, this episode will give you a fresh perspective and practical tools to apply right away. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: * Why big, rigid goals create the illusion of control and what to replace them with * How scientists are trained to approach uncertainty with curiosity and how you can be too * The Plus/Minus/Next weekly reflection method for cutting through overcommitment and building a business you still love * The 24-hour anthropologist exercise to design your very first tiny experiment EPISODE TIMESTAMPS: * 04:24 - What Drove Anne-Laure to Write Tiny Experiments * 07:56 - Why Your Newsletter Isn't a Book (Yet) * 10:29 - Replacing Rigid Goals with Experiments * 13:15 - How Experiments Rewire Your Relationship with Failure * 15:03 - Using Tiny Experiments to Manage Your Energy * 20:09 - The Plus/Minus/Next Method for Weekly Reflection * 26:05 - Running One Experiment Alongside Your Current Career * 28:41 - How Anne-Laure Tracks Her Experiments (+ A Failed One) * 34:17 - The 24-Hour Anthropologist Exercise IMPORTANT LINKS AND RESOURCES: * Get Your Copy of The Long-Haul Leader [https://www.longhaulleader.com/book] * Connect with Chris on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chrisducker] * Check Out Ness Labs [https://nesslabs.com/] * Anne-Laure's Book, Tiny Experiments [https://amzn.eu/d/00a0KTbf] * Connect with Anne-Laure on LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/willpolston]

The Difference Between Achievement and Fulfillment with Will Polston

Will Polston spent his early twenties earning serious money, wearing bespoke suits, and hitting every goal he'd set and still felt like something was missing. That question, "why does success feel empty when you finally get there?", became the foundation of his work as a performance coach, speaker, and author of North Star Thinking. His framework helps entrepreneurs and leaders stop chasing outcomes and start building a life with genuine direction, one rooted in who they're becoming, not just what they're accumulating. In this episode, Chris and Will explore why so many high performers quietly drift away from what they actually want. They unpack how external influences shape our decisions without us realising, why traditional goal setting can feel risky or hollow, and how to shift from chasing outcomes to living a mission-driven life. They also get into the difference between operating from desperation versus inspiration, why goals work better as milestones than finish lines, and how a vision board Will made in 2012 turned out to predict the next decade of his life. If you've ever hit a goal and still felt something was missing, this conversation will challenge how you think about ambition, direction, and what you're actually building towards. IN THIS EPISOD, YOU'LL LEARN: 1. Why the people you've accepted as authorities may be quietly writing your life story 2. The difference between living from desperation and living from inspiration and how your language gives it away 3. How to reframe goals as milestones instead of final destinations 4. Why a forgotten vision board resurfaced 11 years later and had come true 5. Why principles outlast tactics when you're building for the long-haul EPISODE TIMESTAMPS: 1. 02:45 - Why other people's authority quietly writes your life story 2. 05:16 - What North Star thinking actually means 3. 06:44 - Why people avoid setting goals (and what it costs them) 4. 09:26 - Reframing goals as milestones, not finish lines 5. 10:27 - Desperation vs inspiration: how to tell which one is driving you 6. 14:24 - The vision board Will made in 2012 that came true 11 years later 7. 20:32 - Why high achievers still feel empty and what's actually missing 8. 32:10 - Why principles outlast tactics when you're building for the long-haul IMPORTANT LINKS AND RESOURCES: 1. Get Your Copy of The Long-Haul Leader [https://www.longhaulleader.com/book] 2. Connect with Chris on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chrisducker] 3. Check Out Will's Website [https://www.willpolston.com/] 4. Connect with Will on LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/willpolston]

How Long-Haul Leaders Think Differently About Money with Catherine Morgan

Catherine Morgan is a financial coach, speaker, and host of the It's Not About The Money podcast. She spent 15 years in financial services, including as the youngest female financial advisor in the UK before leaving to help individuals and business owners untangle the emotional side of their relationship with money. Despite her background, Catherine’s own journey with money was far from straightforward. From sitting £30,000 in debt, to experiencing a series of life-changing moments, she discovered that money is rarely just about numbers. It's about identity, self-worth, and the stories we carry from our past. In this episode, Chris and Catherine explore the deeper side of money. They unpack how our early experiences shape the way we earn, spend, and hold onto money, and why so many leaders still feel shame or confusion around finances despite outward success. This is a powerful conversation about money, but not in the way you might expect. It is about understanding yourself first, so that money becomes a tool for alignment, not stress. If you want to build a healthier, more intentional relationship with money, this episode will give you a completely different lens to look through. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: * The three money zones and why the holding zone is the most emotionally loaded * Why understanding financial jargon doesn't fix your relationship with money and what actually does * How watching money used as control in childhood rewires your adult spending patterns * Richard Branson's four circles model, and why leaders who close the world circle first end up undercharging and burning out * The parallel between medical jargon and financial jargon and the shame both quietly create * Why AI is an identity crisis waiting to happen for anyone whose self-worth is tied to their work EPISODE TIMESTAMPS: * 04:34 - Money as a Mirror * 05:57 - From Financial Advisor to £30k in Debt * 07:27 - The Wardrobe Wake-Up Call * 11:45 - The Three Money Zones and Childhood * 13:28 - When Her Son Almost Didn't Make It * 16:41 - The Shame Hidden in Jargon * 22:29 - Necker Island and the Four Circles * 30:39 - Rewriting Your Money Scripts * 33:13 - AI and Identity IMPORTANT LINKS AND RESOURCES: * Get Your Copy of The Long-Haul Leader [https://www.longhaulleader.com/book] * Connect with Chris on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chrisducker] * Check Out Catherine's Podcast [https://catherinemorgan.com/podcast/] * Connect with Catherine on LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/catherine-morgan]

