Legacy Life Reflections: Reg Starkey shares the ‘5-4-3-2-1’ of his Life Story for Posterity. Ancient Copywriter, “Young when the Dead Sea was only Poorly!”

Legacy Life Reflections: Reg Starkey shares the ‘5-4-3-2-1’ of his Life Story for Posterity. Ancient Copywriter, “Young when the Dead Sea was only Poorly!”

A special "Legacy: Life Reflections" Episode with ex-Ad Man/Mad-Man and all round thoroughly decent human being, my very good friend Reg Starkey! A wonderfully rich conversation with reflections a-plenty on a colourful and creative life, both long-lived and wise! Born in Barking during the Blitz, a benign benefactor put him through private schools in Salisbury and Malvern.  Further education involved French in Paris, Law in London and Advertising in Watford, followed by career as a Copywriter and Creative Director.  He has written a slim volume of poetry entitled ‘The Weekend Artist’ followed by ‘The Old Covent Garden Market’, ‘Samples of One’ and ‘The New Millennium Tales’.  Reg is prolifically creative and energetic currently working on a number of creative projects as part of his legacy: On his memoirs, called ‘Second Thoughts’, a new collection of poetry called ‘A year In Villanelle by way of Limerick and Haiku’ and a guide to dealing with addiction entitled ‘The Battleship and the Lighthouse.’  And as Reg says: “We are all products of our background. The challenge is not to be victims of our history.” Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. * Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com [https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com/] * You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk * Twitter thatchrisgrimes [https://twitter.com/thatchrisgrimes] * LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] * FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860] To record your Life Story or GIFT an episode to someone that you love, with Chris as your host, then do get in touch about how ‘Legacy Life Reflections’ can help: LEGACY LIFE REFLECTIONS WEBSITE: https://www.legacylifereflections.com [https://www.legacylifereflections.com/] E MAIL: chris@legacylifereflections.com WHATS APP: +44 7711 644 094 LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167 [https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167]

Andy "One Shot" Gotts! Hollywood's Very Favorite Photographer, on Realizing his Dream of a 36-Year 'Wish List' of Who to Photograph, John Hurt's Last Recording, Monty Python and on Never Chasing Fame!

When Andy Gotts was 18, a stranger in Norfolk asked him why he didn't look happy. That single question and the Photography Teacher it quietly led him to, set in motion a 36 year path from a college darkroom in King's Lynn to Hollywood's most idiosyncratic black-and-white portraits. In this Stories of Distinction & Genius episode, Chris Grimes welcomes Andy "One Shot" Gotts into The Clearing to trace the whole arc: From the 300 letters with not a single reply, the 1 yes from Joss Ackland at his son's wedding in Clovelly, and the line "what do you do and who shagged who?!" that finally gave the wish list its theme.  Andy talks about the 150 Actors he set out to photograph in 1995, the long, patient pursuit of Gary Oldman that ended this year through Big Mo and a young actress sliding into his DMs, and how Paul Newman himself christened him "One Shot Gotts" after a 4 minute shoot in Connecticut. The conversation moves through the people who shaped him: His milkman father leaving for work at 3:00 every morning, his devoted mother, Dr Tony Leach who taught him Photography on Saturdays in Holt, Stephen Fry whose 90 second portrait at a college Q&A genuinely started his career, and Sir John Hurt, born on the very same day as Andy's dad. Andy shares the afternoon in East Runton when John told him over a pint of red wine that he had cancer and months to live, and asked Andy back the following weekend to direct him. What followed - John in his late father's priest's robes, speaking 'Imagine' as a parable in a single take - became John Hurt's last ever recording. There are also the secret Monty Python reunion shoots at Duke's at 3:00 in the morning; LS Lowry, Hitchcock and Sidney Poitier's story about Tony Curtis and The Defiant Ones; Bob Ross's happy little clouds taking over lockdown; three years spent funding a degree as a Norfolk Nightclub Bouncer; an unwavering refusal to retouch a single line on a face; and the epitaph Ringo Starr gave him, "the Ansel Adams of faces." A warm, story-rich hour and a half about tenacity, taste, and what it really means to "stay on the bus!" 🌐 andygotts.com 🌐 thegoodlisteningtoshow.com CONTACT ANDY GOTTS WEBSITE: https://www.andygotts.com [https://www.andygotts.com/] X: https://x.com/DrGotts [https://x.com/DrGotts] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/drgotts [https://www.facebook.com/drgotts] INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/drgotts/ [https://www.instagram.com/drgotts/] Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. * Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com [https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com/] * You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk * Twitter thatchrisgrimes [https://twitter.com/thatchrisgrimes] * LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] * FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860] To record your Life Story or GIFT an episode to someone that you love, with Chris as your host, then do get in touch about how ‘Legacy Life Reflections’ can help: LEGACY LIFE REFLECTIONS WEBSITE: https://www.legacylifereflections.com [https://www.legacylifereflections.com/] E MAIL: chris@legacylifereflections.com [chris@legacylifereflections.com] WHATS APP: +44 7711 644 094 LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167 [https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167]

