Thriving Minds with Alberto Zandi

Kaspar Basse founded Joe & The Juice in Copenhagen in 2002 with a few thousand dollars and an ambition that was anything but small: he wanted to build something that could compete with Starbucks.

Two decades later, Joe & The Juice has grown into a global brand with over 500 locations and was valued at $1.8 billion in 2026.

But Kaspar believes one of the biggest mistakes companies make happens precisely when they become successful.

As businesses grow, they introduce managers, processes, controls and layers of approval to protect what they have built.

And in doing so, they can gradually remove the very thing that made them successful in the first place: culture, and quality.

Kaspar does not believe great company culture comes from music, office perks, parties or paying slightly more than your competitors.

It comes from people feeling agency, challenged, trusted, capable of improving and proud of what they do.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The real Joe & The Juice story like never shared before

• Why Kaspar believes entrepreneurs should be naively ambitious about their vision but brutally realistic about their finances

• The “Don't Blame The Weather” philosophy he used to build a culture of responsibility instead of excuses

• Why too much management and control can make great employees stop thinking like owners

• Why “hire the best people” is an incomplete strategy, and how businesses can develop ordinary people into exceptional performers

• What more than 20 years of entrepreneurship taught him about money, private equity, impatience, ambition and knowing when to step away

Kaspar also speaks unusually openly about money.

He admits that financial success has always mattered to him. Even today he is not sure he would ever know how much money is enough for him.

Yet his perspective on success has also changed.

After decades of building, he says there is something strangely liberating about recognising that most of the things we obsess over do not matter nearly as much as we think.

A great family. Great friends. Good health. And, in Kaspar's words, a wonderful restaurant in which to have a martini.

This episode will teach you many things, including; how to take responsibility for what you can control, become resourceful enough to find a way forward, and stop wasting your life blaming the weather.

Follow Jo & The Juice:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/joeandthejuice

⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kasparjuice⁠

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #KasparBasse #JoeAndTheJuice #Entrepreneurship #HospitalityBusiness #RestaurantIndustry #ScalingBusiness #DataDriven #LuxuryRestaurants #BusinessStrategy #StartupAdvice

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Professor Giles Yeo MBE has spent 30 years studying one of the most misunderstood questions in health: why some people feel hungrier, gain weight more easily and find it much harder to keep weight off than others.

He is Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge, where his research focuses on how our genes, hormones and brain control appetite and body weight. In 2026, he was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences for his internationally recognised work on the genetics and neuroscience of obesity.

And one of his central messages challenges the way many of us think about weight.

Two people can be faced with exactly the same food, but experience very different levels of hunger, fullness and reward. Your biology does not remove personal responsibility, but it can dramatically change how difficult the same decision feels.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why your brain actively fights weight loss, increasing hunger and changing your metabolism when you lose weight

• Why two people can eat the same food but experience completely different levels of appetite and food noise

• What calories fail to tell you about food, and why protein, fibre and ultra-processed foods affect your body differently

• How Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs actually work, why weight often returns after stopping them, and the risks people need to understand

• Giles's simple 16:30:5 framework for eating enough protein and fibre to lose weight while reducing free sugar without obsessing over individual meals

Giles also speaks personally about his son's experience with obesity and GLP-1 medication, and admits that even after spending his career studying obesity, he still had to fight the human instinct to blame.

Follow Prof Giles Yeo:

⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/in/giles-yeo-2062969

⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gilesyeo/

⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/giles.yeo/⁠

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #GilesYeo #Neuroscience #AppetiteScience #BrainHealth #WeightLoss #HungerHormones #NutritionScience #ObesityResearch #HealthPodcast #MetabolicHealth #FoodScience

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Jay Sean is one of the most successful and influential artists in modern pop music.

His global hit “Down”, featuring Lil Wayne, reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the first South Asian solo artist to top the chart. In 2026, the record was certified Diamond in the United States after surpassing 10 million units, making Jay the first South Asian artist to ever receive an RIAA Diamond certification.

But his journey began with a decision almost everyone around him thought was crazy.

Jay was studying medicine when he walked away from a safe career in front of him to pursue music.

Then, after finally becoming successful, he walked away again.

His record label wanted him to become an artist he did not recognise. Jay chose to leave, invested his own money into his music and expected another label to come calling.

Nobody did.

He remembers sitting alone in his car, crying, convinced he had ruined his career.

What happened next changed his life.

In this episode, Jay explains:

◼ Why he left medicine for an uncertain career in music, and how to know when to trust your own instinct over everyone else’s opinion

◼ Why he walked away from a major record deal at the height of his early success, and what his lowest moment taught him about life

◼ How he rebuilt independently, eventually signed in America and created the song that would take him to No.1

◼ Why fame, money and social media comparison can distort your definition of success, and how he now protects his peace

◼ What being bullied for his weight, decades of body image pressure and becoming a father taught him about health, happiness and what actually matters

Jay also speaks with remarkable honesty about fame.

He explains why making one of the biggest songs in the world could have become a psychological trap if every future achievement had to measure up to it, and why he eventually learned to stop chasing other people’s lives and focus on becoming a better version of himself.

And towards the end of the conversation, the definition of success changes completely.

Jay says that being a father is his favourite role, and that when his children look back, he would rather they remember that their dad was there than remember him as a great pop star.

This is not simply a conversation about becoming successful.

It is about having the courage to walk away when success no longer feels aligned with you.

FOLLOW JAY:

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuLaLS3QYnCWFT5hd3m2w3w

YouTube Music:

https://music.youtube.com/channel/UC5IMokurjvYCO1AWiCOskYg

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4pADjHPWyrlAF0FA7joK2H

Apple Music:

https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/jay-sean/23172423

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jaysean/

X:

https://twitter.com/jaysean

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/jayseanworldwide

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jaysean/

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #JaySean #BodyImage #MentalHealth #FitnessCulture #WellnessJourney #SelfLove #HealthyMindset #PersonalGrowth #MusicArtist

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Touker Suleyman is one of Britain’s best known entrepreneurs and investors, with more than 50 years of experience building, buying and transforming businesses.

But long before millions knew him from Dragons’ Den, Touker lost everything.

In his twenties, he was already chairman of two public companies, driving an Aston Martin and enjoying extraordinary early financial success.

Then one disastrous investment triggered a domino effect.

His businesses collapsed.

He lost his home.

And he had to start again.

In this conversation, Touker explains:

◼ Why early success can be dangerous, and the mistake that taught him the importance of due diligence

◼ How he rebuilt after losing everything and eventually created businesses employing thousands of people

◼ How he bought Hawes & Curtis for just £1, took on its debts and rebuilt the brand to be worth millions

◼ The negotiation principles he has used across more than 50 years in business

◼ Why entrepreneurs often ask for investment when what they actually need is better cash flow

◼ Why you do not need a completely original idea to build a successful company

Touker also explains why, after 10 years, he has decided to leave Dragons’ Den and what he wants the next chapter of his life to look like.

