The Business Elevation Show With Chris Cooper - Be More. Achieve More

How important is age and experience when it comes to entrepreneurial success? This week we’ll be talking to Ben Revell, a serial entrepreneur with a background in luxury goods and a founding member in three previous startups to try and understand the qualities needed to be a successful young entrepreneur. At the age of only 29, Ben is now leading the team at Winebuyers, executing his vision and focusing his entrepreneurial expertise on his two passions - wine and technology. Winebuyers has just completed a Series A funding round, securing over £1,000,000 of investment. Join us for a fascinating look into the world and mindset of a young, successful entrepreneur whilst finding out more about what it takes to set up a new business, such as Winebuyers, while attracting funds for growth.

One day my 12 year old son Matthew said ‘Dad you must watch this series on Netflix. It is about a man who is living off kindness of strangers - it is brilliant - they recommended it at school’. I binge watched the entire series of the ‘The Kindness Diaries’ and felt compelled to immediately contact the author and host Leon Logothetis. So what can we learn from one man’s many adventures including his epic journey across the world on his vintage motorbike? Leon Logothetis is a global adventurer, motivational speaker & philanthropist. It wasn’t always that way: He used to be a broker in the city of London when he gave it all up for a life on the road, travelling the globe and spreading kindness. Today his travels are broadcast and published globally. In this interview, we will discuss his world of adventure, renew our faith in the bonds that connect people, and be inspired to accept and generate kindness in our own lives.

I once asked a Global Director for a famous coffee brand and - ‘What is the number one skill your company look for when recruiting great candidates'? His answer 'Curiosity'. I have since shared the film of this in my own speeches and for some it is a really significant insight. After a recent interview with Steven Morris and his colleagues on the 'Artistry of Engagement' he sent me a presentation on ‘Curiosity’ that sparked my imagination. As a thriving artist, writer, entrepreneur, author and confer-ence speaker, Steven is an expert when it comes to creativity and purpose-driven entrepreneurship. He is also a great example of curiosity yielding success not just in work but with his thriving family and hobbies which include surfing the waves off San Diego and avoiding bears and cougars when out running. Join us to experience why we should all get ‘curious about curiosity’ and ensure it is a key skill we adopt while inspiring our people and kids to also embody it to achieve more.

Over many years I have heard the name of David Whyte and how his work has impacted the many incredible leaders he works with. To me his work is legendary. As a poet he has created a readership & listenership in three normally mutually exclusive areas: the literate world of readings that most poets inhabit, the psychological & theological worlds of philosophical enquiry & the world of vocation, work & organizational leadership. An Associate Fellow at Said Business School at the University of Oxford, he is one of the few poets to take his perspectives on creativity into the field of organizational development, where he works with many European, American & international companies. Do join us to hear David's unique perspectives and beautifully articulated commentary on Conversational Leadership. Insight and wisdom that could have an enormous impact on your ability to lead effectively in today’s complex organisational world.

Do you believe in stepping up and doing things differently? My guest David Fox-Pitt has been inspiring people to embrace adventure, become more resourceful, build resilience and encourage a healthy attitude to fear and failure for over 30 years. During this show we will discuss his book, “Positiverosity, 7 Golden Principles” derived from his international expeditions training in the special forces and his experience in business. David’s company WildFox Events Ltd has raised over £40 million for charities worldwide through adventure challenges. Over 55,000 participants have challenged themselves through physical endeavour whilst fundraising for others in need. Having visited David and his wonderful family in their remote and beautiful Scottish home, my family have experienced the impact he has on people first hand. I therefore cannot recommend listening to this interview more highly. You too can benefit from David's outlook of Positiverosity - just as we have!

What are the top tips to build your dream business and why should you put a shark in your tank? Kevin Harrington has been a successful entrepreneur over the last 40 years. He is an Original Shark on the ABC hit, Emmy winning TV show, “Shark Tank.” The Inventor of the Infomercial, Co- Founder of the Electronic Retailers Association (ERA) and Co- Founder of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). Kevin has launched over 20 businesses that have grown to over $100 million in sales each, has been involved in more than a dozen public companies, and launched over 500 products generating more than $5 billion in sales worldwide with iconic brands and celebrities. The Entrepreneurs Organization has grown to 150 cities and 45 countries and thousands of members, generating over $500 Billion of member sales. Join us to hear the top tips and tricks from this remarkable man on how to build your dream business including why you should put a shark in your tank!