Building Trust and Authority Through Podcasting with Freddie Pullen

Freddie Pullen is the founder of Recognize, a podcast guesting and personal brand agency helping entrepreneurs build authority and attract high-quality opportunities through long-form content. He also hosts The Healthy Entrepreneur, where he has now interviewed over 130 high-performing founders, executives, and leaders. His journey into podcasting didn't start with a strategy. It started with a car crash. In 2022, Freddie and his fiancée Antonia were hit by a distracted driver. They walked away but everything they thought they were building suddenly looked different. Within three months, they had quit their jobs, sold their house, and moved 4,000 miles to Dubai with no connections, no audience, and no clients. When traditional networking failed him completely, Freddie did the lazy-smart thing: he bought $30 lapel mics from Amazon, grabbed some willing guests from Facebook groups, and started recording around his kitchen table on an iPhone. That podcast launched to number one in nine countries on its first day and became the foundation of the business he runs today. In this conversation, Chris and Freddie get into the real mechanics of podcast guesting as a growth strategy, the concept of "borrowing trust" from established audiences, and what it actually looks like to build a sustainable media business without chasing vanity metrics. They also go deep on daily routines, the underrated role of sleep, and why Freddie, a 30-year-old in Dubai, is making a very deliberate move back to Europe in search of something the city can't give him. If you want to grow your influence, build stronger relationships, and play the long game, this episode delivers a clear and practical approach. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: * Why podcast guesting opens doors that traditional networking simply can't * The "borrow trust" concept and how long-form content does the selling before you ever pitch * How to monetise a podcast without a massive audience (and why sponsorship stats will surprise you) * The daily structure Freddie uses to protect deep work, creative output, and physical health * Why sleep became his number one non-negotiable and what finally changed it * The "Casio mentality" and what long-haul leadership actually looks like at 30 EPISODE TIMESTAMPS: * 05:11 — The Crash That Changed Everything * 08:48 — Starting a Podcast at the Kitchen Table (With $30 Mics) * 11:30 — The Difference Between an Interview and a Real Dialogue * 12:10 — Why Long-Form Content Builds Credibility Faster Than Anything Else * 20:22 — How to Monetise a Podcast Before You Hit Big Numbers * 20:53 — Freddie's Daily Routine, From Walking Pad to Deep Work to Gym * 23:51 — Why Sleep Became the Non-Negotiable * 28:33 — Leaving Dubai: Quality of Life, Family Proximity, and What the City Can't Offer * 31:28 — 130 Millionaires, One Billionaire, and What Freddie Actually Learned About Confidence * 35:19 — The Casio Watch, the Long Haul, and What Success Looks Like Without a Rolex RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: * Get Your Copy of The Long-Haul Leader [https://www.longhaulleader.com/book] * Connect with Chris on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chrisducker] * Check Out Recognized [https://joinrecognized.com/] * Connect with Freddie on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddie-pullen/] SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: Be sure to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-long-haul-leader/id1824633810] (or your favorite podcast player) — it helps more long-haul leaders like you discover the show and join the journey. Thanks for listening to The Long-Haul Leader podcast. See you next week with more insights to help you lead with purpose, resilience, and impact.

The Money Habit: Why Earning More Isn't the Answer with Mike Michalowicz

Mike Michalowicz is a serial entrepreneur and bestselling author known for books like Profit First, Clockwork, and The Pumpkin Plan. Now on his 11th book, he has built a reputation for turning complex concepts into practical, behaviour-changing systems that actually get results. In his latest book, The Money Habit: A Worry-Free Way to Financial Independence, Mike turns his attention to personal finance. Drawing from nearly 20 years of personal experimentation and real-world testing, he introduces a simple system designed to help individuals take back control of their money and reduce financial stress for good. In this episode, Chris and Mike get into why so many people, regardless of income level, still feel anxious about money. They unpack the crucial difference between financial freedom and financial independence and why chasing "more" is often the wrong goal entirely. Mike breaks down Optimal Foraging Theory and how it explains the "paycheck panic cycle" that keeps people stuck living month to month, no matter how much they earn. He also walks through the core framework of the Money Habit system, from carving up income across multiple accounts to tackling debt in the right order, dollar cost averaging, and why investing in yourself remains the highest-returning asset of all. This isn't about getting rich quick. It's about building a system that works, so your money stops controlling you and starts working for you. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN: * Why financial stress has little to do with how much you earn * The difference between financial freedom and financial independence and why it matters * How Optimal Foraging Theory explains our modern money behaviour * The core framework behind the Money Habit system (Needs, Wants, Dreams, and more) * How to reframe debt as a season, not a permanent identity EPISODE TIMESTAMPS: * 02:03 - Meet Mike Michalowicz * 06:34 - The Money Habit * 08:28 - Imposter Syndrome Shift * 11:43 - Financial Freedom vs Financial Independence * 15:56 - Optimal Foraging Theory & The Woolly Mammoth * 19:10 - The Method–Outcome Framework * 20:01 - The Paycheck Panic Cycle * 27:39 - Investing in Yourself: The Highest-Return Asset * 30:44 - Chris' Wake-Up Call and Why More Money Isn't the Answer * 35:35 - Seasonality, Recovery, and Reframing Your Circumstances RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: * Get Your Copy of The Long-Haul Leader [https://www.longhaulleader.com/book] * Connect with Chris on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chrisducker] * The Money Habit [https://mikemichalowicz.com/the-money-habit/] * Connect with Mike on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mikemichalowicz/] SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: Be sure to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-long-haul-leader/id1824633810] (or your favorite podcast player) — it helps more long-haul leaders like you discover the show and join the journey. Thanks for listening to The Long-Haul Leader podcast. See you next week with more insights to help you lead with purpose, resilience, and impact.