Phil is the CEO of Brother UK and widely regarded as one of the most empathetic and deep-thinking leaders of his generation. He an exponent of servant leadership and certainly one of the most interesting and thought-provoking CEOs I’ve met. In this episode Phil talks about the importance of knowing your strengths and vulnerabilities as a leader and why its important to spend time thinking and getting clarity on your values and purpose. He also talks about the need to have people who want to ride the travelator in their careers as much as those who want to ride the escalators and what happens to performance when people often hit milestone birthdays and how to deal with it. If you are a leader then this is an episode not to be missed regardless of your seniority. Our mission is to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of.

Tom Young is sports psychologist to some of the world’s best golfers including the European Ryder Cup Team. He’s also the author of The Making of a Leader – what elite sport can teach us about leadership, management and performance. Tom has a very easy to listen to style and is brilliant as explaining some of the key psychological tools we can develop to help us win at life regardless of whether you are an elite sportsperson or not. He gives perhaps the best and simplest definition of mental fitness you’ll hear and says “Whisper it quietly, but we are not designed to highly perform every minute of every day.” We also talk about the importance of self-image and why its importance to spend time working on that, as well as a number of other key things. Our mission is to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of.

In this first episode of season two I talk one of the most mentally strong, humble and inspiring people I’ve ever met. Terry’s story is quite amazing. The eclectic career path, his fight with cancer and his mindset and learning in the face of all them is remarkable. The energy Terry gave off over zoom from a continent away lifted me after a long tiring day. I’ve no doubt that listening to him will have that effect on you too. If it does please share with other people and spread the word. Our mission is to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of.

In the final episode of the first season I talk to professional golfer Alice Hewson. Alice is one of the youngest and hottest prospects in women’s gold having won her first ever professional tournament, the South African Open in 2020. We talk about her journey through the amateur ranks, having to decide between a career as a golfer or swimmer and leaving her homeland and family behind to go to Clemson University in America to pursue her dreams. She talks about the importance of planning, process and maintaining emotional control when it comes to performing under pressure. She eloquently talks about the impact of expectations on performance and how she deals with that. This is a fascinating conversation with someone who is still so young yet has already achieved some fantastic things. We can all learn a lot from what she shares. Our mission is to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of.

PLEASE NOTE THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES EATING DISORDERS In this episode mother of two, entrepreneur and founder of Tanya’s Just Real Sauces, Tanya Lambert gives a raw and open account of her story. Tanya grew her father’s business from humble beginnings to a multi-million pound concern before stepping back. She then went out to found what is now Tanya’s Just Real Sauces. On the surface that seems like plain sailing but as Tanya shares that’s not the case. From the age of nine Tanya began to suffer with poor mental health and it’s something she still lives with to this day. She’s also suffered and bounced back from some failures and very difficult times. We talk about the importance of talking about and addressing mental health, the power of purpose and resilience and much more.

Are you happy really happy in your career? Feeling fulfilled? If so, I’m delighted for you. The reality is many people aren’t. They are the ones who get the Sunday blues, that can ruin an otherwise great weekend. Many people dream of changing careers or even going self-employed. Some like me, want to do both. It’s a scary thought though, full of self-doubt, insecurity and anxiety. Yet it is possible. In today’s episode I talk to one person who has done just that and not just lived to tell the tale, but is thriving with it. Matt Wilkinson, is a strategic marketeer and the founder of Strivenn. We talk about how we measure success, the importance of values to help sustain us. We also talk about the difference between need and wants and how to make the leap of faith while minimising the risk and assessing our risk tolerance. We also talk about I/R theory and the importance of creating the Chinese wall between the two components. Matt shares a very simple technique he uses daily to keep his self-esteem high and to manage his stress levels even now he's successfully made the career transition. We also talk about the influence of a 2,000 year old philosophy and how that can support us as we make the career transition.