Good Books: Maria Franzoni, Speakers' Advocate & Coach and Author of 'The Bookability Formula', on How The Top 1% of Speakers Get Booked

Only a tiny proportion of Professional Speakers are able to land the best stages again-and-again-and-again - and it is not always the celebrities. I’m joined by Maria Franzoni, Speakers' Advocate, Speaker Coach and former Speaker Bureau Owner, to dig into what actually drives paid Speaking engagements, repeat bookings, and higher Keynote Speaker fees. If you’ve ever wondered why brilliant talks still struggle to sell, Maria brings the Agent’s-eye view that cuts through noise and gives you practical clarity.  We start with the story behind the strategist: growing up British Italian, learning to navigate culture and language, and inheriting a serious work ethic from parents who built stability through sheer persistence. That personal foundation matters, because the stage is never only about slides and scripts. We also talk openly about gender assumptions, what it means to choose a childfree life, and how those experiences shape confidence, boundaries, and message.  Then we get into the heart of it: Maria’s "Bookability Formula" and what the top 1% of bookable Speakers do. We break down the four pillars the market rewards most: being relevant to a paying market, being known for one clear thing, being memorable to audiences and bookers, and being easy to find and easy to work with. We also explore the multiplier of value (ROI, outcomes, change) and the role of ego, which can help you step on stage but can also undermine trust if it grows too big.  If you want a sharper speaker positioning, a more commercial topic, and a clearer route to getting booked more often, this conversation gives you a grounded framework to act on. Subscribe, share this with a speaker friend, and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. CONTACT MARIA FANZONI: WEBSITE: https://www.mariafranzoni.me [https://www.mariafranzoni.me/] X: https://x.com/MariaFranzoni [https://x.com/MariaFranzoni] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpeakingBusiness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpeakingBusiness] LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariafranzoni/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariafranzoni/] YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/MariaFranzoni [https://www.youtube.com/c/MariaFranzoni] Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. * Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com [https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com/] * You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk * Twitter thatchrisgrimes [https://twitter.com/thatchrisgrimes] * LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] * FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860] To record your Life Story or GIFT an episode to someone that you love, with Chris as your host, then do get in touch about how ‘Legacy Life Reflections’ can help: LEGACY LIFE REFLECTIONS WEBSITE: https://www.legacylifereflections.com [https://www.legacylifereflections.com/] E MAIL: chris@legacylifereflections.com WHATS APP: +44 7711 644 094 LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167 [https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167]

Founder Story: Think Clearly, Live More Deliberately & Create Without Chasing Applause with Jon Kaye, Author of ‘Unmastered’ & DO Radio Presenter. How years of Chasing Money and a 'Burn Out Reset' led to a more Creative & Fulfilling Life