At 73, he is still launching companies, still chasing new challenges and still asking himself how far an idea can go.

His definition of success has changed too.

It is not simply about money.

It is about freedom, reputation, purpose, happiness and leaving something behind.

And after everything he has experienced, his advice remains remarkably simple:

Be honest. Work hard. Never give up.

Follow Touker:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/touker_suleyman⁠⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/in/touker-suleyman-a009a815/⁠

⁠https://twitter.com/toukersuleyman⁠

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #Suleyman #DragonsDen #Entrepreneur #BusinessStrategy #Startup #FashionBusiness #RetailBusiness #Leadership #BuildingBrands #SerialEntrepreneur #BusinessMindset #Investing

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Rose Ferguson is one of the UK’s leading functional medicine practitioners and has spent nearly two decades helping people understand why they can be doing everything they think is “healthy” and still feel tired, bloated, foggy or stressed.

Her message is surprisingly reassuring:

Health does not need to become another full time job.

In a world of supplements, glucose monitors, extreme fasting, restrictive diets, protein targets and endless wellness hacks, Rose believes many of us have forgotten the foundations that actually determine how we feel.

She explains:

◼ Why chronic stress can affect your energy, digestion, sleep and inflammation, and the simple ways she reduces it

◼ Why she recommends starting with a 12 hour overnight eating break rather than jumping into extreme fasting

◼ How to build meals around protein, fibre and healthy fats without obsessively counting everything

◼ What she really thinks about sugar, fruit, alcohol, keto, supplements and protein powders

◼ The simple daily habits she uses for better energy, including daylight, movement, breathwork, journaling and short walks

Rose also challenges the idea that getting older automatically means feeling worse.

After a career in modelling and years spent working with patients, she says that at 51 she feels better than she ever has.

Her final lesson is simple:

You do not need to transform your entire life overnight.

Small things make big changes.

Order Rose's best seller, The Reset:

⁠https://amzn.eu/d/016p9Qpf⁠

Follow Rose:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/rosemaryferguson_/⁠⁠

https://www.instagram.com/rhealthclub/⁠⁠

https://www.instagram.com/diorbeauty/⁠

⁠https://www.roseferguson.com/⁠

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #RoseFerguson #FunctionalMedicine #Nutrition #HolisticHealth #CareerChange #ImposterSyndrome #AlternativeMedicine #Wellness #PersonalGrowth #Naturopathy

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Simon Alexander Ong is a globally recognised personal development coach, international speaker and bestselling author who helps people rethink success, protect their energy and build lives that actually feel worth living.

But before speaking on the biggest stages around the world, Simon spent years working in finance, following the version of success he thought he was supposed to want.

Good university.

Good career.

Good salary.

Yet he would sit at work dreaming about escaping his own life.

Eventually, he realised that success on paper means very little if you feel disconnected from the person living it.

In this episode, Simon explains:

◼ How to recognise when discomfort has become genuine misalignment, and what to do next

◼ His SIN framework for changing your future through Skills, Inputs and Network

◼ How to stop letting fear, other people’s opinions and even your family determine your decisions

◼ The four forms of energy you need to protect: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual

◼ Why your partner, friendships and environment can dramatically influence the person you become

But this conversation becomes much deeper.

Simon lost his mother unexpectedly when he was only 17.

Her death changed the way he understood time and left him with two words that have shaped his life ever since:

Don’t wait.

Don’t wait until you feel ready.

Don’t wait for somebody else’s permission.

And don’t spend your life becoming successful according to somebody else’s definition.

Because, as Simon explains, ready is not a feeling.

It is a decision.

Follow Simon:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong/

https://www.youtube.com/@simonalexandero

https://www.instagram.com/simonalexandero/

https://x.com/SimonAlexanderO

Home - Simon Alexander Ong

Buy Simon's book:

Book - Simon Alexander Ong

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #SimonAlexander #PublicSpeaking #KeynoteSpeaker #Mindvalley #HappinessMindset #AuthorLife #PersonalDevelopment #SuccessTips #Entrepreneurship #SpeakingCareer #SelfImprovement #Fulfillment

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Dr Aseem Malhotra is a world-leading consultant cardiologist, practicing doctor and one of the most outspoken voices challenging conventional thinking around heart disease, nutrition and modern medicine.

After 25 years in medicine and treating thousands of patients, Aseem reveals why you can look incredibly fit and still have serious heart disease, why chronic stress may be far more dangerous than most of us realise, and why more exercise is not always better for your health.

His connection to the heart is also deeply personal. When Aseem was 11, his 13 year old brother died suddenly from viral myocarditis, an experience that helped shape his decision to dedicate his career to understanding heart disease.

He explains:

◼ Why chronic stress could be one of the biggest overlooked threats to your heart

◼ Why having a six pack does not necessarily mean you are healthy

◼ How much exercise he believes we actually need, and when it can become too much

◼ What he recommends eating for better heart and metabolic health

◼ Why he challenges conventional thinking around cholesterol, statins and blood pressure medication

But this conversation goes far beyond cardiology.

Aseem opens up about grief, losing the people closest to him, living with enormous professional pressure, loneliness, relationships and the personal cost of dedicating his life to a mission bigger than himself.

And after decades spent thinking about human health, his conclusion is surprisingly simple:

Our health is not only determined by what we eat or how much we exercise.

It is also shaped by stress, meaning, connection, curiosity and the people we love.

Follow Dr Malhotra

https://www.instagram.com/lifestylemedicinedoctor/

https://draseemmalhotra.co.uk/

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #DrMalhotra #Cardiologist #COVIDVaccine #PublicHealth #BigPharma #HealthTruth #CorporatePower #MentalHealth #FoodIndustry #VaccineDebate #HealthPodcast

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Insulin Expert Dr David Unwin has helped 159 patients achieve drug free Type 2 diabetes remission in his NHS practice. He reveals why everyday foods like bread, rice, potatoes and even fruit can spike your blood sugar, why you may be hungry again shortly after eating, and the warning signs that could mean you are becoming insulin resistant.

Dr David Unwin is an NHS GP who has cared for the same community for almost 40 years. He has published around 30 peer reviewed papers, and his famous teaspoon of sugar equivalents have been translated into 39 languages. But remarkably, David says much of what transformed his approach to health only became clear to him at 55, after he developed Type 2 diabetes himself.

He explains:

◼ Why you could be eating sugar all day without realising it

◼ The everyday signs that may suggest you are becoming insulin resistant

◼ Why bread, rice, potatoes, fruit and other foods can affect your blood sugar more than you think

◼ Why you are still hungry after eating, and how insulin can make losing belly fat harder

◼ What actually works for improving metabolic health, including low carbohydrate eating, fasting, exercise and continuous glucose monitoring

And in an unexpectedly personal part of the conversation, David opens up about losing his first wife, reaching some of the darkest moments of his own life, and the lessons about love, failure, hope and resilience that ultimately helped him survive.