Madeleine has an unusual personal story which she uses to inspire and motivate others. A deeply moving and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity. We are not defined by what knocks us down – we are defined by how we get back up. Violently gang raped when she was thirteen years old, and raped three more times before the age of eighteen, Madeleine has experienced more trauma in her life than most ever will. Living in a state of shock and self-loathing, it took her years of struggle to confront the buried memories of that first attack and begin to undo the damage it wrought, as men continued to take advantage of her fragility in the worst possible way. Yet, after growing up with a burden no teenager should ever have to shoulder, she found the heart to carry out the best revenge plan of all; leading a fulfilling and happy life. For Madeleine, forgiveness was the key. True forgiveness takes genuine effort. It takes a real desire to understand those who have done us so much harm. It is the ultimate act of courage. You can find her on LinkedIn or via her website madeleineblack.co.uk

Aged 24, Alex Staniforth is an ultra-endurance adventurer, international motivational speaker, author, brand ambassador and director of Mind Over Mountains, a charity to restore mental health through outdoor experiences. By sharing his adventures through adversity in live and virtual events and conferences, he inspires organisations to re-define success, build resilience, and improve their well-being. We don't always get to choose our challenges, but we can choose our response. Alex is no stranger to adversity. Throughout school he suffered epilepsy, stammering, extensive bullying and a subsequent lack of confidence. Aged 18, he made two attempts to climb Mount Everest in 2014 and 2015, when the expedition was aborted following an avalanche. Despite an 'ordinary'​ background, he raised the £35k expedition costs in just one year and returned in 2015 to survive an avalanche below Camp 1, triggered by the Nepal earthquake, sadly killing 22 people at base camp including 3 teammates. His debut book '​'Icefall'​' tells the story, endorsed by Bear Grylls. In July 2017 he became the fastest person ever to climb all 100 UK county tops in 72 days, a 5,000 mile journey by bike, foot and kayak and winning the Pride of Britain Granada Reports Fundraiser of the Year 2017. Alex has raised over £100,000 total for charities through his challenges. His second book 'Another Peak' was published by Trigger Press in July 2019. Having suffered with episodes of mental ill health since being a teenager, he co-founded Mind Over Mountains in 2020, a mental health charity to help people restore mental health through outdoor experiences. He then ran the National Three Peaks Challenge - 452 miles in 9 days and 12 hours. You can find Alex on LinkedIn, email or via his website below. www.alexstaniforth.com alex@alexstaniforth.com Our mission is to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of. Please join the conversation on Instagram @AntTaylor72 and @the_mental_fitness_podcast The podcast music is “Where To Run” by Strength to Last. It’s created by the musical talent of Adrian Walther, a Canadian living in Nashville. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube music.

Steve Hill MBE is a modest teacher from Oldham. Yet through his actions he has inspired thousands of young children to dream big, to exercise and to have a mindset of ‘I can and I will’. In a world of fake news, of bluff and bluster and big ego, Steve shines as an example of mental fitness. A man who has developed mental toughness through physical adversity such as running marathons on Mount Everest, both North and South Poles and 230km through the Amazon with one and a half shoes. He marries that with the emotional intelligence and self-awareness to be able to accomplish those feats. He’s also founded a charity which is making a big difference to many people in his home town. Steve is one of life's genuinely humble and yet inspiring people. This is a conversation that will leave you with a warmth in your heart and feeling like you can take on the world.

Welcome to The Mental Fitness Podcast with Anthony Taylor. In this episode Anthony is talking to former boxer Billy Schwer about his thoughts on mental fitness. Billy is a former British, Commonwealth, European & World Boxing Champion who is now a personal performance coach. He is passionate about championing and helping middle aged men transform themselves This conversation is as energetic as 12 rounds in the boxing ring and Billy shares his thoughts on physical fitness, meditation and what how he went from Billy the Boxer to Billy the Human!

Welcome to The Mental Fitness Podcast with Anthony Taylor. In this episode Anthony is talking with Penny Mallory. Penny became the first woman in the world to compete in a World Rally Car for Ford in the World Rally Championship. In fact she is still the only woman to have achieved this. That's some achievement, but add in the fact Penny ran away from home as a teenager and was homeless for a number of years and it becomes an even bigger accomplishment. She's now a keynote speaker and performance coach focussing on mental toughness. The pair discuss Penny's story and how her mental toughness kept her childhood rally driving dreams alive, how you can boost your mental toughness and why mental toughness isn't for everybody.

Welcome to The Mental Fitness Podcast with Anthony Taylor. In this episode Anthony is talking with former England Rugby Union player Kyran Bracken. As well as playing at scrum half for Saracens, Bristol and Waterloo he was part of England's World Cup winning team in 2003. After retirement he went on win ITV's Dancing On Ice, and is now a successful business owner and rugby coach. The pair discuss how Kyran used his mental fitness throughout his rugby career, from being told he should retire through injury to being dropped by England. He explains how his mental toughness focusses how he sets his goals and how you can too.