James Blunt: Criticism, Confidence & What Success Took From Me

James Blunt: Criticism, Confidence & What Success Took From Me

We're revisiting this conversation with James Blunt because it's among the most disarming things we've recorded about belief, ridicule, and where confidence actually comes from. James made his first album on nothing but belief. He'd burnt his bridges with every record label in Britain and was playing to about twenty people on the twentieth floor of a Ramada hotel — and he was still completely certain the whole world was going to hear it. Understanding the real odds, he says, would have taken the wind out of his sails entirely. James tells Jake and Damian why you keep your powder dry until you're genuinely equipped, because you only get one shot with the people who matter. Why he never answers criticism on the day it lands — the sting always comes out overnight. Why the only opinions worth weighing come from the people who'll take the mickey out of you to your face. And the three things he carried out of commanding soldiers in Kosovo and into running the same band for twenty years: a good team, real respect for that team, and the conviction to make the call. Then there's what it cost him... the orchestrated press campaign that turned James into a national punchline and how he dealt with it. Being held back in a dressing room so that Damon Albarn didn't have to stand near him. The hug from Keith Flint he never forgot. And the night in Carrie Fisher's bathroom that produced Goodbye My Lover in a single, unrepeatable take. AG1 👉 head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance [http://drinkag1.com/highperformance] and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at gohenry.com/highperformance [https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/gohenry.com/highperformance] with £5 FREE to get started! Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au [https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The 5 Habits Behind Every High Performer We've Met

Jake and Damian tackle the question underneath almost every High Performance conversation: what do the best actually do differently, day to day? Not the big moments. The small, repeatable ones. Because across hundreds of conversations on this show, the pattern is rarely talent or luck. It's that high performers have built a handful of habits they hold onto when nobody is watching, and they keep doing them long after most of us would have forgotten about them. In this episode, Jake and Damian hear from: * Jamie Peacock on why a life of hard decisions becomes an easier life, and the moment on a training pitch in Australia when Damian was on the receiving end of one. * James Clear on why grit is really about fit, and the question to ask before you commit to any new habit. * Emily Maitlis on the five minutes of golden time she takes before every interview, including the one at Buckingham Palace. * Mel Robbins on why she still needs the five second rule to get out of bed, thirteen years after inventing it. * Dan Carter on earning your weekend, and why drifting through the week is the opposite of high performance. If there's a habit you keep meaning to start, pick one of these five and begin there. Thanks to our partners: Revolut Business 👉 High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud [https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud] and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.  AG1 👉 head to drinkag1.com/highperformance [https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/drinkag1.com/highperformance] and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at gohenry.com/highperformance [https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/gohenry.com/highperformance] with £5 FREE to get started! Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au [https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Playing Until 40 Comes at a COST: Ashley Young on the Brutal Reality of Football (432)

Premier League icon Ashley Young joins us for a masterclass in longevity, self-belief, and turning rejection into an unstoppable competitive edge. At 15, Watford told Ashley he was too small for a scholarship, a disappointment that became the operational system for his entire 20-year career. He explains why every manager's doubt or dropped selection became fuel to prove them wrong, from Antonio Conte's brutal pre-season at Inter Milan to winning Serie A at 35 and feeling fitter at 37 than at 27. He also breaks down what it means to know your value in high-stakes environments, his return to the England squad for a World Cup semi-final, walking away from Manchester United on his own terms, and playing over 750 games at the highest level. This is an essential conversation about resilience, self-worth, and proving that nobody gets to define your limits except you. Revolut Business 👉 High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud [https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud] and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply.  AG1 👉 head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance [http://drinkag1.com/highperformance] and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at gohenry.com/highperformance [gohenry.com/highperformance] with £5 FREE to get started! Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au [https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Eddie Howe: How His Newcastle Exit Echoes Leaving Bournemouth

Eddie Howe has stepped away from Newcastle United after nearly five years in charge — his own decision, following what he called "a period of personal reflection." He leaves having delivered the club's first major trophy in 70 years and two Champions League campaigns. So we're going back to the conversation we had with him in 2022, right as that chapter began. Eddie had just taken the Newcastle job — but before it, he'd left Bournemouth after relegation, and described the exit almost exactly as he'd describe this one: "I think it was time... I just knew." He told us it felt like grief. That the pressure he carried was never external — it was entirely his own. And he told us about the cost no one sees: missing his mum in her final months because he was too busy managing a football club. Heard now, it plays like he told us how this would end. AG1 👉 Head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance [http://drinkag1.com/highperformance] to save £20 on your first month, plus a free welcome kit, Vitamin D3 + K2 and five travel packs Revolut Business 👉 High-performing businesses need powerful financial tools. Get a £200 welcome bonus with Revolut Business when you sign up at https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud [https://revolutbusiness.onelink.me/jLOt/hp-ep9-aud] and add money to your account by 30/09/2026. Fees, promotion terms and T&Cs apply. Go Henry 👉 Grow their skills and their money at gohenry.com/highperformance [https://open.acast.com/networks/66fd67414ac14a6f5628ed5d/shows/61ba3b961a8cbe53713cf2c2/episodes/gohenry.com/highperformance] with £5 FREE to get started! Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au [https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hpp-au] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Remembering Nims Purja: The Lessons We'll Never Forget

Following the heartbreaking death of Nims Purja... Jake and Damian reflect on one of the most inspiring conversations in High Performance history. Before 14 Peaks made him a global icon, Nims joined High Performance to share the mindset that took him from a childhood of poverty in Nepal, to the Gurkhas, the British Special Forces, and ultimately to rewriting mountaineering history. In this special tribute episode, Jake and Damian revisit the lessons that left a lasting impact on them: * Why hope is the greatest source of strength. * How to reframe adversity into opportunity. * The importance of living for something bigger than yourself. * Why excuses never create extraordinary lives. * The mindset behind proving that "nothing is impossible." Nims' energy, humility and optimism changed the way we think about life and performance. This episode celebrates the remarkable legacy he leaves behind and the lessons that will continue to inspire millions Listen to our full episode with Nims: https://pod.fo/e/ac5aa ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.