He helped raise £225 million, worked punishing weeks, and then walked away from it all. Jon Kaye joins me in The Clearing to unpack the moment he stopped chasing the obvious definition of success and started rebuilding a life around creativity, community, and better questions. We talk through Jon’s founder story in private equity: the risk of resigning with a pregnant wife, a new house, and no salary, and the life-changing power of one credible person saying “yes”. From there, the conversation turns to burnout, the decision not to launch “fund two”, and the radical reset of taking three young children out of school to travel the world for a year. If you’re thinking about career change, work life balance, or designing a second act, John’s honesty lands hard. From his basement music studio packed with modular synthesizers and miles of cables, Jon explains why friction matters and why making things harder can lead to more original work, especially in a world flooded with AI content. We dig into his Unmastered newsletter ethos of thinking clearly, living deliberately, and creating without chasing, plus the community-first mission behind DO Radio, a live station you can’t pause or download by design. If this conversation sparks something in you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review. What would you stop chasing first if you could redesign your life this week? CONTACT JON KAYE: NEWSLETTER WEBSITE: https://unmastered.life [https://unmastered.life/] LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayejonathan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayejonathan/] Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. * Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com [https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com/] * You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk * Twitter thatchrisgrimes [https://twitter.com/thatchrisgrimes] * LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] * FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860] To record your Life Story or GIFT an episode to someone that you love, with Chris as your host, then do get in touch about how ‘Legacy Life Reflections’ can help: LEGACY LIFE REFLECTIONS WEBSITE: https://www.legacylifereflections.com [https://www.legacylifereflections.com/] E MAIL: chris@legacylifereflections.com WHATS APP: +44 7711 644 094 LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167 [https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167]

Leadership Reflections: Tiny Habits, Bold Leadership. Inside the DO Lectures with Mike Coulter, on how a Copywriter learned to Design Better Behavior and help Others to a Happier Life with 'Tiny Habits'

You can hear a whole philosophy of change hidden inside one simple move: Put the bike where you can see it. That is the kind of practical, human behavior design we get into with Mike Coulter, a lifelong Creative who’s worked across advertising, helped shape projects at the DO Lectures, and now teaches tools for building 'Tiny Habits' that actually stick. We start with the stories that made Mike: Growing up in Yorkshire, learning his dad’s rule for a good job, cutting his teeth at a local newspaper, then spotting the world of advertising and chasing it hard. Along the way we talk about the craft behind great creative work, why the best ideas often arrive away from the desk, and how places like Cornwall’s Camel Trail and the Atlantic can become thinking environments that support focus, calm, and better decisions. Then we go deep on BJ Fogg, Stanford, the Tiny Habits Method, and what changed for Mike when he stopped trying to “motivate himself” and started making behaviors easier to do. We explore behavior matching, prompts, ability, and the ethics of influence, plus why so many products win by serving people who already want the outcome. If you care about habit formation, productivity, mental health, marketing psychology, or simply building a healthier routine without burnout, you’ll leave with clear takeaways you can test immediately. Find more of Mike’s work at https://www.habitualise.com, and if you enjoy the conversation, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the tiniest habit you’re willing to start today? Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. * Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com [https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com/] * You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk * Twitter thatchrisgrimes [https://twitter.com/thatchrisgrimes] * LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] * FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860] CONTACT MIKE COULTER: WEBSITE: https://www.habitualise.com [https://www.juliafelton.com/] LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcoulter/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcoulter/] Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. CONTACT CHRIS ABOUT THE SHOW: * Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com [https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com/] * You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk * Twitter thatchrisgrimes [https://twitter.com/thatchrisgrimes] * LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] * FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860] Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :) To record your Life Story or GIFT an episode to someone that you love, with Chris as your host, then do get in touch about how ‘Legacy Life Reflections’ can help: LEGACY LIFE REFLECTIONS WEBSITE: https://www.legacylifereflections.com E MAIL: chris@legacylifereflections.com WHATS APP: +44 7711 644 094 LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167 [https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167]