Playing The Inner Game

#58 Michael Campion - How Great Leaders Communicate Their Way to the Top

Tue, 26 May 2026 16:00:00 +0800

I grew up shy, introverted, and terrified of public speaking.

A bookworm in Hong Kong. A wallflower who couldn’t hold a room. A kid who went into investment banking because that’s where smart people were supposed to go, not because it was right for me.

So I walked away.

Professional football. BBC radio. The Premier League. A microphone. A stage.

And somewhere along the way, the worst public speaker in the room became one of the most sought-after communication coaches in the world.

But here’s what I’ll tell you: it wasn’t talent. It was never talent.

It was one conversation with a stranger every single day, for years.

What I discovered through football, banking, 15 years on stage, and six years coaching some of the most senior executives on the planet is this: communication is not a gift. It is a skill. And most leaders are operating at seven out of ten of their potential without even realizing it.

The expertise is there. The knowledge is there. The years of experience are there.

But if you can’t make people feel something, none of it lands.

I sat down with Nick Day, CEO of JGA Recruitment Group and host of the HR L&D Podcast, for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations I’ve had on communication, leadership, and influence.

We go deep on public speaking, the art of listening, why preparation is the only thing that separates great communicators from average ones, and why in a world flooded with AI-generated content, the human touch has never been more valuable.

Nick and I unpack the real reason most presentations fail, why following your passion is terrible career advice, what every great leader he’s ever interviewed has in common, and the one question you should ask before you build your next deck.

This is one of the most practical and honest conversations I’ve been part of on communication and leadership.

I hope it changes the way you speak.

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/
This episode is from the HR L&D Podcast hosted by Nick Day.
Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/
Learn more about JGA Recruitment Group: https://jgarecruitment.com/

I’m a Hong Kong-born, UK-based professional speaker, executive coach, and corporate trainer with over 15 years of experience on the global stage. Before stepping into this world, I worked in investment banking and played professional football, representing the Hong Kong national team and competing in the Premier League.

Today, I help senior leaders and high-performing teams unlock their communication potential. I’m also a Partner and Head of Corporate Training at Quinlan and Associates, working with organizations across Hong Kong, Singapore, London, and the Middle East.
My one-line thesis is simple: talent is practice in disguise.

(00:00) Why Communication Is the Skill Every Leader Is Missing
(01:26) Human First, Not Resource First
(02:23) From Banking to Professional Football, Michael's Story
(07:56) Talent Is Practice in Disguise
(09:35) Curiosity Beats Chasing Passion
(15:58) The Communication Gap Most HR Leaders Don't Know They Have
(21:07) Preparation Is the Only Thing That Earns Confidence
(23:41) The Art of Listening on Stage
(40:09) AI and the Rising Value of Human Connection
(44:38) Design Emotion, Not Slides

#57 Philipp Knuepfer - Why Experience is the New Luxury

Mon, 18 May 2026 16:00:00 +0800

Philipp Knuepfer spent 21 years mastering luxury hospitality at one of the world's most iconic hotel groups.

General Manager in Boston. Area Vice President across Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. A career built on white-glove service, five-star standards, and the kind of brand loyalty that takes decades to earn.

Then he walked away from all of it.

Not because it wasn't working. But because he could see where hospitality was going and it wasn't where most hotel groups were headed.

The traveler has changed. The expectations have changed. And the old formula marble lobbies, chandelier entrances, scripted service, brand prestige is quietly losing its grip on a new generation of guests who want something the traditional luxury hotel was never designed to give them.
Connection. Community. A reason to stay that has nothing to do with the bed.

What Philipp discovered after two decades at the top of global hospitality is this: when you turn off the light, every hotel room is the same. The room was never the product. It was always everything around it.
That insight is what led him to Sunset Hospitality Group, a 360° lifestyle company that started with beach clubs and restaurants and is now one of the most aggressive hotel brands on the planet as Chief Operating Officer of Sunset Hotels & Resorts.

Now he's building something from scratch. A global hotel brand called Mett. Thirty to forty properties over the next three to five years. Europe, Asia, the Americas. A model where guests don't just sleep in a hotel, they become part of a local community, a membership club, a wellness ecosystem, a living, breathing lifestyle experience that owns the full 24-hour cycle.

This conversation goes deep on the future of luxury hospitality, what modern travelers are really searching for, how AI fits into the human side of service, and what it takes to leave a 21-year career behind and bet on a vision.

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/
Guest - Philipp Knuepfer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-knuepfer-mba-22437014
https://www.metthotelsandresorts.com/
https://www.sunsethospitality.com/

Philipp Knuepfer is the Chief Operating Officer of Sunset Hotels & Resorts, part of Sunset Hospitality Group a global lifestyle hospitality company operating across hotels, dining, daylife, nightlife, gaming, and membership clubs in over 28 countries. With more than 20 years of experience in luxury hospitality, including senior leadership roles at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group across Asia, the US, and the Middle East, Philipp now leads the global rollout of the Met Hotel brand. He holds a hotel management degree from the International School for Hotel Business in Germany and an MBA from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

(00:00) Every Hotel Room is the Same
(01:19) What Modern Luxury Guests Actually Want
(04:42) Why Sunset Hospitality Is Betting Big on Hotels
(07:59) Where Met Hotel Is Expanding Globally
(10:30) The Wellness & Longevity Shift in Travel
(17:12) Designing Spaces for Community & Connection
(26:04) AI in Hospitality Where It Helps & Where It Stops
(32:53) How Philipp Manages a Global COO Role
(37:33) Why He Left Mandarin Oriental for Sunset
(47:09) Owning the Full 24-Hour Guest Experience

#56 Louisa Robb - Don't Fit the Institution: One Executive's Journey From Finance to Finding Her Voice

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0800

Louisa Robb grew up in a chaotic and creative household.

A dreamer father who never quite landed his visions. A mother pioneering her way through the Australian film and television industry. Dinner parties with actors. No financial safety net. No predictable path.

So she built one.

Economics degree. Hong Kong. Zurich. UBS. Managing Director. Global COO overseeing thousands of people.

She fit the institution. She wore the suit. She prepared, over-prepared, and prepared some more just to feel like she belonged at the table.

And for years, it worked.

But something kept pulling at her. The creative child who grew up watching her mother break barriers. The woman who kept asking: should we really have to earn the right to be ourselves?

What Louisa discovered after two decades at the top of global finance is this: culture is not a values poster on a wall. It is the set of behaviors people believe they must exhibit just to fit in.

And that costs everyone. Especially women.

The micro-injuries accumulate quietly. The promotions come without support. The networking happens on golf courses and in spaces that were never designed for you. And one by one, talented women disappear from the pipeline.

Louisa left banking to fix that. Not with more compliance. Not with more control. But with a mirror, a whiteboard, and tools that finally put a number on what everyone could feel but no one could prove.

This conversation goes deep on imposter syndrome, organisational culture, women in leadership, and what it really means to lead on your own terms.

One of the most honest and grounded conversations I have had on this show.

I hope it stays with you.

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Guest - Louisa Robb (https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-robb/)

Louisa Robb is the Founder and Managing Director of Lucella AG, a professional coaching and consulting firm based in Zurich, Switzerland. With over 20 years of experience as a senior executive in international finance, including roles as Managing Director and Global COO at UBS AG, she now helps organizations and leaders diagnose and shift organizational culture, develop executive capability, and unlock untapped potential. She is the creator of the Athena program, a year-long women's leadership cohort designed to help women identify who they are, what they want, and how to get it. Her tools include Human Synergistics culture measurement frameworks and the Japanese philosophy of ikigai. She works with investment banks, insurance companies, and major international organizations across Europe and beyond.

(00:00) Growing up creative in a world that rewarded conformity

(04:10) A filmmaker mother, a dreamer father, and the hunger for security

(06:41) Graduating into a recession and landing in Hong Kong

(09:07) Being the only woman on the desk and knowing when to walk

(12:37) Meeting a Swiss man on the Trans-Siberian Railway

(16:36) What it takes to rise through each stage of a finance career

(20:43) Micro-injuries and why women disappear at mid-career

(27:54) Imposter syndrome and the discipline of over-preparation

(33:46) Why she left UBS and what organizational culture really means

(37:07) The mirror: closing the gap between intent and impact

(44:35) Ikigai, the Athena program, and unlocking untapped potential

(59:34) Words to live by, life principles, and what she is most grateful for

#55 Nick Day - Are You Paying the "Fear Tax"? (The Hidden Cost of Playing It Small)

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:00:00 +0800

Nick Day was driving his car half a mile from home.

On his way to pick up his daughter.

Half a second later, everything changed and his whole life turned upside down.

The person who showed up after the accident was someone he didn't recognise. Nick, an extrovert with a theatre degree. Loud. Social. Full of life. He closed the curtains and didn't leave his house for months.

He told himself it was out of respect. But when he got really honest, it was fear.

That was the beginning.

Years of struggle followed. His daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder. His father, his hero, passed away. And through every one of those moments, fear showed up again. Different shape. Same game.

What Nick discovered is this: fear isn't the enemy. It's a signal. It points directly at the things that matter most.

And fear’s greatest disguise? Wisdom. It’s that quiet voice telling you to keep your distance. To play it safe. To play it small.

That voice isn't wisdom. That's fear in a suit.

Failure you can heal from. But regret lingers forever.

Where are you paying “The Fear Tax” in your life?

This is one of the most vulnerable and moving conversations I've ever had on this show.

I hope it resonates with you the way it did with me.

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

Guest - Nick Day (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/)

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Nick Day is the CEO and founder of JGA Recruitment Group, a B-Corp certified executive search firm specializing in Payroll and HR. An ILM Level 7 certified executive coach, author, speaker, and podcast host, he is the #1 Global Thought Leader in Payroll and one of the Top 10 HR Voices. His work focuses on the intersection of leadership, talent, mindset, and performance. Host of: The Payroll Podcast, The HR L&D Podcast, and The Mindful Paths Podcast. As the creator of The Fear Equation™ and B.O.L.D.™, he helps leaders transform fear and uncertainty into purposeful action. His book, The Payroll Pivot: From Invisibility to Influence was released in March.

(00:00) Opening proverb: the secret to lasting happiness

(02:18) The accident that changed everything

(07:05) Fear as a signal, not a stop sign

(09:37) The three-part fear equation explained

(14:50) The fear paradox and success anxiety

(21:01) The BOLD framework: a practical tool for courage

(26:52) Dealing with fear during a family crisis

(44:08) The fear tax: what inaction really costs you

(47:36) Finding joy in the struggle

(50:04) Nick's life philosophy: be more kind

(55:45) What Nick would regret most

(57:05) His father's final words: keep opening new doors

#54 Rasheed Shroff - Unlocking the Power of Authentic Communication (Entrepreneur Stories Interview)

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:00:00 +0800

I had the opportunity to sit down with Rasheed Shroff from 'Entrepreneur Stories' for a conversation about authentic communication and the leadership edge it creates.

Recorded in front of a live audience, we explored the experiences that shaped my thinking, from investment banking to professional sport, entrepreneurship to podcasting, and how each environment forced me to refine how I show up under pressure.

One of the key themes we discussed was intentionality.

At 15, I realised talent alone would never be enough.

That shift in mindset changed the trajectory of my life.

I set myself a simple target - 1 conversation with a stranger every single day.

And I've been hitting the books on communication and psychology ever since.

“It takes effort to make things look effortless”

I hope find our conversation valuable as you seek to unlock new levels within yourself

Apply to work with me: www.michaelxcampion.com

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Connect with Rasheed Shroff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasheedshroff/

Entrepreneur Stories: https://www.youtube.com/@entrepreneurstories.podcast

#53 Andrew Li - Self Worth and Self Belief

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:00:00 +0800

Andrew Li grew up feeling like an outsider.

At 12 years old, he was sent to boarding school.
Far from home. Far from family. Feeling like a fish out of water.

After graduation, reality hit fast. He couldn’t even land entry-level hotel jobs.
Not leadership roles. Basic ones.

Eventually, someone gave him a chance.

So he started at the bottom.
Making beds. Cleaning rooms. Doing the jobs nobody talks about.

No ego. Just work.

Over time, small wins stacked. Confidence grew through repetition, not shortcuts.

Years later, that same kid who felt out of place found himself leading one of the most iconic lifestyle brands in the world: Zouk Group.

From housekeeping… to the CEO’s chair.

