Made in Dubai with Spencer Lodge

Trigger warning: this episode includes conversations about suicide. To mark World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10th), I am honoured to share the story of Kevin Hines – one of the only people in the world to survive jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. This is one of the few interviews that brought me to tears. Kevin's story hits home because I – like so many others - have battled with my own mental health struggles and thoughts of self-harm. Nearly 2,000 people have committed suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge since it opened in 1937. It is a suicide attempt that is 99% fatal. The 4-second fall can be compared to the force of slamming into a concrete wall at 120km/hr. If jumpers don't die from impact trauma, they succumb to hypothermia or drowning. Thankfully, Kevin's experience has a different ending. At 19 years old, after years of battling several undiagnosed mental illnesses, Kevin made his way to the bridge, with thoughts of jumping but hopes of a stranger asking if he was okay. Because nobody spotted the signs of his distress, Kevin threw himself over the rail. In a remarkable turn of events, Kevin's attempt to take his life was unsuccessful after a SEA LION circled him and kept him afloat until the Coast Guard arrived. While Kevin's story has a happy ending, but this isn't the case for the 800,000 people who die due to suicide each year. If you are thinking about suicide, please speak to a trusted friend or family member, a qualified professional, or call a suicide crisis helpline. Visit www.suicide.org to find a helpline in your country.

If you regularly forget names, misplace your keys, or fail to recall simple details then you NEED to listen to this week's episode! Once labelled "The boy with the broken brain," Jim Kwik is now the world's leading expert in memory improvement and brain performance. Jim joins me to share the techniques he teaches his celebrity and CEO clients to help them learn ANYTHING faster. Tune in to this 1-hour 'memory coaching masterclass' for practical tips to improve your memory, enhance your focus, and to learn Jim's famous M-O-M tactic to unleash your limitless brain! Whether you're learning a new language or want to remember events more clearly, these memory techniques are you for! As someone with a very bad memory, I can't stress how life-changing these tips are, so go on - get stuck in! Grab Jim's 12-Week Memory Masterclass Course NOW through Najahi Events and save 95%! This is a once-off offer! You don't want to miss out! Get it here: https://kwikbrain.com/najahi

Imagine being 18 years old and discovering that the internet exists. Then imagine learning that the world isn't flat, the United States of America has something called a President, and your grandfather is accused of incest. That's the backstory to this week's guest, Emma Gingerich. Emma was raised Amish, and her family is originally from the 'Swartzentruber Amish' which are widely considered the least modern and uneducated Amish people on the planet. In January 2006, with $50 in her back pocket, Emma took off her bonnet and walked out the door of her family's small farmhouse to begin her new life. Having only attained an 8th-grade education, Emma completed her GED, went to college and eventually earned herself an MBA. Emma's story is courageous and listening to this episode, will take you to another world.

Trigger warning: this episode includes conversations about suicide. This week's episode is by far the most emotional podcast I have recorded. It was my pleasure to invite Rahaf Kobeissi into the studio to share her heartbreaking story. From living through the pain of her father's suicide to having her brother accidentally kill someone in her home and attempting suicide three times herself - her story is truly devastating, yet courageous and brave. But like all grey clouds, it has a silver lining: Rahaf discovered her purpose as an advocate for men's mental health and became an acclaimed Men's Mental Health Coach & Personal Development Trainer. I want to remind my listeners about the importance of speaking openly about mental health. If you are struggling in any way, please reach out to a trusted friend, family member or qualified professional. I am also available to speak to anyone who is battling with mental health issues. Remember, you are not alone. Grab your tissues and hit play.

If you're looking to grow a business, build better habits or achieve big goals, then you'll want to tune in to today's episode because I am speaking with the world's most disciplined man - Craig Ballantyne! Craig is THE premier coach for high-performing entrepreneurs and executives looking to triple their productivity, achieve better work-life balance and take control of their life. He is the author of 3 bestselling books: The Perfect Day Formula, The Perfect Week Formula, and the Best-Seller Unstoppable. If that isn't impressive enough, he's built five 7-figure companies in the last 20 years! Craig shares his secret to writing books in the most productive way, the various ways that self-sabotage can manifest and what he thinks people should do to get through challenging times. Listen to this interview if you want some great advice that will help you improve yourself while working a lot less!

As a sales trainer who uses LinkedIn for B2B lead generation and sales myself, I was very excited to have a 1:1 chat with Daniel Disney - the No.1 most influential sales expert on LinkedIn! Daniel has made a name for himself as the very best B2B social seller on LinkedIn, and it's no surprise why! Daniel has incredible experience training companies on social selling, has written a book on the topic and has discovered the most effective B2B sales tactics! In this episode, we discuss the do's and don't's of LinkedIn so you can make the most of it as a tool for generating more leads and sales. From the power of hyper-personalisation, video messages and creatively written sales pitches, Daniel will teach you everything there is to know about the platform and turning connections into clients.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Michele Morrone, the lead actor in the massively popular movie, 365 Days. Having portrayed mafia boss Don Massimo Torricelli, Michele shows us who he is off-set, which happens to be a very down-to-earth and genuine guy. From being a gardener this time last year to becoming an internationally recognised actor today, Michele has experienced an overnight launch into superstardom! He is determined to keep his feet on the ground amid his new-found success, so it's no surprise that our interview touches on the importance of family values, staying humble, his love of music, and the unexpected motivation behind his partnership with Halahi.

Welcome to the 100th episode of The Spencer Lodge Podcast! Thank you to everyone who has subscribed and helped the podcast become one of the most listened to business and entrepreneurship podcasts in the UAE - I am so grateful you've joined me on this journey! I am beyond excited to be speaking with this week's guest! As a surprise for my 100th episode, my team arranged a secret interview with the brilliant Neil Patel - a man who I admire and have wanted on the show for a very long time! One of his most impressive accolades is that Neil was recognized by President Obama as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations! He is a New York Times Bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, and is widely regarded as the world's leading digital marketing expert! In this episode, Neil and I talk about building 7-figure businesses, successfully getting your foot in the door at your target companies, and learning from mistakes that have cost millions! Along with a number of tangible tips, Neil brings loads of honesty, humility and a genuine desire to help others succeed!

On this week's episode, I dig deep with Former Mafia Boss Michael Franzese. He is one of the most memorable guests I've had on the show because his jaw-dropping story is world's away from anything myself and listeners are familiar with. At the height of his career, Franzese was one of the most notorious mob bosses in New York City. Renowned for his sophisticated business skills, he became best-known for operating a high-profile gas tax scam in the 1980s that saw him earning up to $8M a week. After 8 years of defrauding governments out of hundreds of millions of dollars, Franzese served 8 years in prison. During that time, he renounced his ties to the mafia and became a born-again Christian - turning his back on a life of crime to become a motivational speaker and author. In our fascinating conversation, we talk about why he was so successful in business, his time behind bars and his unlikely transition into Christianity. I've asked him some questions he's never been asked before so if you want an inside look into the life of a real-life Tony Montana or Michael Corleone, then you'll want to tune in!

Katie Piper was on her way to becoming a successful model and TV presenter. But that all changed in 2008 when a man she had been dating for two weeks brutally attacked her and arranged an acid attack, causing severe burns on her face, neck and arms, as well as leaving her blind in one eye. Despite the pain and setbacks that Katie has endured, she has gone on to become a best-selling author of 8 books, a successful TV host, has founded the Katie Piper Foundation in aid of burn victims, and has multiple brand deals - among many, many other accolades, proving that absolutely nothing will hold her back! In this episode, we discuss near-death experiences, dealing with depression and anxiety, her surprising business advice, and where she draws motivation from.