What could you achieve if you took every opportunity to go the extra mile? If you are a business owner or leader how could this philosophy if adopted within your business transform you results? My guest Shawn Anderson is a 6-time motivational author and inspiring keynote speaker. His “go the extra mile” philosophy and ability to produce winning results have been praised by leaders and media outlets around the world. He has built a million-dollar company, pedalled a bike 4,000 miles across the U.S. (twice) and created adventures in 45+ countries. Shawn is the creator of “Extra Mile Day” declared by 527 US cities …. a day recognizing the power we each have to create positive change in our lives when we “go the extra mile”. Join us to be truly inspired and motivated to consider how you can create incredible results by going the extra mile.

How do you build a rockstar of a business and how do you invest in growing businesses without risk? On this show my guest is Jonathan Pfahl who set up the Rockstar Group in 2007. Since then he has grown it into the largest resource bank of business services for growing companies in the UK. It is also an active investment firm with a portfolio of over 40 companies privately invested in. Join us to find out from this highly successful entrepreneur the approach to building a great start up business and the low risk way to invest in them.

Engagement is a great personal passion and helping leaders and managers to build engaging cultures and become more engaging is a prime focus for our business. Engagement impacts financial performance, staff retention, absenteeism, productivity and well being. I therefore love to talk to guests who can talk very practically about what they have done to build a really engaging culture. Shaun Bradley is the very engaging People Director at employee engagement company Perkbox and their approach to engagement was acknowledged in their listing in the Sunday Times as one of the Best Small Companies to work for in 2017. Join us to find out about the initiatives from Shaun’s extensive experience that have fostered a high-performance culture that encourages people to bring their most awesome self to work and make a meaningful contribution. The days when HR looked after engagement and jobs for life are over. It is now the responsibility of all leaders and managers. Ignore it at your peril!

How do you best lead people? One of my clients recently described people as an enigma. However, like the story of the enigma code, there is also a code that can help when it comes to people! This week’s interview sees host Chris Cooper discuss keys for leading and developing people. During the show he will be in deep discussion with employee engagement, leadership and team development expert John Jennings. Chris Cooper has over 25 years experience leading and developing UK and international leaders and teams. As the host of the Business Elevation show for almost 7 years he has interviewed and gained insights from many tremendous people leaders. John Jennings has spent 34 years developing companies and teams and has led teams globally, working for major brands in the UK and California. Join us for a content rich interview designed for anyone who wants to understand how to lead people more effectively.

Imagine you live on a beautiful 36 square mile island in the Caribbean. Your challenge as CEO of the Nevis Tourism Authortity is to ensure that your island has the facilities to attract the right holiday makers in the right volumes while balancing the needs of your golden asset the islands, their native populations as well as politicians and developers. My guest Greg Phillip is the man with that challenge for the stunning island of Nevis. A destination that attracts movie stars, wealthy business people and even royalty amongst its visitors. Join us to find out more about the important lessons learned when you have an important role on a small jewel of an island.

Have you considered whether you are self sabotaging your own business success? On this show, I will be talking to Emma-Jane Packe, Managing Director of the The Supper Club. The Supper Club is a membership club exclusively for fast-growth entrepreneurs and since 2003 has enabled thousands of founders and CEOs to realise their growth ambitions. Emma-Jane is an expert in entrepreneurship and developing successful teams. Her insight comes from working with and talking to hundreds of entrepreneurs and business leaders about their experiences as well as growing her own teams across Europe. Join us to discuss how your entrepreneurial style and approach to the important elements of business success can transform your performance and avoid self sabotage.

What does being an Ambassador for your city mean and what sort of roles are there in a City that can make a contribution? Jo Tallack started her retail career over 30 years ago & has previously worked for Debenhams, House of Fraser & Woolworths before joining Hammerson in 2000. Having held a number of varied roles within shopping centre operations, Jo relocated to Leicester as Deputy General Manager initially working with the development team in readiness for the launch of Highcross & became General Manager. Leading on the REVO (Retail Evolution) retail path Apprentice scheme & as a LLEP Enterprise Advisor demonstrates her continued support to young people in Leicester & education, stimulating young people to consider a career in retail. Join us for a fascinating show where Jo will share great ways you can put your leadership skills to good use within your local community!

