Access to Inspiration

Access to Inspiration Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:48:38 -0400 http://www.accesstoinspiration.org en © 2026 Access to Inspiration yes 9464765f-4a16-5935-85b0-e7ab08ef418a Sue Stockdale episodic false Access to Inspiration is an award-winning podcast ranked among the top 10% of podcasts globally, featuring conversations with explorers, entrepreneurs, business leaders and changemakers from around the world.

Hosted by executive coach, author and polar explorer Sue Stockdale, the podcast explores leadership, resilience, personal growth, innovation, exploration and the mindset required to navigate uncertainty.

With guests from more than 30 countries, each episode uncovers the stories behind remarkable achievements, revealing the lessons learned through challenge, adversity and discovery.

Topics span leadership, business, adventure, sustainability, creativity, social impact and human potential.

Listeners gain practical insights, fresh perspectives and actionable ideas to help them build confidence, embrace change and step beyond their comfort zones.

Whether you are a leader, entrepreneur, professional, explorer or lifelong learner, Access to Inspiration offers thought-provoking conversations designed to inspire personal and professional growth.

Learn more at Access to Inspiration

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Sue Stockdale https://storage.buzzsprout.com/kjqxtszm5ikt71iy1oqyt8m5v7t1?.jpg Access to Inspiration http://www.accesstoinspiration.org Celebrating 150 Episodes: Reflections and Insights from Access to Inspiration Celebrating 150 Episodes: Reflections and Insights from Access to Inspiration Pierre Heistein, who was guest in episode 91 takes the host's chair alongside co-founders Sue Stockdale and Clive Steeper. They celebrate reaching 150 episodes by reflecting on the conversations with guests, lessons learned, and the common threads that bind these stories together. Pierre delves into the origins of the podcast, what does it mean to be inspirational, and how the show has impacted Sue and Clive and their listeners. Together they discuss how the podcast has influenced their perspectives about life and work, and how they look to the future for taking the next steps of development.

Key Reflections

"The most inspirational people often have an overriding purpose – something greater than themselves that motivates them to act."
“Inspiration is about more than success or achievement. It's about attitude – a willingness to explore, to take risks, and to stay curious.”
“Many of our guests had to embrace uncertainty or ambiguity at some point in their journey."
“Being an inspiration to others was often something guests had not considered about themselves.”
“The podcast is designed to challenge assumptions – by hearing from people outside your own world, you begin to understand different ways of thinking.”
“What guests often valued most about the interview was the opportunity to reflect on their life and what shaped them.”
“Each episode is a window into someone’s world, and those windows have revealed the many forms that inspiration can take.”
“These conversations continue to affirm one thing – that every person has a story worth hearing.”

"The most inspirational people often have an overriding purpose – something greater than themselves that motivates them to act."
“Inspiration is about more than success or achievement. It's about attitude – a willingness to explore, to take risks, and to stay curious.”
“Many of our guests had to embrace uncertainty or ambiguity at some point in their journey."
“Being an inspiration to others was often something guests had not considered about themselves.”
“The podcast is designed to challenge assumptions – by hearing from people outside your own world, you begin to understand different ways of thinking.”
“What guests often valued most about the interview was the opportunity to reflect on their life and what shaped them.”
“Each episode is a window into someone’s world, and those windows have revealed the many forms that inspiration can take.”
“These conversations continue to affirm one thing – that every person has a story worth hearing.”

Time Stamps
01:26 Origins of the Podcast
03:41 Defining inspiration
06:06 Personal reflections on inspiration
12:36 The role of curiosity and vulnerability
23:31 Unexpectedly inspiring guests
27:17 The journey of resilience and tenacity
29:45 The power of ordinary acts
32:21 Impactful stories from the podcast
36:17 The Atuel river journey
42:14 Reflections on longevity and success
47:54 The future of the podcast

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee

Producer: Sue Stockdale
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee

Host: Sue Stockdale
Producer: Sue Stockdale
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra ]]> Sue Stockdale https://api.spreaker.com/episode/66382340 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 01:35:07 -0400 2971 challenge_assumptions,facing_uncertainty,inspiration,inspirational,learning,podcasting,purpose,reflections 20 false 150. Kris Tompkins: Conservation, Leadership and Legacy 150. Kris Tompkins: Conservation, Leadership and Legacy
In the conversation, Tompkins reflects on how her business experience helped shape a vision for nature conservation at scale, highlighting themes of risk-taking, leadership, and the power of direct engagement. She reminds us that the gritty, uncomfortable days in nature often leave the strongest impressions: “I like people being miserable in the national parks - those are the days we remember.”

