steve ody

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 – 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

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 

Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast and the home of optimism, insight and uplifting stories. It’s that time for another episode So click the download button, turn up the volume and settle down to a great conversation – it’s so brilliant to have you join us. 

How are you all? How’s life with you? What have you been up to? Whatever it is I really hope that you are grabbing life by the horns and doing some extraordinary things. 

Which segways nicely with my gust on this latest episode of the travelling optimist. My guest today is friend of the show Louise Budgen. For those of you who listen regularly, Louise was one of my first guests when I started the podcast and she’s also my coach. That episode, I think it was the third or fourth, she mentioned that we are human beings not human doings and this really had a profound effect on me and I know that conversation resonated with a lot of my listeners. 

What we didn’t do in that show was go into too much detail about Louise’s background but we do now.  In this episode Louise imparts some incredible insight for us all to take in and shares with us her story and how all of the defining moments as a child and being an adult has now shaped her life and her desire to help people really blossom and find their place.

This is a truly uplifting conversation with a wonderful human being who survived a horrific car accident, has become a cancer thriver twice, followed her intuition to become a coach and is using these experiences to help her clients and run a thriving business.

So this is me and my coach, Louise Budgen talking about the story of her life and experiences

• It’s a story about having the courage to trust your intuition
• It’s about making sure you find time for the non negotiables in life
• Stepping out and becoming more visible and understanding that everything happens for reason.
• But ultimately this is all about a lady who isn’t afraid to swim upstream to get to where she wants to go and is leading an extraordinary life!

Please connect with Louise on the following platforms, you won't regret it.
 Linked In
You can email Louise at louise@extraordinarylifesuccess.com 

Thanks for listening!
Steve
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Tony Chiapetta is an incredible leader with a vision and a plan. He's a man on a mission, but it hasn't always been plain sailing. There's been a few bumps in the road, some steep learning curves and a number of very big decisions have had to be made along the way.

This is a conversation about his story and what he did to lift his business and ultimately his life from being in chaos to a place where his vision is aligned with his team and his clients. There’s synergy and happiness flowing in and out. He shares with us his strategy to achieve this flow and I think this is one of the most insightful conversations I’ve had so far on the podcast and I’m so grateful to Tony for sharing his story.

So this is me and Tony Chiapetta, talking about his life, setting the goal of studying at the University of Southern California and then having to tell his parents he didn’t want to become a doctor, setting up his IT business at the tender age of 23, making some tough decisions and his learnings along the way.

This is a conversation with someone who truly believed that what he was doing was absolutely the right thing to do and had the courage of his convictions to see it through. 

But ultimately this is about a guy from Southern California who has found that by being dedicated to serving his clients and by doing something you love it will bring you infinite rewards.

Please connect with Tony via the following channels:
Linked In
Website
Twitter

Thanks so much for listening, don't forget to share and leave a review. If you'd like to connect with me , that would be awesome just click here and all you need will be displayed gloriously before your eyes!

Steve
x

Gary Apps is a true leader, a lover of a challenge, he's truly authentic in everything he says and does and someone who goes All In no matter what.

This is a truly wonderful conversation where I am honoured that Gary is so honest and open about his life, his business, his family and I know that you will all enjoy listening to our conversation. I'm sure it will resonate with you all.
I would encourage you all to connect with Gary on all the socials below but more importantly, if you wanted to show him support then please do sponsor him on his quest to cycle the Tour de France route a week ahead of the pros, all in aid of Cure Leukaemia.

And this is one of the main reason I started the podcast, to be in a position where it can do some good and hopefully it will inspire you to give to a worthy cause. As someone that loves riding a bike I can tell you that riding this course will be a supreme test of character and resolve but Gary's grit and determination will get him through this challenge.

This is Gary's Just Giving page, NO DONATION IS TOO BIG! He is going to raise £30k so every pound counts if you can spare it. Please give generously.

You can connect with Gary on Linked In and of course if you know of any restaurants and hotels that you can introduce Gary then this would be an added bonus too! Here is his company  website https://www.myfish.company/

Thanks so much for listening.
Steve
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Episode 29 is with the incredible magician, podcast host and leadership trainer Ricky Locke. 