Stop hiding behind your screens and engage with your prospects! This is the message of my guest John Blaskey. John is an expert at helping clients to generate millions of pounds through face to face marketing. Having hired John to help me with a strategy for a recent event I am excited about introducing you to a man with an enormous amount of experience and talent in the face to face marketing field. John is the go to expert for many global multinationals, national trade organisations, not-for-profit and countless SME's. Join us to find out how to make face to face marketing the cornerstone of your sales strategy.

So what has poetry, music and art got to do with leadership and engagement? In this very unique interview including a live musical performance, I will be talking to Libby Wagner who is a poet, teacher, writer and speaker. A trusted advisor for presidents, CEOs and executive directors, and whose work has shaped the cultures of numerous Fortune 500 clients. Owen Ó Súilleabháin a singer and composer from Ireland who has collaborated with Riverdance composer Bill Whelan, violinist Nigel Kennedy, actor Russell Crowe, director Steven Spielberg, and Irish music legends The Chieftains. Also Steven Morris an artist, writer and entrepreneur who has combined a thriving painting practice with leading his company Mth Degree, a very successful brand evolution consultancy. During this show we will explore the circle of artistry and why these three unique artists and business thought leaders are collaborating to bring deep and meaningful insight to today's business leaders.

Considering launching a big project? Feel slightly overwhelmed? In 2013, previous London Skolars Rugby director, Mark Croston, was one of the two founding members of World Dodgeball’s governing body, leading the incorporation process and development of the association as the Official World Governing Body, with recognition from the International Olympic Committee, Sport Accord/GAISF and each of the 68 member nations Government departments. So how did they go about achieving this, and what important lessons did Mark learn along the way? Listen in this week as Mark shares his story, as well as key lessons that you can implement to help you to create your own major success story!

Ask yourself how many potential star employees walk away from your business after just 3 months? How many of your employees are unmotivated when they come to work? How does that affect the service your customers receive? I will be talking to friend of the Business Elevation show David Long Founder/CEO of MyEmployees, a firm that operates in the Top 1% Worldwide in the Employee Engagement and Recognition industry about how he recommends you build engagement. For 30 years his company have helped managers build stronger, more engaging relationships with their team members, while linking rewards and recognition programmes to the desired goals of their company. Join us to here a different compelling perspective on my favourite subject these days ‘Engaging Your Employees’.

There never seem to be enough hours in the day to take care of daily business and work towards your goals, let alone your life goals! The busier you are, the more you need a compass to keep you on track. You lead and manage others, but now it′s time to lead yourself! Robert Craven is one of the UK’s leading speakers on the subject of growing businesses. He is Google Partner’s go-to speaker for growing digital agencies. Adam Harris works with CEOs and senior managers providing training, coaching and high-level peer group activities to con-vert opportunities into successes, drive profits and leverage the network. Both are co-author to ‘The Check-in Strategy Journal: Your Daily Tracker for Business and Personal Development’. Join us this week as Robert and Adam take us through how to translate your vision for life and business into workable strategy, and then how to put pen to paper and map out a plan for making it a reality!

Creating emotional connections with your brand is an essential part of many organizations marketing plans. Selecting brand ambassadors can be a powerful strategy but there are risks to getting it right. Jane Hansom is a marketeer with over 25 years experience of creating integrated global brand marketing campaigns across media channels from TV and print to digital and social media. She set up Sponge Marketing in 2005 to focus on delivering creative marketing, PR and brand entertainment experiences to the sport, travel and entertainment industry. Jane is also an athlete herself having medalled in World Championship events for Great Britain. Jane also sits on the board of the Triathlon Industry Association and advises government sporting bodies like London Sport on how to in-crease participation in sport. I will be discussing with Jane how to effectively recruit a successful brand ambassador as well as lessons from her considerable sporting and business achievements.

Do you lead or manage people? If so an essential part of your role will be to raise performance by releasing the full potential of your team. During this interview we are going to learn precisely how to do this. Peter Milligan is a professional speaker, business psychologist and highly experienced business coach with 25 years of international experience developing business leaders and teams. After moving from Australia to the UK in 2000, Peter became a director of Europe's largest executive coaching firm before establishing his own business working with leaders at all levels across a wide range of industries. On this week’s show we will discuss Peter’s 7 keys to releasing potential and raising performance. If you’re a business leader or manager, this is a must listen with pen and paper or computer at the ready!