This is not simply a conversation about diabetes.

It is about understanding what is happening inside your body before it becomes a problem, and learning how small changes today could completely alter your future health.

Follow Dr. Unwin:

https://x.com/lowcarbGP

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #DrDavidUnwin #InsulinResistance #Type2Diabetes #MetabolicHealth #LowCarb #DiabetesReversal #HealthPodcast #ChronicDisease #BloodSugar #NutritionScience

Content Warning: This video contains themes of suicide. Viewer discretion is advised. 

If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available. In the UK, call 111 to reach the NHS mental health services, or call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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Akash Mehta is the cofounder and CEO of Fable & Mane, one of the most recognisable Ayurvedic haircare brands in global beauty. The self funded company launched globally with Sephora, became a number one hair oil at the retailer and helped bring traditional Indian hair rituals into mainstream beauty. 

But behind the success is a much more complicated story.

Growing up, Akash struggled deeply with his skin colour. At around 12 or 13, he bought pills online hoping they would make his skin lighter. Later, after building his identity around achievement, he got into Imperial College and failed his second year.

For the first time, Akash had to question whether the life that looked impressive from the outside was actually the life he wanted.

Through failure, therapy, entrepreneurship and years of self reflection, he began unlearning the need for other people’s approval and discovering what genuinely mattered to him.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why other people’s opinions can quietly control your life
• How to stop people pleasing and trust yourself
• Why failure can reveal what you actually want
• How to deal with overthinking, confidence and ego
• Why external success does not guarantee happiness
• How Fable & Mane went from a three page deck to Sephora
• And how reconnecting with his younger self led Akash towards a much deeper purpose

Today, Akash dedicates a significant part of his life to wildlife conservation through the Fabled Fund, with the ambition of mobilising $100 million for conservation by 2030. 

This is a conversation about identity, ambition, confidence and the difficult process of discovering who you are when you finally stop living for everyone else.

Follow Akash:

https://www.instagram.com/mehta_a/?hl=en

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/akash-mehta-425bb783

https://fableandmane.com/

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #AkashMehta #FableAndMane #Entrepreneur #PeoplePleaser #Empath #Overthinking #CEOLife #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Authenticity #MentalHealth #BeautyBusiness #Mindset

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Darryl Williams, better known as BullyJuice, is a fitness creator and entrepreneur with over 16 million followers across social media. Before building one of the biggest audiences in online fitness, he was a collegiate track athlete, served in the United States Air Force and became a physical training leader responsible for helping people get back into shape and meet military fitness standards.

Most of us know we should exercise, eat better and take care of our bodies. The difficult part is actually starting, staying consistent when motivation disappears and turning healthy decisions into a lifestyle. In this episode, BullyJuice explains why discipline matters more than motivation, how to build a fitness routine you can actually sustain and why transforming your body alone will never make you feel complete.

You will learn:

• Why relying on motivation is one of the biggest reasons people quit

• How finding a deeper reason to exercise can keep you consistent for life

• How to turn exercise into a habit instead of something you constantly restart

• The best way to start training when you have no idea what to do

• How to build muscle while also losing body fat

• Why three workouts per week can still produce results

• How sleep and recovery affect your progress

• What to eat if you want to lose fat or build muscle

• Why looking fit does not necessarily mean you are healthy

• How to approach protein, creatine and other supplements

• Why discipline means doing what needs to be done even when you do not feel like doing it

• How fitness can improve your confidence, work, relationships and the rest of your life

BullyJuice also opens up about losing his biological father at seven, struggling with anger, learning discipline through sport and the military, building an audience of millions and becoming the husband and father he wanted to be. He explains why his definition of success is no longer simply about achievement, money or how your body looks, but about continually becoming a better version of yourself.

His philosophy is simple: take care of your body, strengthen your mind and feed your spirit.

Because becoming your best self requires all three.

Follow BullyJuice:

https://gymoclockfitness.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bullyjuice/

https://www.youtube.com/bullyjuice

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #DarrylWilliams #BullyJuice #FitnessMotivation #MindBodySpirit #PersonalGrowth #FitnessJourney #SelfImprovement #HolisticHealth #WellnessJourney #FitnessEntrepreneur #MentalHealth #SpiritualGrowth

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Professor Sonia Livingstone is one of the world’s leading experts on how technology is changing our lives. A technology social psychologist at the London School of Economics and Political Science, she has spent decades researching social media, digital wellbeing and online safety, while advising governments and international organisations around the world.

Technology was supposed to make our lives easier. But has it also made us less in control?

In this episode, Professor Livingstone explains why the biggest technology companies are fighting for our attention, how social media can learn and exploit our vulnerabilities, why screen time alone is the wrong way to think about digital wellbeing, and how artificial intelligence could take the attention economy to an entirely new level.

She also explains why children are struggling to put their phones down, what parents are getting wrong about screen time, how our own phone habits influence our children, and why simply taking technology away may create more problems than it solves.

You will learn:

• Why agency may be one of the most important factors in our mental wellbeing

• How social media platforms are designed to keep us scrolling

• Why five hours on a screen does not always have the same effect

• How personalised algorithms can push vulnerable people towards increasingly extreme content

• Why children may feel they have nowhere else to go when we take their phones away

• The biggest mistakes parents make when managing technology at home

• Why children are constantly watching how their parents use their phones

• How to create a healthier relationship with technology without removing it completely

• Why AI companions could become particularly dangerous for lonely and vulnerable people

• How to use AI without allowing it to replace human judgement and real relationships

• Why governments are struggling to regulate technology quickly enough

• The simple changes we can make today to take back control of our attention

Professor Livingstone’s message is ultimately simple: technology should be a tool that helps us live the life we choose.

It should not choose that life for us.

Buy Prof Livingstone books:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B001HP4N1E/

Follow Prof Livingstone:

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sonia-livingstone-6b0b8712

https://www.lse.ac.uk/people/sonia-livingstone

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #Livingstone #Professor #BigTech #DigitalWellbeing #TechRegulation #MediaLiteracy #LSE #SiliconValley #MentalHealth #Technology #SocialMedia #Automation #DigitalAge

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Most people believe they should have figured their life out by 30.

Simon Woodroffe says he was lost, nearly out of money and 47 when he opened YO! Sushi. He explains why boldness matters more than following the perfect plan, and why some of the greatest opportunities appear when you ignore how an industry tells you things should be done.

Simon Woodroffe is an entrepreneur, the founder of YO! Sushi and YOTEL, one of the original Dragons on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, and the author of Yo! Man. YO! Sushi grew from one unconventional Soho restaurant into an international brand, while YOTEL expanded from a small airport hotel prototype into a global hospitality business.

