Latest Interviews
Showing 1–15 of 20 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Diary Of A CEO1h 26m
The Discipline Expert: 2,000 Years Of Research PROVES Successful People Do One Thing! - Ryan Holiday
Ryan Holiday, Stephen Bartlett
Ryan Holiday defines discipline as the Stoic virtue of self-mastery, arguing that internal commitment to difficult tasks builds the psychological muscle required to transform obstacles into opportunities for growth. By anchoring success in internal standards rather than external metrics, he advocates for daily rituals such as physical struggle, writing, and Memento Mori to maintain mental clarity and emotional resilience against modern distractions. The discussion concludes by framing a meaningful life through the lens of contribution and debt to the world, while Stephen Bartlett promotes his new book *The Diary of a CEO* and shares his investments in health supplements to support high-performance living.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 13m
Chris Kamara: The Untold Heartbreaking Story Of A Football Legend!
Chris Kamara, Stephen Bartlett
Football legend Chris Kamara discusses his life journey from overcoming severe racism and a turbulent childhood to navigating a broadcasting career, while addressing his recent diagnoses of an underactive thyroid and apraxia of speech. Despite facing significant health challenges that require intensive neurological therapy and cause severe anxiety, Kamara continues working in media after networks affirmed that even a reduced version of his output remains valuable. The conversation concludes with his reflection on family as his primary focus and a sponsorship feature for Huel ready-to-drink beverages.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 20m
Pret & Itsu Founder: How I Built TWO Billion Dollar Brands At The Same Time!: Julian Metcalfe | E173
Julian Metcalfe, Stephen Bartlett
Pret-a-Manger co-founder Julian Metcalfe sold his majority stake in 2018 to regain full creative control over his new venture, Itzu, a Japanese restaurant chain currently operating 76 stores with a focus on affordable, nutritious food. Having transformed his early experiences at Pret—where he pioneered staff-vote hiring and a "give-away" culture driven by radical transparency—Metcalfe now applies these human-centric principles to foster long-term growth and avoid the pitfalls of private equity interference. His approach emphasizes evidence-based progress and the acceptance of failure as essential to building trusted organizations, a philosophy he integrates into his business while reconciling with his past and nurturing his growing family.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 11m
Soho House Founder: How I Built The World’s Most Exclusive Club: Nick Jones | E163
Soho House CEO Nick Jones recounts his journey from a dyslexic entrepreneur who failed at his first restaurant to the founder of a global private members' club that recently went public. Leveraging innovative funding strategies and member-driven expansion into markets like New York and Mexico, Jones built a business where recurring membership fees comprise one-third of revenue while actively supporting underprivileged creatives through a new mentoring scheme. Despite early struggles with work-life balance, the company now attracts a younger demographic and prioritizes personal happiness and organic community growth over traditional aspirational branding.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 18m
Chris Eubank Jr. Opens Up About His Grief, Living In His Father's Shadow & His Future | E159
Chris Eubank Jr., Stephen Bartlett
Chris Eubank Jr. reflects on his career trajectory, attributing his resilience and competitive drive to an innate personality shaped by a strict father and pivotal training experiences like a knockout in Cuba that cemented his refusal to quit. The 34-fight veteran discusses the physical and cognitive toll of the sport, his strategic cultivation of a polarizing public persona, and the profound impact of his brother Sebastian's death on his emotional boundaries and life philosophy. With a retirement goal set between ages 37 and 39, Eubank aims to secure world titles while maintaining emotional control and prioritizing personal happiness over the negativity of online trolling.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 14m
Bear Grylls: Man VS Failure, Anxiety & Imposter Syndrome | E155
Bear Grylls redefines resilience and confidence in his new book *Never Give Up* by framing both as developed through repeated failure and honest vulnerability rather than innate talent. Drawing on personal traumas ranging from severe military injuries to the loss of his father, he argues that true strength requires balancing high-performance ambition with a commitment to family and mental well-being. Grylls uses these experiences to advocate for a cultural shift where "doing your best" replaces the pressure to win, emphasizing that a life built on connections and authentic struggle is ultimately more sustainable than a pursuit of superficial fame.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 14m
Example: The Dark Side Of Money & Fame | E152
Example, Steven, Stephen Bartlett, Elliot
Elliot, a musician with a background in working-class London and Asperger's syndrome, has transitioned from a decade of substance abuse and industry marginalization to a prioritization of family and mental well-being following a relationship reset in 2011. He is now preparing for his eighth album, which blends Drum and Bass, UK Garage, and Drill styles, while strategically shifting his career focus from chart-dependent radio play to global live touring and streaming loyalty. Despite facing frustration from gatekeepers who label him "retired" due to his absence from major airplay, Elliot aims for a final chart validation while building a sustainable legacy through health-focused living and his dedicated fanbase.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 25m
What No One Tells You About Success And Mental Health! - Building A $240M Dollar Empire!
