#9 Bonkers About Bikes in Andalucia

Greeting optimists and welcome back to the home of optimism. How are you? I hope all is well. 

Right now I’m feeling great, as you all know I’ve taken a side step into the heady world of finance and become a qualified mortgage advisor. I have to say I’m thoroughly enjoying this new adventure and helping people with the purchase of their new homes. I think my time in travel has served me well in that really it’s all about looking after people and helping them achieve their goals! Same service, different industry and I’m loving it!

My guest in this episode is my good friend and travel legend Gary Wardrope.

Gary brings his story to life on the podcast and we run through what has been an incredible journey so far in his life and an adventure that show no sign of slowing down one bit. 

His story begins in Canada, takes in a tour of Europe, a chance opportunity to use his Ski knowledge here in the UK and carve out what has been a very successful career. 

But behind this story is a guy who trusted his intuition and took action. I mean how many of would open up the phone book and get to speak to one of the titans of the travel industry. Gary is an entrepreneur who saw opportunities and then put in place strategies to achieve the goals. 

The conversation takes us back and forth around the travel industry, the people, the hope and the positiveness of an industry that keeps getting hit but bounces back every time.

So this is me and Gary Wardrope, a kindred spirit, a man who followed his passion, rolled with the punches and set in train, from a chance meeting in Leeds, a career that has spanned 40 years and now he has reignited his passion for skiing competitively at the age of 62! It proves that age doesn’t really matter - you’ve just got to go for it! 

You can connect with Gary on Facebook to follow his adventures on the slopes!
Thanks for listening.
Hugs
Steve

Greeting optimists - I’m back, fresh from a bout of covid! It took 2 years to get to me but It seems I couldn’t evade it any longer. And so it’s time now for me to unleash another episode of the podcast into your eardrums and an exploration into the perfection of a work life imbalance!

My guest in this episode is President of Sweet Financial Partners Brittany Anderson. Brittany is an acclaimed author of three books, a sought after speaker and host of the Dream Architect Life podcast. Brittany’s insights have been featured in the Huffington Post, Inc and Forbes Magazine and is the creator of Ultimate Advisor coaching platforms. Her experience in building and engaging teams has led her to work with a plethora of CEO’s and business owners all over the States. But more importantly she is mother to three wonderful children.

Our conversation went very quickly and we covered such a lot in the space of an hour so please stay alert as there are some great insights to take away with you. Brittany was very generous with her time and I’m so grateful to her for that. She firmly believes in serving others and giving exceptional value in everything she does. It’s also no coincidence to find that she is an incredibly hard working and empathetic person who is pursuing a life that fulfills her purpose.

So this is me and Brittany Anderson discussing work ethic, motherhood, imposter syndrome, finding your lane, the positive influences of people in your life, staying confident in all that you do.

But ultimately this is a wonderful and empowering conversation with a leading light for women in business, a woman who has a brilliant meaning for optimism and someone who doesn’t have a work life balance, she has a perfect work life imbalance!

You can connect with Brittany here:
Linked In
Website
US Book
UK Book

Thank you so much for your support.
Steve

Greetings optimists!

I hope that life is good for you. Things have been busy and amazing here at Optimist HQ. Having become FCA registered in the last month I’m helping some amazing people with their mortgages and also helping some travel clients with their holidays as well. But whatever you’re doing I hope you’re feeling great!  

Okay, it’s that time again for another episode of the travelling optimist. So get yourself ready, turn up the volume and get set for a really inspirational conversation about the life and journey of Kelly Cardenas.

I’ve wanted to get Kelly on the show for a while , I’ve followed him on the socials and was honoured to guest on his incredible podcast last year - finally we were able to align our diaries so I could repay the favour and get him to share his life and experiences with you. 

Kelly is a true optimist, these foundations were very much laid from a positive upbringing and having incredible parents who consistently re-enforced Kelly’s life with positive affirmations that have had a profound and beautiful effect on his life and ones that Kelly is now passing on to his children. I guess if you are going to leave a legacy, that is a pretty good one.

Kelly has been featured in Forbes magazine, spoken to thousands of people all over the world about what it takes to be a success and run a successful business. But it’s not all been roads paved with gold. There have been failures, a lot of money has been lost but he was never hindered by the the fear of failure. Because failure isn’t a word in Kelly’s vocab. There's only winning or learning, never failure.

