Unscripted with Spencer Lodge

Mark Ormrod OBE spent years as a member of the world’s most elite fighting force: The Royal Marines. His decade-long military career included brutal training that pushed him physically and mentally to the brink. Mark had a horrific accident where he lost his legs and right arm in an explosion in Afghanistan during his second tour. In this week’s episode, we explore Mark’s experience joining the military and his 10+ years as a Royal Marine, plus we dive into the biggest defining point of his life - when he stepped on an IED and almost died. Mark found hope and fulfilment after this traumatic period, and after speaking with him, I left the conversation feeling inspired by Mark’s cheerful outlook on life. I know you will love this guy as much as I do!   Discussion points 04:06 Why Mark joined the military 11:40 Commando training 17:33 Mark’s first tour 20:20 Leaving the military 26:50 Re-entering the military 31:51 The Taliban 33:30 Second deployment 39:15 Stepping on an IED 42:10 Mark’s mental state during the accident 49:00 Mark’s rescue attempt 51:53 Waking up after a coma 56:00 Emotions of losing his arm and both legs 01:01:02 Rehab 01:04:50 Helping others 01:10:18 Invictus games   Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Mark Ormrod https://www.instagram.com/markormrod/ https://mobile.twitter.com/markormrod https://www.tiktok.com/@markormrod    

If you’re listening to this podcast, there’s a good chance you have your own morning routine – but does it work? There are countless ways to get our days started, including exercising, meditation, eating breakfast and more, but what if our routines don’t actually help us in the morning? That’s why we invited Dr Rangan Chatterjee to the show; he is one of the UK’s most renowned physicians, a best-selling author and the host of the top health podcast in the UK and Europe. In this special edition of The Spencer Lodge Podcast, I am joined by Dr Rangan and my good friend Lisa Johnson, to discuss creating habits that last, Dr Rangan’s model of happiness and neutralising emotional triggers. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that this episode WILL make you a better person and give you practical insights into how you can create a happy mind and happy life.   Discussion points 03:35 Morning routines 12:25 Habit stacking 18:27 Winning VS losing 26:22 The model of happiness 30:21 How to find a sense of control 34:57 Loneliness 41:53 Spencer’s mental health journey 47:20 Junk happiness habits 50:25 Viktor Frankl & Dr Edith Eger 53:38 Neutralising emotional triggers 57:30 Dealing with negativity online   Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Dr Rangan Chatterjee https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranganchatterjee/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDnwlb3IQDPJtFysPUJbDFQ    

Cryptocurrency investors have been on an emotional roller coaster over the last 18 months. And if you're just getting into the game, choosing the right digital currency exchange can be intimidating. In this episode of The Spencer Lodge Podcast, I am speaking with Nick Saponaro from Divi. Divi is a blockchain startup that creates an exchange for digital currencies and shares alternative ways to diversify and hedge your portfolio, including cryptocurrency investing. Divi's main goal? Making digital currency trading as easy as using PayPal. Nick and I discuss Dubai's adoption of crypto, how anyone can get into the crypto space through Divi, Divi's business model and how to mitigate any risks with cryptocurrency trading. Nick was a fascinating guest to speak to, and at only 29 years old, he's one of the youngest and brightest CEOs I've met in a very long time.   Discussion points 01:45 Nick’s thoughts on Dubai 03:23 How Dubai is adopting crypto 04:12 Nick’s background 07:00 About Divi 08:44 How Divi helps others get into crypto 16:13 The creation of Divi 19:38 Is crypto gambling? 22:50 How Divi is making crypto easy 27:13 Divi’s clients 27:30 La Liga partnership 35:20 Divi’s revenue model 37:12 Different uses of crypto 40:20 Wallet hacking 44:03 Mitigating risks with crypto 46:35 NFTs Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Nick Saponaro https://www.instagram.com/nick_sap/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicksaponaro/ https://twitter.com/NSapProductions