Seriously incredible.

But success didn’t solve everything.

Imposter syndrome showed up.
Pressure multiplied.
The title got bigger, and so did the weight that came with it.

That’s when the real work began.

Separating who he is from what he does.
Learning to lead without ego.
Mastering the inner game.

Andrew’s story is a reminder that success is built quietly, long before anyone is watching.

It’s hard to beat the person who just keeps showing up.

Andrew did.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Guest - Andrew Li (https://www.instagram.com/andrew_m_li/)

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

#52 Vivian Siu - From Rock Bottom to Ivy League and the Macau Grand Prix

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:00:00 +0800

Vivian Siu was born in Hong Kong. At age 6 she and her mother moved to New York in the hope of a better life.

At age 16 she lost her mother, and dropped out of high-school in the USA, moving back to HK to avoid being put in foster care …She then dragged herself up by the bootstraps, hitting the books, and somehow getting into and graduating from Columbia University

She went from bartending around HK and sleeping on friend’s couches with a small suitcase just to survive… to a successful career in investment banking.

As an escape from her harsh reality, she found joy in the underground video arcades of gritty Kowloon. She found community there and found that she was actually really good at the car racing games.

Many years later, she used that muscle memory from the arcade…to unbelievably making history as the first female and first LGBTQ Formula 4 driver ever to finish the Macau Grand Prix. All with just 6 months of experience and 4 real races in an actual racing car, and whilst holding down a job in Investment Banking.

Seriously incredible and the movie about her life so far will be shown on all Cathay Pacific flights starting in December

Vivian’s story is a reminder to all of us that when education and sport, meets a young person with drive… anything is possible.

She was not born into money. There has been no silver spoon to feed her opportunities. And when you don’t have opportunity fed to you on a silver spoon, you learn to lick it off knives.

She’s taken every sliver of an opportunity shown to her and really made her own luck. The odds were completely stacked against her achieving any of these things. And yet, here she is. Record breaker.

Ultimately, I’ve often said that “It’s hard to beat the person that refuses to give up.”

This woman has not, and will not give up. We all have something to learn from her.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Guest - Vivian Siu (https://www.instagram.com/viviansiu28/?hl=en)

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Instagram: @michaelxcampion

Watch the movie Zero to Macao (https://www.zerotomacao.com/) on all Cathay Pacific flights

(00:00) Preview
(00:41) Intro
(04:41) Moving to New York as a kid
(07:40) Losing her mum at 16
(10:07) The arcade racing game that kept her sane
(13:53) Rock bottom years
(17:19) GED, community college, obsessive studying habits
(20:57) Getting Into Columbia
(25:42) Ivy League grind
(30:33) Life After Columbia
(31:33) Graduating alone
(36:54) Survival mode mindset
(40:24) From arcade to track
(44:20) Mentors and momentum: the push that made it real
(45:02) The Macau Grand Prix experience
(47:38) Racing for her dad
(51:28) Releasing years of bottled up pain
(54:46) Zero to Macau
(57:52) Who this story is for
(01:00:01) Doing it for mum and dad vs doing it for yourself
(01:03:21) Why every lap feels like a win
(01:07:00) Inner game routines
(01:08:32) What’s next for Vivian
(01:10:11) Outro

#51 Robert Earnshaw - What Professional Sport Taught Me About Life, Discipline & Purpose

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0800

It’s tough to separate your job title from your identity and self-worth. Here’s 2 great questions Robert Earnshaw asked himself upon retiring from the highest level:

“If I’m not a footballer…then who am I?”

“Now that it’s over, how do I want to show up, and who do I want to be for those around me?”

Transferable Lessons & Principles from our conversation:

- Obsession is necessary. The person who lies awake at night thinking about how to get better will win.

- You are more than your job. Do not confuse WHAT you do with WHO you are.

- Diversify your sources of happiness and self-esteem. Not every passion needs to be monetised. Keep something just for you.

"Earnie" has navigated the transition from professional footballer and public figure with more ease, grace, and optimism than most.

I caught up with him in Singapore, after we shared the pitch at the Soccer 7s Series to talk about the “inner game”:

But this episode isn’t just for athletes. It’s for anyone standing at a crossroads, wondering if there’s something more.

If you've ever felt the tension between who you were and who you’re becoming, this one’s for you.

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Connect with Robert: https://www.instagram.com/robertearnshaw/

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

(00:00) Identity Beyond Football

(01:27) Playing in Singapore Soccer 7s

(03:31) First Impressions of Singapore

(04:35) Bringing Back the Somersault Celebration

(06:31) Playing with Joy vs Playing with Anger

(07:54) Football as Joy, Competition & Entertainment

(10:15) The Pure Emotion of Scoring Goals

(12:23) Life After Retirement & Reinventing Identity

(17:21) Coaching, Broadcasting & Public Speaking

(20:20) Building Life’s Boxes: Spiritual, Physical, Professional

(24:47) Chess, Curiosity & Lessons Beyond Football

(28:39) Talent is Practice in Disguise

(32:59) Transferable Lessons from Football to Life

(37:49) Visualization & Performing Under Pressure

(42:26) Mastery and the Process of Getting Better

(46:45) Discipline, Health & Contracts with Yourself

(53:35) Doing Things with Feeling & Full Commitment

(56:52) Patience, Consistency & Trusting the Process

(58:43) Overcoming Setbacks & Disappointment

(1:01:24) Did Robert Earnshaw Squeeze the Lemon?

(1:06:24) Sacrifice, Social Life & Family in Football

(1:09:13) Why Discipline Beats Motivation

#50 Matthias Weiskopf - Inside the Psychology of Luxury: The Inner Game of Branding

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:00:00 +0800

Luxury isn’t about price tags or logos.

It’s about identity. Emotion. Desire.

And no one understands that better than Matthias Weiskopf.

As a brand strategist who’s worked with some of the world’s most iconic names, from Ferrari to Porsche to McLaren, Matthias doesn’t just market luxury.

He dissects it. Rebuilds it. And redefines what it means to want something that, frankly, no one needs.

In this conversation, we go far beyond product design or campaign strategy. We explore how luxury brands build meaning across cultures, especially in Asia where perception, status, and symbolism shift from one market to the next.

But this episode isn’t just about business. It’s about why we chase certain dreams. What it means to create aspiration without alienation.

If you’ve ever wondered why a handbag can make someone feel invincible or why storytelling might be the last true luxury — this one’s for you.

And if something here sparked a new perspective, let us know in the comments.

Stay curious.

Connect with Matthias: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthiasweiskopf/
Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

(00:00) Preview
(01:25) The Psychology of Luxury
(04:22) The Five Tiers of Luxury Customers
(07:48) McLaren vs Ferrari: Heritage, Status & Recognition
(10:51) Emotional Utility and the Experience of Luxury
(12:20) Status Signaling and Relationship Dynamics
(14:14) Why Ferrari’s Brand Is Irreplicable
(17:36) Hyper-Local Strategy for Challenger Brands
(19:15) Managing Retail Across Asia
(23:06) The “Money Can’t Buy” Experience Strategy
(27:15) Understanding Customer Desires
(31:36) The Disconnect Between Product and Experience in Modern Luxury
(33:35) Jaguar's Rebrand Failure
(37:48) What Western Luxury Brands Get Wrong About Asia
(43:13) The Rise of Homegrown Brands
(47:14) Why Luxury is Not Just About Price
(49:20) The Power of Storytelling in Branding
(50:22) Matthias’ First Luxury Purchase and the Psychology Behind It
(55:58) Porsche’s Ecosystem and Experience-Driven Strategy
(01:02:28) Defining Real Luxury
(01:08:02) Matthias’ Career Leap: From McLaren Exec to Entrepreneur
(01:11:32) Building Something That’s Yours: The Solopreneur’s Advantage
(01:14:49) Finding Joy in Teaching and Consulting

#49 James Riley - Life Beyond the C-Suite

Tue, 27 May 2025 17:00:00 +0800

James Riley spent decades leading one of the world’s most prestigious hotel brands.

But this episode isn’t about boardrooms or five-star service, it’s about what happens after 40 years of executive employment.

When James stepped down as CEO of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, he didn’t slow down - he rewrote the rules. From abseiling Angel Falls with limited eyesight to backing mission-driven startups, he’s chasing meaning over metrics.

We talk about reinventing identity, letting go of legacy, and designing a life filled with purpose, not pressure.

If you’ve ever asked yourself “what’s next?” after success, this conversation is for you.

Let us know what resonated in the comments.

And if you’re enjoying the show, subscribe and stay curious.

Connect with James Riley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-riley-8442011

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

(00:00) Why James Riley Walked Away from a 41-Year Career

(01:43) Trekking Angel Falls with Failing Eyesight

(08:42) Retirement Guilt: “I’m Still Never Home”

(10:22) James’ Insights on Leadership and Managing Time

(14:50) What James Is Focused On Now

(17:27) What Attracted James to Oberoi Hotels

(21:57) Backing Mission Driven Startups

(27:54) VoiceMap: An App That Can Replace a Tour Guide

(34:13) Launching a Podcast for Travelers

(39:16) The Best ChatGPT Prompt to Explore Cities

(45:27) A Pattern That Follows Him Through Life

(49.07) Durham University Fundraising

(51:53) Family, Cold Swims, and the Next Big Adventure

#48 Bastien Le Coz & Gabriella Zavatti - How We Built a Global Luxury Brand Without Sacrificing Family Life

Tue, 06 May 2025 14:00:00 +0800

Founded in 2015 by Bastien Le Coz and Gabriella Zavatti, Palatino Hospitality is a global leader in luxury hospitality, serving some of the world’s finest hotels — from Four Seasons, to One & Only, to Bulgari.

But this episode isn’t just about building Palatino Hospitality and their recent merger with La Bottega. It’s about what happens when your life partner also becomes your co-founder.

When every creative idea, late-night pitch deck, and long-haul flight is shared with the same person you’re raising a family with.

From the outside, Bastien Le Coz and Gabriella Zavatti might look like just another power couple.

But once you sit with them — as I did for this episode — you’ll hear the story behind the brand.

We go deep into:
- What it takes to scale without losing your relationship
- The secret power of co-preneurship (and where it can break you)
- Why creativity is the ultimate business strategy
- How to sell without selling — by staying radically authentic
- The quiet rituals that build lasting hospitality brands

This one’s for anyone building something — a brand, a business, or a life — and wondering if it’s possible to do it all without burning out or selling out.
I hope this conversation moves you as much as it moved me.
And if it did, leave a comment below and let us know what resonated.

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

Connect with Gabriella on IG: @gabriellazav

Connect with Bastien on IG: @Bastienlecoz

Follow Palatino on IG: @palatinohospitality

Website: https://www.palatinogroup.com/

Palatino in the news: Merger with La Bottega

https://www.unstageetapres.fr/

(00:00) Preview and Intro
(03:20) Blending Family, Work, and Travel
(07:05) The Importance of Presence in Work and Life
(10:02) Helping Clients (and Themselves) Disconnect
(13:08) Complementary Strengths & Co-Leadership
(16:23) Scaling the Business Without Losing the Soul
(22:13) Creativity as a Strategic Advantage
(26:23) Launching Before You're Ready
(30:21) The Sustainability Pivot & Market Timing
(33:49) Turning Clients Into Catalysts for Growth
(36:35) Learning from Failure Without Worshipping It
(39:36) What’s Next for Palatino
(40:03) Designing Travel for Transformation
(46:00) Storytelling, Rituals, and the Future of Luxury Hospitality
(49:50) Personalization vs. Standardization in Guest Experience
(52:31) Living the Brand: Family, Travel, and Hospitality
(56:31) Leadership Principles: Empathy, Kindness, and Excellence
(01:02:21) Building a Purpose-Driven Business
(01:08:23) Lessons from Family, Mentors, and the Next Generation
(01:07:00) The 5:1 Rule: Building a Culture of Positive Feedback
(01:08:23) Top Business Lessons from Experience
(01:10:03) Wisdom from Family: Gratitude and Quiet Strength
(01:13:55) Teaching Courage and Creativity to the Next Generation
(01:17:00) Final Reflections: Empathy, Mentorship & Social Impact

#47 Benjamin Quinlan - High Performer Burnout Is REAL (No One Talks About This)

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0800

Five years ago, we reconnected, basically as strangers. Five years later, we’re best of friends and business partners.