To all of us in Ricky’s network we know that he’s one of life’s really decent, kind and funny people. He’s one of those people that you connect with immediately. Which is a good thing really because when you perform in front of strangers a lot – it helps to be able to build rapport straight away. 

But for those of you who don’t know Ricky he’s a man of many talents and tricks and this is really a chance to peer behind the bright lights of the magic circle, a select group of people that Ricky rightly and proudly belongs – and we catch a glimpse into the life of a young man who took a gamble on his talent. He took that leap of faith, as Steve Harvey said, he jumped off that cliff of life, pulled the chord and waited for his parachute to open. 

What he didn’t know was there was a worldwide pandemic around the corner and in the space of a few weeks his livelihood was swept from under his feet.

He started his superb podcast called Unlocked with Ricky Locke, he’d already built up a sizeable Youtube portfolio of videos and changed course to use technology to his advantage. 

So, this is me in conversation with Magician Ricky Locke talking about his life so far, it’s about being positive, it’s about showing up with optimism in your heart every day and it’s about having perspective and being connected with like-minded people.

Ricky is a really gifted, hard working guy, he always sees the best in people but ultimately this is about a talented man’s desire to align himself with his passion and just be happy.

You can connect with Ricky and I'd highly recommend it in the usual social plus his website is www.rickylocke.co.uk

Linked In
You Tube

Thanks so much for listening and spreading the word, I really appreciate it..
Stay well everyone
Steve
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Ex Navy Seal Commander Rich Diviney is my guest on the show. It was an incredible conversation and I really hope that you find some golden nuggets of insight to help you take your endeavours to the next level.

In a career spanning more than twenty years, Rich completed more than thirteen overseas deployments - eleven of which were to Iraq and Afghanistan. Being the officer in charge of training it led Rich to be able to identify a successful recruit’s core attributes – these are the innate traits for how a person performs as an individual or within a team.

It’s this knowledge and experience that led Rich to write his first book - The Attributes - 25 hidden drivers for optimal performance – if you go to The Attributes website you can take a test and see what attributes guide you and I would highly recommend you buy his book as well – I’ll put details in the show notes.

Rich is a true gentlemen, it was a real honour to have in on my podcast and I really hope that what we talk about in some way helps you identify what your attributes are and enable you to take your life to the next level.

So, this is me and navy Seal Commander Rich Diviney talking about life as a Navy Seal, it’s about:

• having the right mindset 
• Optimal not peak performance
• The power of humour and laughter 
• Never ever doubt yourself

But Ultimately this is all about one man’s desire to be the best he can be in all areas of his life, his need to keep challenging himself and to lead a life of discovery.

Website - The Attributes
What Are Your Attributes? Take the Assessment
You can connect with Rich on Linked In, Instagram & Facebook

Okay, I took the Attributes assessment and here are my results. I'd love to see what yours were. You can email me at thetravellingoptimist@gmail.com 

My Grit scores
Courage                (5.49) MEDIUM  
Perseverance       (4.52) MEDIUM       
Adaptability           (5.44) MEDIUM         
Resilience             (5.83) MEDIUM 

My Mental Acuity scores
Situational Awareness           (4.91) MEDIUM          
Compartmentalization           (6.28) HIGH       
Task Switching                      (7.71) HIGH         
Learnability                            (8.15) HIGH 

My Drive scores
Self Efficacy                (4.97) MEDIUM          
Discipline                    (5.6) MEDIUM       
Open Mindedness       (4.17) MEDIUM         
Cunning                      (4.95) MEDIUM 
Narcissism                  (4.8)  MEDIUM 

Take care everyone, choose optimism every day and be the best you can be.
Steve
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Hello everyone and welcome to the home of optimism, insight and uplifting stories.

Okay - When I started the podcast, almost a year ago, I wanted to be able to connect everyone who would listen with people who are doing extraordinary things and leading extraordinary lives to, in some way hopefully, inspire us all. 

