
Accelerating Excellence
Accelerating Excellence takes you on a journey into the minds of the world's most elite performers, to reveal their secrets, serving them up on a plate so you can accelerate your own pursuit of excellence. If you know you’re capable of going to the next level, but aren’t quite sure where to start or how to optimise then you’re in the right place.
Each episode of contains captivating interviews with renowned individuals—athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, generals, special forces operators, and scientists. We'll dive deep into their journeys, discovering the defining moments, mindset shifts, and vitally the principles and strategies that propelled them to the pinnacle in their craft.
From the high-pressure stages of world cup finals, Superbowl’s, and world title fights; to covert operations, counter-terrorism, and firefights in the air and on the ground in the world of elite military; and the hundred million dollar P&L swings in the billion dollar world of trading and investing you will be exposed to the fundamental principles that connect all of these individuals success.
Most importantly to me Accelerating Excellence is not just about inspiration; it's about practicality, for you, the listener. We’ll extract actionable insights and practical techniques that you can implement immediately, to stack probability in your favour of success in your own pursuit of excellence.
So, if you’re ready to ignite and expand your potential, to shatter the boundaries that hold you back and unleash the ambition, talent and motivation that exists within you and your team join me, as we empower you to leverage these principles. Get ready to be inspired, shocked, and challenged, you're about to embark on an adventure that will shift your perceptions of what’s possible.
For those who strive to make things better for themselves, and those they care for, manage and lead.
This podcast is for you.
Latest episodes

Jul 29, 2024 • 1h 29min
The Winningest coach in World Sport: Shane McGuigan, Mcguigan Gyms, a fighting dynasty.
On todays Podcast we have Shane McGuigan. Shane is a British and Irish boxing coach. The son of former World champion Barry Mcguigan. Barry had 19 million people tuned in on the BBC to watch him win his world title in 1985. Shane himself was a three time national amateur champion. Who decided his sweet spot was coaching. Since that decision he has taken 9 fighters to world champion status. Including; Josh Taylor, George Groves, Chantelle Cameron, Carl Frampton, Luke Campbell, Lawrence Okolie, Chris Billam-Smith, Ellie Scotney, and Daniel Dubois. As a manager and coach Shane has the highest Win Percentage across all sports. With a 94% win record in total and 87.5% win record in world title fights. And next in line in his stable Caroline Dubois and Adam Azim.. Two of the most exciting names in world boxing… His most recent victory was a tactical masterclass as WBO Cruiserweight world champion chris Billam-Smith dismantle Richard Riakphore. Shane was recently awarded the BWAA Trainer of the Year award. Shane features as the lead man in the recent BBC Documentary ‘The Stable’ which takes you behind the scenes of the Mcguigan gym talent factory, revealing all the harsh realities of professional boxing. I highly recommend it. Where the back of my head actually features for a split second- don't miss it. Having had the pleasure to work with Shane and his fighters I can assure you he is the real deal. A master strategist, a fierce competitor himself and is regarded by his team as boxing savant. The Culture he has created in that gym is second to none. In this episode we discuss: High standards, culture, values, burnout, and balance. I hope you Enjoy. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Find Shane: https://www.instagram.com/shanemcguigan/ https://x.com/mcguigans_gym Find James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acceleratingexcellence/ https://www.instagram.com/jamesaking_/ https://jamesaking.com/ Watch the episode with Chris Billam-Smith here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wUqaqzHzIU The Mindset App: While the app is under development, we have decided to provide access to the full content for free on YouTube for a limited time. You can find the courses within our playlists or by the link below. I hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/@AcceleratingExcellence/playlists 🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5LJFspGl7b0e5YuxMfPLpx?si=e852f426c16b4f2d 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-accelerating-excellence-podcast/id1706636304

Jul 8, 2024 • 1h 10min
Adversity to Triumph Through Building a Winning Culture - Shona McCallin
On todays episode we have Shona McCallin. Shona is a former International Field Hockey player, playing as a midfielder for England and Great Britain. She's also the co-founder of the Ten Percent Club, a wellness supplement company. Shona won an Olympic gold medal in the 2016 Summer Games, and she's a key part of the 292 Performance Team that provides one to one support for some of the worlds most elite athletes. In her early twenties Shona adventured to Tilburg in the Netherlands to pursue her Hockey career. She spent almost four years in Holland, gaining a degree in International Business and also becoming fluent in Dutch. Upon her return she was selected for the centralised Great Britain training program at Bisham Abbey, then selected for the Rio 2016 Olympic Squad and helped them to win a Gold Medal. Shona has also promised to compete with me at a Hyrox mixed pairs next season, which might possibly end me. In this episode were going to discuss the practical steps you can take to build a winning culture. Were going to discuss coming back from adversity with specific reference to injury, and also the mindset required to transition from aspirational contender to Olympic Gold Medalist. I hope you enjoy. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Find Katherine: https://katherinegrainger.com/ https://www.britishrowing.org/athlete/katherine-grainger/ Find James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acceleratingexcellence/ https://www.instagram.com/jamesaking_/ https://jamesaking.com/ The Mindset App: While the app is under development, we have decided to provide access to the full content for free on YouTube for a limited time. You can find the courses within our playlists or by the link below. I hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/@AcceleratingExcellence/playlists 🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5LJFspGl7b0e5YuxMfPLpx?si=e852f426c16b4f2d 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-accelerating-excellence-podcast/id1706636304