When I decided to relaunch Playing the Inner Game in full HD video, leaving behind the lo-fi days of Zoom and audio only recordings, I knew exactly who the first guest had to be.

Benjamin Quinlan

Back in 2020, we sat down for what was supposed to be a 90-minute podcast🎙️

I turned off the mics, but six hours later, we were still talking.

And by the end of that night, he’d all but insisted I join him in building something meaningful together.

Today, I’m proud to be a Partner and Head of Corporate Training at Quinlan & Associates working with some of the world’s most respected companies, helping their leadership teams communicate with clarity, confidence, and charisma.

In this episode, we go deep not only into our working relationship, but into:

What it means to lead in a high-pressure world
The often-unspoken issue of executive burnout
How to sell advice in tough markets
And how to build connection in both business and life

You’ll also hear from a man I deeply admire about what’s changed him most over the last five years… and what he’d regret not changing in the next five.

I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did.

For any Strategy Consulting or Corporate Training Enquiries you can contact visit https://www.quinlanandassociates.com/

Connect with Benjamin Quinlan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-quinlan-17b32416/

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

(00:00) Introduction

(00:40) What’s Changed Since 2020

(06:03) Consulting Landscape Post Pandemic

(09:10) The Evolution of Client Needs

(13:25) How to Attract and Retain Top Talent

(18:24) The Reality of Executive Burnout

(22:41) How to Manage Expectations

(30:11) The Art of Communication

(36:37) How to Build Instant Rapport

(41:14) How to Deal With Over Communication

(45:54) The Art of Sales and Persuasion

(54:52) Using Comedy to Fuel Business and Creativity

(58:47) Pursuing Growth and Avoiding Stagnation

(01:02:00) The Truth About Procrastination

(01:04:16) How to Deal with Fear of Failure

(01:07:10) How to Build Confidence

#46 How I Went From Pro Footballer to Coaching Fortune 500 Executives [My Story]

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:00:00 +0800

I used to be too shy to speak in class.

Now I coach executives, founders, and venture capitalists, how to speak more persuasively.

This is the full story arc - from shy kid in Hong Kong to investment banker, to wine expert, to professional footballer, to entrepreneur, and now keynote speaker and executive coach.

35 minutes of missteps, reinventions, and sliding doors moments that mattered.

From folding t-shirts and waiting tables, to speaking on national TV and coaching execs you see on Bloomberg and CNBC.

It’s a touch vulnerable and quite personal, but maybe it’ll give someone out there the courage to jump and get in the arena.

That would be a win in my eyes.

I made it for anyone who’s ever:

•Felt like they were playing small

•Had something valuable to say, but didn’t know how to say it

•Or simply needed proof that confidence can be built, not inherited

This is the full story of how I learned to speak up, back myself, and why I’m passionate about helping others do the same.

I hope there’s something in it that resonates.

And if it does, please remember to subscribe to future episodes and leave a review!

Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/

#45 Rob Mills - The Born Entertainer Tackling Men's Mental Health, Happiness, & Self Worth

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0800

Rob Mills is an actor, performer, and born entertainer who's well known in Australia for his roles on stage in productions that include Jesus Christ Superstar, Ghost the Musical, Hairspray, and Wicked. Many will recognise him from his role as Finn Kelly on the popular television series, Neighbours, for which he won "Best Actor TV Soap Awards UK".

He is currently playing the role of William Shakespeare in the brilliant award-winning musical “& Juliet” (https://andjuliet.com.au/) which is now coming to Perth & Sydney.

Rob Mills first came to the attention of the Australian public in 2003 as a finalist on the first series of Australian Idol. With his boyish charm and a successful national Idol Tour, he was signed to BMG records.

Rob’s first single 'Ms Vanity' debuted at #6 on the Australian charts, reaching Gold status. His debut album Up All Night was released in June 2004.

Rob and Michael met in Singapore in October 2023 to discuss:
- Relationships
- The perils of early fame
- Self-confidence & self-worth
- Finding himself in musical theatre
- Happiness & lowering your expectations
- Notions of masculinity & men's mental health
- Speaking to mates vs speaking to a psychotherapist
- His latest book 'Putting on a Show: Manhood, Mates, & Mental Health'

Guest: Rob Mills
Website: https://www.robmills.net.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-suhina-singh/
Instagram: @robmillsymills
Buy the Book: Putting on a Show - Mates, Manhood & Mental Health

Host: Michael X. Campion
Homepage: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Michaelxcampion

Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Keynote Speaker please email the address below.
Coaching & Speaking Enquiries: hello@michaelxcampion.com

#44 Dr Suhina Singh - Miss South Africa Finalist, Medical Doctor, HealthTech Entrepreneur on a Mission

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 07:00:00 +0800

Medical Doctor. Model. Miss South Africa Finalist. Entrepreneur. Healthcare Strategist. Executive MBA. Investor. Chronic Disease Warrior. Fashion Blogger.

My guest, Dr Suhina Singh has worn more than a few hats in her career thus far, but her current hat as co-founder of Jonda Health is the one she was truly meant to wear.

We discuss her past adventures and how she found her calling. In this wide-ranging conversation we cover:

- Growing up the odd one out
- Reluctantly entering the world of fashion and modelling
- Is there a tax on attractiveness?
- Her most painful moments as a doctor
- Leaving the medical profession
- The new lease of life her INSEAD Executive MBA gave her
- Finding her way back to herself
- Why everyone loses in the current healthcare system
- The ups and downs of entrepreneurship
- Daily habits and words to live by
- Plus much more

I hope you enjoy this raw and unedited conversation as much as I did.

Guest: Dr Suhina Singh
Website: https://www.jonda.health/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-suhina-singh/
Instagram: @luxitgirl

Playing The Inner Game Podcast: Hosted by Michael Campion
Homepage: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
https://linktr.ee/Michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Keynote Speaker please email the address below.
Coaching & Speaking Enquiries: hello@michaelxcampion.com

#43 Philipp Knuepfer - GM of Mandarin Oriental Singapore on Doing What You Love, Letting Things Go & The Art of Hospitality

Tue, 23 May 2023 00:00:00 +0800

*Aside from the 60 second introduction, this episode of the podcast is a raw and unedited version of my conversation with Philipp Knuepfer, General Manager of the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore. As time passes and the longer the podcast goes on, I sense that there is a universal desire for greater authenticity. Sharing our conversation in its entirety, imperfections and all, should bestow a more natural sense of being a fly on the wall. This will also be the first episode of Playing The Inner Game to be released as a video podcast on YouTube, which hopefully adds even further to the sense of connection between speaker and listener...*

Philipp has been with Mandarin Oriental Group for over 20 years, taking up leadership positions in Hawaii, Malaysia, Thailand, Taipei, USA, and Singapore. He generously shares with us his principles on leadership, service standards and hospitality, the importance of choosing the right life partner, following your gut instincts, going against your father's wishes, and how happiness, positivity, and career success are ultimately a choice you make. I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

P.S. If you enjoyed this you may also enjoy Episode 13 with CEO of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, James Riley.

Guest: Philipp Knuepfer
Website: https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/singapore/marina-bay
Instagram: @philippknuepfer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-knuepfer-mba-22437014/

Playing The Inner Game Podcast:
Homepage: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Keynote Speaker please email the address below.
Coaching & Speaking Enquiries: hello@michaelxcampion.com

#42 Sophia Hotung - Eurasian Artist & Writer on Identity, Disability, Self-Esteem, & Feeling Like You're Enough

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 04:00:00 +0800

*This episode first appeared on the Eurasian Society podcast and sees Michael Campion step in as guest host.

Sophia Hotung's family were trailblazers in this city; her great great Grandfather Sir Robert Hotung being the first one to really pave the way for Eurasians in society during a time of racial segregation in HK. Naturally, we touch upon some of that fascinating history but we also wanted to ensure that we captured the present and did justice to Sophia’s journey, because she is an inspiration to many and a very talented artist and writer in her own right.

Sophia is the illustrator behind 'The Hong Konger' and we talk about dropping out of the corporate rat race early, the struggle of entrepreneurship against the backdrop of her 7 (yes 7) autoimmune diseases. We discuss Eurasian identity, disability, and belonging. We talk about the pressures of tiger parenting, societal scorekeeping, self-esteem, and thus the importance of keeping something sacred. Having a hobby or passion that is yours, that nobody else can touch. We end the podcast on some principles and inspirational words to live by.

Sophia is wonderfully articulate with a lovely turn of phrase, and I felt that throughout the entirety of our chat there was a great generosity of spirit. She shares things openly because she believes it will help motivate, illuminate, or open doors for others, and the world needs more people like that. I hope that you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation as much as I did.
______

The Eurasian Society is a charity that aims to promote and improve the lives of Eurasians through awareness, education and opportunity. To provide scholarships and funding to the most vulnerable members of our community. Follow Eurasian Society:

Website: https://eurasiansociety.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eurasiansociety/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eurasiansocietyhk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eurasian-society/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eurasiansociety/

Guest: Sophia Hotung
Website: https://www.sophiahotung.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiahotung/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shotung/

Host: Michael X Campion
Homepage: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
Email for Coaching & Speaking Enquiries: hello@michaelxcampion.com

#41 Chris Lowder - World Class Hospitality Expert on Dealing with Discomfort, Social Superpowers, and Why You Should Give Away Your Secrets

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 02:00:00 +0800

My guest today is Chris Lowder, the Co-founder of Lowder Tascarella Hospitality ( or LTH for short). Chris is one of the world’s most sought-after talents in corporate and multi-venue luxury bar consulting and LTH deliver thoughtful hospitality for the modern era. Helping property owners to program, open & operate profitable, memorable, and socially significant hospitality destinations. Some of his happy clients include: The Four Seasons Hotels, Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Swire Hotels, Accor Hotels China, Aman Hotels, Capella Hotels, Starbucks China, DisneyLand China, ABINbev etc.

During his nearly 5-year tenure as GM of Proof & Company in China, Proof’s consulting team placed at least 2-3 creative projects in the World's 50 Best Bars every year, and 5-8 creative projects in Asia’s 50 Best Bars every year. No other beverage consulting team on Earth has ever achieved this level of sustained excellence. Did I also mention that he’s also ridiculously fluent in both Mandarin and Japanese and over the last few months has been absolutely blowing up on TikTok.

Despite our paths crossing in the wine and spirits world, this episode and this show is never really about one specific industry, it’s about one’s inner game,, it’s about how lessons and principles learned in a field can be transferred and applied elsewhere, and Chris’ incredibly diverse range of hard-won skills and life experiences create a rich tapestry full of interesting threads to pull on. When you marry intellectual curiosity and intellect, with the work ethic of an athlete, and the creativity of an artist, this is what you get. You get the vortex of positive energy that is Chris Lowder and the next 90 minutes are full of great soundbites and ‘cheat codes’ for life that anyone can apply to make themselves happier, healthier, wealthier, and wiser.

Links:
LTH Hospitality
https://linktr.ee/GetLowderNow
IG: @getlowdernow
TikTok: @getlowdernow
My personal favourite TikTok of his (time to get educated!)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-lowder-00887030/
------
Mentions:
Momofuku by David Chang
The NoMad Hotel NYC
Proof & Co & Jason Williams
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Rich Dad's CASHFLOW Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom
Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat
Derek Sivers on The Tim Ferriss Show
-----
Host: Michael X Campion
Homepage: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Keynote Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

The Return: Season 2

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0800

Took a little break.

Moved from Hong Kong to Singapore.

At long last, the podcast returns.

Next episode dropping in 24 hours...

Preview of the Eurasian Society Podcast, Ep 6 - Listen here on Spotify
Website: https://eurasiansociety.com/

Guest: Sophia Hotung
Website: https://www.sophiahotung.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiahotung/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shotung/

Host: Michael X Campion
Homepage: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion

-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Keynote Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#40 Vishal Tolani - Watch Industry Insider on Storytelling, Honesty, and Finding Inspiration in the Quotidian

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0800

My guest is Vishal Tolani, CEO of Dartmouth Brands. He’s helped bring multiple watch brands into the world under the Dartmouth umbrella such as Spinnaker, Avi-8 and Earnshaw. As well as playing in the world of brands, he’s also deeply embedded in the watch industry as a second-generation manufacturer.

