Made in Dubai with Spencer Lodge

It may not happen in our lifetime, but according to many experts, the only way for humanity to survive is to leave planet Earth. Nicole Stott, retired NASA astronaut, aquanaut, artist and now author of her first book, "Back to Earth", joins me on the podcast to talk about her 27-year long career at NASA, life in space, and what it feels like to be one of only 600+ professionally trained astronauts. We also discuss the latest in space tourism, if life on Mars is really the future and how humanity can save planet Earth. Special thanks to Emirates Literature Festival for facilitating this interview. Notes [02:26] Life as an astronaut [06:58] Is humanity in denial? [10:59] The government's role in solving world problems [13:29] Nicole's journey as a first-time author [16:54] About her book "Back to Earth" [18:38] The UN's Sustainability Goals [20:54] Life in space [23:06] Nicole's thoughts on Richard Branson [24:53] Space tourism [27:00] Where to purchase Nicole's book Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service 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 Nicole Stott https://www.instagram.com/astro_nicole/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-stott-60442682/

A trillion dollars is an unimaginably large sum, yet it's only around 1% of the world's GDP, and is roughly the same valuation of Google, Microsoft or Amazon. Rowan Hooper, author of "How To Spend A Trillion Dollars", joins me on this episode to share how 10 of the world's biggest problems can be solved with just a trillion dollars. Rowan shares more insights into these global problems, why governments aren't doing anything to solve them, and he answers the question we've all been asking ourselves: Is it too late to reverse the damage we've done? Special thanks to Emirates Literature Festival for facilitating this interview. Notes [02:14] How much is a trillion dollars? [05:51] Ensuring the money is spent appropriately [12:42] The problems to solve [16:33] Why governments don't solve these problems [21:05] What Rowan learnt whilst writing the book [26:28] Cows destroy our planet [29:50] Rowan's journey [33:46] Additional learnings [38:17] How Rowan would spend one trillion dollars [40:24] Rowan's journey after writing the book [44:00] The responsibility of the world's richest [47:43] Is it too late to change? [51:18] Rowan's experience writing the book [52:21] Creating a new life form Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service 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 Rowan Hooper https://www.instagram.com/rowhoop/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowan-hooper-98428099/ https://twitter.com/rowhoop/

If I told you 90% of distractions result from internal triggers - our thoughts, our behaviours and our habits - would you believe me? Many people claim they have short attention spans, lack time management skills, or blame the allure of social media for not finishing their tasks. But according to behavioural engineer and bestselling author, Nir Eyal, the key to increasing your productivity is to become INDISTRACTABLE. If you want to be more productive, master distractions, and stop procrastinating, tune in now. Notes [03:29] The problem with to-do lists [08:25] How working from home affects productivity [11:49] What is distraction? [15:54] How to prioritise tasks [21:10] How far ahead should you plan? [27:05] The 4 steps to becoming indistractable [32:00] How Nir's journey started [39:41] Nir's book "Indistractable" [42:07] Companies that are indistractable [46:21] Upcoming projects Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service 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 Nir Eyal: https://www.instagram.com/neyal99/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/ https://twitter.com/nireyal https://www.nirandfar.com/

With more than 40% of the global workforce planning to leave their jobs this year, companies cannot afford toxic working environments. I speak with Lucy d'Abo, CEO and Co-Founder of together – a UAE-based workplace culture consultancy – and a Culture Evangelist in her own right. Lucy reveals her personal experience of witnessing the destructive power of a poor company culture, and what leaders can do to create a better one. Notes [2:11] Why Lucy is passionate about culture [4:55] Importance of interpersonal relationships with colleagues [9:46] Should your salary dictate your work hours [15:24] Promoting staff [18:24] Mistakes companies make [23:00] Selling DABO & CO [27:37] The importance of care [30:55] Why purpose matters [35:00] Revisiting the sale of DABO & CO [44:12] Biggest lessons [46:00] The role of a Chief Culture Officer [47:51] How to improve your company's culture [51:00] Psychological safety in companies [55:05] Lucy's leadership style [57:55] Examples of poor company culture [01:00:54] Other workplace culture consultancies [01:04:00] Changes in the UAE's labour law Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service 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 Lucy d'Abo https://www.instagram.com/lucy.dabo/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-d-abo-09521023/ https://together.inc

Inflation is fake, tax is theft and fiat currency is a scheme. These are just some of the opinions from my guest on the show this week. Robert Breedlove is a career CFO, ex Hedge Fund Manager, Bitcoin Philosopher and one of the most interesting thinkers in the Bitcoin space. In this episode, Robert answers the questions 'What is money?' and dives into the history of money, how governments manufacture inflation and why Bitcoin is the only asset in the world that is independent of anyone's opinion. Robert shares mind-blowing insights into the future of money – and whether Bitcoin, gold or traditional fiat currency is the way forward. Notes [00:02:25] Why financial experts say crypto is nonsense ]00:09:04] India's obsession with gold [00:16:30] Financial education ]00:23:31] Why fiat money is just theft [00:29:58] The upsides of Bitcoin ]00:36:15] How to avoid crypto risks [00:40:58] Bitcoin investment tips [00:45:19] Why governments keep printing money [00:48:15] The risks involved with different asset classes [00:52:14] Why many investors only stick to what they know Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service 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 Robert Breedlove: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC43_LTf5Z4lbRjKCq0sIAVg https://www.linkedin.com/in/breedlove22