He explains:

• Why starting YO! Sushi at 47 proves that you are never too late to build something significant
• How he opened a £1 million restaurant with only a fraction of the money he needed and had queues within one week
• Why being bold, different and occasionally outrageous can become your greatest competitive advantage
• Why founders must eventually give up control and trust other people if they want the business to scale
• Why he believes businesses should be built with an eventual sale in mind
• How childhood loneliness, prison at 17, imposter syndrome and an “I’ll show them” mentality fuelled his success

The views expressed are those of the guest, and this conversation is intended for general informational purposes only.

This podcast and its associated materials should not be used as a substitute for professional financial, legal, business, health or other specialist advice.

Follow Simon: ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Website⁠

Buy Simon’s book: ⁠Yo! Man⁠

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #SimonWoodroffe #YoSushi #YOTEL #Entrepreneur #HospitalityIndustry #BusinessWisdom #ThailandLife #FounderStories #StartupAdvice #LifeAfterSuccess

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Most people blame their phone for destroying their attention. Nir Eyal says the phone is often only the outlet, that 90% of distraction begins with something happening inside us, and that the real solution is not deleting every app but learning to manage discomfort, plan our time and challenge the beliefs keeping us stuck.

Nir Eyal is a behavioural design expert, former lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, and the author of Hooked, Indistractable and Beyond Belief.

He first revealed the psychology companies use to create habit-forming products, before developing a practical system to help people reclaim their attention and follow through on what they intend to do.

He explains:

◼ Why your phone is probably not the real reason you cannot focus

◼ Why boredom, anxiety, loneliness, fatigue and uncertainty drive most distraction

◼ The four-step system for taking back control of your attention

◼ Why traditional to-do lists can make you feel busy, unsuccessful and incapable of managing your time

◼ Why emails and other work-related tasks can become distractions disguised as productivity

◼ How the beliefs and labels you repeat can change what you see, how you behave and what you believe you are capable of achieving

The views expressed are those of the guest, and this conversation is intended for general informational purposes only. This podcast and its associated materials should not be used as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, legal, financial or other specialist advice.

Follow Nir:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/

https://www.instagram.com/nireyal/

https://www.youtube.com/user/nirandfar

https://www.nirandfar.com/

Buy Nir's books:

https://amzn.to/44ZoL6q

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #NirEyal #Distraction #PhoneAddiction #BehavioralPsychology #Focus #Productivity #Habits #DigitalWellness #MentalHealth

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Food is supposed to nourish us. So why has eating become a source of guilt, anxiety, confusion and control?

Emily English is one of the world’s leading nutritionists, a bestselling author, entrepreneur and one of the most influential voices in modern healthy eating.

Known to millions as Em The Nutritionist, she has built a global community by making healthy food feel simple, joyful and realistic. She is also the founder of Epitome, a science-led gut health brand, and the author of So Good, Live to Eat and her latest book created for people who want nutritious food without spending hours in the kitchen.

But Emily’s mission began with her own painful relationship with food. After being scouted as a model at 17, one comment about her body led her into a cycle of restriction, obsessive exercise and fear around eating.

She explains:

◼️ Why diets work temporarily but almost always fail in the long term

◼️ Why some people cannot stop thinking about food

◼️ How childhood experiences silently shape the way you eat as an adult

◼️ Why trying to look healthy can make you physically and mentally unhealthy

◼️ The nutrition trends and online advice she believes people should stop following

◼️ Why healthy people may not need continuous glucose monitors

◼️ How stress, anxiety and the speed at which you eat can affect your gut

◼️ Why some people feel bloated after eating foods that are supposed to be healthy

◼️ The truth about carbohydrates, sugar, fruit, ultra-processed food and blood glucose spikes

◼️ Why intuitive eating does not work for everyone

◼️ How to enjoy pizza, pasta, chocolate and restaurants without guilt

◼️ What your gut microbiome has to do with your skin, brain, hormones and immune system

◼️ Why people pleasing contributed to Emily’s eating disorder and later business burnout

◼️ How she recovered after a business failure, betrayal and mental breakdown

◼️ What it really takes to create nutrition habits that last for life

Follow Em:

https://www.instagram.com/emthenutritionist/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCidIG-H2gxf9Wkf30z3aSaA

https://www.facebook.com/emthenutritionist/

https://www.emilyenglish.com/

Buy Em's books:

https://amzn.to/4vO2tzA

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #EmilyEnglish #Nutritionist #HealthyEating #FoodRelationship #DietCulture #Wellness #BlueZones #BodyImage #NutritionTips #HealthPodcast #MindfulEating #FoodIsCulture

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Depression is not always sadness.

Feeling numb, disconnected and trapped inside your own mind is the warning sign.

Dr Rosalind Watts is one of the world’s leading clinical psychologists and researchers in psychedelic therapy, depression and human connectedness. At Imperial College London, she worked on one of the pioneering clinical trials investigating psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, as a treatment for people living with treatment-resistant depression.

She is the creator of the Connectedness Scale, now used in psychedelic research around the world, and the founder of ACER, a therapeutic community designed to help people turn temporary psychological breakthroughs into lasting change.

She explains:

◼️ Why depression often feels like numbness rather than sadness

◼️ How modern life, loneliness and excessive screen time are disconnecting us from ourselves and each other

◼️ What psychedelic therapy really does to the mind and why some patients felt alive again after years of depression

◼️ Why psychedelics are not a miracle cure and can become dangerous in the wrong environment

◼️ What people must do after a psychedelic experience to prevent the old patterns from returning

◼️ Why antidepressants help some people but leave others feeling emotionally numb

◼️ How trapped emotions, trauma and the need for control can keep people psychologically stuck

◼️ Why friendship, community and nature may be among the most powerful forms of medicine

◼️ The ACER framework for accepting your emotions and reconnecting with your body, other people and the world

◼️ Why learning to feel your pain may be the beginning of feeling alive again

Follow Dr. Watts:

http://instagram.com/acerintegration

https://medium.com/@UCesynUk4Pi__QGy1SnW92_A

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosalind-watts-89527660/

https://twitter.com/drrosalindwatts

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #DrRosalindWatts #Psychedelics #Psilocybin #MagicMushrooms #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #AlcoholFree #PlantMedicine #Neurogenesis #PsychedelicResearch #SoberCurious #Wellness #Microdosing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people wait until they feel ready.

Andrea Thompson built her career by doing the opposite.

In this episode, Alberto sits down with Andrea Thompson, former Editor in Chief of Marie Claire UK, award-winning journalist, investigative reporter, and one of the most influential women in British media.

Andrea grew up in a home where politics, current affairs, race, representation, and social justice were part of everyday conversation. From a young age, she wanted to tell stories that mattered, especially the stories that were not being told.

Her career took her across some of the biggest names in British media, from newspapers and magazines to television. She worked undercover, investigated exploitation, reported on child labour, and exposed difficult truths in industries where power often protected itself.