So this is me and Kelly Cardenas talking about life in the hair industry, what it takes to live a great life and that it’s okay to trust your intuition and your faith. 

This is a beautiful conversation with a guy who’s realizing his dreams and it’s okay to be tenacious in the accomplishment of those dreams. 

But ultimately, this is a conversation with a wonderful human who’s belief system is unsinkable , has the heart of a lion and is truly living his best life by making people happy.  

You can connect with Kelly on the socials below. He'd love to hear from you even if it's your favourite De La Soul song!

Instagram
Linked In
Website

Thanks for your support, I appreciate the love!
Steve

Greetings optimists! I hope you are having an incredible day. It’s time to lend me your ears for another episode of the podcast to be unleashed upon your eardrums! So get yourself comfortable, turn the volume up a notch as I don’t want you to miss a second of this wonderful conversation - it’s amazing to have you join me.

My guest on the show is someone I have admired from a distance for a while. Based in the US, Mike Malatesta is a hugely successful entrepreneur, acclaimed author, business mentor and podcast host. Mike’s career spans more than 3 decades. A time where he experienced the highs and lows of being a business owner. It hasn’t all been plain sailing but there was a series of events throughout Mike’s life that have eventually shaped him and the trail he has been blazing. 

This is a story about not being afraid of taking a risk, moving home to start something fresh and exciting, having the tenacity to keep going despite having doubts about your ability. Keep an ear out for Don. I think most people will have had their own Don in their life at some point.

But without Don, Mike wouldn’t have met Butch Weiss and the subsequent founding of a business that catapulted them on the course of success.

This is an uplifting conversation about the trials and tribulations at the coal face of life and business, the tragedy of losing your friend and business partner and the subsequent drifting through life that we all sometimes find ourselves in. But Mike came through this phase with acceptance of what happened and and even stronger belief that if things could work once they can work again

So this is me and my friend Mike Malatesta a determined and humble man who dared to dream and was prepared to put the work in to breakthrough to success 

But ultimately this is a tale of a guy from Milwaukee who was never afraid to reset the sails of life and set a new course to greater accomplishments and happiness.

You can connect with Mike and order his acclaimed books at his website - www.mikemalatesta.com

KEEP THE OPTIMISM LEVELS HIGH

Okay, what’s life really like when you’re legally blind? How would this disability shape your life? Would you relocate thousands of miles to play American football and go to University? My guest today is Aaron Golub and that’s exactly what he did.

Aaron was the first legally blind person to play division one college football. The next step is to play in the NFL. You’ve got to be highly talented to get a place at a college at this level of sports. But life has never been easy for Aaron, this is a guy who has had to dig deep throughout his life to get the results he wanted. His disability has defined him but in the most positive of ways and he admits in our conversation that if he were given the chance to be born with perfect eyesight he wouldn’t do it! That, for me, says everything about this outstanding young man.

This is a conversation about grit and determination, it’s about personal drive and setting big goals for your life. Aaron is one of those guys whose wisdom belies his age. His level of gratitude for everyone that has helped him and who put their faith and trust in him is evident throughout our conversation.

So this is me and Aaron Golub – entrepreneur, speaker and all round great guys talking about his life so far and his dreams and goals.  This is a conversation about not giving up and also putting the time in to achieve what you want. Facing down adversity and coming out a better person.

This is a guy who really knows what he wants, he works hard every day and strives to improve every day, even if it’s just 1%. He knows all about the compound effect!

But ultimately this is man who truly understands that putting others above yourself is the foundation of his success.

Please connect with Aaron on all the socials
Linked In
Instagram
Twitter
Website

Thank you so much for listening. Please do share the podcast with your fiends, family and colleagues.
x

Greetings optimists – how are you all today?

I really hope you’re all feeling great!

So, do you remember the excitement of your first sale, or your first gig or your first mini success in your first job? I do, it was a Minolta Digital Camera when I worked Saturdays at Dixons in the mid 80’s. I felt like I was walking on air for the rest of the day! Do you still get excited – I know I do. Let me know in the comments about your first ever sale or success!

My guest today, Sharon Sloane, remembers her first sale – it was EPIC and funny and joyous and it will bring back memories for those of you who have hussled 24/7 to carve out your own trail and get your business off the ground.

