Hi everyone, I have some big news today, ‘How To Be a Success: Ordinary Men Living Extraordinary Lives’ is taking a break! I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone AROUND THE WORLD who has listened to our podcast! From Bejing to Barking; Los Angeles to Lagos; Moscow to Madrid; Chile to Colorado; New Zealand to New York; Manila and many many more… THANK YOU! Today’s episode is going to be a compilation of words of wisdom from some of our best guests! Keep listening out for when we are ...

Gbolahan Obisesan is a prolific director, playwright and actor, who is also the Artistic Director and joint CEO of Brixton House (which was formerly Oval House Theatre). Gbolahan has previously directed work for theatres including the Young Vic, Royal Court Theatre and Soho Theatre; As a playwright his plays have been seen at Edinburgh Festival, Bristol Old Vic, Bush Theatre, Unicorn Theatre and the House of Parliament. Finally, as an actor he has played numerous roles including playing Dr Ma...

Bejay Mulenga is an award-winning entrepreneur – at 20 years old he was the youngest person to receive Her Majesty the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2016. Bejay founded Supa Tuck at 14 years old, a franchise of student-run tuck shops in schools and has gone on to consult and work for brands such as Sony Music, Uber, Coca-Cola, Facebook, River Island, and Nike. 0:00 The Beginning – Growing up in East London and being excluded from school 40 times... 0:00 How Did You Get That Job ...

David Smart, is a Mentor Extraordinaire, founder of Music Tech Training Centre and a freelance mentor to ex-offenders. Before starting the Music Tech Centre, David spent 7 years as Head of Music at Feltham Young Offenders Institute where he delivered music production courses and projects that helped rehabilitate and prepare young men for a positive future outside of prison. 0:00 The Beginning – Growing up in the Caribbean and London and the values it instilled. 9:37 How Did You Get That J...

Solomon Smith is the founder of Brixton Soup Kitchen, an organisation that has received numerous accolades and been featured on BBC3’s Amazing Humans, Channel 4, BBC Radio 1xtra and the Evening Standard Top 1000 Influential list. 0:00 Covid 19 - Solomon tells us how Covid 19 and lockdown have affected Brixton Soup Kitchen and the people they serve. 5:09 The Beginning – Solomon tells us about growing up on the Moorland’s Estate in Brixton; giving tupperware tubs of his mums cooking to home...

Welcome to our Love Episode, this month we are going to do something a little bit different and look at how love has impacted the lives of some of the extraordinary men we have had on our podcast over the past year! 00:30 - Carl Beech, the president of Christian Vision for Men (CVM), CEO of The Edge and founder of both Edgefest and The Gathering festivals tells us how he met the love of his life... 4:24 - Johnboy Smith, Paralympic Athlete, UK No.1 and Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist ...

A-Star real name Alidor Gasper is a successful Christian Grime artist, his first EP Revolutionary debuted at No.4 in both the Christian and Gospel Chart and the iTunes Hip Hop and Rap Chart. 2020 saw the release of his hard-hitting new album Born and Raised which delivers real talk on topics that range from: surrendering his life to God; to struggling with lust and pornography; to living with Sickle Cell Anaemia, an excruciatingly painful genetic disease A-Star has grappled with his entire li...

Okezie Morro, is a successful Black British actor who starred in the Netflix series The Mist, has featured in several Hollywood movies including World War Z and Red Tails and has played leading roles in theatre productions at the National Theatre, The Tricycle Theatre and Almeida Theatre to name a few. He is also the creator and producer of the Youtube children’s show Tata Story Time, where brilliant black actors perform fantastic stories written by African heritage authors. 0:00 The Beginn...

Carl Beech is the president of Christian Vision for Men (CVM), CEO of The Edge and founder of both Edgefest and The Gathering festivals. He is also an author, radio host and podcaster. 0:24: Carl tells us about CVM, The Edge and the work they do with working class men. 01:14 The Beginning – Carl tells us about one of his earliest memories, what he was like as a mischievous 12-year-old, using pages of the bible as Rizla paper, hating school and dreaming of joining the army… 8:14 The Battlefi...

In our 1st Anniversary Episode we're going to do something a little bit different. We are going to have a recap of some of our most popular and powerful episodes! The Beginning - Seth Pinnock - From Pain to Pursuing Purpose Seth Pinnock is founder of Midnight Oil Youth Summits, frontman of award-winning gospel group ‘A New Thing’ and Tearfund’s Head of African and Caribbean Engagement. In ‘The Beginning’ section Seth will talk about his youth, the breakdown of his parents' marriage and th...