Although he would never admit it, Thomas Kim is someone who is doing incredible things in a way that you’d never think is possible. Not everyone could take an ordinary car wash business and turn it into a co-operative and community hub that serves the community. Business aside - if anything can bring some perspective into our lives right now, Thomas’s incredible story will surely do it. 

His father left home when he was seven and left the family at a time that would have seen many children crumble. Nowadays, rightly or wrongly, the words resilience and strength are sometimes overplayed when describing people. But Thomas Kim knows exactly what those words mean. The events of the day his father left have weaved a golden thread through his life – He wouldn’t be where he is today If that hadn’t of happened. Thomas is one of those beautiful people who only see the good in things. Searching for positives in every situation.

Belief is a word that features heavily in his life. He has an unwavering belief in his faith, a jedi like belief in the power of lifting people and communities to a better life through gratitude and trust.

This belief was tested in the most tragic of ways, a way that no parent should ever be tested but out of tragedy came hope. Out of tragedy came a vulnerability and a deeper inner strength that he didn’t know he and his wife, Evelyn, had. 

This is a conversation about the kindest of humans, it’s about courage, vulnerability and hope. 

It’s about lifting people up, not knock them down. 

It’s a story about giving people a chance, terrible loss but more than anything it’s about living a wonderful terrible life.

Please do connect with Thomas via the channels below to find out more on the incredible covid cleaning technology he is using and the inspirational way he puts purpose over profit.
LinkedIn
Everclean website

Thanks so much for listening - don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon and Google.

We'll be back soon with another episode of the Travelling Optimist very soon.

How to Speak Yorkshire!
Nah then, ‘ere’s an int to chattin’ reight Yorkshire! (Hello, here is a guide to speaking proper Yorkshire)
#1 - Ye ‘ave tuh drop yer ‘H’ as in ‘has’ and ‘her’, and yer ‘T’ as in ‘that’ and ‘cat’, replacing the ‘T’ with a slight ‘h’ sound, known as a Glottal Stop (try not to choke!).
#2 - Everyone has heard of the phrase “Tin Tin Tin”, usually spoken as if it means something or other. But, it should be written more like: ‘t’in’t in’t tin.. as in “It isn’t in the tin”. See how it works? Lots of dropping of T’s.

Let me know how you get on!

So in the latest episode of The Travelling Optimist I take you to Yorkshire - Gods Own Country! My guest is Andrew Bodle, a successful business owner and entrepreneur with a relentless and tenacious spirit. 

Andrew is a true Yorkshireman, he’s literally made from the steel that was forged by his ancestors! Andrew is so much the embodiment of a Yorkshireman when he goes to give blood he pumps out the finest 5 pints of Yorkshire tea instead! 

Andrews's spirit has certainly been tested recently and we chat very openly about success, setbacks and tragedy and his desire to leave a lasting legacy for his family. It was, at times, very emotional hearing his story, one that he knows is being replicated over the world with Covid-19, but it's a story of resilience, not giving up, steadfastness, strength, goals and inspiration.

Enjoy.
Stay well everyone.
Steve

You can get in contact with Andrew by clicking the links below and if you need any cleaning products or advice in this area then contact him through his Hygeia Group website .
Andrew Bodle on social:
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In

In this latest episode of The Travelling Optimist I chat with Paul Cleary.

Paul is the Managing Director and owner of the UK’s leading independent luxury holiday company – Caribtours.

With a name like Caribtours it has a history that is intrinsically linked to the beautiful islands of the Caribbean and more latterly with other luxury destinations in the Indian Ocean and Arabia and Africa.

Words to describe Paul are energy, vision, infectious enthusiasm and an obsession for the personal touch. 

Paul has led the company to countless awards and an enviable reputation in the industry that most companies aspire to.

We have a brilliant conversation about life, thin threads of life, serendipitous moments that shape our lives, opportunities even during these challenging times and why he got involved in travel.
You can contact Paul via Linked In or through the Caribtours website.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did talking with Paul.

Steve 
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Hello and welcome to the Travelling Optimist Podcast – the home of optimism, insight and uplifting stories. How are you? I hope that you’re doing well – staying focused, keeping up the optimism levels! 