Then came the role she had wanted since university: Editor in Chief of Marie Claire.

But when the dream job arrived, it came with redundancy, grief, pressure, digital transformation, and eventually lockdown.

Andrea had to rebuild Marie Claire as a digital-first brand while leading a small team, protecting the values of a legacy publication, raising two children, and carrying the loneliness that often comes with leadership.

In this conversation, Andrea opens up about ambition, risk, failure, media ethics, motherhood, leadership, representation, power, the changing role of journalism, and why doing things that scare you may be the only way to grow.

This episode is for anyone who has ever wanted to take a bigger step in life, but did not feel ready.

It is for anyone who has ever achieved the thing they wanted, only to realise the pressure was bigger than they expected.

And it is for anyone who needs the reminder that nobody is an overnight success.

You will learn:

• Why Andrea wanted to become a journalist from a young age.
• What undercover journalism taught her about people, power, and exploitation.
• Why the media’s treatment of women has changed so dramatically over the past 20 years.
• What it really felt like to become Editor in Chief of Marie Claire.
• Why the dream job can still be the hardest job.
• How she rebuilt a legacy magazine for the digital age.
• Why leadership can be deeply lonely.
• Why women have been taught to feel uncomfortable with ambition.
• What it takes to balance motherhood, career, pressure, and purpose.
• Why nobody is truly an overnight success.
• Why Andrea believes we should all do something that scares us regularly.

Follow Andrea:

⁠Instagram

⁠⁠Website⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #AndreaThompson #MarieClaire #FashionJournalism #EditorInChief #CareerGoals #Manifestation #WomenInMedia #JournalismCareer #FashionMagazine #MediaCareer #DreamJob

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You are not lazy.

You are not broken.

And you are not just tired.

This week Alberto sat down with Dr Florence Comite, Yale and NIH-trained endocrinologist, precision medicine expert, best selling author of Invincible, and one of the global leading voices in personalised health, hormones, metabolism, and longevity.

Dr Florence explains why the body can begin changing under the surface much earlier than most people realise. For many people, the first signs are not dramatic disease symptoms. They are the quiet changes we often ignore: low energy, brain fog, poor sleep, weight gain around the middle, lower libido, slower recovery, cravings, muscle loss, painful or irregular cycles, and feeling like the same habits no longer work.

In this conversation, Dr Florence explains why age 30 can become an important biological turning point, why hormones act as messengers across the body, why sleep is one of the most powerful tools for health, and why the future of medicine should be proactive, personalised, and based on understanding your own data before disease appears.

This episode is not about chasing perfection.

It is about learning how your body works, recognising the early signs that something may be off, and taking small, consistent steps that can change the direction of your health.

You will learn

• Why your body can start changing under the surface around your 30s.

• Why feeling tired, foggy, low libido, or “off” may be a sign your hormones and metabolism need attention.

• What hormones actually are, explained in simple terms.

• Why sleep is one of the most important foundations for longevity, energy, hormones, and recovery.

• How poor sleep can affect hunger, cravings, sugar, cortisol, testosterone, and metabolic health.

• Why muscle is one of the most important organs of longevity.

• Why resistance training matters for both men and women as they age.

• How sugar, alcohol, stress, processed food, and poor sleep affect your body.

• Why some people do well with fasting and others should avoid it.

• What women need to know about periods, PCOS, painful cycles, birth control, fertility, perimenopause, and menopause.

• What men need to know about testosterone, energy, libido, muscle, ageing, and andropause.

• Why identical twins can age differently despite sharing the same DNA.

• Why your genes are not your destiny, and how lifestyle can influence how they express themselves.

• Why AI and social media health advice should be approached with caution.

• The simple baby steps Dr Florence recommends for taking ownership of your future health.

This conversation is for anyone who wants to understand their body before something goes wrong.

It is for anyone who feels tired, foggy, older than they should, or confused by conflicting health advice online.

And it is for anyone who wants to live longer, feel stronger, and stay healthier for as much of life as possible.

Follow Dr. Florence:

https://florencecomite.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drflorencecomite

https://www.comitemd.com/

Order Dr Florence book:

https://amzn.to/4gzaTqH

#DrFlorenceComite #ThrivingMinds #Longevity #HealthyLongevity #HormoneHealth #HormoneBalance #BiologicalAge #ReverseAging #PrecisionMedicine #Biomarkers #Metabolism #Healthspan #AntiAging #SleepHealth #DeepSleep #BloodSugar #InsulinResistance #IntermittentFasting #Menopause #Perimenopause #Testosterone #PCOS #WomensHealth #MensHealth #Epigenetics

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people saw the campaign.

Very few saw the years he almost gave up.

This week Alberto sat down with David Gandy, the world’s most recognisable male model, entrepreneur, founder of David Gandy Wellwear, and one of the defining figures in modern masculine style.

David became globally recognised through the iconic Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue campaign, a moment that helped redefine male beauty and turned him into one of the most recognisable faces in fashion. But before that breakthrough, there were years of rejection, uncertainty, lonely hotel rooms, cancelled campaigns, and moments where he questioned whether he should keep going.

In this conversation, David opens up about what it really took to survive 25 years at the highest level of fashion. He explains why he never fitted the industry standard at the beginning, why he refused to shrink himself to become what everyone else wanted, and how the very thing that made him different eventually became the thing that made him stand out.

But this episode is not just about modelling.

It is about success, identity, masculinity, fatherhood, entrepreneurship, failure, loyalty, and what happens when the image people know becomes separate from the person you really are.

You will learn:

• Why David felt like the odd one out when he first entered the modelling industry.
• How he dealt with rejection, uncertainty, and the years before his breakthrough.
• Why the Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue campaign changed his life almost overnight.
• Why becoming recognised was not enough, and why he then had to build the David Gandy name.
• Why loyalty, saying no, and long-term relationships helped him build a 25-year career.
• Why fashion brands fail more often than people realise.
• What he learned from building David Gandy Wellwear and returning to M&S.
• Why success, money, fame, and looks do not automatically create happiness.
• How men are struggling with body image, identity, confidence, and modern masculinity.
• Why perseverance, humility, and helping others matter more than believing your own hype.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like they did not fit in, chased success thinking it would finally make them enough, or tried to build something meaningful after a difficult chapter.

It is a rare look behind the image, behind the brand, and behind one of the most recognisable men in fashion.

Follow David:

https://www.instagram.com/davidgandy_official/

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDavidGandy/

https://twitter.com/DGandyOfficial

https://www.davidgandywellwear.com/

https://www.instagram.com/davidgandywellwear/

https://tiktok.com/ ⁨@davidgandywellwear⁩ 

https://www.facebook.com/davidgandywellwear/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/DavidGandyWellwear/

#DavidGandy #Entrepreneur #ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #FashionIndustry

#BusinessFailure #MaleModel #BrandBuilding #Perseverance #RetailBusiness

#FashionBrand #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #SuccessMindset #CareerReinvention

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if everything you believe about yourself is just a story your brain made up?