Jun 17, 2024 • 1h 30min
Achieving Gold: Dame Katherine Grainger on the Pursuit of Peak Performance
On today's podcast, we have Dame Katherine Grainger. Katherine is a former Scottish rower and the current chair of UK sports. She's competed at a record five Olympic games. She won an incredible gold medal race in the London 2012 Olympic Games, and she's a four time Olympic silver medalist and six time world champion at the London Olympics in 2012. Katherine and her incredible teammate Anna Watkins, smashed the Olympic record as they qualified for the final, where they ultimately won gold for Team GB. Not just an incredible athlete, Katherine holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Edinburgh, a Master of Philosophy in Medical Law and Medical Ethics from the University of Glasgow, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Law from King's College, London. In April, 2017 she was appointed Chair of UK's School of And then reappointed for a second term in July 2021. She's currently leading that charge for Team GB into the Paris Olympics. Katherine was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, DBE, in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to sport and charity. In this episode, we discuss the magic that was the London Olympics, the journey from novice to expert, And the powerful role your teammates will play in your success. I hope you enjoy ---------------------------------------------------------------- Find Katherine: https://katherinegrainger.com/ https://www.britishrowing.org/athlete/katherine-grainger/ Find James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acceleratingexcellence/ https://www.instagram.com/jamesaking_/ https://jamesaking.com/ The Mindset App: While the app is under development, we have decided to provide access to the full content for free on YouTube for a limited time. You can find the courses within our playlists or by the link below. I hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/@AcceleratingExcellence/playlists 🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5LJFspGl7b0e5YuxMfPLpx?si=e852f426c16b4f2d 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-accelerating-excellence-podcast/id1706636304

Jun 3, 2024 • 1h 33min
From Balance Sheets to Bestsellers: An Interview with a CEO, Author and Elite Performer Brett Kelly
On todays episide we have Brett Kelly. Brett Kelly is the Founder and CEO of Kelly+Partners. Brett founded Kelly+Partners Chartered Accountants in 2006 and, over 16 years, has grown the business to become the private business specialist accounting network, one of the largest firm in Australia. Kelly+Partners has 75 equity Partners, employs over 400 team members and assists 14,000 Private Business Owners from 25 offices in Australia and Hong Kong, In 1997 at age 22, unemployed, with no money, journalistic experience, connections, or publisher, he got a grip of his own mind, and interviewed 34 leading Australian achievers, raised capital, and gathered the expertise to self-publish his first book ‘Collective Wisdom’ in 1999 which became a national best seller. Every seven years subsequently, Brett has published a book focused on growing in Wisdom: Universal Wisdom in 2005, 2 Business Owners’ Wisdom in 2012, Investment Wisdom in 2019. Brett is also an exceptional keynote speaker, and also the host of the better off podcast, with guests including Shaquille O’Neill and Jordan Peterson. Brett has become a good friend the last few years and is an absolute killer. He has high standards, is relentlessly self improving and I think almost impossible to compete with in his craft. In this episode we discuss, mindset, eliminating obstacles and how far a can-do attitude can take you. I hope you enjoy. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Find Brett: https://au.linkedin.com/in/brett-kelly-b315265 https://www.youtube.com/@bebetteroffshow Find James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acceleratingexcellence/ https://www.instagram.com/jamesaking_/ https://jamesaking.com/ The Mindset App: While the app is under development, we have decided to provide access to the full content for free on YouTube for a limited time. You can find the courses within our playlists or by the link below. I hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/@AcceleratingExcellence/playlists 🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5LJFspGl7b0e5YuxMfPLpx?si=e852f426c16b4f2d 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-accelerating-excellence-podcast/id1706636304

May 6, 2024 • 1h 36min
Dr Ben Rosenblatt - Former England Lead Physical Performance Coach
On today's episode we have Dr Ben Rosenblatt. Ben famously led physical performance for the England men's football team. He has coached athletes to compete and medal at every Olympics since 2004. Ben was a key member of the GB hockey coaching team that won that famous gold out in Rio. Ben is also the founder of 292 Performance, a team of high performing coaches that provide individual support to high performing athletes across the Premier League and multiple other sports. He has a PhD and a research interest in maximizing training efficiency and effectiveness and has consulted with sports teams all over the planet. In this episode we're going to discuss how we design great practice that maximizes development trajectory. We're going to talk about lots of coaching techniques you can apply and of course we're going to discuss the characteristics of some of the world's most elite athletes that Ben's worked with. I hope you enjoy. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Find James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acceleratingexcellence/ https://www.instagram.com/jamesaking_/ https://jamesaking.com/ The Mindset App: While the app is under development, we have decided to provide access to the full content for free on YouTube for a limited time. You can find the courses within our playlists or by the link below. I hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/@AcceleratingExcellence/playlists 🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5LJFspGl7b0e5YuxMfPLpx?si=e852f426c16b4f2d 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-accelerating-excellence-podcast/id1706636304