Did lockdown really help prevent the spread of Covid-19? Or did we make the global crisis even worse? There’s no doubt that the pandemic had a catastrophic impact on the world. Millions of lives were lost, livelihoods destroyed, and the cost to the economy was hundreds of billions of dollars. I am excited to share my conversation with Prof. Mark Woolhouse OBE – a leading epidemiologist, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh and Advisor to the UK government – as we discuss the pandemic, the decisions that were made and alternative ways for managing the outbreak. Prof Woolhouse is also the author of the new book “The Year The World Went Mad” - a scientific memoir about the pandemic - so he is the perfect guest to share whether or not lockdown made (and still makes) sense, why politicians chose to ignore expert opinions, how the UK managed the spread of the virus and how we should deal with future outbreaks.   Discussion points 04:32 About Mark 6:50 Who advises the government 08:30 UAE vs UK Covid-19 response 12:58 Working with politicians 14:50 How the UK handled Covid-19 15:50 If lockdowns make sense 18:24 Alternative solutions 21:34 Why politicians ignore experts 23:15 Covid-19 statistics 27:15 How it feels to be ignored 28:53 Other scientists’ frustration 31:19 Finance benefits 32:42 Empathy for politicians 34:58 The measures that Mark supported 39:50 How should we deal with future outbreaks 46:00 Has the world moved on? 49:17 The risk for minorities 56:45 Mark’s book: The Year The World Went Mad 01:02:00 The number of people died VS those that suffered in other ways Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Prof. Mark Woolhouse OBE Buy Mark’s book: https://sandstonepress.com/books/the-year-the-world-went-mad  

Today marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, and this year’s theme is a topic very close to my heart: loneliness. Most people who experience mental health issues tend to have one thing in common – they all feel extremely lonely in their daily struggle. To help shed light on this topic, I am speaking with Scott Armstrong, who is not only the Editor in Chief of Arabian Business – the region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features – but also an advocate for mental health awareness. Scott and I discuss our individual struggles with mental health, why leaders must make mental health a priority in the workplace, how companies can support their teams, and how we can remove the stigma surrounding mental health. Discussion points 02:03 Scott’s career and life journey 05:12 Scott’s mental health journey 09:23 Dealing with pressure 12:00 Asking your team about their mental health 13:45 Companies and mental health 16:23 The Great Resignation 20:55 Are companies doing enough? 27:20 Is the Middle Ease attuned to mental health? 32:00 How the UAE is championing mental health 33:53 Employers’ fears 35:25 A time Scott was impacted by mental health 44:55 Mental health support for young people 47:10 Mental health education Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Scott Armstrong linkedin.com/in/scottarmstrongeditor  

According to the UN, more than 10 billion people will live on planet earth by 2050. But this poses a serious question: how will we feed everybody?   With the damaging impact of climate change, increased urbanization and ongoing soil erosion, this is a problem that cannot be ignored. Thankfully, AgTech Entrepreneur, Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee and Founder of SMARTKAS, Dr. David Meszaros, might have the answer with AI-powered smart farms. In this episode, I speak with David, who is a true visionary in every sense of the word. We discuss why food security is critical, the differences between smart and traditional farms, and why farms powered by AI and robotics are the future if we want to secure food for life.   Notes  What is SMARTKAS? The idea behind SMARTKAS Food security Importing fruit & vegetables Water usage of smart farms Impact on traditional farmers Improving land uses Soil erosion How birds damage crops What makes SMARTKAS different Competitors Partners Entrepreneurial lessons Lessons from the pandemic David’s inspiration SMARTKAS’ future   Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Dr. David Meszaros https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdmeszaros/ https://www.instagram.com/davidsmartkas/  

I was so inspired by my next guest after spending a week with him in Rwanda, that I just had to have him on the show. Reza Marvasti is the Founder and CEO of The Power of Play - an NGO that builds sustainable playgrounds for children in underpriveledged communities all around the world. Reza is a former professional extreme athlete who after a life-changing event went on a journey of self-discovery. This led him to discover his life’s purpose of creating safe spaces for children who have experienced extreme hardship. By doing this, kids rediscover childhood, process trauma, and make sense of the world through creativity and play.   In this episode, Reza and I talk about his difficult childhood, how The Power of Play operates and builds playgrounds, and how, after searching for so long, Reza found the meaning of life.   Notes 03:29 Introduction to Reza 05:22 Speed flying 08:20 Reza’s sports background 11:37 How Reza found his purpose 13:50 How Reza connected to children 15:56 Reza’s journey 18:06 Reza’s first playground  29:00 The meaning of life 30:56 How The Power Of Play is funded 32:25 How a playground is built 36:37 How a playground impacts the community 40:00 The main goal for The Power of Play 44:37 Reza’s frustration with excessive wealth 48:33 One thing Reza wants to remind humanity of 51:00 Volunteer opportunities for families 52:30 Spencer’s favourite moments in Rwanda Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Reza Marvasti https://www.instagram.com/thepower.ofplay/?hl=en https://thepowerofplay.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/buildingplaygrounds/

