Laurence and Carlos are designers of events and an online community that make entrepreneurs happy. In this conversation, Laurence talked to us about:Growing up in London pubsThe family DNA of bringing people togetherThe benefits of aligning what you think, say and doHow he helps corporate hippiesA life spent working out what he doesn't want to doForgetting his vision which became a reality 20 years later (his wife Tamsin did not forget)Breaking his back in the middle of nowhere The merits of 'temping'  The benefits of not being an artist when in a creative roleRealising that culture is the way people treat each otherWorking with a mateThe uncertainty of self-employment Becoming a digital agency (Spook Studio)Becoming digital business designersBecoming start-up business designers The misadventure of developing a co-working space      Becoming the Happy Start-up SchoolMoving out of LondonHis approach of chipping away at the things that don't workThe benefits of 'space' when deciding on a new directionBalancing speed and scale v control and solid foundationsThe Michelangelo quote(s) Laurence referred to are: "Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it""I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free"   Happy Start-up SchoolPamela Slim - Body of Work Charlie DaviesJack Hubbard - Dream Valley Picture 

We wished we'd had longer with Bruce.  He's a brilliant demonstration of what you can achieve if you truly understand your strengths. He seems very able in many areas but what sets him apart is his ability to understand and therefore reach his audience. He seems to always find a way to stand out from the crowd and when he doesn't, he persists. Bruce is a people person through and through.  We talked about:His frustration with Greenpeace*Working hard but not compromising on his 8 hours sleep.Why he shies away from telling people he works at Twitter when on holidayThe different hierarchies of Birmingham and LondonHis period working for Capital Radio, the Fawlty Towers of mediaThe cultural power of 'companions at love' The benefits of being a trouble-makerDiscovering he was the third poorest kid at schoolStudying Economics because he wanted to solve injustice*Why Bruce's next job will be an eco-warriorHow his mum encouraged him to work hard at schoolHis prolific letter writingThe influence comics played in his career His ability to get noticed*His super-skill of persistenceHow Bruce backs himselfHow Bruce always looks for the fast laneHow to go from 'bottom of the class' to 'top of the class' Bruce's time at YouTube and his approach to promoting YouTube in the early daysHow he's unafraid of rejection 'The Joy of Work' becoming Sunday Times No. 1 best seller and how it was not an accidentHow the tyranny of numbers affects your relationshipHow comparison can lead to unhappinessHow stress has become the operating system of modern-day workThe increasing importance of creativity versus  Our increasing inability to be creativeHow the science of open plan offices reduces face to face communication and increases emailsWhy he looks to create a climate rather than directThe problem with appropriating US normsHis interest in the compelling science of laughter and how it can save your lifeHow our fear of being judged leads us to become more agreeable and less authenticThe importance of finding the kid within* We wonder what would happen if these things could come together?https://twitter.com/brucedaisleyhttps://twitter.com/eatsleepwkrpthttps://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/eat-sleep-work-repeat/id1190000968?mt=2

Fiona is the antidote to any 'get rich quick' or 'instagram' society. Her philosophy on life is simple; if there's a problem that needs fixing, fix it yourself. Don't talk about the problem, paper over the cracks, ask for help or look for shortcuts. Just get stuck in and learn from your experience. Expect problems and deal with them as they arise, the more you experience problems, the better equipped you'll be to deal with them in the future. In this conversation Fiona sheds light on:the 'doing' motivation versus the 'achieving' motivation how she moved 'pain and suffering' from the 'Avoid' section to the 'Seek' sectionpain in training being like depositing money in the bank and withdrawing it on race dayhow purpose trumps talent every day of the week how this 'talent-less' runner broke 4 endurance world recordsher adventures in 3 Marathon de Sable (often seen as the world's toughest foot race)           what it's like to experience the freedom of pain, discomfort and despairwhat it's like to live a 'no negotiation' lifeher model of "I'll do things at 100% or I'll do something different"ditching the Garmins and simply listening to your bodyher belief that congratulating herself will stunt motivationwhen it's appropriate to hide injuries from the doctorthe importance of grandparentsa life-time of veganismhow putting others first, puts her firsther super-talent of 'determination'why she prefers to tell people what she's done rather than what they should dohitting 100% as she crosses the linelearning how to fix herselfhttp://www.towerhillstables.com/https://runningforgoodfilm.com/#home-2-sectionhttp://www.cowspiracy.com

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Oliver was our first ever guest. Neil happened to go into Oliver's store and was so enamoured with both the store and proprietor, he asked if we could meet. LifeDoneDifferent.ly was born. Oliver talked to us about:  Selling plums outside his parents houseHow school really wasn't entertaining enough for himThe benefits of having supportive, positive parents and positive friendsAt 16 why he ditched the idea of college for a job selling phones for O2His experience of going from a terrible manager to a fantastic manager as a Trainee Estate AgentHis need to stand out and be independentHis spells travelling around the world The difference between Portsmouth and Brighton (one of these places is cool with chapless pants)His period living in a cupboardLearning to mix with different sorts of peopleHis period working hard because he wanted to make money so he could do his own thingGetting on the property ladder and becoming a landlordSpotting the opportunities that present themselves versus being luckyHis spell doing turtle voices at the Sea Life CentreHis first spell as an Polaroid entrepreneur touring the pubs of BrightonBrands employing Ollie's services as an alternative photo boothFuji Film employing Ollie's services to travel around Europe's Festivals Him losing his independence Heading back to Asia looking for inspirationA spell in a hairy pod in Guangzhou, China looking for a Virtual Reality product ideasDisappointment and demoralisation in a lonely sweaty teenage Chinese gaming barPicking up 'The Chamber of Secrets' and realising that wizardry was his thingEvolving his wizardry ideas and settling on a storeGetting advice from Warner Bros. about setting up Oliver's BrightonFinding Gene, the builder who shared his vision for creating a truly unique spaceFinding the cabinet to display his wands and adopting a Netherland Dwarf Rabbit The nerves, disappointment and ultimate joy of opening day What it takes to garner over a thousand 5 star reviews for a shopWinning start-up of the year at the Brighton & Hove Business Awards Not worrying about / enjoying being a bit weird The importance of stepping outside his comfort zone Finding the drive and energy to do it his way www.oliversbrighton.co.uk42 Trafalgar Street, Brighton BN1 4EDhttps://www.instagram.com/oliversbrighton/https://twitter.com/oliversbrightonhttps://www.facebook.com/oliversbrightonhttps://www.instax.co.uk/

We met Tom at his very nice house in London. It's really nice! He shared his experiences in business and in life. He shared how he's changed and how his motivations have changed. What I like most about Tom is his ability to focus but never lose sight of the bigger picture including a super-skill in bringing his wide circle of friends and colleagues together. We talked about :How Miami Vice provided him with a focus on money Taking two companies public Having a rocket scientist for a DadTom, the 10 year old entrepreneurWhy he chose a job over universityBeing the worst salesman of the month and the shame of fishing in Oxford StreetHow mistakes helped him grow a thicker skinMoving to Hong Kong in May 1989 and how a salary allowed him to focus on rugbyPlaying international rugby for Hong Kong  His belief in luck and why he sees a fortune teller once a yearHaving nothing when he was sued personally for £3.5 million dollars, 3 weeks after getting married Borrowing £3.5 million USD from a friend with no obvious way of repaying the loanOn the 18 hour days that led Tom to repay the loan within 2.5 yearsFloating Playtech in 2005 and what it was like to lose 40% of the value overnightHow he took his company private having only just taken it publicThe importance of goal-setting What happened when Daddy was asked to sign his daughters contract to spend time with her and not his computer Pretending to his wife he wasn't suffering a heart-attack whilst at the balletWaking up to the value of time   The benefits of learning to say "no".Working with friendsThe joys of a shared experienceWhy experiences are a better motivation than moneyhttps://www.success.com/tony-robbins-goals/https://youtu.be/XOiK5abM3AYhttps://www.instagram.com/p/Bup-khVHNln/https://portal.navglobal.com/

We've known Mark and Action for Happiness for many years but this conversation was different. Here we learned about Mark's sometimes painful journey into the world of social entrepreneurship. It was a real pleasure to talk about:  Big questions such as "What really matters in life?"What happens when you climb the ladder of success only to find you're climbing the wrong ladderWhat it takes to help people experience and create a happier worldHow our leaders have forgotten to focus on the greatest happiness for the greatest numberWhy measuring GDP at a national level and personal wealth at an individual level does not measure successHow Coca Cola have cheapened happinessWhy the feeling of happiness is so universal but what makes us happy can be so differentThe benefits of the Stoic philosophy of choosing how we react to situations  Changing ourselves when we are no longer able to change the situationThe importance of 'meta cognition' aka 'noticing how you feel' as the first step to doing something about itThe role of the Dalai Lama in the Action for Happiness movement What it means to live a good life and care about each otherThe Dalai Lama's secularism and his sense that we need to create a new way of being Consumerism and why it's such a poor substitute for purpose and a shared humanityThe trials and tribulations of growing up in a loving Malvern familyNoticing a depressed peer in the year above and using it as the motivation to studyHis ten years as a management consultant where he focused on the money but wasn't proud of what he didHow he had neglected the emotional side of life The power of the 'good life crisis' and how it can help provide directionHow Mark's increasing emotional discomfort with his work turned into a constant physical pain Mark's low point when he was diagnosed with a degenerative hereditary spinal disorder and faced the prospect of a wheelchair in his 40's'Back Sense', his wife's gifted book that prompted him to think himself free of painHis interest in the placebo effectHow his MBA allowed him to slowly understand himself and the human condition The importance of Kate, Mark's then girlfriend and now wife, in helping him do something differentThe struggle of bringing oneself to work versus knowing when to stop when you doThe options that come with a frugal lifeThe difficulty and the power of listening to your gutMeeting Neil Crofts and answering his three questions:What are you really good at? What are you passionate about?What makes you angry?  The angst of leaving The Carbon Trust and a job he loved for the challenge of Action for Happiness Life as a recovering people pleaserFollowing the energy when deciding where to put your own energyThe future of Action for Happiness  Why personal success and community success is not a zero sum gain / why me and we are the same thinghttps://www.actionforhappiness.org/www.neilcrofts.comwww.backsense.org