Today we’re talking with Zimbabwean Brighton Tau Muluswela. He’s Founder and CEO of Bushlife Africa Safaris.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, he’s fanatical about conservation and it goes without saying he’s passionate about Africa. On top of that he works with the NHS and he’s committed to helping vulnerable people with mental health issues.

As anyone who knows me, Africa has played an integral part in my life and I’m thrilled to be able to have a chat with Brighton. We’ll take you on a journey to Africa so that when all this covid stuff is done you will be inspired to travel to one of mother natures most incredible continents.

You can connect with Brighton via Linked In and Facebook.

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast, I'm overwhelmed by everyone's comments and I'm thrilled that you like it.
Take care and until next time.
x

Hello and welcome to the Travelling Optimist Podcast. I hope you are well and things are going fabulously. Whatever you are doing, I hope you are blazing a trail in these weird times.

Todays guest is the best parenting coach on the planet - Sue Atkins. Sue has been featured on the BBC, SKY, Channel 5 and various national radio stations. Sue is the Parenting Coach for Disney but my favourite description of Sue is that she is the 21st century Mary Poppins!
On top of that she a NLP Master Practitioner and EFT Practitioner too.

Sue talks about parenting skills and offers some tips to get through this era of corona virus if you have kids, but these insights are perfect for adults to use for themselves too. We all go on marketing and business courses all the time but we don't ever go on courses for the MOST important job of our lives - raising happy children!

You can reach out to Sue via her website www.sueatkinsparentingcoach.com
and Linked-In here.

I am so grateful to everyone for listening, thank you. Stay well so you can blaze a trail!
Hugs
Steve
x

Welcome to The Travelling Optimist Podcast with Steve Ody.

Simon Jordan is an all round top guy. He's mindfulness personified and has a deep understanding of his purpose in life.

Simon Jordan, best selling author, speaker, coach, entrepreneur and lover of wildlife and the planet, takes us on a journey from the Dorset coast in the UK to the mountains of the Himalayas. Via some incredible insight on how to lead a life full of abundance and in 'flow'.

We hear about his adventures from swimming in the Sea, we can't miss an opportunity to mention the amazing Wim Hof (The Ice Man), how optimism (obvs) has played a positive part throughout his life, a top tip on vodka and what was that about Yak dung Simon?

Interspersed with details of the #5thingsclear project a worldwide community of lovers of the planet, Plus news on a new book he has put together, celebrating the community of all weather sea swimmers that Simon belongs to - order a copy, all proceeds go to a mental health charity, https://westbaywildswimmingbook.co.uk/.

If you'd like to get in contact with Simon or order the excellent and free e-book '5 Steps to Creating a Powerful Brand' just click through to his website here.

The world has gone a bit bananas, please take care everyone.
Thanks for listening
Steve
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Please do subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google and Amazon and leave me a review or rating, thank you so much.

if you have any examples of being in flow email us at thetravellingoptimist@gmail.com

This weeks episode we head for the hills of the Calla Ronda in Andalucia and chat with Ashley Higgins from Andalucian Cycling Experience.
https://www.andaluciancyclingexperience.com/
Our conversation was a bit like a lovely bike ride with a few down hills, a couple of steep ascents, some free wheeling on the flat bits and a couple of stops to admire the view!

After moving out to Spain in 2004, Ashley and his then girlfriend Claire decided to move to Spain and start a new business. In their first year they got married, moved and started up the incredible business. They are a shining example of fantastic team work, stretching goals and a clear vision.
Starting off with four bikes and a couple of roof racks, they now have two mini vans, 70 bikes and a couple of local guides as well.

Having been into bikes all his life, this really is the epitome of living the dream but it wasn't all plain sailing and we dive a little bit into the struggles and highlights of their 16 years in business and paint a lovely picture of what it's really like to cycle in one of the worlds most beautiful areas.
Enjoy and thanks for listening.
Steve
x

You can contact Ashley through the website 
https://www.andaluciancyclingexperience.com/pages/Contact.html
and don't forget to mention The Travelling Optimist for your exclusive discount when you book a trip with them. Adios!