Vishal and I talk about what it means to be made in Hong Kong, what keeps him up at night as the custodian of the family business, and how he hopes it will one day live on without him. We discuss what goes into creating that beautiful combination of art and engineering that resides on your wrist, and in a time when (thanks to mobile phones) the idea of timekeeping is more emotional than essential, we discuss the primacy of storytelling and brand-building in order to infuse a product with real heart.

We also talk about the positive side-effects of the advancing years, the peace that comes with it, as well as how he finds inspiration in the people all around him. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Links:
https://www.dartmouthbrands.co.uk/
vishaltolani@gmail.com

Host: Michael Campion
Coach & Speaker Profile: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

Inbetweenisode #2: Talent Is Practice In Disguise

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 16:00:00 +0800

I'll continue to share these shorter soundbites, in-between regular guest episodes, in the hope that some of you find them valuable.

- The true value of a career break / sabbatical / gap year
- The struggle and what gives life meaning
- Consequential environments
- Living a self-authorised life
- What to teach children

Home of the podcast:
Coaching & Speaker Profile: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion

#39 Sean Carter - Award Winning Graphic Designer for Ambitious Brands That Refuse To Blend In

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0800

Sean Carter is the founder and Design Director at Carter Hales Design Lab. Sean’s an extremely talented graphic designer that’s been in the agency game for 30 years now and someone whose creativity and eye for detail that I really respect. Full disclosure, there will always be a part of me that is heavily indebted to Sean because he is the beating heart of the team that helped us create Four Fox Saké when it was still embryonic. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time at the design lab in Vancouver, and we also stood side by side on stage in Shanghai as we collected the award for “Best Luxury Alcohol Packaging Design in the World” back in 2016. This is a conversation I’ve been wanting to have for a long time, life got in the way, but I’m very happy that we got there in the end.

If you work in the fields of design, branding and marketing then the benefits of tuning in are obvious, but even if you aren’t involved in these worlds, there’s plenty in here to chew on with regards to creativity, self-expression, the relationship between commercial growth and personal growth, the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship (he is after all someone who has been eating what he kills ever since he left university), and why it’s imperative to take some risks, and stay out of the safe and mushy middle.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Links:
https://carterhales.com/
LinkedIn: @sean-carter

Mentions:
Four Fox Saké
The Wickaninnish Inn

Host: Michael Campion
Coach & Speaker Profile: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#38 Andrew Cox - Health & Fitness Expert on Stress, Biohacking and Obeying What It Means To Be Human

Tue, 31 May 2022 11:00:00 +0800

My guest today is the inimitable Andrew Cox. He and I have known each other for a little while now and I’ve always admired his energy, enthusiasm, and zest for life which is also backed up with a great breadth and depth of knowledge, especially when it comes to the realm of health and fitness.

He is a director and co-founder of Joint Dynamics, a multidisciplinary studio that provides a bespoke approach to injury prevention, combining personal training, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and psychology with intelligent movement at its core.

We discuss the secret to his energy levels and what allows him to motivate his clients, some biohacking tips for better physical and mental health, the magic of reciprocity and what he calls ‘selfish benevolence’, the importance of playing to your strengths, of surrounding yourself with good people, principles for business and negotiation, and as you’ve just heard, why we all need a healthy amount of stress in our lives.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Links:
https://www.jointdynamics.com.hk/
Facebook: @jointdynamicshongkong
IG: Andrew Cox Movement Medicine

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

Inbetweenisode #1: Finding Your "Why" & 3 Hacks to Become a Better Storyteller

Wed, 18 May 2022 10:00:00 +0800

I was recently invited to speak by the social entrepreneurship platform Impact Circles on the topic of storytelling. How can we become more persuasive storytellers? How do we adapt the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves? Why is finding your 'WHY' so important?

As Dr Jim Loehr so eloquently put it: "The power broker in your life is the voice that no one hears. How well you revisit the tone and content of your private voice is what determines the quality of your life. It is the master storyteller, and the stories we tell ourselves are our reality."

I'll continue to share these shorter soundbites, in-between regular guest episodes, in the hope that some of you find them helpful.

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#37 Justin Fornal - International Explorer, Cultural Detective, Seeker of Lost Rituals & Talismans, Writer, Filmmaker & Extreme Athlete

Tue, 10 May 2022 15:00:00 +0800

"Don't sell your soul because you can't buy it back. Selling out is something I just can't do."

My guest this week is Justin Fornal and I’m incredibly lucky to have him. He’s someone who has lived and continues to live such an exciting and technicolour life that he very much resists categorisation. To describe Justin as an international explorer, cultural detective, award winning writer, filmmaker, culinary celebrity, and extreme athlete is about as close to the mark as you’ll get. In 2018 Men’s Journal simply ranked him as the #3 most adventurous person in the world.

As a cultural detective, in search of secret societies, lost rituals and ancient talismans, he has travelled to the far corners of the earth, living with hunter-gatherer tribes, meeting with witch doctors who (still to this day) believe in human sacrifice, and taking part in ritual exorcisms, so just be aware that some parts of our conversation are not for the squeamish or faint-hearted.

Everywhere Justin goes, he always sets off with a deep respect for each culture that he interacts with, and sharing whatever he finds with integrity and a real commitment to the truth of a place, not adherence to institutional narrative. He is the Co-Founder of the History, Arts, & Science Action Network (HASAN) a non-profit organization that focuses on relic repatriation, historic justice, and documenting vanishing cultures. He’s also the co-host of TV show UNEXPLAINED AND UNEXPLORED, alongside one of my previous guests Emiliano Ruprah, a show that has been airing on the Discovery Channel and Science Channel since 2019.

Justin has also written extensively for National Geographic, VICE, The Explorers Journal, and Parts Unknown. I strongly recommend you read some of his articles which I’ve linked to below.

He is also an extreme open water swimmer and having swum 100 miles around the Whisky Island of Islay on Scotland’s freezing West Coast, he is currently planning the longest unassisted swim in history for Summer 2022. The GREAT ARCTIC SWIM will be the first attempt to swim from Canada to Greenland across the Nares Strait.

Truth is, unless there’s a documentary made about his life, I’m not sure one CAN do Justin Fornal justice. The sheer depth and breadth of his experience makes keeping pace with him an impossible, yet very very enjoyable and joyous task. He truly is larger than life and a real polymath in every sense of the word. We start the conversation with him lighting up one of his rare pipes collected on his travels, before journeying through his culinary, cultural, and sporting adventures in that order. I hope that you find this conversation as interesting as I did.

Links:
https://justinfornal.com/articles
IG: @justin_fornal
https://greatarcticswim.com/
Weird Homes, Atlas Obscura

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for

#36 Siobhan Haughey - What I'm Most Proud Of

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 03:00:00 +0800

If you watched the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, or you're one of my listeners in Hong Kong, Siobhan Haughey will need absolutely no introduction as she is essentially a national treasure and the most recognisable celebrity in the country right now. Siobhan made sporting history last year, winning two Olympic Silver Medals in the 200m and 100m freestyle events. Not content with that she stormed to a new World Record in the 200m freestyle at the 2021 World Short Course Championships.

As a general rule I prefer to have guests who are a bit longer in the tooth. People who are further along in their journey through life. Age is not a proxy for accomplishment, but there is something to be said for having done a few more laps around the sun.

However, there are exceptions to every rule and this 24 year old is certainly one of them. The chance to learn from someone who is at the absolute peak of their profession so early in life, and a role model to millions, is an opportunity that I didn’t want to pass up.

She retains the infectious positivity and optimism of youth that makes her so likeable, but there’s also a very mature head set on those young shoulders. She’s given countless interviews since taking the podium at Tokyo 2020 and I wanted to make sure that this conversation had no sponsors, no corporate agenda, and that it went a little differently. I wanted to take a couple of off-ramps that might reveal a different side of her. I think that we succeeded. I thank Siobhan for being so open and generous in sharing how she is developing her inner game. Join us to find out what motivates this Olympian and what she is most proud of...

Links:
IG: @siobhanhaughey01
Wikipedia
https://www.scmp.com/topics/siobhan-haughey
https://about.arenasport.com/en/athletes/siobhan-haughey

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#35 Nick Compton - Former England Cricketer on Mental Health, Ambition, and Searching For Connection

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 21:00:00 +0800

“I only loved doing well. I never really allowed myself to enjoy it. Enjoyment came through performance and feeling like I contributed to the team.

If I didn’t perform well I felt a huge sense of emptiness. I felt insecure. I felt pretty damn fragile a lot of the time.”

My guest this week is Nick Compton, former first class cricketer and England’s opening batsman. Nick had an excellent first class cricket career, making 194 appearances and clocking up 12,168 runs. He represented England in 16 Test matches, scoring back to back centuries against New Zealand, and was part of the dynamic duo with Alistair Cook that famously beat India on their own patch for the first time in 28 years.

The cricket and football fans among you will no doubt recognise his surname, the entire Compton family has huge sporting pedigree. His Grandfather Denis is sporting royalty, famously playing both cricket AND football for England and Arsenal, was one of the finest cricketers to ever walk the planet, and has a stand at Lord's named after him.

Nick and I became mates at Durham University back in 2002 where we lived on the same corridor and despite not having been in touch for ages, I was delighted that he accepted my invitation to come on the podcast. He has had an exceptional career and been in the limelight for much of his life. More recently he has been spending more time behind the camera lens rather than in front of it, so I wanted to hear about his burgeoning professional photography career too and future plans.

Nick and I talk about what it takes to reach the top of elite sport, we talk about peak performance, mindset and visualisation, we talk about growing up in the shadow of greatness. He also generously shares the difficulties that he’s facing as he transitions out of sport, when his identity and self-worth have been so tightly wound around this one profession for so long.

I’m very grateful to Nick for not holding back and rendering himself somewhat vulnerable by revealing the various challenges he’s faced with his mental health over two decades. I know that he would have it no other way, but it always makes for a better episode when high-profile guests bring their authentic selves to the table. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Links:
IG: @nick.compton
Twitter: @thecompdog
https://nickcompton.com/
YouTube Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WueTSNtXJlE&t=1s

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#34 Manuel Palacio - Playing The Infinite Game, The Art of Hospitality, & How To Always Win Twice

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 21:00:00 +0800

"The first question you must ask yourself is - do you believe, or do you not? If you do believe - are you doing everything that it takes? We believe that if you’re in, you're in. With all of the consequences."

So many great answers on this podcast, but so many great questions to sit with too. The way in which Manuel has built up Pirata Group over the years has been truly impressive to watch. Even more so when you realise the consistency and integrity that runs through everything he does.

There's something very special about sitting down in a restaurant when there's nobody else around. Just you, the owner, a bottle of Malbec and honest conversation. We cover so much ground in this one, from his early rap career to getting fired as a dishwasher, how to scale culture, optimising for kindness, day architecture, the infinite game, why he always wins twice, the 80/20 principle, and how pictures and notes from his journal manifested into the restaurants you see today.

Whether you're a food lover, entrepreneur, business leader, or just someone looking for more motivation to attack the day, there's plenty of gold in here for everyone. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Shoutouts:
https://piratagroup.hk/
IG: @piratagrouphk
IG: @manuelpiratahk
LinkedIn: @manuel-palacio

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#33 Don Saladino - Celebrity Fitness Trainer & Entrepreneur on Passion, Patience, & Avoiding Complacency

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 16:00:00 +0800

If there was one man I wanted to have on the show in the first week of January, right when people are busy making New Year’s Resolutions and setting health and fitness goals, then it was the man who whips superheroes like Wolverine and Deadpool into shape. He’s built like a Greek god, runs an ever-expanding health and fitness empire, is a loving family man, and possesses a rolodex that’s the envy of most people in Hollywood. His list of clients past and present is frankly ludicrous: Hugh Jackman, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Sebastian Stan, Jake Gyllenhall, Emily Blunt, Cindy Crawford, Anne Hathaway just to name a few.

More importantly, Don Saladino is a man who loves to help and finds joy in serving others. He’s a natural giver, not a taker, which is a large component of why he’s enjoyed the success he has. The celeb clients are a nice draw for the podcast, sure, but they’re really just an indicator from the marketplace that the man is good at what he does, that he adds value, that he really knows what he’s talking about when it comes to strength and conditioning. More importantly, I know firsthand that the guy has a big heart, he’s opened up his home to my family when he didn’t need to which speaks volumes to the kind of man he is, and anytime you come across someone with that blend of kindness, positivity, and discipline, there’s always lessons worth unpacking.

