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Pressure doesn’t just test us; it can transform us. My guest, Diana Esther Berschader, introduces us to her "Diamond Within" Spiritual Philosophy: A living source of inner guidance that many of us forget under layers of fear, fatigue, and old stories. Her path runs from a Soviet childhood where a ballerina’s dream was dismissed, through years of illness and an eventual cancer diagnosis, to a profound reconnection with the quiet voice that first said: Do not be scared.

We explore what it means to treat consciousness as practical—how you think, feel, and act today—not an abstract ideal. Diana draws a clean line between religion and a personal spiritual connection anchored in the heart. She frames midlife as a powerful crossing for women, a time to shift from pushing to flowing, from seeking external permission to trusting inner light. The conversation moves from philosophy to practice: a simple daily heart ritual, the subtle signals the body sends, and how small moments of presence can restore clarity, courage, and ease.

Diana shares the tools she built to make the path real: An online programme designed to peel back the layers that hide our inner brilliance, and two books—one a roadmap from rough to flawless, the other a collection of spiritual poems that cut through noise with feeling. We talk about community, mentorship across generations, and a belief that personal transformation scales to cultural change. When one diamond shines, the crown brightens.

Ready to meet your own guiding light? Listen now, visit thediamondwithin.co.uk to book a free Diamond Clarity Session, and if this conversation resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a spark 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
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
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What if your best leadership tools were already inside you—waiting for the right spark? Expert Coach & Advisor to Founders & Leaders, Rachel Shelmerdine, joins us for a 'Founder Story' that blends rebel grit, design-world savvy, and the gentle audacity to be yourself. Once one of the first specialist coaches in the UK design sector, Rachel stepped back to homeschool her son in Italy and is now stepping forward again, bringing a richer lens on creativity, courage, and clarity.

We talk about how “Alchemy Inside” turns survival mode into agency. Rachel unpacks the Coaching philosophy that helped major firms like Landor and Gensler, then dives into the work behind the scenes: shaping identity through story, protecting flow for deep work, and leading with humour and heart.

Her mental clearing—the Lido di Venezia—becomes a metaphor for stress slipping away so that better choices can appear. Along the way: Laurel and Hardy, the power of good design that marries beauty with function, and the surprising tale of reading castles and trees on beermats in a Belgian pub.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to perform someone else’s script, this conversation offers a reset. You’ll hear practical ways to reclaim your narrative, sleep on tough calls, and use language to make strategy sing. Rachel’s take on coaching isn’t a formula; it’s a catalyst—reflecting your strengths back to you until you can see them clearly enough to act. Leaders facing anxiety, phobias, or a crowded market will find grounded tactics for momentum without the burnout theatre.

Ready to rediscover your own gold and be known for the right reasons? Listen now, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review to help more creative leaders find their clearing. Subscribe for more founder stories, creative leadership insights, and warm, human conversations that move work—and lives—forward.

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
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

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Alex Prince is a Bristol based Osteopath and Inventor of the Z Chair by Sit Straight, an ergonomic chair to promote better posture and better spinal health.

I'm sitting on mine now! You can get YOURS at https://www.sitstraight.co.uk or simply Google the Z Chair!

Alex and I have engaged in a perfect bit of reciprocity: We've exchanged a Show for a Z Chair!

Alex gets to tell you his Story and I'll be sitting very upright as he tells it!

Get you hands and your bottom on a Z Chair!

And Alex will tell you why and how! Your chair might be coaching your spine into pain. We sit down with osteopath and Z Chair inventor Alex Prince to unpack why most seats flatten the spine’s natural S curve, switch off your core, and quietly load your discs through the workday. Alex shares the story of turning years in clinic—treating the same avoidable injuries—into a simple, affordable design that makes good posture the default: a sloped seat that drops the knees below the hips, cues a gentle pelvic tilt, and helps you sit tall without trying.

We trace Alex’s path from rugby pitches and a near-miss with medicine to osteopathy’s more holistic lens. Mentors who shaped his practice, the clarity he finds in long runs and open landscapes, and a family thread that frames resilience all feed into a clear mission: prevention over firefighting. You’ll learn why “active sitting” matters, how microbreaks every 20 minutes protect tissues and sharpen focus, and the counterintuitive truth that backrests can become crutches. Alex’s favourite reminder—give the body a crutch and it will lean on it—lands with practical steps you can use today.