In this powerful episode, world-renowned therapist Marisa Peer reveals the shocking truth about how your mind works against you and exactly how to take back control.

Having spoken at Google, trained thousands of therapists worldwide, and helped countless clients transform their lives, Marisa shares the mindset secrets that took her from deeply insecure child to global authority on the human mind.

Marisa Peer is a bestselling author, motivational speaker, and the creator of Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT). She has spent over three decades working with royalty, rock stars, Olympic athletes, CEOs, and Hollywood actors.

Her TED talks have been viewed millions of times, and she regularly speaks at major corporations including Google.

In this conversation with Alberto Zandi, Marisa reveals:

• Why your brain is a "proof-making robot" that will confirm whatever you tell it
• The exact words you should say to yourself to rewire anxiety into confidence- How she overcame crippling insecurity to become a world-renowned speaker
• Why most people never upgrade the most important software they own: their brain
• The truth about neuroplasticity and why you can change at any age- Her relationship rules after 16 years of marriage while traveling the world
• Why happiness and confidence are choices you make daily through words and mental images

Whether you struggle with self-doubt, anxiety, or simply want to understand how your mind really works, this episode will fundamentally change how you think about yourself.

Subscribe to Thriving Minds for weekly conversations with world-class experts helping you unlock the best version of yourself.

Follow Marisa Peer:

⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/MarisaPeer1⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/marisapeertherapy/⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/marisa.peer.therapy/⁠

⁠https://twitter.com/MarisaPeerWatch/⁠

Listen to Marisa Peer:

⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/master-your-mind-with-marisa/id1548923376⁠

⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6aV9RHIrYLRcvFgwAAsypJ?nd=1⁠

Get Marisa Peer's Books:

⁠https://amzn.to/43ISIqL⁠

#MarisaPeer #Therapist #MindsetCoach #BrainScience #Neuroplasticity #Confidence #SelfBelief #MentalHealth #PersonalGrowth #RTT #ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She cried every single day in the school playground.

Now her jeans are worn by celebrities and royalty, including Kate Middleton.

This week Alberto sat down with Donna Ida Thornton, founder of Donna Ida, known in the fashion industry as the Jean Queen, and one of the most distinctive voices in British fashion, to unpack what it really takes to build a brand that lasts for 20 years.

Donna shares how she grew up in Australia, struggled deeply with school, left at 16, worked multiple jobs, saved everything she could, and eventually moved to London to build a life that felt like her own.

But her story is not just about fashion.

It is about resilience, reinvention, instinct, customer connection, and learning how to keep going when business becomes difficult.

Before Donna Ida became one of Britain’s most respected denim brands, Donna worked in secretarial jobs, waitressed at night, took calls at Domino’s Pizza, fought to stay in the UK, and built the business from the ground up without waiting for permission.

In this conversation, Donna explains why fashion and food are two of the hardest industries to survive, why even the most successful entrepreneurs struggle behind the glossy exterior, why vulnerability is not weakness, and why the best founders learn to listen to their gut, ask for what they want, and bet on themselves always.

You will learn:

• How Donna went from crying every day in the school playground to building one of Britain’s most respected denim brands.

• Why childhood anxiety can become the foundation for resilience, independence, and entrepreneurial strength.

• What it really takes to survive in one of the hardest industries in the world.

• Why you should not wait for the perfect idea, the perfect moment, or someone else’s permission.

• How Donna built her brand from a multi brand denim boutique into her own fashion label.

• Why asking is one of the most underrated skills in business.

• Why founders need to stop looking side to side and start trusting their own path.

• How to build a business around customer connection, personal identity, instinct, and consistency.

• Why real success is not about the glossy exterior, but about freedom, family, resilience, and building a life that feels like yours.

This conversation strips away the polished version of entrepreneurship and reveals what it really takes to survive, adapt, and build something that lasts.

Follow Dona:

https://www.youtube.com/c/donnaida

https://www.instagram.com/donnaidadenim/

https://www.facebook.com/donnaidadenim/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/DonnaIdaDenim/_shop/

https://twitter.com/donnaidadenim

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #DonnaIda #FashionEntrepreneur #BusinessResilience #Entrepreneurship #FashionIndustry #WomenInBusiness #StartupLife #EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessStruggles #PersonalGrowth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alberto sat down with Sarah Ann Macklin, nutritionist, best selling author of Health Shouldn’t Be This Hard, founder of the not for profit organisation Be Well Collective, host of Live Well Be Well, and one of the leading voices connecting nutrition, mental health, self compassion, and the mind body relationship.

Sarah shares how she started modelling at 16, built a successful international career, and appeared to have everything society tells us should make us happy: success, beauty, social status, financial reward, and external validation. But behind the polished image, her body was sending warning signs she kept ignoring. Anxiety, exhaustion, illness, stomach problems, burnout, and eventually a hospitalisation became the turning point that forced her to rebuild her relationship with health from the inside out.

In this conversation, Sarah explains why health has become so unnecessarily complicated, why the wellness industry often sells fear instead of real wellbeing, why diets rarely work long term, why the “perfect” body does not always mean a healthy body, and why self compassion may be one of the most important foundations for long term physical and mental health.

You Will Learn

• Why health should not feel as hard, confusing, or exhausting as it often does.
• How Sarah’s modelling career led to burnout, hospitalisation, and a complete career change.
• Why your mindset can change the way your body responds to food, hunger, stress, and health choices.
• Why diets often work short term but fail long term, and what to focus on instead.
• How self compassion, self worth, and emotional awareness shape your physical health.
• Why supplements, fasting, protein shakes, electrolytes, sugar, alcohol, and ultra processed foods need more nuance than social media usually allows.
• How to build a healthier relationship with your body, your food, your thoughts, and yourself.

Buy Sarah's best seller, Healthy Shouldn't Be This Hard:

https://amzn.to/3ROhnr9

Follow Sarah:

https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin

https://youtube.com/@UCASEE6WVp31E3FNeM-Mk_bw

https://www.facebook.com/SarahAnnOfficial/

https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast

https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #SarahAnnMacklin #NutritionalScientist #WellnessIndustry #HealthAdvice #MentalHealth #BodyImage #NutritionScience #HealthyLiving #WellnessCulture #PersonalGrowth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alberto sat down with Adam Byatt, the Celebrity and Michelin starred chef, restaurateur, founder of Trinity, and one of the most respected figures in British hospitality, to unpack what it really takes to build a restaurant that lasts and succeeds for 20 years.

Adam shares how he grew up in a working class family in Essex, found food as a way into a bigger world, trained at Claridge’s (London’s most famous 5 star hotel) from the age of 15, cooked at The Square during one of London’s most exciting food eras, and eventually opened his own restaurants. But his story is not a straight line. Before Trinity became one of UK’s most respected restaurants, Adam experienced huge early success, then painful failure, financial pressure, loneliness, and the responsibility of having to rebuild with a young family depending on him.