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are a new craze breaking the internet and democratising wealth. And right now, people are either embracing NFTs, or avoiding them at all costs. In this episode, I am speaking with one of the early adopters of NFTs, esports and gaming, Maha Abouelenein. Maha - who is also Gary Vaynerchuk's personal publicist - explains in easy-to-understand terms what NFTs are, the future of NFTs, how brands utilise NFTs and why gaming and esports are gaining popularity. Notes What is an NFT? [03:35] The future of NFTs [04:53] NFT experts are discussed [09:28] How the younger generation are using Web 3.0 [11:11] How brands utilise NFTs to connect with consumers [13:26] Why gaming and esports are what people should be paying attention to [15:00] What it's like being Gary Vaynerchuk's publicist [17:30]

Good sleep is essential if you want to achieve massive success in life. But so many of us struggle with that. Today I am joined by Dr Neil Stanley, an independent sleep expert who has been involved in sleep research for almost 40 years. I took the opportunity to ask him everything I could about sleep – from dispelling common sleep myths, to talking about the impact of stress, sex and melatonin on sleep, and of course answering the most-asked question: "How much sleep do I really need?" Dr Stanley joins me to answer everything and more, and I bet you'll be surprised by a couple of his answers. Notes Dr Stanley discusses how much sleep the average person really needs, and dispels common myths about sleep [05:00] The four stages of sleep [10:01] Dreams and the impact they have on sleep [15:33] The impact of stress on a good night's sleep [21:39] Does sex positively affect one's sleeping habits? [25:45] Insomnia is explained, and examples and statistics are shared [27:25] Is poor sleep hereditary? [35:00] The impact of depression and anxiety on one's sleep [38:20] Common myths about melatonin and how it affects falling asleep [43:16] How CBD and marijuana may aid in falling asleep [47:30] Sleeping habits of people from different nationalities, cultures and religions is discussed [49:45] Why sleep is the best thing you can do when sick [56:00] The average life expectancy of someone with poor sleeping habits [01:02:18] The importance of consistency in sleep and how to master it [01:04:45} Dr Stanley shares where you can contact him [01:07:00] Dr Stanley shares statistics on how many people have poor sleeping habits [01:08:07] Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service 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 Neil Stanley https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-stanley-64496b44/?originalSubdomain=uk https://www.instagram.com/drneilstanley/?hl=en http://thesleepconsultancy.com/

Ever wondered how developing your negotiation skills can give you a competitive advantage at work? Today's guest is Chris Voss - the CEO & Founder of The Black Swan Group and author of "Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It". Chris was trained in the art of negotiation by the FBI, Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School. He had a successful 24-year career at the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Master Negotiator. Chris has now developed his company, The Black Swan Group, to teach others how to be better negotiators in the business world. He has used his many years of experience in international crisis and high-stakes negotiations to develop a unique program that applies these globally proven techniques to the business world. In this episode, he is sharing those techniques with us. Notes: Chris joins the show by discussing why he wrote his book "Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It". [2:56] How Chris became involved in negotiation is detailed. [4:44] Negotiation training is explained. [9:37] Chris explains human nature, personality, connection and the relation to negotiation. [13:51] Communicating in the digital world is reflected on. [27:30] A time when Chris got negotiation wrong is touched on. [33:46] Chris discusses his business, The Black Swan Group. [36:54] How to get in touch with Chris and learn more about negotiation is detailed. [48:08] Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service 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 Chris Voss https://www.blackswanltd.com/home https://www.instagram.com/thefbinegotiator/

Today I am joined by former F1 Pit Crew member and TV presenter Marc Priestley. He joins the show to discuss the dramatic and controversial finish to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after Max Verstappen was crowned the world champion after beating Lewis Hamilton in the final lap. We cover his F1 career, his move into broadcast journalism, what happened during the 2021 season finale, and what it means for the future of the sport. Notes Marc discusses his Formula One career journey. [1:48] Working as an F1 Engineer in the high-tension world of Formula One racing is detailed. [3:38] The reasons behind his career change is discussed. [5:56] Marc reflects on how he broke into television and his current career. [9:12] Spencer and Marc discuss the recent events and controversies at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Championship with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. [18:15] Future seasons of F1 are reflected on. [37:01] The reasons Marc wouldn't go back to F1 if given the chance is explained. [38:28] Marc discusses his weekly Youtube Live shows, his podcast and how to follow him. [43:37] Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service 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 Marc Priestley https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTsjSrxAyGiasqVQJn8y3Xw https://twitter.com/f1elvis?lang=en

In this episode, Sandy Grigsby joins the show to discuss the steps for developing an authentic personal brand. A personal brand image expert, high performance coach, confidence catalyst, entrepreneur and TEDX speaker, Sandy helps her clients launch their personal brands in a way that allows their true selves to be seen. Sandy shares her process for uncovering your authentic brand, how to incorporate your brand into everyday life, and the importance it plays when connecting with others. Notes: Sandy introduces herself to the listeners by discussing what she does. [3:16] Sandy discusses how people should present themselves and their 'cool factor' authentically. [7:11] The process Sandy goes through when working with new clients is explained. [12:32] Sandy coaches Spencer on learning, developing, and living with his personal brand. [17:03] The role your subconscious plays in motivation is touched on. [33:20] Sandy explains her step-by-step process for helping people. [36:18] Spencer invites Sandy to share her first impression of him. [46:56] Taking the first step towards authenticity is discussed. [48:54] How to get in contact with Sandy is given. [ 50:09] Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service 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 Sandy Grigsby https://www.instagram.com/sandyinfocus/ https://www.sandyinfocus.com/