Playing The Inner Game

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.campionInstagram: @fourfoxsakeofficialInstagram: @ouraringHost: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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

*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 Campionhttps://linktr.ee/thehedgeSpotify - The Hedge PodcastHost: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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

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: @tesscollinsmusicWeb: tesscollinsmusic.com LinkedIn: tesscollinsmusicSpotify: Choosing HappyFeatured Single: "Sober" (release date tbc)Mentions:Julia Cameron - "Remembering"https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/https://www.carlyleandco.com/Instagram: carlyleandcoHost: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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

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 @jocelyncomedyhttps://www.youtube.com/JocelynChiaComedy http://www.jocelynchia.com/Home of the podcast:LinkedIn: @michaelxcampionInstagram: @michaelxcampionWeekly Newsletter  'Thursday Thoughts' www.michaelxcampion.com/subscribeMentions:Stephen Cope - The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True CallingJason LeongSam MorrilTJ Miller in Silicon ValleyAziz AnsariAnthony JeselnikAli WongJerry SeinfeldHost: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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

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 @zanescotlandgolfTwitter @ZaneScotlandYoutube Vodcasthttps://www.zanescotland.golf/Mentions:The WisleyGrant Cardone - Be Obsessed or Be Averagehttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/jan/13/golf.rydercuphttps://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/12010640/racist-incidents-in-golf-on-the-way-out-says-zane-scotlandHost: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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

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: @pdohanlonLinkedInhttps://www.peterohanlon.com/https://worldrowing.com/https://olympics.com/en/Host: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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

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: @emilianoruprahhttp://emilianoruprah.com/NOMADS TrailerWar Tourist FilmOscura Productions Writing:https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/amber-mines-simojovel-mexicohttps://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/where-is-manna-fromhttps://www.wired.com/story/how-the-jaguar-king-of-the-forest-might-save-its-ecosystem/ https://inspreation.com/wanderlust-emiliano-explorer.html Host: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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

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.-----Host: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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

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: @lindafarrowNylon Magazine ArticleHost: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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

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: @robynlamsamhttps://swimmingcoach.org/a-lifetime-of-lessons-learned-by-bill-sweetenham-2012/-----Host: Michael CampionWebsite: www.michaelxcampion.comLinkedIn: @michaelxcampionIG: @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