In this conversation, Adam explains why hard work is more uncomfortable than most people realise, why failure can become one of the most important ingredients in long term success, why restaurants only last when they become part of a community, and why the best leaders eventually have to drop their ego, empower younger people, and build something bigger than themselves.

You will learn

• How Adam went from a working class childhood in Essex to becoming one of the UK’s most respected chefs.
• Why his early restaurant failure became essential to his long term success.
• What it really takes to build a restaurant that lasts & succeeds for 20 years.
• Why hard work is more uncomfortable than most people are willing to accept.
• How to build a successful business around people, community, standards, and consistency.
• Why Adam believes the journey matters more than the exit.

Follow Adam:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4tQodst5JD0nHzD5VX0OAA

https://www.instagram.com/adambyatt

https://www.tiktok.com/@chefadambyatt

https://www.facebook.com/AdamByattChef

https://trinityrestaurant.co.uk/

#mindset #thrivingminds #AlbertoZandi #AdamByatt #MichelinChef #TrinityRestaurant #Claridges #ChefLife #RestaurantBusiness #HospitalityIndustry #LondonChef #Entrepreneurship #FineDining #CulinaryJourney

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alberto sat down with Professor Jane Ogden, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Surrey and one of the leading voices on eating behaviour, food psychology, body image, dieting, and the relationship between the mind and body.

In this conversation, Professor Ogden explains why our relationship with food is never just about food. She explores how childhood, family scripts, emotional hunger, body image, dieting culture, social media, stress, and the people around us can shape the way we eat and how we feel about ourselves. She also explains why food can become a problem when it starts taking up too much space in your mind, and why trying too hard to be healthy can sometimes become unhealthy.

You will learn

• Why food can become emotionally loaded and take up too much space in your mind

• How to tell when your relationship with food may be becoming unhealthy

• Why emotional hunger and physical hunger can be difficult to separate

• How childhood, parents, reward, punishment, and family habits shape your eating behaviour

• Why dieting, cheat meals, food rules, and cutting out food groups can create guilt, shame, and obsession

• How to build a healthier, kinder, and more sustainable relationship with food with 6 tools

Follow Professor Ogden:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-ogden-3328504b/

Get Professor's Ogden Book, How to Eat Well at Every Age: https://amzn.to/4fixJSP

#podcast #entrepreneur #mindset #motivation #leadership #success #selfimprovement #personaldevelopment #business #growthmindset #productivity #highperformance #communication #lifeadvice #inspiration

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alberto sat down with Richard Harpin, the founder of HomeServe, investor, and author of How To Make A Billion In Nine Steps, to unpack the practical framework behind building a business that sold for $5.6 billion.

Richard’s story challenges one of the biggest myths about entrepreneurship: that you need a completely unique idea to build something great. He explains why copying and improving can be more powerful than inventing, why founders should stay small until they prove the model, why focus matters more than endless new ideas, and why hiring your replacement can be one of the most important decisions a founder ever makes.

He also shares the nine steps he believes helped build a billion dollar business, from copying and improving existing ideas, to testing before scaling, finding the right investor, hiring better people, expanding internationally, staying focused, and developing the character needed to survive the journey.

You will learn

• The 9 steps Richard created to help founders build a billion dollar business

• Why you do not need a completely unique idea to build something great

• How copying, improving, testing, and learning can create a stronger business model

• Why founders should stay small until they have proved the model works

• Why hiring your replacement can help your business scale faster

• How focus, discipline, resilience, and self belief helped Richard build and sell HomeServe for $5.6 billion

• What a billion dollar exit actually feels like, and what success and money do not solve

Follow Sir Richard Harpin:

https://www.instagram.com/richard_harpin/

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rharpin

https://www.facebook.com/harpinr/

https://twitter.com/richard_harpin

Buy Sir Richard's Book - How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps:

https://amzn.to/3R2cFpu

#thrivingminds #RichardHarpin #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #StartupAdvice #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #FounderMindset #Success #PersonalGrowth #Investing #ScalingUp #Motivation #HomeServe #EntrepreneurLife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alberto sat down with Dr Chloe Paidoussis Mitchell, the world renowned Chartered Counselling Psychologist, grief and trauma specialist, and best selling author of The Loss Prescription, to unpack what grief really is, what it does to the brain and body, and why so many people feel like they are grieving in the wrong way when they are not.

In this conversation, Dr Chloe explains why grief is not just emotional pain but a full mind, body, and identity experience, why sudden loss can dysregulate the nervous system, why denial can be a normal early response, and why people do not move through grief in neat stages. She also explores bereavement, relationship loss, trauma, family grief, delayed grief, and the difference between suppressing pain and actually healing through it.

You will learn

• What grief actually is, beyond the clichés people are usually told

• Why grief affects the brain, body, nervous system, and identity, not just emotions

• Why there is no single right way to grieve, and why people in the same family can grieve very differently

• What denial, numbness, anger, guilt, and delayed grief can really mean

• What helps in the first days after a loss, and what makes grief harder in the long term

• Techniques to heal healthy in the long term

• How to support someone who is grieving without trying to fix or rush them

Follow Dr. Chloe:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-chloe-paidoussis-mitchell-cpsychol-dcpsych-afbpss-69809b30/

https://www.instagram.com/dr.chloe.paidoussis.mitchell/

Buy Dr. Chloe's book:

https://amzn.to/4dlgy1j

#grief #mentalhealth #healing #selfawareness #trauma #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #psychology #copingwithloss #healingjourney

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alberto sat down with Viviane Paxinos, former Warner Bros Vice President, former AllBright CEO, and one of the most accomplished growth and transformation executives in media and digital, to unpack a career built on ambition, reinvention, resilience, and the courage to keep moving when things do not go to plan.

Viviane shares how she grew up in a Greek immigrant family in Canada, moved to London on her own, built a remarkable career across Viacom and MTV, BBC Worldwide, A+E Networks, Warner Bros Discovery, UNiDAYS, and AllBright, and then faced one of the hardest leadership chapters of her life under public scrutiny.

In this conversation, she speaks openly about ambition, burnout, public failure, identity, leadership shame, female leadership, fundraising, resilience, and what it really takes to rebuild yourself personally and professionally when a business goes through a painful transformation.

You will learn

• How to build a career across media, tech, and leadership without having everything planned from the start

• What Viviene learned from leading global businesses through growth, transformation, and public failure

• Why women often internalize business struggles more personally, and how to stop doing it

• How to adapt to new industries quickly, even when you are not the obvious expert in the room

• Why success, identity, and self worth should never be tied tightly to your title

• The habits and mindset shifts that helped Viviane recover from stress, burnout, and intense professional pressure

Follow Viviane:

https://www.instagram.com/viv_paxinos/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/viviane-paxinos-378a513/

#podcast #entrepreneurship #leadership #personalgrowth #business #mindset #resilience #womeninbusiness #careeradvice #startup #wellness #storytelling #thrivingminds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alberto sat down with Richard Mullender, the renowned former hostage negotiator and communication expert, to unpack what communication really is, why most people do it badly, and how better listening can transform negotiation, trust, persuasion, leadership, and relationships.