Expect grounded, useful ergonomics: raise the hips above the knees, keep screens at eye level, plant your feet, and let posture breathe. We also explore how a sloped seat can improve presence on video calls by naturally bringing you forward, and why graded movement beats total rest when pain flares. Whether you’re dealing with back pain, managing a team, or just trying to stay sharp at your desk, this conversation offers simple changes with outsized impact. Sit better, move more, and let your environment work for you.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow for more founder stories and practical wellbeing insights, share with a friend who slouches, and leave a quick review—your feedback helps others find the show.

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
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

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What if your team’s friction isn’t about difficult people—but mismatched “food”? We sit down with Nigel Risner, the self-styled Chief Zookeeper, to unpack a disarmingly simple idea: people are different, not difficult. From that starting point, Nigel shows how to stop serving steak to dolphins, how to read the room fast, and how to change your language so action follows naturally. He’s direct, funny, and unfiltered—and he cares about results more than applause.

Nigel walks us through the moment his model clicked, staring at labelled buckets in a zoo and realising communication is about feeding styles, not forcing messages. We talk about being responsible to the audience, not for the audience; why the best meetings prize presence over note-taking; and how small changes in pace and detail produce big jumps in buy-in. His 211 vs 212 framework nails peak performance: most days are very good, but a few tip into “boiling” when energy and clarity align. You can’t fake those days—but you can study and repeat what makes them possible.

There’s heart and grit here, too. Nigel shares the story of a brain aneurysm after a relentless travel schedule, how COVID forced a reset, and why “be where your feet are” became more than a line—it became a way to live. We riff on tennis and the inner game—play the point you’re in, serve well, and reduce interference—and translate that into everyday leadership and customer service. He also gives us four punchy values to carry forward: drink from the fountains of knowledge, swear to make today your best, steal time to help others, and, when you lie down, be grateful for dreams.

If you lead teams, speak to customers, or simply want more 212 days, this conversation is a toolkit: practical, human, and immediately usable. Listen, share with a colleague who needs clearer conversations, and subscribe for more stories that sharpen your leadership. Then tell us: which animal are you feeding first this week?

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
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

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The conversation opens with a tender contradiction: how do you keep the best of your childish self while learning to say goodbye to what no longer fits? Adam Buxton joins us to trace that thread from DIY TV to Decca, from late-night Channel 4 oddities to the calming crunch of Norfolk gravel under foot. We talk about his second memoir, I Love You Bye, the bomb-blast of losing parents, and the quieter grief of habits shed. He’s frank about the relief of leaving social media and the lingering “voice” it left behind, and he gives that voice a name you’ll remember: Clickbait Wally.

We get into why he fiercely protects audio-only conversations. Cameras change how people speak; microphones invite candour and curiosity. That belief shaped The Adam Buxton Podcast intros, the walks with Rosie, and a style of interview that feels like meeting someone at a party and gently falling in love with their mind. We map the influences—Mark Maron, Monty Python, Channel 4’s late-night culture buffet—and share why good documentaries (Turn Every Page, Thank You Very Much) can rewire the way you see power, craft, and comedy.

Then the craft reveals its joy. Adam lights up about jingles and the small alchemy of turning ads into songs, where silliness meets precision. Those sketches evolved into Buckle Up on Decca and a live show that lets him fire samples, sing about unabsorbent tea towels, and savour the old dream of being in a band. There’s practical wisdom too: patience is genius; a soft answer turneth away wrath; join a band even if it’s terrible; keep going. Legacy, for him, isn’t a monument. It’s a folder of favourite work, an honest archive his children can open when they need a reminder that curiosity and kindness still count.

If you enjoy smart, human conversations about creativity, loss, and the calm hidden in ordinary moments, press play and come walk with us. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a gentler listen, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

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
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

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A single sentence on a wall changed everything. Ben, the founder of Kempton Installation Services, walked into our Inner Circle meeting ready to blame the weather for a quiet order book—and walked out with a different story. We dig into how he stopped thinking like a small business owner, doubled down on what actually worked, and built a six-to-eight-week pipeline without praying for rain.

