Made in Dubai with Spencer Lodge

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

Failure is a comma, not a full stop. This is one of many truth bombs that High Performance Expert, Professor Damian Hughes shared on today's episode. Damian has served as a member of the coaching team for England Rugby League, Scotland Rugby Union and multiple other sporting teams. There's no one who understands high performance better than Damian does. In this episode, we talk about reframing rejection, dealing with failure and setbacks, and tips for sustaining success. Damian shares research-backed insights into the psychology behind what it takes to become the best possible 'you' and how to achieve peak performance. Notes [00:06:00] Damian's upbringing [00:14:40] Damian's academic background [00:17:42] Damian's purpose in life [00:23:40] Experiences with bullying [00:24:50] Dealing with rejection [00:34:40] Psychological safety [00:36:08] How to process loss [00:42:40] How to galvanize people [00:49:32] Everton FC's setback [00:54:22] Advice for someone struggling [00:57:32] Damian's most difficult obstacle [01:03:55] Is quitting bad? [01:06:34] Explaining peak performance [01:10:50] Comparison culture [01:15:09] The best advice Damian's received [01:18:14] Coping strategies for overcoming hardship 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, analysis, 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 Damian Hughes https://www.instagram.com/liquidthinker/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT4hFq01krOatjiSG7z3iag

There aren't many TV shows with a cult following like Wheeler Dealers. Dubbed the 'world's most-watched car show' after almost 20 years on air, I am thrilled to speak with the host of the show, Mike Brewer. Mike is one of the best-known personalities in the motoring industry, and I doubt there's anything he doesn't know when it comes to cars. Mike and I discuss his incredible success over the years, how he became an overnight TV sensation, the motoring trade, the future of the automotive industry and if we really can expect to travel in private drones in a few years. If you're a die-hard fan of the show, want to learn more about Mike's humble journey to success, or have an interest in cars – then this episode is for you. Notes [00:01:55] Wheeler Dealers explained [00:03:45] Mike's relationship with his dad [00:08:15] Mike's career journey [00:13:02] The reputation of a car salesman [00:15:30] Mike's business before becoming a TV presenter [00:24:39] The start of the TV show [00:34:33] Mike's first week of filming [00:40:36] Reflecting on his love for his job [00:41:36] How the show works [00:44:33] The journey of the cars on Wheeler Dealers [00:47:23] Car restoration is described [00:49:19] Mike's car collection [00:51:35] Predictions for the automotive industry [00:58:31] Driving in autonomous cars [01:00:32] Mike's relationship with his wife [01:05:26] The future of Wheeler Dealers Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Najahi Events: The UAE's leading event promotor Arabian Business: The UAE's leading business publication Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV Mike Brewer https://www.instagram.com/mikebrewer/?hl=en https://mikebrewermotoring.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSK3UWsEA6iuU0J4pT7_gaQ

This week's guest is none other than Steven Bartlett: a millionaire by age 23, a bestselling author, acclaimed host of The Diary Of A CEO podcast, and the youngest ever Dragon on Dragons' Den at just 29. Steven Bartlett is undoubtedly one of the most recognised and successful personalities in the media and entrepreneurial space right now so it was an honour to speak with him. Steven and I sat down for an intimate fireside chat at the Dubai Opera House, where we spoke about his upbringing, his first entrepreneurial endeavours, launching Social Chain, the importance of living your truth – and so much more. This raw and honest conversation truly moved me, and I know it will impact you too. Big thank you to Motivate Media Group and Aldar Properties for the opportunity to interview one of this generation's greatest thinkers. Notes [03:50] The Diary Of A CEO [06:38] The start of Social Chain [08:49] Steven's romantic relationships [12:18] Steven's upbringing [17:17] Steven's experience at school [22:00] Steven's first entrepreneurial experience [25:40] Wallpark: how it began [31:15] Growing Social Chain [34:15] Steven and Dom's partnership [39:26] The importance of mental health and living your truth [43:33] What the late Jamal Edwards meant to Steven [47:40] Steven's thoughts on Dubai [50:20] Thoughts on Elon Musk and Web 3.0 Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Najahi Events: The UAE's leading event promotor Aldar Properies: One of the UAE's leading property developers Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV Steven Bartlett https://www.instagram.com/steven/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenbartlett-123/ https://twitter.com/SteveBartlettSC https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGq-a57w-aPwyi3pW7XLiHw

It's the curse of our generation: what is purpose? To discuss this topic and more, I am joined by one of the most popular podcasters on the planet – Mr Lewis Howes, host of the hugely popular podcast, 'School of Greatness'. We shared the stage at the Aldar Experts event in Dubai last week, so it's a pleasure to chat with him about the difference between 'finding purpose' and 'being purpose', how to find abundance when life feels heavy, the power of gratitude and his biggest lessons from his late father. Lewis also shares his secret to becoming one of the world's top podcasters and you'll be surprised to learn what his recipe for podcasting success is. Big thank you to Aldar, one of the best-known property developers in the UAE, for the opportunity to interview an industry titan like Lewis Howes. Notes [01:00] Lewis shares his love for Dubai [02:14] How to stay positive in challenging times [04:12] The turning point in Lewis' life [13:53] Finding purpose versus being purpose [16:06] Where abundance comes from [17:58] How to acknowledge, show gratitude and appreciation [24:31] Lessons from his father [31:51] The School of Greatness podcast [42:52] Lewis' thoughts on fame Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Najahi Events: The UAE's leading event promotor Aldar Properies: One of the UAE's leading property developers Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV Lewis Howes https://www.instagram.com/lewishowes/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/Greatness/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/c/lewishowes https://www.facebook.com/lewishowes https://twitter.com/LewisHowes https://www.tiktok.com/@lewis https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewishowes/