The Starting Line with Rich Leigh

Coming from a council estate in Wales to creating a multi-billion pound industry and two of the most famous brands in the UK, Hayley Parsons OBE is a one-of-a-kind entrepreneur.In this rare interview, Hayley talks about how she created Confused.com while working at Admiral, and how being overlooked for the CEO role was "the best thing that ever happened" to her, as it spurred her on to create GoCompare.Hayley went on to build and sell GoCompare for £100m, creating one of the most memorable characters in all of advertising in the process - Gio Compario - remarking "I wanted to create the most annoying ad possible!"Since selling, Hayley became the first woman to serve on Cardiff Rugby's board when she was appointed a non-executive director.She wrote a passionate and much-publicised letter to the Welsh Rugby Union, in which she highlighted "a long-standing and deep-rooted culture of toxicity and bullying", and called for change and for the CEO to step down. She said, "I believe the board, in its current state, does not possess the expertise and experience to run the WRU, which is essentially a £100m company."In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about a drunken visit to 10 Downing Street, obsession, curiosity and more.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who do Lord Sugar, Steven Bartlett and the Spice Girls have in common?The answer is Andrew Bloch, Mr Black Book himself.Public relations is all around us - every time you open a newspaper or social media platform, the fingerprints of PR are there, building and protecting reputations.Andrew is a PR expert. He started his career in the agency that inspired British comedy Absolutely Fabulous, and sold the agency he co-founded, Frank PR, for a life-changing sum, having worked with some of the biggest names and brands in the world.Having been Lord Sugar’s PR advisor for more than 20 years, Andrew was instrumental in the development of the BBC’s hit business show The Apprentice in the UK.He was also my boss for a short period of time, before I started my own PR agency, Radioactive PR.Follow Andrew on Instagram and Twitter.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fourth episode of The Starting Line podcast, with undefeated professional boxer Shabir Haidary.Shabir fled Afghanistan aged just 12, finding himself in Gloucester in the UK after a harrowing journey in which he admits he thought he’d die numerous times, having witnessed things ‘no child should’, both in Afghanistan and on his long and terrifying journey.At 14, Shabir found boxing, and he hasn’t looked back since. Having won each of his first five professional fights, and with his sixth fight looming, he has his eyes set firmly on a world title.Shabir arrived in the UK not knowing a word of English - or even being able to read or write in his first language - yet he has recently finished a degree, and been granted British citizenship.Follow Shabir on Instagram and Facebook.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Cracknell, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner and six-time world champion, discusses his incredible athletic career, including rowing the Atlantic and winning The Boat Race for Cambridge. He also shares his road to recovery after a near-fatal accident. Topics covered include performance-enhancing drugs in the Olympics, rowing scholarships in America, memory loss, the importance of wearing a helmet, involvement in politics and public health issues, and James Cracknell's time at Cambridge.

The second episode of The Starting Line podcast, with the brilliant Marnie Swindells, winner of the most recent series of the BBC’s flagship business show, The Apprentice, and the founder of boxing gym business Bronx LDN.Join us as we go behind the scenes on the show, discuss Marnie’s early life, her challenges, her ambitions, her motivations and more.The Apprentice averages 7 million viewers per episode - meaning one in every six adults in the UK will have watched Marnie secure Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment back in March 2023.Follow Marnie on Instagram and Twitter.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook= About The Starting Line =From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional. At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children. Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The one, the only, Mr Levi Roots.Listen as we talk about Levi's journey, from the boy that couldn't read or write to becoming one of the most recognisable names in the UK. Levi's story is as winding as it is inspiring - and I promise you, you don't know the half of it.= About The Starting Line =From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional. At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children. Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.