Playing The Inner Game

"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 HKMandarin Oriental Hotel GroupJardine Matheson GroupLinkedInJames' Recommendations:Heywood Hill BookshopA Little LifeLes MiserablesKim The Lady in Number 6 DocumentaryHost: 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

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 websiteAndy on TwitterLinkedInOther Mentions:Indochina Starfish FoundationLaureus 'Sport for Good'David Whyte Poem - Everything is waiting for youHost: 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

"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 MediumThe Knowledge SocietyAleph Farms - Meat without the animalsSapiens - Yuval Noah HarariHost: 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

"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 / LinkedIn2XUAviroPressioHost: 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

"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 ShowFooled by Randomness - Naseem Nicholas TalebUBS AmbassadorHost: 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

"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 lifeLinks:https://www.jeanniecholee.com/ Instagram: @jeanniecholeeTEDx Talk - How wine keeps you slim, healthy and humbleHost: 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.comOther mentions:Recorded at: Madame Fú Grand Café ChinoiseOz Clarke

"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 communityThe power of FOMOIf getting fired by Citibank fuelled him The best thing about having moneyLinks:Twitter: @cryptohayesBitMEX blog100x GroupIf you want to send Arthur a gift 'Lindy effect' in literature explainedFour Fox Saké 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 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 discouragedGuilt at not doing more (yes even he feels guilty)Why a former school teacher doesn't send his kid to schoolThe healing power of mother natureThe legacy he hopes to leave behindLinks:ImpactHK Facebook PageLove21Foundation Facebook PageHost: 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

"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 loveThe 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 LinkedInQuinlan & Associates Comedian & Speaker ProfileTEDx - Creativity at your feetTEDx - Supercharged FearOther mentions:Eckhart Tolle - The Power of NowHost: 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

"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: @mickalexisK-Swiss Self Belief Shoe by Michaela Alexis Home of the Podcast: www.michaelxcampion.com IG: @michaelxcampionJoin the weekly newsletter www.michaelxcampion.com/subscribe