A well-known celebrity trainer, Don founded Drive 495, has graced the cover of the iconic Muscle & Fitness Magazine, is on the advisory board of Men’s Health Magazine, and has appeared in the media countless times on the likes of Cosmo, People, US Weekly and the Today Show. He and I talk about the fundamentals of patience, passion, consistency, and plenty of hard work. Lots of hard work.

Shoutouts:
https://donsaladino.com/
Instagram: @donsaladino
Instagram: @jenny.campion
Instagram: @fourfoxsakeofficial
Instagram: @ouraring

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#32 Michael Campion - My Quarter Life Crisis & How Curiosity Leads To Wealth

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0800

*Turn the tables episode*
This week sees a slight change in your regular programming as I vacate my usual role as host, and take on the role of guest. Historically, there have been other opportunities to record this type of episode but it never felt quite right. However, when an old friend of mine Jason Mountford got in touch to say he’d love to catch up and have me appear on his Spotify UK Top 20 Business podcast called The Hedge, previously known as The UK Money Podcast, I was very happy to oblige and accepted the invitation without hesitation. I think Jason did a wonderful job of probing the right areas for conversation, and I thank him for deeming my inner game, worthy of further exploration.

Let me know what you think of the gear change, but either way Playing The Inner Game will be back to its regular format later in December, where I’ll be bringing you more incredible entrepreneurial and inspirational guests that we can all learn from.

Links:
Youtube Trailer - The 3 Pillars for Achieving Wealth & Happiness w Michael Campion
https://linktr.ee/thehedge
Spotify - The Hedge Podcast

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for an Executive Coach or Guest Speaker please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#31 Tess Collins - Singer & Songwriter on Vulnerability, the Gift of Attention, & Music as Healing

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0800

My guest this week is Tess Collins - a brilliant singer and songwriter who has most recently been the artist in residence at Carlyle & Co, the exclusive private members club that sits atop The Rosewood Hotel. She grew up on a lumber yard in rural Maine and followed the big city lights all the way to Hong Kong over a decade ago. She has performed all over the globe - everything from Canadian jazz festivals to London Clubs, to the Beijing Olympic Stadium. From 5 Star Hotel Lobbies to partnering with BMW, Chanel and Estee Lauder. She’s shared the stage with Ne-Yo, Coco Lee, and opened for the legendary Dionne Warwick.

That's all well and good, but to read her accomplishments from the page does nothing to prepare you for the force of nature that is Tess Collins. To see and hear her perform live, on stage, is really the only way to experience the full extent of her magic. There are singers, and then there are artists. Tess belongs firmly in the latter category.

My goal for this conversation was to capture a small piece of that magic through the spoken word. I hope that I’ve succeeded. My biggest takeaways from this chat with Tess? The importance of compassion, connection, and confirmation (if it were needed) that all great art is born from a place of sensitivity and vulnerability. Our biggest superpower lies right next to our deepest wound.

This episode is also very special because it is book-ended by a sneak preview of her upcoming single which has not yet been released. The single is out soon and is called “Sober”.

Links:
Instagram: @tesscollinsmusic
Web: tesscollinsmusic.com
LinkedIn: tesscollinsmusic
Spotify: Choosing Happy
Featured Single: "Sober" (release date tbc)

Mentions:
Julia Cameron - "Remembering"
https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/
https://www.carlyleandco.com/
Instagram: carlyleandco

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#30 Jocelyn Chia - Lawyer Turned Comedian on Finding Your True Calling

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 15:00:00 +0800

My guest this week is the brilliant comedian, Jocelyn Chia. The speed of her ascent in the comedy world has been impressive to watch, given that she had absolutely zero involvement in the world of stand-up before 2014. She’d barely watched any stand-up let alone performed on stage, which makes her opening for the legendary Bill Burr last month even more impressive.

As well as having appeared on AXS TV, MTV and Comedy Central, she’s rapidly gaining recognition in industry circles and is becoming a firm favourite on the New York circuit where she holds down a regular spot at two of the city’s most iconic clubs, the Comedy Cellar and Gotham Comedy Club. Only a few days ago, Jocelyn was also chosen as the face of comedy for the new NYC campaign celebrating the reopening of New York's arts scene, alongside some Broadway legends.

Born and raised in Singapore, Jocelyn gave up a high flying career at law firm Weil, and later as a management consultant, in order to pursue what she felt to be her true calling. Chatting with comedians is always good fun and if any of you feel like you might have a true calling that you’ve been ignoring up until now, this conversation might be just the motivation you need to start walking that path.

Links:
Instagram @jocelyncomedy
https://www.youtube.com/JocelynChiaComedy
http://www.jocelynchia.com/

Home of the podcast:
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
Instagram: @michaelxcampion
Weekly Newsletter 'Thursday Thoughts' www.michaelxcampion.com/subscribe

Mentions:
Stephen Cope - The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling
Jason Leong
Sam Morril
TJ Miller in Silicon Valley
Aziz Ansari
Anthony Jeselnik
Ali Wong
Jerry Seinfeld

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#29 Zane Scotland - Professional Golfer on Feeling Like an Outsider, Goal-Setting, and Creating Your Own Reality

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0800

Professional golfer, Zane Scotland grabbed the attention of the media in 1997, when he was hailed as Britain’s answer to Tiger Woods at age 14. A year later he was a scratch golfer and in 1999 at just 16 years old, Zane became the youngest English player ever to qualify for The Open Championship. He was Europe's #1 amateur player and represented both England and GB & Ireland. As well as progressing to the European Pro Tour he also holds a record 11 wins on the MENA tour. Zane now runs his own golf academy, based at The Wisley in Surrey, England. He also works as an expert analyst on Sky Sports and is a brand ambassador for Callaway. There are some great sporting anecdotes and stories in here, so golf fans will hopefully love this podcast, but this episode is not just about golf.

It’s about mindset, it’s about race and identity, it’s about using the feeling of being an outsider as fuel. We discuss dealing with injuries and setbacks, the reality of borrowing money from your parents, driving through the night, cheap airport motels, and buying golf shirts on a maxed-out credit card before making your big breakthrough. It’s also about the power of goal setting, visualisation, and creating your own reality.

I love golf, so I won’t apologise for getting excited about this one and milking it for coaching tips. But I was cognisant the entire time (as I am with every pro athlete on the podcast) that I should look for patterns to parlay into self-development, business, and life lessons more generally. I wanted to steer him towards topics and motifs that bleed into others. How can we extract the general from the specific? What can we learn over here that also applies over there? Playing the Inner Game is all about mentality. It’s about adjusting the aperture through which we view life’s events, and in that regard, I think Zane absolutely delivered.

Links:
Instagram @zanescotlandgolf
Twitter @ZaneScotland
Youtube Vodcast
https://www.zanescotland.golf/

Mentions:
The Wisley
Grant Cardone - Be Obsessed or Be Average
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/jan/13/golf.rydercup
https://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/12010640/racist-incidents-in-golf-on-the-way-out-says-zane-scotland

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#28 Peter O'Hanlon - Sports Presenter and FinTech Intrapreneur on Bringing Your Whole Self To Work

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 16:00:00 +0800

Peter O’Hanlon is a well-recognised sports presenter with one of the best voices in the business. His commentary has been featured on major channels like Sky Sports, Fox Sports, Eurosport etc and his passion for the sport of rowing has taken him all across the globe.

Most recently, he achieved his long-held ambition of receiving a prestigious invitation to provide commentary for the Olympic Games. I caught up with Peter as he returned from a very strange games in Tokyo, to recount how he accidentally fell into the world of sports presenting over 10 years ago.

He’s a good example of someone who has created their own luck, who has diligently honed their craft, and someone who has turned opportunities into passions. He’s such a great presenter and I wanted him to help unpack some of the mystery that surrounds great communicators.

There is a tendency to look at people in the spotlight and ascribe to them some mystic, innate talents that have eluded us. Hopefully, someone who is as polished as Peter is will help demonstrate that real life is much messier, and prove that when we see a flawless live performance on TV (athlete or presenter) we are only seeing the final rep. Not the thousands of reps performed in the dark.

You’ll know by now that I always enjoy finding guests who wear double hats and “Corporate Peter” holds a serious job with HSBC as a Digital Transformation Director having joined the bank in 2019 as their Global Head of Methods and Capabilities. Prior to that he held senior leadership roles at the Lloyds Banking Group. We talk about how these two parts of his identity feed and complement one another, as well as his most helpful habits and guiding formula for success.

Links:
Instagram: @pdohanlon
LinkedIn
https://www.peterohanlon.com/
https://worldrowing.com/
https://olympics.com/en/

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#27 Emiliano Ruprah - Emmy Nominated Filmmaker on Exploration, Curiosity, and The Road Less Travelled

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0800

Emiliano Ruprah joins me on the podcast this week. Born in Mexico to an Italian mother and an Indian father, he grew up in Washington DC. He is an explorer, adventurer, writer, tv presenter, and documentary filmmaker, who continues to walk the path less travelled. He has traveled to some of the most inaccessible places on earth, documenting wildlife, conflict zones, and vanishing cultures for the likes of Discovery Science, Smithsonian, National Geographic and Atlas Obscura.

Emiliano has managed to retain the sense of wonder and intellectual curiosity that this world needs more of, and he’s got so many interesting stories that we could likely fill several episodes. I caught up with him just after he landed back in the US, having returned from some time in the rainforest tracking the movements of endangered Jaguars. Most notably, his latest documentary on epic animal migrations called NOMADS, which he directed, received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Cinematography. I was lucky enough to watch it, and if you’re a fan of famous programs like BBC’s Blue Planet or any of the David Attenborough specials, you’ll love NOMADS too.

I hope that you enjoy listening to Emiliano speak to all the inner work he has done, all the interesting places that he has seen, and all the lessons he’s learned on his travels across the globe.

Links:
Instagram: @emilianoruprah
http://emilianoruprah.com/
NOMADS Trailer
War Tourist Film
Oscura Productions

Writing:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/amber-mines-simojovel-mexico

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/where-is-manna-from

https://www.wired.com/story/how-the-jaguar-king-of-the-forest-might-save-its-ecosystem/

https://inspreation.com/wanderlust-emiliano-explorer.html

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#26 Season 1 Highlights and Reflections

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 11:00:00 +0800

It’s been 1 year since the podcast began, and I’m giving myself a moment to pause and reflect. 25 episodes released. 35 hours of conversations captured. Close to 100,000 downloads across a total of 111 countries. Hosting this podcast has definitely enhanced my 'inner game', and my biggest wish is that it’s done the same for you. By happy accident rather than design, I have discovered that I now carry each guest with me. I wear their words like talismans. Out of nowhere, I’ll find that something they said will come to me when I need it most. This show really is the gift that keeps on giving.

There are some of you out there that have listened to all 25 episodes and walked with me every step of the way. For that I am incredibly grateful. In most cases, you haven’t listened to every guest, and that’s ok. There’s only so many hours in the day, after all. To try and mitigate against you overlooking an absolute gem due to me writing a shoddy headline, and you being deprived of someone who might provide you with inspiration (or consolation) when you need it most, I thought it wise to share one passage from every episode, all in one convenient place. I’ve taken 3-4 minutes of each guest, so that you get a flavour of what they’re about. It’s not necessarily, objectively, the ‘best’ part of that conversation, if such a thing even exists, but each soundbite is a window into their thought processes, and one that, to me, reveals something humorous, motivational, or profound.

Each clip is designed to be a soundbite in the most literal sense - something so tasty that it stimulates the appetite for more. If nothing else, consider this the equivalent of a Greatest Hits Album, a Greatest Goals or Highlights compilation that can be enjoyed in and of itself. I hope that you enjoy this stroll down memory lane and I'll be back with a fresh guest for Season 2 very soon. A big thank you to my listeners for your support so far. I love and appreciate you all.
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Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#25 Simon Jablon - How I Built Luxury Brand Linda Farrow

Sat, 26 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0800

Simon Jablon is the Owner and Creative Director of Linda Farrow. Simon’s mother (Linda) was a fashion designer in 1970's London, whose brand of luxury eyewear quickly rose to acclaim. However, the demands of raising a young family meant that her emerging business took a back seat and eventually lay dormant for 20 years.