Richard spent decades in policing, with the final part of his career leading Scotland Yard's hostage and crisis negotiation, where the stakes were often life and death. In this conversation, he explains why negotiation is not really about talking more or sounding clever, but about understanding what the other person values, what they are feeling, what they are motivated by, and why they believe they are right.

He challenges some of the most common myths people still believe, including the idea that body language can reliably reveal truth, that asking more questions automatically makes you a better listener, and that great negotiation starts when the formal negotiation begins. According to Richard, trust starts much earlier, and the people who influence best are often the people who understand best.

You will learn

• Why most people think they are listening, but are actually just waiting to talk
• Why body language can mislead you, and what to focus on instead
• How trust is built before a negotiation even begins
• The six things Richard says you should listen for in every important conversation
• Why everyone believes they are right, and how understanding that changes everything
• How to negotiate better at work, at home, and in high pressure situations

Follow Richard & The Listening Institute:

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-mullender-1b427910/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-listening-institute/⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/listeninginstitute/⁠

⁠https://listeninginstitute.com/richard-mullender/⁠

Get Richard's books: ⁠Amazon⁠

#podcast #negotiation #listening #communication #mindset #selfimprovement #thrivingmindspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alberto sat down with Oliver Cookson, the renowned founder of Myprotein, the world’s #1 supplement brand, serial entrepreneur, author, and one of the UK’s most compelling self-made business builders, to unpack how he went from humble beginnings in Manchester to building one of the most recognised names in sports nutrition.

Oliver’s story breaks almost every rule people think success requires. He did not go to university, did not raise outside funding, and did not build Myprotein with a polished business plan or a big support network. He started with a £500 overdraft, built the first products himself, packed orders around a full-time job, and slowly turned a kitchen operation into a global business.

In this conversation, Oliver explains how curiosity first led him to question what was really inside protein powder, why he believed he could build and sell a better version online, and how obsessive execution, discipline, and self-belief became the foundation of everything that followed.

He also shares the reality of scaling without investors, the importance of hiring people who cover your weaknesses, the emotional toughness required to keep going, and why entrepreneurship is often far lonelier than people realise.

You will learn

• How Oliver built Myprotein from a £500 overdraft, with no degree, no investors, and no safety net
• Why execution matters more than credentials, and how to start before you feel ready
• How to scale a consumer business through lean cash flow, referrals, and smart direct-to-consumer marketing
• What great hiring really looks like, and why your senior team should cover your weaknesses
• Why entrepreneurship is mentally hard, emotionally lonely, and still worth it if the mission is real
• What money does and does not solve, after building and selling major businesses

Follow Oliver:

IG: ⁠mrolivercookson⁠

X: ⁠olivercookson⁠

Buy Oliver's book:

⁠Bootstrap Your Life: How to Turn £500 into £350 Million⁠

#entrepreneurship #businessstory #startupjourney #founderstory #mindset #selfgrowth #successmindset #motivation #myprotein #businesstips #hustle #resilience #podcastclips #growthmindset #startupadvice #myprotein

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alberto sat down with Georgie Coleridge Cole, the renowned founder and CEO of SheerLuxe, one of the UK’s most influential digital media brands, to unpack the real story behind building a business that shaped modern online publishing and recently reached a major acquisition milestone.

Georgie started SheerLuxe in 2007, after spotting a clear gap in the market, a trusted destination that could help people discover the best places to shop online at a time when ecommerce was still in its early stages.

What began as a simple but sharp idea evolved into a powerful modern media brand built on great content, trusted voices, first party audience, and commercial discipline.

In this conversation, Georgie shares the full journey, from her early ambition and fascination with working women, to writing the business plan with her husband, raising a relatively small amount of capital, building the first version of the platform, and learning how to not only survive but thrive through nearly two decades of change in digital media.

She explains why great businesses are built through constant adaptation, why curiosity is one of the most underrated entrepreneurial traits, and why content, people, and audience became the three pillars behind SheerLuxe success.

You will learn:

• How Georgie turned a simple market insight into one of the UK’s most recognised lifestyle media brands

• Why content, people, and audience became the core pillars of SheerLuxe’s growth

• How to build an audience, why trust is the most valuable asset in media and how to build it

• What great hiring and team building really looks like inside a fast moving founder led company

• What it feels like to sell a business for millions and millions

• Why commercial savvy is one of the most important life skills, whether you are an entrepreneur or not and how to craft it

Follow Georgie

https://www.instagram.com/gcoleridgecole/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiecoleridgecole/

Follow SheerLuxe

http://www.youtube.com/@sheerluxe

https://www.instagram.com/sheerluxe/

https://www.tiktok.com/@sheerluxe

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#podcast #entrepreneurship #startupstory #businessjourney #founderstory #ecommerce #contentstrategy #mindset #workethic #leadership #thrivingminds

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This week Alberto sat down with Dr Tim Spector, a world leading gut health expert, medical doctor, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, bestselling author, and co founder of #ZOE.

In this conversation, Dr Spector explains why the gut microbiome is one of the most important control systems in the human body, shaping metabolism, immunity, mood, cravings, inflammation, and even the way the brain functions.

He breaks down complex science in a way anyone can understand, and challenges some of the biggest assumptions people still have about food, calories, supplements, protein, fasting, and weight loss.

This episode is one of the clearest and most practical conversations you can watch if you want to understand what to eat, what to avoid, and how to build a healthier body and mind through better everyday decisions.

You will learn

• Why calories do not tell the full story, and why two people can eat the same food and have completely different responses

• What the gut microbiome actually is, and how it affects your brain, immune system, weight, mood, and energy

• How to identify the foods that are quietly driving inflammation, hunger, and overeating

• Why ultra processed foods are designed to make you eat more, and how to spot the worst offenders

• What a healthy day of eating should really look like, from plants and fermented foods to protein and meal timing

• The truths about keto, fasting, creatine, alcohol, supplements, and Ozempic

Follow Dr. Spector:

https://www.instagram.com/tim.spector/

https://twitter.com/timspector

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timspector/

Dr. Spector Books:

https://amzn.to/4m1KJND

Follow ZOE:

https://www.youtube.com/c/ZOE-health

https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

https://www.facebook.com/joinzoe1/

https://www.tiktok.com/@join_zoe

https://zoe.com/zoeverse

#GutHealth #Microbiome #Nutrition #HealthyEating #Wellness #TimSpector #Podcast #HealthScience #FoodMatters #ZOE #thrivingminds

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.