Sharon is an innovator, a leader, a wife and a mother and I feel so privileged to have been able to spend time with her. Sharon’s a busy lady, her work has been featured on the leading TV channels in the USA, Forbes Magazine, Time magazine amongst many others plus her work has received over 80 awards. This is a lady who is at the top of her game.

So what is the conversation about, well it’s about having great parents who were great role models and gave Sharon the encouragement she needed and sound advice, it’s about the Platinum rule not the golden rule, it’s about knowing and feeling that everything will work despite setbacks.

So this is me and Sharon Sloan talking about her life. It’s a story about a kind and generous lady with a big dream, a lady who dismissed the nay sayers and has since built a business that she is rightly proud of.

This is a conversation filled to the brim with lovely stories, warmth and insight. It’s a story of determination, passion and the ability to grind out the results that’s needed despite difficult situations.

But ultimately this is a conversation about a lady whose work is literally saving peoples lives.

Please do reach out to Sharon and connect, she is awesome!
Linked In and you can see what her company does at Will Interactive

I appreciate the love everyone, thanks for listening and supporting the show. Don't forget to like, share and comment when you see the posts on all the socials.
Hugs
Steve

Greeting optimists and a very happy new year to you all. Here’s to a fabulous 2022 and I couldn’t think of any other person to kick off the podcast in 2022 than my guest Richard Kaufman.

Rich is a guy who has been through a lot in life. The loss of his father when he was very young, drink dependency from the age of 12, drug use, he was thrown out of the military and he would be the first to admit that his destructive behaviour was leading him down a path to oblivion. 
But the kindness and forgiving nature of a business owner in the winter of 1988 was a huge turning point for him. As you will hear in the conversation, Rich had an angel looking down on him that night and he’s not looked back. There have been a couple of blips along the way, but we all have those right?

More importantly though, since that fateful night in 1988 Rich has been sober, that’s 33 years. That alone is a monumental achievement and he is rightly proud of it.

Rich returned to the military for another stint, this time after a harsh comment from one of his peers, who didn’t think he could make it in the military. This set the wheels in motion for becoming soldier of the year and rising among the ranks to become the leader that was always inside of him.

This conversation is littered with insight and wonderful stories, from spending time with Lennox Lewis to having the chutzpah to ask for advice from Gary Vaynerchuck.

But behind this success is a man who would do anything for anyone, a man who is infinitely humble and so grateful for the people he has in his life.

His is the human embodiment of a phoenix, he’s had his fair share of his back against a wall moments and been seemingly lost and not knowing which way to turn. But everytime Rich rises from those flames to re-invent himself and truly be the Comeback king!.

This is a conversation about willpower, tenacity, it’s about learning from your mistakes and importantly not being afraid to ask for help. It’s a conversation about how a man’s start in life has not determined his future.

But ultimately this is the story of a guy, who gets back up every time he’s knocked down, learns from his experience and marches on with happiness in his heart and a spring in his step towards his goals and dreams. 
Oh and don’t ever join the military with orange hair! 

Please connect with Rich on all the socials
His Vertical Momentum Podcast
Linked in
Instagram
Facebook

You can buy RIch's book, A Hero's Journey here on Amazon

This episode is dedicated to the life of Simon Jordan. The father of flow!

We've all got a story right? Yes, of course we have. My guest on this episode of the Travelling Optimist  has a story and experience of life that is not just compelling, it's mind blowingly cool.

My guest today is the incredible Deborah Henley.  Deborah is a mum, business leader, Master NLP practitioner, clinical hypnotherapist, entrepreneur, coach, best selling author and her work has been featured on the BBC, channel 5, GMTV and the UK’s national press.  Deborah is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and relayed her story with grace and eloquence and spoke openly about the times of struggle and sadness but also the times of joy and victory. 

She is a woman who is leading a wonderful and hugely interesting life and our conversation takes us from Hong Kong to Peru - back to the UK. Guiding people round the vineyards of Burgundy by bike and life on the waves of the major oceans where she sought solace and ultimately found happiness.

I first came across Deborah Henley via, friend of the show, Simon Jordan. I loved the fact that Deborah empowers people by helping them find their story. So I delved a bit deeper in to her own story and the more I learned about her life and experiences , the more I wanted her to come on the show. 

This conversation hits so many podcast sweet spots - dramatic pivots in life, heartbreak & joy, huge levels of personal courage, the overcoming of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and finding your purpose.

Its a conversation about leadership, perseverance, endurance, pain, adventure - it’s about always putting a metaphorical foot in front of the other despite your situation. 