Simon was fresh out of university when his parents asked him to clear out an old commercial warehouse in North London. It was there and then that he discovered boxes upon boxes of pristine vintage sunglasses that the family had completely forgotten about. His eyes lit up at the quality of what his mother had produced decades earlier, and despite close to zero industry knowledge or experience, he vowed to breathe new life into his mother’s creations.

This was back in 2003 and today, Linda Farrow is one of the most respected luxury eyewear brands in the world of high fashion, with flagship stores in some of the most valuable real estate in the world. Their designs are worn by everyone from Lady Gaga, to Beyonce, to Rihanna.

If you’re not well-versed in the fashion world or the luxury goods space, do not worry. It doesn’t matter. This podcast is a brilliant entrepreneurial story and it strikes at the heart of what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. From forgotten treasures in a dusty warehouse, to a business of global significance. It’s about passion, drive, and walking the delicate knife-edge...that blurry line between greatness and lunacy.

I like to think of all creative work as an act of violence. To bring anything new into this world is a violent act. For it to be born and then not just survive, but thrive against all odds, requires an enormous amount of force, and this man is force of will personified. There is some sound advice in here for budding entrepreneurs, plenty of humour, and it’s just a wonderfully relaxed and open conversation. It’s a candid portrait of someone who exudes passion for what they do, in a way that only founders can.

Links:
https://int.lindafarrow.com/
Instagram: @lindafarrow
Nylon Magazine Article

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#24 Robyn Lamsam - Olympic Swimmer on Silver Medals and Silver Linings

Fri, 28 May 2021 05:00:00 +0800

My guest today is Robyn Lamsam, a former Olympian and holder of 21 National Swimming records. She was a silver and bronze medallist at the 1994 Asian Games and received the Badge of Honour from Queen Elizabeth II herself back in 1997 in recognition of her achievements and contribution to sport in Hong Kong.

Robyn qualified for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona at the tender age of just 14 years old. Anyone who has competed on the world’s biggest stage, at an age when most of us are awkwardly stumbling through puberty and achieving nothing of note, is worth talking to. Anyone who has lived and breathed that elite performance mentality is worthy of further examination. What does it take to achieve one’s maximum potential? What are the sacrifices? What are the principles and habits that are transferable to business and just everyday life?

She was also a star pupil of the legendary coach and Hall of Famer, Bill Sweetenham, who led Australia, Great Britain, and Hong Kong across 5 Olympic games, smashing records wherever he went. There's a link to Bill’s Life Lessons in the show notes below and if you are a business leader, a coach, a manager of people in any context whatsoever, it’s required reading. The man is a genius and Robyn has some great stories to tell from working under him. No less importantly, Robyn has also gone through some tough times as a mother and parent. Finding people who are willing to be vulnerable in public and shine a light on one’s emotional and mental health is always valuable. If I can sum up the narrative arc of this podcast, I’d say that it pulls on 3 main threads:

Firstly, it is about discipline, desire, determination. The elite mindset.
Secondly, it’s about coaching, leadership, motivation. How to manage people.
And thirdly it’s about positivity, gratitude, resilience. How to deal with adversity.
Framed in this way, I believe there are lessons in here for everyone, sports fan or not.

Links:
https://www.robynlamsam.com/
Instagram: @robynlamsam
https://swimmingcoach.org/a-lifetime-of-lessons-learned-by-bill-sweetenham-2012/
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Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#23 Bob Sheard - The Invisible Hand Behind World Famous Brands

Tue, 04 May 2021 03:00:00 +0800

"The starting point always has to be truth. How do we tell the truth about ourselves, and how do we do that in a compelling way?"

Bob Sheard is the Founder and Co-Owner of FreshBritain, aka The Brand Vision Company. To characterise FreshBritain as just another Brand Design Agency or Creative Agency doesn’t really do them justice. FreshBritain are the absolute tip of the spear when it comes to redesigning and repositioning some of the world's most iconic brands.

I’ve likened Bob to the invisible hand behind the scenes...quietly controlling the narrative, nudging each brand he works with, back towards their true north. Over the last 20 years he’s worked with giant Private Equity Funds, celebrities like Bear Grylls and Al Gore, and countless iconic brands such as Nike, Levi’s, 2XU, Doc Martens, Ben Sherman, Converse, Renault, Arc’teryx, and New Balance, just to name a few.

Bob has this masterful command of the English lexicon, mixed with a salt-of-the-earth Yorkshire accent that I find very pleasing on the ear, and he is very funny to boot. All of which makes for an excellent podcast, and there are many great stories from his life and career here that anyone will find interesting, not only those working in advertising, branding or marketing.

We discuss some of his favourite pieces of client work such as, the time he got a phone call from the President of Levi’s saying “Hey Bob, we need you to un-f**k Levi’s for us”. We also discuss why we respect Novak Djokovic but we love John McEnroe, how COVID has changed consumer behaviour and brand behaviour for good, and how we might think about re-designing a new world order. As always, we end the podcast by talking about habits, principles, and words to live by.

Fresh Britain
LinkedIn: Bob Sheard
FreshBritain Website
FreshBritain Testimonials
Instagram: @freshbritain

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Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#22 Richard Koch - Mastering the 80/20 Principle, Achieving More With Less, and the Keys to Unreasonable Success

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 17:00:00 +0800

Richard Koch is an entrepreneur and prolific author, his seminal work, 'The 80/20 Principle', is one of the most successful business books of all time, and has been translated into 30+ languages, selling well over 1+million copies. In essence, the book is about how to achieve more with less. It’s about recognising the asymmetries between inputs and outputs. 80% of your revenues stem from 20% of your customers. 80% of your happiness is derived from 20% of your activities and relationships. It’s all about focusing our efforts on the small subset of activities that really move the needle.

He was also a very successful management consultant, having worked at the Boston Consulting Group, making Partner at Bain & Co, and subsequently founding his own strategy consulting firm, L.E.K, which now employs thousands of people worldwide.

I’ve admired the way this man’s brain works for a long time. Reading The 80/20 Principle many years ago has influenced me more than perhaps any other business book out there. It was an honour and a pleasure to have Richard on the show.

Links
Twitter: @richardkoch8020
Site: https://richardkoch.net/
Book: The 80/20 Principle
Book: Unreasonable Success and How To Achieve It

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#21 Molly Dare Hillenbrand - Battling Lyme Disease, Building Multiple Businesses, Single Motherhood & The Power of Choosing What Defines You

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:00:00 +0800

"Your worst days don't break you, they make you"

Molly Dare Hillenbrand is a successful entrepreneur in the PR, Marketing, and Media space who’s spent many years behind the scenes on the production side, and many years in front of the camera as a TV host. Molly is the Founder of Hillenbrand Media and host of the excellent podcast ‘On Air with Molly Dare’.

Molly and I first met in 2019 and I’ve had the privilege of getting to know her over the past couple of years - I wanted her on the show because she typifies the new breed of businesswoman that can be held up as a real role model to so many. Yes she’s good looking and glamorous but she’s also gritty, and scrappy in just the right measure. She’s someone who has built a successful career for herself from the ground up in Retail, Marketing and Media, all whilst being a single working mother of two.

This conversation is really upbeat, she’s an incredibly positive and optimistic human being who’s been through some tough times and processed them. The podcast is punctuated throughout with moments of clarity, laughter, and motivational gems a plenty. Appearances can be deceiving, and Molly is someone that reminds us once more that everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

We discuss the constant tension between work life and family life, her battle with Lyme Disease, and how losing her ability to speak ignited a passion to give other people a voice. We talk about the challenge of being soft enough to feel things, but being hard enough to survive in the cut-throat world of business. We also discuss her new podcast and the art of interviewing - we cover a lot in the space of an hour. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.
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#20 Oliver Proudlock - Life in The Public Eye, Dealing with Social Media, Making Room for What’s Important, and Happiness as a Choice

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 02:00:00 +0800

Oliver Proudlock, or simply, ‘Proudlock’, as he is widely known, is a Reality TV Star, Model, Designer, and Entrepreneur.

He first shot to fame in the UK when he was cast on the hit reality TV series ‘Made in Chelsea’ which chronicles the glamorous lives of West London's well-heeled crowd. He quickly became one of the most likeable and central characters on the show, and he’s leveraged that fame to evolve into an entrepreneur in his own right since leaving the program. He’s involved in several business ventures, most notably as the founder of the men’s fashion and jewellery brand Serge Denimes, his company now entering its 10th year of operations.

Ollie and I were introduced a few years back through mutual friends, some of you know that I manage a Japanese sake brand, and I was told that Ollie had picked up a bottle by chance. He loved the whole concept and our friend thought it might be wise for the two of us to have a chat. We hit it off instantly, and we’ve been friends and business partners ever since.

This was a lot of fun, we’ve been meaning to catch up for a while, and I thought it might be nice for my audience (and Ollie’s millions of followers) if we just recorded our chat and let everyone be a fly on the wall to our conversation. It’d give them an insight into how his brain works, we could talk about his whirlwind wedding in December, and we’d try to touch on some areas that he hasn’t covered in the past. For example - what he thought he would be when he was younger, people who left a mark and influenced him, how the pandemic has forced him to simplify his life, words to live by, and he reveals the new business venture he is launching with his wife Emma Louise in the next few weeks.

Links
Instagram
@proudlock
@sergedenimes
@fourfoxsakeofficial
www.sergedenimes.com
www.fourfoxsake.com
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Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com
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Other relevant links
@emmalouiseconnolly
@thegreedymodel
https://www.tatler.com/article/oliver-proudlock-and-emma-louise-connolly-wedding
@e4chelsea

#19 Evan Lysacek - Olympic Gold Medal Winner, on Mindset, Formative Failures, and Private Victories

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0800

"I don't know how many moments of clarity anyone is afforded in life. But I knew in that moment with 100% clarity that I wanted what they felt. More than what they had. I wanted what they felt, and I would do anything to get it."

An American figure skater, Evan Lysacek reached the absolute pinnacle of sporting achievement, taking gold at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. In 2016, he was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame. He is the first Olympic gold medallist on the show, and frankly I could not be happier with the result. This is a deep-dive into the mindset of a winner, and I consider this conversation an absolute privilege. It is stacked full of universal principles and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This podcast is not just about skating - we discuss how he’s reinvented himself after sport and channeled those competitive instincts into the world of business, how failure shaped his eventual success, and how happy he is to have found and married the love of his life, a relationship that just wasn’t possible when he was in blinkered pursuit of gold.

Follow Evan
Instagram @evanlysacek

Youtube - his winning performance
here and here
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Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

Notable Mentions
Frank Carroll

#18 Joshua Lisec - The #1 Bestselling Ghostwriter on Persuasion, Solopreneurship, and Building in Public

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 02:00:00 +0800

My guest this week is Joshua Lisec, the International Bestselling, celebrity recommended, #1 Ghostwriter in the world right now. His output is prolific, he’s written 57 books before his 30th birthday. We talk about his journey to becoming a ghostwriter, stepping off the college to career conveyor belt, the life of a soloprenuer, building and thinking in public, and great tips on becoming a more persuasive writer. If you feel like you have a story or a book in you that deserves to be told, Josh can help you figure out the best way to say it. If you’re on the entrepreneurial journey, there’s good advice here on creating your dream job and finding your own unique skill stack. I start the conversation by asking Joshua about his love of writing, and how he ended up on this fascinating and unlikeliest of career paths.

Follow Joshua
Twitter
Website
TEDxTalk on Solopreneurship
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Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com
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Notable Mentions
https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays

The Dilbert Future by Scott Adams

Influence by Robert Cialdini

#17 Kevin Dahlstrom - Chief Marketing Officer & Angel Investor: Living Life On Your Own Terms & Avoiding The Opportunity Trap

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 03:00:00 +0800

The best way to introduce Kevin Dahlstrom is in his own words:

"Through hard work and an unfair share of luck, I’ve done some cool “bucket list” things in my career:

- Raised VC from the worlds’ top firms
- Helped build 100’s of millions in revenue from nothing
- Rang the bell at the NYSE
- Met & did deals with billionaires & business icons

These are things I dreamed about when I was young and I treasure some of the memories. But when they finally happened I felt surprisingly unfulfilled. I was scoring lots of points but didn’t feel like I was winning.

Then a few years ago during a board meeting I had a moment of clarity. I looked around the table at 10 people, all absurdly successful by financial measures. There wasn’t a single person I wanted to emulate. Most were unhealthy and several had told me that they were unhappy.