We’re back this week with another interesting episode for you. My guest is the COO of Crypto.com - the world's fastest-growing crypto app – Eric Anziani, and he brings a fascinating perspective on all things crypto, Web 3.0 and DeFi. In this episode, we discuss the adoption rate of cryptocurrencies, the need for more regulations, the difference between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, and the environmental impact of trading cryptocurrencies. Eric also shares his thoughts on how DeFi can revolutionise people's lives by putting equitability at the forefront. As a growing organisation that is on track to reach 100 million customers in the next year, Eric gives us a glimpse into how Crypto.com plans to leapfrog its way to becoming an integral part of the global economy.   Notes 01:20 Eric’s background 02:23 Eric’s first experiences with cryptocurrency 05:50 How Eric got involved in crypto.com 07:55 How to choose the right exchange 10:18 Crypto regulations 14:10 Dubai embracing crypto 15:32 The crypto “Talent Wars” 18:09 WFH for a growing startup 19:30 About the crypto.com team 20:16 Number of customers 21:39 The vision of crypto.com 24:55 How companies can utilise NFTs 31:17 Crypto.com’s NFT platform 33:39 Gaming 35:10 Web 3.0 36:00 Funding crypto.com 39:22 Building the crypto.com brand 44:58 CO2 impact of cryptocurrencies 49:36 Expansion plans for crypto.com 53:40 Crypto.com’s philanthropic plans   Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Eric Anziani https://twitter.com/ericnode https://www.instagram.com/eric_anziani/?hl=en   

Jack Skipp is by far one of the most humble millionaires I’ve ever met. The 28-year-old Pilot-turned-YouTuber was an early adopter of crypto – thanks to his dad! – and has earned several millions of dollars thanks to savvy investing and big risk-taking. Jack joined me on the show to talk about how he mastered cryptocurrency trading, his advice for beginners, and his predictions for the market. Whether you’re into crypto or not – Jack’s story is truly inspiring and really shows what you can achieve when you put your mind to it.   Notes 02:17 Jack’s crypto journey 05:28 Jack’s first investment 07:50 How Jack made money from YouTube 08:08 Investing tips for beginners 11:55 Prediction for crypto in 2025 14:15 Crypto coins 14:51 The utility behind coins 18:44 Regulation of crypto 21:05 The metaverse 22:05 Web 3.0 22:21 Jack’s crypto research 24:50 Jack’s YouTube channel 26:30 Top crypto trading platforms 28:05 Crypto trading fees 31:50 Top questions Jack is asked 32:47 How much Jack has earned 35:05 Jack’s audience 38:55 Charitable endeavours 40:35 Jack’s childhood 41:50 Predictions for Ethereum and Bitcoin 43:41 Trading with leverage 46:00 Bitcoin Blueprint 47:10 Buying in the dips 47:38 Benefits of Bitcoin   Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features.   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Jack Skipp https://www.instagram.com/cryptojack/ https://www.youtube.com/c/CryptoJackk

John Lee has what most people want: financial freedom and social media success. But it wasn’t always that way, and John’s story is one about taking massive action and receiving the reward. After working at his mum’s Chinese takeaway as a dish washer for several years, John quickly realised that to create limitless wealth, he needed to work smarter -not harder. Determined to stop trading his time for money, John discovered the secret to generating wealth. In this episode, John talks about his upbringing and career journey, and how he left his full-time job to invest in property and increase his passive income. John, who has over 6 million followers on social media, also shares insights into content creation, social media success and how to build an audience online.   Notes 01:41 Who is John Lee? 06:25 John’s fascination with animations 08:06 John’s career journey 17:35 John’s first property investment 21:55 John’s journey after his first investment 30:38 Why John teaches others his wealth tactics 36:15 How John began teaching others 43:00 John’s social media presence 46:53 John’s first book 53:52 The biggest mistakes people make on social media 58:08 Paid-for content subscription models 01:03:50 Clubhouse 01:09:59 The future of social media   Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features.   Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   John Lee https://www.instagram.com/john_lee_official/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBVph4rwecT699-_7EnX91A/featured https://www.facebook.com/johnleepublic