We explore the surprising hero of his marketing: a trust-first “killer flyer” that beats flashy tactics. In a market plagued by scepticism, Ben’s piece leads with clarity—top customer questions answered, the real team on show, recent reviews, and a short founder story. After iterating, it scaled from 10,000 to 80,000 drops and outperformed every other channel. That decision to choose substance over sizzle didn’t just fill the diary; it filtered for serious buyers and sped up sales. Alongside that, we unpack the harder decision to hire—bringing in operations and sales to protect momentum—when fear might have said “cut.”

The human threads matter just as much. Ben’s childhood built a voice that can stand alone; his dad’s perspective supplies grit when things wobble; his partner’s decisiveness balances his instinct to ponder; his daughter reframes success as kindness and joy. Those experiences shape the leader behind the rota, the quote on the wall, and the way the phone is answered. Expect practical, repeatable lessons for any service business: identify channels that consistently deliver, tell the truth better than your competitors, and create capacity before you hit the ceiling. Success, as Ben puts it, sits on the other side of fear—and ownership is the bridge.

If this resonates, follow and share with a founder who needs the nudge. And if you got value from the show, leave a quick review—it helps more builders, makers, and doers find the mindset and methods to grow.

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
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

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A single choice can shape a lifetime. When Nigel Hughes told a careers panel he’d choose ballet over the Marines, he set a compass for courage, creativity, and connection that still points true decades later. We invite you into Nigel’s “clearing”—a 1642 Suffolk cottage turned open house—where hedges host micro-moths, neighbours drop by for sugar-free Black Forest gâteaux, and leadership looks like tending land until it teaches you how to lead.

The story travels far beyond the garden gate. In Papua New Guinea, Nigel and his partner used theatre—songs, stories, and dugout canoes—to help local communities see what was at stake as industrial logging closed in. Their work helped protect 2,000 square miles of primary rainforest and seeded a long-term push toward World Heritage status. He calls it global kinship, a respectful exchange that begins with listening rather than lecturing. Along the way, we meet mentors who challenged him to be “dangerous or dead,” and we hear how personal rituals—like watching evening primrose bloom at dusk—guided him through cancer and back into purpose.

Closer to home, Nigel’s philosophy shows in the details: a biodiverse, organic landscape that encouraged neighbouring farms to go chemical-free; a practice of meditation and deep listening; a belief that internal diversity—ballet in the morning, county rugby in the afternoon—creates stronger, more human leaders. He worries about phone addiction and the loss of face-to-face connection, yet remains relentlessly optimistic that attention, courage, and care can leave places and people better than we found them. If you’re ready to rethink leadership as leaving more life behind than you took, this conversation will meet you where your feet are and invite you to stand for something that lasts.

Subscribe, share with someone who loves nature and bold ideas, and leave a review to help others find the show. What’s one brave choice you’re ready to make 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
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

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What if the moments that break you could become the blueprint for how you lead? That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Gina Gardiner—leader, author, broadcaster, and unapologetic catalyst for change—who turned a devastating ski accident and years of chronic pain into a living masterclass on resilient, human leadership.

We trace the arc from breaking gender barriers as a young deputy head, to running a high-performing school largely from a wheelchair, to building a global platform that champions empowerment and psychological safety. Gina shares the operating system she designed under pressure: define excellence together, make praise habitual, and treat people as the treasure of your organisation. The approach is crisp, compassionate, and deeply practical—built from assembly halls and classrooms, refined in boardrooms, and now delivered across airwaves and social channels via Genuinely You.

This conversation goes beyond tactics. We dig into the cost of over-responsibility, the discipline of protecting health, and the courage to confront injustice—whether that’s unfair systems at work or the quiet disregard for the “little people” who keep everything moving. Gina also opens up about her partnership with Olympian Fatima Whitbread, working to improve outcomes for young people in and leaving care, proving that leadership at its best builds communities, not just KPIs.

If you’re hungry for a people-first, performance-strong model that you can use tomorrow—clear standards, kinder feedback, braver conversations—this one will land. Leadership is how you show up, moment by moment. Subscribe, share with a leader who matters to you, and leave a review to tell us the one habit you’ll change after listening.

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
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!