Within months I walked away from from a 7-figure salary, moved my family to Boulder, and haven’t looked back. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a capitalist and I like money as much as anyone. But for me it's not the thing, and more of the wrong thing is less."

Kevin splits his time between Boulder, Colorado, and Honolulul, Hawaii, where he is currently EVP and CMO at Pacific Central Bank. He has 20+ years of experience heading marketing, product strategy, and e-commerce for leading financial organizations. Kevin was CMO at Mr Cooper, CMO at Elevate, and been a founder or early in multiple high-growth fintech startups in the USA.

Follow Kevin
Twitter
LinkedIn
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Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com
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Notable Mentions

Paul Graham - Makers Schedule vs Managers Schedule

Seth Godin - Purple Cow

Mr Money Mustache Youtube Talk

Jeff Bezos - Regret Minimization Framework

The Enneagram - Personality test

#16 Simon Ree - Trader, Author, and Martial Artist on Emotional Control, Creating Abundance, and Designing A Life

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 02:00:00 +0800

"So few of us actually spend the time to design our lives. We have this vague idea of what our life might look like. But vague and fuzzy plans, yield vague and fuzzy results."

Simon spent over 25 years in the private banking and investment banking industry, holding senior positions at Goldman Sachs and Citibank in Australia and Singapore. Through all of this, Simon was also honing his skills as a Jeet Kune Do instructor, the form of Martial Arts coined by one of his biggest early influences, Bruce Lee.

Simon became disillusioned with advising UHNW clients, people who frankly didn’t need his help building greater wealth. He wanted to make a bigger contribution and actually help people who needed it. He took all the financial acumen he’d acquired over the years, and fused it with the lessons he’d learned as an expert in the martial arts. Since 2017 he has been an entrepreneur, teaching and consulting ordinary individuals how to trade successfully for themselves and create wealth on their own terms. In July 2020 he released his book 'The Tao Of Trading: How to Build Abundant Wealth in Any Market Condition'.

"I've got a 'No High-Fives rule' when it comes to trading. If I start feeling euphoric, then I start cutting positions very quickly. It means I'm in a high risk psychological state. When you feel like you've finally got markets figured out, the market is about to hand you another lesson"

This episode is full of universal principles. Anyone who has even the slightest curiosity about making their passion their profession, leaving the rat race, running a side hustle, or just wants some motivation to know that it is possible to live life on your own terms, this episode is right on the money. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Simon as much as I did.

Links to Simon

Simon on LinkedIn

Twitter

The Tao of Trading: How to Build Abundant Wealth in Any Market Condition - Amazon/Kindle

https://www.taooftrading.com/

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Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com
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Other Mentions

Victor Frankl

Steven Pressfield - The War of Art

The Dao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee

David Yarrow on Playing The Inner Game

Seth Godin - Quarter Inch Drillbit

Jim Collins - Fire bullets then cannonballs

#15 Malcolm Wood - Serial Entrepreneur of 35+ Businesses, Filmmaker of A Plastic Ocean & The Last Glaciers, on Why Success Is A Team Sport

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 07:00:00 +0800

"The passion AND the challenge is an important combination. Make sure it's hard enough. Everything rewarding I've done, has been hard."

Malcolm is best known as a leading influence in the F&B industry and cofounded the multi-award winning Maximal Concepts. He has opened over 35 different concepts in his career and is best known for the flagship restaurant brand Mott 32, one of the most awarded Chinese restaurants in the world.

A passionate environmental filmmaker and social entrepreneur, he was heavily involved in the production of “A Plastic Ocean”, described by Sir David Attenborough as “the most important film of our time”. His follow-on film “The Last Glaciers” is set for release in 2021 and will be the most comprehensive film ever produced about the relationship between climate change, mountain environments, and glaciers. One of the world's few experts in paralpinism, Malcolm was also recently selected as the first paraglider, speed flyer, and filmmaker to join UN Environment’s campaign ‘Mountain Heroes’.

This wide-ranging conversation reflects the incredible breadth of business interests Malcolm holds across the Steelhead Group. We discuss: identity, managing fear, entrepreneurship, filmmaking, extreme sports, sustainability, climate change, and parental wisdom.

Links:

IG: @malcolmgwood | @thelastglaciers | @maximalconcepts

Steelhead Group

The Last Glaciers Trailer

Maximal Concepts

ARC'TERYX

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#14 Annabelle Bond OBE - Record Breaking Climber of Mount Everest and The Seven Summits on Grit, Goals, and Learning From Failure

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0800

"Only those who are not afraid to push, will ever see how far they can go"

In 2004 Annabelle Bond became the fourth British woman ever to ascend Mount Everest. She then went on to scale the ‘Seven Summits’ - the highest peaks on each continent, in just 360 days, making her the fastest female climber in the world.

In her first ever podcast interview she tells me what it’s like to stand on top of the world on all seven continents. Incredibly, just weeks before tackling Mount Everest, a doctor’s visit revealed that she had a tumour, something of a cruel irony, given that she was already deeply involved in raising funds for The Eve Appeal Cancer Foundation. She went under the knife to have it removed and after summiting Everest against the odds, the next six mountains succumbed to her will one by one.

Our first turn down memory lane starts with her recounting her childhood, the exotic sights and sounds of Asia in the 70s, before we discuss the influence of her esteemed father Sir John Bond. We then dive into what it takes to climb Mount Everest, we talk about near brushes with death, the importance of setting goals, of healthy competition, life as a single mum, and some final words to live by.

Links:

This episode was recorded at The Madame Fu Grand Cafe Chinois

Laureus Ambassador

Twitter @annabellebond

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#13 James Riley - CEO of The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group on the Importance of Luck, Challenging Assumptions, and Always Looking Forward

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0800

"It doesn't matter how trying the circumstances, how challenging the environment, how difficult the task. Ultimately, strength is shown through calm"

James Riley is the Chief Executive of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. He joined the Board as Group CEO in 2016 and has held a number of senior executive positions within the Jardine Matheson Group. He was Group Finance Director of Jardines from 2005 to 2016, and was a non-executive director of HSBC from 2012 to 2016. He is also the Chairman of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Geographical Society.

Despite being the CEO of one of the world’s most loved luxury hotel brands, you will find very little online about his professional or personal life. Therefore, I am honoured to be the one to bring this conversation into the world and am grateful for his trust in me to do so. I hope that the hundreds of thousands of Jardines employees around the world, who have worked alongside James over the years, both recognise the man on the mic, and also learn something new about a man whose energy, zest for life, and company, I find very enjoyable.

We ease into this conversation on common ground and our shared love of books, discussing his favourites and the one that moved him to tears. We then pick up steam and he speaks candidly about how he copes as CEO of a huge organisation despite recently losing his sight. We chat about his people-centric leadership philosophy, and why he’s stayed with one group for so long. We also discuss living with no regrets, the importance of luck in one’s career, what makes him most uncomfortable, and his excitement around the ambitious drive to totally eliminate single-use plastics at Mandarin Oriental by 2021. We end with him revealing how watching a loved one suffer, ultimately shaped his career ambitions and determination to succeed. I hope you enjoy listening to the 'Life of Riley'.

Links:

This episode was recorded at The Mandarin Oriental HK

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Jardine Matheson Group

LinkedIn

James' Recommendations:

Heywood Hill Bookshop

A Little Life

Les Miserables

Kim

The Lady in Number 6 Documentary

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#12 Andy Barrow - 3x Paralympian and Inspirational Speaker on Rugby, Resilience, and the Power of Perspective

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 13:00:00 +0800

In 1997, Andy Barrow was playing rugby for his local club when he suffered a spinal-cord injury that left him paralysed from the chest down, with limited use of his hands. He was aged just 17.

Following this life-changing injury and many hard months of rehabilitation, his life was transformed when he discovered wheelchair rugby – also known as “Murderball”. Andy’s wheelchair rugby career encompassed three Paralympic Games, three World Championships, and five European Championships. He captained Great Britain from 2005 to 2010, and led the team out at the Beijing Paralympics before bowing out on home turf at London 2012.

Andy is incredibly inspirational and it was so powerful to hear him say that despite all the setbacks he's faced in life, he wouldn't change a thing. This is a moving story of resilience, self-belief, and the ability to overcome.

Links:

Andy Barrow website

Andy on Twitter

LinkedIn

Other Mentions:

Indochina Starfish Foundation

Laureus 'Sport for Good'

David Whyte Poem - Everything is waiting for you

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#11 Isabella Grandic - The Teenager Who's Growing Meat In a Lab & Ending Maternal Mortality

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 12:00:00 +0800

"When I commit to something, I COMMIT to it. No baby steps. It might be an extreme path for some, but I've always learned the most from trying the extremes and then working backwards"

Isabella Grandic is one of the most interesting teenagers I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Ambitious and enthusiastic in equal measure, Izzy is part of The Knowledge Society, a human accelerator for young minds that seeks to produce the next generation of innovators.

At just 15 years old, she was invited by the Microsoft Senior Leadership Team to keynote on the topic of food tech. At 16, she was flown to Sweden to present at the IKEA Leadership Summit, and later that year she spoke at the world’s biggest Tech Conference, Web Summit. She’s consulted for companies like Walmart, Google, and Aleph Farms, a food-tech startup that grows cuts of meat from beef cells using a 3D tissue engineering platform. Lab Grown Meat is not that far from becoming a commercial reality on our supermarket shelves, so it was interesting for me to learn a little bit more on the topic, and how this might really move the needle when it comes to solving for animal cruelty and climate change.

I also wanted to catch up with her to discuss her latest project (a social enterprise run entirely from her bedroom during the pandemic) which has the lofty and admirable goal of ending maternal mortality in Nigeria. Izzy only just turned 17, and there is plenty to be worried about in the world just now. But, if the rest of Generation Z turns out to be anything like Izzy, it’s easy to feel more optimistic about the future of our planet. The kids are most definitely, alright.

Links:

http://isabellagrandic.com/

Izzy on Medium

The Knowledge Society

Aleph Farms - Meat without the animals

Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#10 Jamie Hunt - Building $200m Sportswear Brand 2XU, Missing The Olympics, and the Importance of Slowing Down

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 16:00:00 +0800

"I can say to you hand on heart, almost every single one of my successful entrepreneurial friends has been through depression. Every single one. We're not designed to be on our phones all day. We're not designed to be constantly on airplanes."

Jamie Hunt is one of the co-founders of 2XU, the high-performance sportswear brand worn by many of the world’s top athletes and celebrities, from LeBron James to Kanye West. He helped create the brand back in 2005 and the business was eventually sold by Jamie and his two co-founders at a 9 figure valuation.

With so many brands now playing in the highly competitive apparel and athleisure market, it’s well worth listening to someone who has managed to build a $200m brand. Never content to bask in former glories, Jamie is at it again with Aviro, an antiviral clothing and facemask company, as well as a brand new performance sportswear brand Pressio which launches in January 2021.

Jamie was a world-class Triathlete and we discuss the agonising sliding doors moment that saw him controversially miss out on the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. We talk about the transferable skills he’s taken from sport to business, as well as the high rates of depression among founder/entrepreneurs.

Jamie himself admits that on paper, he shouldn’t have been as successful as he has been. He wasn’t well-educated, and had a speech impediment to overcome, but he credits hard work and his religious faith for enabling him to exceed those early limitations.

Links:

Jamie Hunt / LinkedIn

2XU

Aviro

Pressio

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#09 David Yarrow - Lessons from Wall Street, Photography, and Why You Should Invest In Yourself

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 20:00:00 +0800

"If you have to back someone in your life, surely the starting point is to back yourself"

Born in Scotland and now living in England, David Yarrow is one of the most famous fine-art photographers in the world, known for his striking images of the natural world. He has built a cult following among A-list celebrities and collectors worldwide and deservedly so, with his unique perspective and attention to detail that borders on the obsessive.

In 1986, as a young university student, David took the now iconic photograph of Diego Maradona lifting the World Cup in Mexico City. Before committing fully to photography later in life, David ran a large hedge fund, Clareville Capital, and we discuss what the world of high finance both gave and took from him, starting with the split-second decision he made on 9/11 that changed everything.

David is an amplifier of nature, a romanticist, and has a deep seated fear of the mundane. His career has brought him into contact with presidents, Hollywood stars, sporting legends and supermodels. He has visited remote places that very few people on the planet have access to, and he generously shares many lessons and anecdotes from this rich tapestry that all of us can apply to our own lives.