About Kris Tompkins

Kris Tompkins is the president and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation, and former CEO of Patagonia, Inc. For three decades, she has committed to protecting and restoring wild beauty and biodiversity by creating national parks, inspiring activism, and fostering economic vitality as a result of conservation. Kris and her husband, Doug Tompkins have protected over 15 million acres of parklands in Chile and Argentina through Tompkins Conservation and its partners, making them among the most successful national park oriented philanthropists in history.

Kris served as Patron for Protected Areas for the UN Environmental Programme from 2018 to 2022. The recipient of numerous honours, she was the first conservationist to be awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. Her 2020 TED talk "Lets make the earth wild again" has over two million views.

Find out more about Kris Tompkins and the work of Tompkins Conservation : Rewilding Argentina : Rewilding Chile :Trailer for National Geographic documentary - Wild Life

Time Stamps

01:57 Developing a passion for nature
04:29 Challenges and Triumphs in Conservation
11:25 Building Teams and Collaborative Efforts
27:34 The Role of Technology in Conservation
31:22 Reflecting on Successes and Lessons Learned
34:24 Inspiration and Call to Action

Key Quotes

I'm actually inspired and motivated probably more by grief and a kind of yearning, than I am by something that's fabulous and positive.
You can't fall in love with something you don't know.
I like people being miserable in the national parks as those are the days we remember- the days you were freezing.
The excuse that “I’m just one person”. That's the weakest, nonsensical excuse there is. One person, it does matter.
People have to decide that they want to participate in something more than what they currently have in their daily life. They see what's going on in the outside world and they want to do something. And that's a decision. And that's probably the most difficult step of all.
There are people working for nature who need what you're good at. It's the wilfulness that people get stuck on.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee

Producer: Sue Stockdale
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support.

Connect with Access to Inspiration: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Read our Impact Report and if you would like to support us then Buy Me A Coffee

Host: Sue Stockdale
Producer: Sue Stockdale
Sound Editor: Matias De Ezcurra ]]>
In the conversation, Tompkins reflects on how her business experience helped shape a vision for nature conservation at scale, highlighting themes of risk-taking, leadership, and the power of direct engagement. She reminds us that the gritty, uncomfortable days in nature often leave the strongest impressions: “I like people being miserable in the national parks - those are the days we remember.”

About Kris Tompkins

Kris Tompkins is the president and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation, and former CEO of Patagonia, Inc. For three decades, she has committed to protecting and restoring wild beauty and biodiversity by creating national parks, inspiring activism, and fostering economic vitality as a result of conservation. Kris and her husband, Doug Tompkins have protected over 15 million acres of parklands in Chile and Argentina through Tompkins Conservation and its partners, making them among the most successful national park oriented philanthropists in history.

Kris served as Patron for Protected Areas for the UN Environmental Programme from 2018 to 2022. The recipient of numerous honours, she was the first conservationist to be awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. Her 2020 TED talk "Lets make the earth wild again" has over two million views.

Find out more about Kris Tompkins and the work of Tompkins Conservation : Rewilding Argentina : Rewilding Chile :Trailer for National Geographic documentary - Wild Life

Time Stamps

01:57 Developing a passion for nature
04:29 Challenges and Triumphs in Conservation
11:25 Building Teams and Collaborative Efforts
27:34 The Role of Technology in Conservation
31:22 Reflecting on Successes and Lessons Learned
34:24 Inspiration and Call to Action

Key Quotes

I'm actually inspired and motivated probably more by grief and a kind of yearning, than I am by something that's fabulous and positive.
You can't fall in love with something you don't know.
I like people being miserable in the national parks as those are the days we remember- the days you were freezing.
The excuse that “I’m just one person”. That's the weakest, nonsensical excuse there is. One person, it does matter.
People have to decide that they want to participate in something more than what they currently have in their daily life. They see what's going on in the outside world and they want to do something. And that's a decision. And that's probably the most difficult step of all.
There are people working for nature who need what you're good at. It's the wilfulness that people get stuck on.