Oladipo Agboluaje is one of our best Black British Playwrights, an academic and Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow. Born in Hackney and educated in both Britain and Nigeria. He won the Alfred Fagon prize for playwriting in 2009 for his play Iya-Ile (The First Wife) and his work ranges from the belly laughing satire of The First Wife set in modern Nigeria, to documentary theatre in his play The Hounding of David Oluwale, about a case of police brutality in 1960’s Britain. 0:27 Dipo’s youth i...

Mervin Cato is Head of Enfield’s Secondary Behaviour Support Service where he works with some of the most challenging young people in London, a large percentage of whom are young offenders. Mervin is also founder and co-leader of Men United 4 Christ and the driving force behind the Joe Morris Boxing Gym. In ‘The Beginning’ episode, Mervin tells us about his huge family and his father’s influence on him and his community. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’ section, Mervin tells us what his great...

Matt Bird is an international entrepreneur, speaker, author and broadcaster. He has spoken in 30 countries to more than a million people, has written 10 books. He is the founder of Relationology International and the CEO of philanthropic foundation Cinnamon Network International. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Matt tells us about how he went from being in remedial classes at school to advising 10 Downing Street. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’, Matt tells us how he COMPLETELY overcame his lack ...

Amani Simpson is an award-winning social entrepreneur, filmmaker and youth activist. At the age of 21, he was stabbed 7 times after intervening in a robbery attempt. He has since produced a powerful Youtube short film 'AMANI' starring Hollywood actor Joivan Wade which has had over 2 and a half million views. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Amani tells us how traumatic experiences in primary school and his attempts to fit in spiralled into him becoming a complete terror at school. In ‘The Battlefi...

Ola Animashawun is Creative Director of playwrighting consultancy ‘Euphoric Ink’, founder of the Royal Court Theatre’s famous Young Writers Programme and has been described as ‘the Royal Court Theatre’s Secret weapon’. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Ola tells us about his dreams of being a footballer, not knowing what he wanted to do for a living and the play that changed his life. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’, Ola tells us about growing up in foster care and his determination to change a wo...

Karen Allen is an author, preacher, public speaker, playwright, the CEO of the Joe Morris Boxing Gym and co-founder of the Joe Morris Community Empowerment Centre. She is also a passionate advocate of Young Black Men. In ‘The Beginning’, Karen tells us how her passion for young black men began with the special connection she shared with her baby brother, boxing promoter Joe Morris. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’, Karen tells us how she became a person God speaks to directly. In ‘The M...

James Aladiran, the founder of Prayer Storm, is an instrumental figure in the UK for catalysing the Church into deeper levels of intercession. Before starting Prayer Storm, James coordinated the Message Trust’s Prayer Strategy for 7 years. Since starting in 2009 Prayer Storm has gathered people from across the UK to fast and pray for a great spiritual awakening in our Nation. In ‘The Beginning’ section, James tells us about his early life, born to missionary parents in Liberia, he describes t...

Simon Edwards: 10 years ago, whilst serving a life sentence in Dovegate prison Simon found God. 5 years ago, he walked out of prison with £46 in his pocket. Today, he is the CEO of Walk ministries, a ministry that houses ex-prisoners and helps them forge a new life. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Simon tells us how he went from being in care to becoming a successful businessman by the age of 23. In The Battlefield of the Mind, Simon tells us how addiction led him to prison, an encounter with God...

Emmanuel Oyeleke is a professional football player signed to Port Vale FC. He was born on Christmas Eve 1992, in Wandsworth to Nigerian parents his passions in life are football, God and family. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Emmanuel tells us how he overcame rejection to succeed as a footballer. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’, Emmanuel tells us about facing his greatest fear… In ‘The Mountaintop’, Emmanuel tells us about how changing his focus changed his results and enabled him to enjoy his ...

Paul Gask is Christian Vision for Men’s (CVM) Regional Director for the North of England. Paul was once a police officer who dramatically fell from grace… Today, he travels across the country talking to men about God in order to help CVM achieve their goal of bringing 1 million average men to God. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Paul tells us about his youth and the impact his job had on his mental health. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’, Paul tells us about how his drive to be the best led him ...