Links:

https://davidyarrow.photography/

Instagram: @davidyarrow - 100% worth following

Other mentions:

Josh Waitzkin on the Tim Ferriss Show

Fooled by Randomness - Naseem Nicholas Taleb

UBS Ambassador

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#08 Jeannie Cho Lee MW - Wine, Writing, and Making Your Passion Your Profession

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 10:00:00 +0800

"You should do what you love, not what you feel you're supposed to do"

Voted the 25th most powerful person in the world of wine in Decanter's 2013 Power List, Jeannie Cho Lee became the first ever Asian Master of Wine in 2008; an exclusive title that fewer than 450 people in the entire world currently hold.

A hedonist and great lover of food and wine, she is an award winning author, founder of Le Pan and has been a contributing editor for Forbes, Robb Report and Decanter magazines. Aside from judging at global competitions, she also has the enviable jobs of consulting for the Galaxy Macau and curating the wine list for Singapore Airlines. She is also the resident Professor of Wine at HK Polytechnic University.

Most importantly, Jeannie is someone that has made her life's passion her profession, and done it in such a way that always respected and protected the things she loves the most. Her values and principles are incredibly admirable and we cover:

- The language of wine and achieving 'multiple palate orgasms'
- How 'acceptable stress' is good for you
- Balancing career and family
- Having a student mindset
- Not everything that can be monetised should be monetised
- Writing as therapy
- The words that changed her life

Links:

https://www.jeanniecholee.com/

Instagram: @jeanniecholee

TEDx Talk - How wine keeps you slim, healthy and humble

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

Other mentions:

Recorded at: Madame Fú Grand Café Chinoise

Oz Clarke

#07 Arthur Hayes - Bitcoin Bull and Disruptor In Chief

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 23:00:00 +0800

"There will always be someone who has more than you, and someone who has less than you. Deal with it."

Arthur Hayes is the CEO and Co-Founder of the 100x Group, the group behind BitMEX, one of the largest cryptocurrency derivatives trading platforms in the world.

Never one to mince his words, Arthur is a flamboyant and often provocative figure in the world of crypto. His team created the most traded cryptocurrency product of all time, with overall trading volumes on the BitMEX exchange approaching $1 trillion USD last year according to Euromoney.

It has been a remarkably rapid rise for Arthur Hayes since being released from his trading job at Citibank in 2013. He's accumulated generational wealth in just a few years and all before his 40th birthday. Luckily for me, Arthur and I have some great friends in common, so I was delighted when he agreed to carve out 60 minutes for the podcast. My first question reveals a softer side to the man, before we go on to discuss:

The @cryptohayes approach to Twitter
Philanthropy and giving back to his community
The power of FOMO
If getting fired by Citibank fuelled him
The best thing about having money

Links:

Twitter: @cryptohayes

BitMEX blog

100x Group

If you want to send Arthur a gift

'Lindy effect' in literature explained

Four Fox Saké

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#06 Jeff Rotmeyer - the Social Entrepreneur that's Building a Kinder World

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 14:00:00 +0800

“It’s a bit of an extreme challenge. I’m sure people think I’m insane and it’s stupid, but it’s not. It’s going to work.”

Jeff Rotmeyer is a special human being. The founder and CEO of two NGO's, he was born and raised on the West Coast of Canada and moved to Hong Kong 15 years ago as a fresh-faced young English teacher. In 2017, reluctant to pay lawyers for two days work instead of one, he registered two new charities on the same day. Giving up his career as an English Teacher, Jeff doubled-down on his commitment to helping some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised communities.

ImpactHK serves the city’s homeless population with cooked meals, love, and friendship every single day of the week on their now famous ‘kindness walks’. Driven by a dedicated team of volunteers, the charity has helped hundreds of people with finding accommodation, drug rehabilitation, and gainful employment. Half of their full-time employees used to live on the streets, and many more have had their lives transformed as a result of Jeff’s vision for a kinder world.

Love21Foundation exists to help the families of kids with Autism and Down Syndrome reach their full potential. Emphasis is placed on helping low-income and single-parent families who would otherwise struggle with the enormous financial costs and lack of access to activities that many of us take for granted. Both organisations have been enormously successful in recent years in building awareness and delivering real change, thanks in large part to Jeff’s insatiable work ethic and passion for creating a more inclusive and compassionate society. We talk about:

Why he never gets discouraged
Guilt at not doing more (yes even he feels guilty)
Why a former school teacher doesn't send his kid to school
The healing power of mother nature
The legacy he hopes to leave behind

Links:

ImpactHK Facebook Page

Love21Foundation Facebook Page

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
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Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#05 Benjamin Quinlan - CEO and Comedian on Why Nothing Succeeds As Planned

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0800

"When you do your first big punchline, and you have a crowd whiplashing and applauding...something happens to you. It's an out of body experience. That particular skillset is a good gift to give back to the world"

Ben is the Founder & CEO of Quinlan & Associates, an independent strategy consulting firm, specialising in the financial services industry. He set up the firm back in 2016 having paid his dues in the Investment Banking world at UBS and Deutsche Bank, and in the Management Consulting world with Oliver Wyman. You’ll often see Ben quoted for his market views on Bloomberg, CNBC, and Reuters. Ben is also heavily involved in the rapidly growing Fintech scene here in Asia and just a few days prior to recording this he
was elected as the new Chairman of the Fintech Association of Hong Kong.

The secret sauce that makes Ben unique is that come Friday night he leaves the boardroom, swaps his suit and tie for a t-shirt and jeans, and performs on stage as a Stand-up Comedian. He is a regular headliner at Comedy Clubs all across Asia, won the 2017 Hong Kong International Comedy Festival and has opened for a number of big international comedians on their Asian tours, including Russell Howard, Kevin Bridges and Tom Segura.

One of my favourite sayings is that clarity of speech, reflects clarity of thought, and in that regard, this episode is an absolute masterclass. We touch on many topics including:

Ben's philosophy on leadership and building successful teams
The importance of doing what you love
The sacrifices involved in running your own business
His worst ‘bomb’ on stage as a comedian
How humour gives him an advantage in the workplace
How watching his father live out his dream was the best lesson he ever got in what it means to live a successful life.

Links:

Benjamin Quinlan on LinkedIn

Quinlan & Associates

Comedian & Speaker Profile

TEDx - Creativity at your feet

TEDx - Supercharged Fear

Other mentions:

Eckhart Tolle - The Power of Now

Host: Michael Campion
Website: www.michaelxcampion.com
LinkedIn: @michaelxcampion
IG: @michaelxcampion
-----
Michael Campion is a Corporate Trainer, Career Coach, and Entrepreneur based between Singapore and Hong Kong. If you are looking for Executive Coaching, Public Speaking Courses, or your next Guest Speaker, please email the address below.
hello@michaelxcampion.com

#04 Michaela Alexis - Overcoming Adversity and Living an Authentic Life

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 15:00:00 +0800

"We lose people we love, we lose jobs...and we survive, and keep going".

Michaela and I met on the set of Season 1 of 'The Social Movement', a new TV Series soon to be released on Amazon Prime. Whilst on set, "leaving things better than we found them", became our unofficial team motto, and Michaela embodies that spirit as well as anyone I know.

Michaela is a leading voice and Learning Instructor on LinkedIn, as well as a highly sought after keynote speaker in the social media and marketing space. In a time when positive female role models are needed more than ever, Michaela’s journey from a self-conscious, agoraphobic job-seeker, to powerhouse speaker and entrepreneur is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Calm seas don’t make skilled sailors, and Michaela has weathered her fair share of storms. We talk about some really deep issues - harassment in the workplace, racism, grief, eating disorders and overwhelming anxiety. On paper, it sounds like a really depressing episode but that could not be further from the truth.

Michaela has processed these experiences and emotions so well, that we were able to talk about them with a lightness and curiosity that I think will really benefit a lot of our listeners. She is a fantastic communicator and very funny, so there are some great one-liners, plus a ton of excellent career advice and actionable tips on public speaking.

Links:

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

IG: @mickalexis

K-Swiss Self Belief Shoe by Michaela Alexis

Home of the Podcast: www.michaelxcampion.com

IG: @michaelxcampion

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#03 Jason Tobin - Acting from Hong Kong to Hollywood. Not Fast, Not Furious.

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 14:00:00 +0800

It’s hard to beat the guy that just refuses to give up.

Jason Tobin is a Hollywood Actor and local Hong Kong boy done good. Growing up between boarding school in Essex, England and Hong Kong, he would ride the school bus dreaming of starring in movies like his idol Bruce Lee. Decades later, he's a lead actor on the critically acclaimed HBO Cinemax Hit Series ‘Warrior’, a show based on the writings of his hero and produced by Bruce’s daughter, Shannon Lee.

He has also starred in the Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and been cast again in the upcoming Fast and Furious 9 movie, F9, with his long time friend and superstar director, Justin Lin, which will be released in 2021.

This is not a story about glitz and glamour, this is a story of grit, $0.99 burgers, and a steely determination to succeed. Struggling for almost a quarter of a century before reaching the summit has kept him incredibly humble, and his genuine gratitude for everything that comes his way shines through.

Jason and I cover a lot of ground. We talk about consistency, what it means to provide for his family, suffering panic attacks before auditions, enjoying the process more than the outcome, mixed-race identity, plus the added difficulties of being an Asian actor in Hollywood. I even got a little acting lesson thrown in, which was fun and unexpected.

Links:
IG: @jsntbn
@thefastsaga

F9: https://www.thefastsaga.com/

Jasmine - https://www.amazon.com/Jasmine-Jason-Tobin/dp/B073RRLPFN

Warrior - https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/warrior-season-1/id1464717629

Home of the podcast - www.michaelxcampion.com

IG: @michaelxcampion

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#02 Andrew Lang - Reclusive Filmmaker, Videographer and Journalist

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 02:00:00 +0800

Introducing the most interesting man you've never heard of.

Andrew is an independent filmmaker, videographer and photojournalist. He is extremely private and a wonderfully entertaining storyteller. He recounts fascinating memories of covering the Hong Kong Protests, near death experiences in Chernobyl, his disturbing conversations with a child monk in the holiest place on earth, and a romantic encounter with a very special cactus. If you’re really pressed for time and just want to hear how I confront an old friend with hard truths, about how they need to stop self-handicapping and holding themselves back, then you can skip forward to 1:00 and join us in the deep end...

I’m grateful that he was able to share his battle with depression so openly and that he didn’t mind if it was aired in public, which unfortunately... it never will be. As a result of me failing to set my equipment properly, Andrew and I spoke for well over an hour before I even started recording. Any opportunity for men to talk publicly about mental health is vitally important, and losing this beautiful conversation will always haunt me.

Nevertheless, I still think it worth mentioning in this way before you listen to this episode, because it gives colour to everything that he has achieved and experienced since overcoming those demons. Demons that still whisper to him (that whisper to so many of us) daily.

Links:

'What a wonderful world' - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2393556087567345

The Zone, Chernobyl & Pripyat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDBKtSA2dZI&feature=youtu.be

Home of the podcast - www.michaelxcampion.com

IG: @michaelxcampion

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#01 Eugene Kan - Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Using Imposter Syndrome as Fuel

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 14:00:00 +0800

"I've never considered myself so talented that I could just coast. But I'll outwork you, I'll go into a depth that you aren't willing to go to, and that's just what I know best"

Eugene was the first ever Editorial Director at HYPEBEAST where over the course of 8 years, he helped transform a niche blog for sneaker fans, into the global driving force of men's streetwear and fashion that it is today.

He is now the co-founder of MAEKAN, a story-driven audiovisual publication devoted to the sights and sounds of creative culture, and is also the Co-Founder of Adam Studios, a creative agency that has shot campaigns with the likes of Chris Pratt for TUMI, and David Beckham for Adidas Originals.

We talk about:

Lessons from our (short-lived) careers in professional football
The nuance of ‘following your passion'
Good advice for creators and startups
The difficulty of monetising creative work
Why he refuses to fly business class
Decoupling self-worth from net-worth
How never feeling good enough can actually work in our favour
and much more.

IG: Follow the man:
@eugenekan
IG: Follow the work:
@maekan
@adamstudios_
www.maekan.com

Other mentions:
@thatfoodcray
@fourfoxsakeofficial

Home of the podcast: www.michaelxcampion.com

IG: @michaelxcampion

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