This is a woman who is helping herself by helping others, she is helping others find their true self by getting them to dig deep in to their soul to find their story, to think about their future self and it’s producing incredible results for her clients. 

This is a conversation with a lady who has experienced the highs and lows that life threw at her and came out stronger, happier and more energized. 

But ultimately this is the story of a beautiful human who is not afraid to change course on her journey of life, has a never quit attitude and Deborah makes sure her light shines like the sun.

I hope you enjoy this one!

You can connect with Deborah on all the socials:
Linked In
Instagram
Twitter

Deborah’s book Your Leadership Story is available from all good book sellers, I would highly recommend you order a copy - it is a life changing book. You can also book yourself onto one of Deborah's incredible leadership courses via her website https://www.deborahhenley.com/ 

Finally thank you to Deborah for being a wonderful guest.

I appreciate the love - a

Greetings Optimists! How are you?
If someone had said 2 years ago that I’d be speaking on a podcast with one of the planet's most eminent and forward thinking physicians I would have said something along the lines of ‘have you been smoking some illegal substance’ or words to that effect. But, here we are and we talk about amongst other things saving mankind! You can’t get bigger than that!

So, Dr Kim Solez is a pathologist, professor and an entrepreneur, a man who is also modest of his achievements, a man who is now writing a memoir of his first 75 years and also looking to use Artifical Intelligence to help with some of the world's biggest issues! 

Kim has crammed a lot into his life and we really only scratch the surface of those 75 years in this incredible conversation. His multiple awards, his journeys abroad, the futuristic views of mankind plus his faith in the youth of the world to get us all to a better place. There really is something for everyone in this conversation.

Personally I loved the fact that by being able to speak to someone of the calibre and high level thinking of Kim made me stretch and think, but it also left me with a few more questions as well. And I think this is what is so great about Kim, he sows the seeds of what can be done and lets you then grow them to expand your world even more. 

And this is a conversation about removing those barriers to your thinking and stretching your thoughts so much that they start to inhabit the space where huge and incredible things happen.

There’s also a childlike spirit about Dr Kim Solez. One that I instantly recognised and related to. A spirit that’s not been diminished by time but has become positively luminescent by time, this spirit enables him to lead his life with openness and constantly be in the pursuit of the new.

So this is me and Dr Kim Solez talking about his incredible life, his amazing achievements and he tells us what the world could look like in just a few years.

Kim is a man who is happy not fitting in, he’s a risk taker, a lifter of people, a man who loves being a cheerleader of life and is striving to leave the world in a much better place.

But ultimately this is a conversation on how he’s leading a fulfilled and happy life one block chain, one protein fold and most importantly one smile at a time.

Please connect with Kim on all the socials:
Instagram
Linked In
and for more cool stuff check out his You Tube Channel
You Tube

Thanks so much for listening, I really appreciate it and don't forget to leave a review for me.
Hugs
Steve 

Greetings optimists! 
I want to introduce you to the amazing James Chatfield.

James is a talented musician, songwriter and an unapologetic lover of busking! He decided to follow his dream and passion to bring his unique sound to the streets of the UK and unleash the joy that it gives people. 

Okay, It’s not all been plain sailing, questions about his chosen career path (we’ve all been there!), abusive passers-by, blood-stained fingers from playing in the cold and earning nothing from a day's playing.  

But this is a story of having faith in your abilities, building the muscle of resilience and being persistent and true to yourself. It’s not about proving people wrong so much as it’s about that feeling, deep in your soul that tells you, you are doing the right thing. And it’s these attributes and the mindset that I see in entrepreneurs every day, and James just is the musical version! 

And I sincerely hope by listening to his music and our conversation that it has the same positive effect on you too.

So this is me and James Chatfield, talking openly about life on the streets of the UK playing his guitars. The hurdles he’s had to navigate, the beautiful moments he’s witnessed to get to this point in his life and of course his appearance on 
Ted X.

But ultimately, this is a conversation with a dude who’s had millions of likes and downloads on social media, a guy so talented and humble, whose belief in his ability is so strong that he just wants his music to bring joy to the world.

You can connect with as on all the socials - Instagram, Tiktok, twitter and Facebook. Just search for @basschatfield.
He also has quite a library of videos of his work on YouTube which I would highly recommend. 
Please do support James and download his album.
Thanks.
Steve