Apr 15, 2024 • 1h 20min
The Gold Standard: From the training ground to Olympic Triumph - Danny Kerry
On today’s podcast we have Danny Kerry. Danny Kerry is a multiple Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth medal-winning coach and performance director. He famously led team GB women to a penalty shoot out gold medal win in the Rio olympic final. Danny has over 18 years coaching, and 5 olympic cycles in leadership experience. He is one of the most sought after advisors in sport when it comes to leadership, and building high performance teams. In this episode we explore what high performance coaching looks like, we discuss the process of becoming a great leader, and how important it is to perform from your sweet spot. I hope you enjoy. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Find James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acceleratingexcellence/ https://www.instagram.com/jamesaking_/ https://jamesaking.com/ The Mindset App: While the app is under development, we have decided to provide access to the full content for free on YouTube for a limited time. You can find the courses within our playlists or by the link below. I hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/@AcceleratingExcellence/playlists 🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5LJFspGl7b0e5YuxMfPLpx?si=e852f426c16b4f2d 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-accelerating-excellence-podcast/id1706636304

Mar 25, 2024 • 1h 2min
Summit Success: Inside the Mind of a Top Private Equity Fund Manager - Keith Breslauer
On today's episode, we have Keith Breslauer. Keith is managing director and senior partner at private equity firm, Patron Capital. He founded Patron Capital in 1999, who manage approximately €4.5B. Keith holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, Chicago Booth, and a Bachelor of Science from the New York University School of Business. Keith began his career at Lehman Brothers, where he worked for approximately 10 years before leaving to set up Patron. He's currently a guest lecturer at Chicago Booth, Harvard University, and Said Business School at the University of Oxford. Keith has made a significant impact within multiple charities, most notably he's a trustee and lead donor for the Royal Marines Charity. Outside of his professional interests, he's an accomplished alpinist, mountaineer, and skier. In this episode, we're gonna discuss the power of giving back, bouncing back from adversity, and what it takes to build an empire. I hope you enjoy. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Find James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acceleratingexcellence/ https://www.instagram.com/jamesaking_/ https://jamesaking.com/ The Mindset App: While the app is under development, we have decided to provide access to the full content for free on YouTube for a limited time. You can find the courses within our playlists or by the link below. I hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/@AcceleratingExcellence/playlists 🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5LJFspGl7b0e5YuxMfPLpx?si=e852f426c16b4f2d 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-accelerating-excellence-podcast/id1706636304

10 snips
Mar 11, 2024 • 1h 26min
Stacking the Odds in Your Favour - Award Winning Author Matt Watkinson
Award-winning author Matt Watkinson shares insights on mastering uncertainty, increasing odds of success, power of determination, thinking big, and overcoming tough times. The podcast delves into embracing uncertainty, weathering storms, balancing focus for high performance, and striving for excellence with self-belief.

Feb 26, 2024 • 1h 28min
A maverick Venture Capitalist on mastering uncertainty - Csaba Konkoly
Csaba Konkoly, a maverick VC & co-author of Mastering Uncertainty, shares insights on randomness, partnerships & high performance lessons. His global investing journey, early stage investments in unicorns, and the importance of tailoring tools for success. Navigating breakthrough moments in finance, decision-making under uncertainty, embracing the future, and balancing discipline with creativity. Collaborative insights with Matt Wilkinson on mastering uncertainty and practical strategies for human performance excellence.

Feb 5, 2024 • 1h 5min
The Long Road to Spartan Endurance - Joe De Sena
On today's podcast, we have Joe De Sena. Joe is the CEO and founder of Spartan Race. Spartan hosts over 400 races in 60 countries with over 1 million participants every year. He's also a New York Times bestselling author of Spartan Up, Spartan Fit, and the Spartan Way. Joe grew up in Queens, New York, a working class kid in a mafia neighbourhood. He had a successful career on Wall street as an equity derivatives trader before pivoting to compete in what would end up being hundreds of extreme adventure races in a single year. Joe competed in 50 ultramarathons and 14 Iron man events. Joe's a tireless worker, a serial entrepreneur, and a legend in adventure racing. In this episode, we're going to discuss the value of doing hard things, the role significant emotional events have in our lives, and how we can better navigate adversity. I hope you enjoy. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Find Joe: https://www.instagram.com/realjoedesena/ https://www.joedesena.com/ Find James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acceleratingexcellence/ https://www.instagram.com/jamesaking_/ https://jamesaking.com/ The Mindset App: While the app is under development, we have decided to provide access to the full content for free on YouTube for a limited time. You can find the courses within our playlists or by the link below. I hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/@AcceleratingExcellence/playlists 🔊 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5LJFspGl7b0e5YuxMfPLpx?si=e852f426c16b4f2d 🔊 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-accelerating-excellence-podcast/id1706636304