"Those who tell stories rule society" so said, Plato. Monty Munford collects and tells very good stories. He doesn’t run society yet, but we’ll have more fun when he does.Monty was on the way to the pub when the lure of a few unusual beers persuaded him to join us in Ray’s cellar for a conversation that helped explain:Why he runs fast towards the edge of life’s cliff and then walks back Why he’s fed up with journalismWhy Peter Jones in Sloane Square is unlikely to replace his Mont Blanc penHis period ducking and diving in the Sinai DesertWhy he was cast as a Russian drugs dealer in a Bollywood movieWhy writing is better than athleticsHow the 5’ 2” Monty learned to use his mouthWhat it’s like to grow 11 inches in 18 months Why he declared war on moneyHow he personally lost £50K from bitcoin hackersWhy he’s more interested in the unknown than the knownHow his company turned down Angry BirdsWhy it’s important to laugh at your mistakesWhy he left the London commute for IndiaThe difference between ‘running away’ and ‘running towards’ somethingHow an experiment in separating himself from friends and family almost killed himHow not to have a fight in the lift at Covent Garden Tube StationThe importance of reinventing himself What falling in love and becoming a Dad can do to a manHow he ended up being invited to John McAfee’s islandHow he exposed Steve Wozniak as a man who once smuggled Coke into RussiaWhy he tells his audiences to “fuck off”      External Links:Snoop Dogg on 'Personal Responsibility' (wait until the end - it's worth it!)  Kidnapping, murder, guns and prostitutes - John McAfee at Malta BlockChain SummitMonty's Forbes article on Steve Wozniakmob76 (Monty's Consultancy Website)Twitter: @montymunford

Alan says "creativity is intelligence having fun”. He balances some very rigid and carefully designed routines with architectural anarchy.  He joined us in The Walrus pub where he shared his thoughts on life including:Why everything will be fineOn vision as an ability to visualise and create order when others can only see chaosWhy he’s looking for £100 per week from each of his kidsA rock ‘n’ roll year working with Bono and The Edge Why Architects make very good lovers but very bad husbandsBecoming a committed Mod in 1965What it’s like to have two mothers and two fathersLate diagnosis of Adult Attachment Disorder (AAD) Travel anxiety and why two hours early is preferable to one minute late His knack of destroying his relationshipsHow Architecture has provided security and stability in his lifeHow setting light to his canvasses in a telephone box led to a career in ArchitectureThe importance of third-party endorsement The importance of doing something modest and doing it very very wellThe joy of both teaching and designing housesExchanging architectural fees for backgammon and skiing lessonsHis second Grand Designs project Links:Alan Phillips ArchitectsU2 Beautiful Day @ Eze-Sur-MerGaudis Sagrada Familia

“I want one moment in time. When I'm more than I thought I could be”, so sang Gina Lyons and Whitney Houston every morning for two weeks as Gina’s dreamed of becoming Britain’s first reality TV appointed TV Producer.Gina met us in the Prince Albert pub to tell us what it’s like to be a rude working class girl with no fear and:How a night on the rum resulted in her purchase of a Sri Lankan hotelHow her big break in TV evaporated and then reappeared  How Ross Kemp beat her Why you have to hang out with comedians to be a Comedy ProducerThe period spent living with a nudist and no gas or electricityWhy her mate Simon isn’t allowed near the QueenThe influence of her brother  Why the downside of fearlessness can be fatal How anxiety has crept into her lifeThe fine line between ambition and delusionThe benefits of changing one’s mindsetPractising resilienceThe benefits of putting yourself under pressurehttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm2275219/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_smhttps://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/gina-lyonshttps://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-newlyweds-drunk-luxury-honeymoon-13387506https://www.instagram.com/luckybeachtangalle/?hl=en