Jane Wurwand, Stephen Bartlett
In 1986, Jane Sowerby and her husband Raymond Werwand founded Dermalogica, a skin-care brand that challenged industry norms by combining pharmaceutical-grade formulations with a distinct "piss off 80%, please 20%" positioning strategy. Leveraging their shared visa loophole to establish operations in both South Africa and the US, the couple built the International Dermal Institute to bridge global licensing gaps before successfully exiting the business through a 2015 acquisition by Unilever. Sowerby's leadership philosophy, rooted in overcoming childhood trauma and prioritizing decisiveness over perfection, emphasized direct staff accessibility and operational hygiene while she eventually reframed her personal narrative from shame to pride through therapeutic intervention.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 20m
The Marketing Genius Behind Nike: Greg Hoffman | E150
Greg Hoffman, Stephen Bartlett
Former Nike Chief Marketing Officer Greg, an adopted half-Black child who recently reunited with his birth family, leverages his journey of identity and nearly three decades of corporate innovation to redefine brand leadership. Drawing on his personal history of overcoming racial adversity and his professional experience fostering "radical creative collaboration" at Nike, he argues that organizations must prioritize human emotion over data optimization to build authentic cultural impact. His framework unites the disciplines of art and sport through principles of empathy, curiosity, and courage, urging brands to reject trend-chasing in favor of resolving genuine societal needs through courageous storytelling.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 26m
Strava Founder: How I Motivated 100 Million People To Stay Active: Michael Horvath | E148
Michael Horvath, Stephen Bartlett
Strava CEO Michael Horvath steers the platform, which now boasts 99 million registered athletes, by grounding its 100-year strategy in values that prioritize balance and community over rapid exits. Following a personal crisis and a 2019 financial turnaround marked by strategic layoffs and a pivot to subscriptions, Horvath has expanded the company's workforce globally while navigating post-pandemic hybrid work models. Ultimately, the narrative emphasizes how Horvath's formative experiences with displacement and grief shaped a leadership philosophy that separates corporate identity from personal well-being to ensure sustainable organizational health.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 3m
FBI’s Top Hostage Negotiator: The Art Of Negotiating To Get Whatever You Want: Chris Voss | E147
Former FBI lead hostage negotiator Chris Voss details his unconventional path from a career-altering knee injury to mastering high-stakes crisis management through specific psychological tactics and vocal techniques. The discussion outlines how Voss leverages neuroscience-driven strategies like labeling emotions, the "mirror" technique, and the "that's right" epiphany to shift adversarial confrontations into collaborative problem-solving. These methods, refined through cases such as the Burnham Sabalo tragedy and applied globally via the Black Swan Group, have been validated by the widespread success of his book *Never Split the Difference* and his coaching firm.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 24m
The Man Who Coached Michael Jordan AND Kobe Bryant To WIN! Tim Grover
Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tim Grover, Stephen Bartlett
Sports enhancement specialist Tim Rovner, whose elite career spans training Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, attributes his rigorous methodology to a traumatic childhood that forged a "dark side" capable of embracing the necessary sacrifices for greatness. Rovner's philosophy prioritizes marginal gains and mental resilience over traditional balance, often demanding exclusive attention from high performers while rejecting toxic accountability in top-tier employees. Ultimately, his work challenges audiences to confront their own "monsters" and accept the generational costs of regret if they are unwilling to pay the price for winning.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 14m
Piers Morgan: Dealing With Repeat Failure, Death Threats & Regrets | E137
Piers Morgan, Stephen Bartlett
Piers Morgan outlines his new daily show, *Piers Morgan Uncensored*, as a direct response to cancel culture and perceived "wokeism," aiming to restore free speech and spirited debate across the UK, US, and Australia. Drawing on his history of surviving professional firings and family bullying, Morgan argues that society must distinguish between clinical mental illness and normal life resilience to combat an anxiety crisis fueled by social media and sensory overload. Hosted in a new Ealing studio with backing from Rupert Murdoch, the program intends to feature guests from across the political spectrum while challenging the narrative that extremism and victimhood serve the public interest.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 17m
Karren Brady: How To Win At Entrepreneurship & Love (at the same time!)
Karren Brady, Stephen Bartlett
Baroness Brady reflects on a lifetime defined by early defiance and resilience, from her repressive boarding school days to her high-pressure tenure in telesales, which forged the core values of ambition and integrity that guide her leadership. Her thirty-year partnership with West Ham United and Birmingham City demonstrates a management style built on candor, transparent communication, and the deliberate hiring of talent superior to her own, all while she actively dismantles historical gender barriers in football boardrooms. As a feminist leader who prioritizes equality and mutual respect in both her business strategies and personal relationships, Brady continues to advocate for women's inclusion by challenging male dominance and mentoring the next generation to seize opportunities without fear of failure.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 22m
Phones 4u Founder: The Pain Of Becoming A Billionaire: John Caudwell | E124
John Caudwell, Stephen Bartlett
Billionaire Phones For You founder John Caldwell transformed his background of rigid parenting and early business crises into a commercial philosophy built on resilience, a "10% rule" for risk management, and a commitment to maximizing empathy. After navigating severe near-collapse moments, including a Motorola distribution loss and a life-threatening cycling accident, he pivoted toward philanthropy to support vulnerable children and fund research for his son's PANS-PANDAS condition. Caldwell now pledges 70% of his wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and actively mentors young entrepreneurs, viewing his immense success as a compulsion to redistribute resources for societal improvement.