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Complicated Locks, Simple Keys with Sam Smith | EP177

June 2, 2026 · 56 min

Show notes

This week Mark McCartney sits down with Sam Smith. Sam sees life as a big old experiment. He used to play professional rugby, before starting a few businesses. Now he spends his time speaking to people, writing and loving his family. Last year he wrote his first book, The Door Was Never Locked. His latest project with his friend Garth, Conscious Soup launches soon, it's a Living Experiment. They aren't sure what that means yet.


In this conversation, Sam opens up about the moment he retired from rugby at 26 and collapsed on a bathroom floor crying, escaping this transition with work and alcohol, and how a simple repeated gesture from a coach changed the entire direction of his life.

We explore identity, the stories we carry without questioning, what it really means to lead as a human, and why a good life for him is wanting all of it - even the hard parts. If you are navigating any big life transitions right now, this conversation may be particularly helpful.


For more from Sam Smith:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conscious-soup-studio/
You can grab a copy of his book: https://amzn.eu/d/07QwCqFQ

And he'd love to hear from you: [email protected]
Check out Sam’s next project with Conscious Soup here: www.conscioussoup.com


For more from Mark McCartney:
Newsletter: https://www.whatisagoodlife.com/
Website: https://www.mmcleadership.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife

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