Great Traits Project

On this podcast we meet elite performance coach Harvey Hillary (@harveyhillary).  Harvey is known throughout the sailing community for coaching and developing Olympic athletes. Today, Harvey is using his elite performance insight to coach across various sports, and develop future gold medalists. Harvey was previously the Head of High Performance for the British Sailing Team over the course of multiple Olympic cycles. Since Sydney 2000, the GB Sailing Team have won a grand total of 23 gold medals, which Harvey was a vital part. Harvey now works for Peak Dynamics, an organization that strives to improve human performance in both business and sport. In this podcast, Tobias and Harvey discuss elite performance, marginal gains vs. maximal gains, competitive advantage, mindset control, training, performance mapping, goal setting, super strengths, and unacceptable weaknesses.

On this month’s podcast we meet Jaco van Gass. @jacovangass Jaco was born in South Africa. At the age of 20, he flew to England hoping to follow his dream of joining the British Armed Forces. By mid 2007, Jaco had completed his training and he joined the highly regarded Parachute Regiment. During Jaco’s second tour of Afghanistan in 2009, he sustained severe life changing injuries. He was struck by an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). The injuries he sustained included the loss of his left arm at the elbow, a collapsed left lung, shrapnel wounds to his left side, punctured internal organs, blast wounds to upper thigh, a broken tibia and a fractured knee. Jaco had 11 operations and intense rehabilitation and incredibly, he survived. His career dream of being in the army was over. Despite the physical and mental trauma he went on to become a member of the record-breaking team of wounded soldiers to trek unsupported to the North Pole. More recently, Jaco has been a member of the GB Para-Cycling team, competing at

On this podcast we meet director and screenwriter Henry Scriven (@henryscriven) Henry’s short films (To Let, The Babysitter, Divided, The Fox) have amassed over 35 million views online and won awards at film festivals across the world. His debut feature film, How To Become A Criminal Mastermind starring Joerg Stadler (Saving Private Ryan, Spy Game), picked up numerous awards including the Best Low Budget Film Award at the London Independent Film Festival and the Best Director Award at the Green Bay Film Festival. He recently completed a short film, The Fox which was funded by a grant from Film Earls Court and is being developed into a feature film. Currently Henry is preparing to start filming his next feature film, Love, Sex & Killing which is being co-produced by Sara Huxley and April Kelley at Mini Productions and Colin Day at Rickshaw Entertainment. The script was written by Raymond Friel who has written three produced feature films including The Calcium Kid with Orlando Bloom. In this podcast we talk

Stephen Catlin is the founder of Catlin Insurance Group. After 10 years in the insurance industry Stephen Catlin set up his own insurance business in the 1980s. He successfully built a multi-billion dollar underwriting empire from nothing. In the early years Catlin’s business didn’t even have a typewriter or a fax machine but by the early 2000s the company had 55 offices worldwide writing insurance for Aviation, Casualty, Energy, Marine, Property and War & Political Risk. By the late 2000s Catlin Group had become the largest insurance underwriter in the specialist insurance market called Lloyds of London (where companies price and underwrite insurance policies) and in 2015, Catlin Group was acquired by XL for $4.1bn. Stephen is a conviction entrepreneur, who often goes with his gut feeling and openly admits to making mistakes along the way. He is retiring from the insurance industry in December 2017. In the podcast we talk about Stephen’s life, his business lessons, his mistakes and his successes and his

Damian’s number 1 bestselling memoir, Maggie & Me, is about coming of age and coming out in Thatcher's Britain. It was the Sunday Times Memoir of the Year, BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week and won the Paddy Power Political Books Satire Award.  Damian writes columns for the Big Issue and the Sunday Times and often often appears on Radio 4. The Guardian named him one of the most connected men in publishing.  Starting at Shoreditch House in 2008 and now based at the Savoy in London, his sold-out Literary Salon premieres new work from emerging and established writers and guests including David Nicholls, Caitlin Moran and Bret Easton Ellis. www.theliterarysalon.co.uk  In this podcast we reflect on his bestselling memoir, Maggie and Me and Damian shares moving insights on the adversity he suffered growing up in Scotland. He also shares insights on the creative process and we get a sneak preview into Damian’s next book You Will Be Safe Here.  If you enjoy this podcast you can read our Top 10 Bestseller, GREAT TRAI

Bruce Fordyce (@BruceFordycerun) is a South African marathon and ultramarathon runner. He is best known for having won the worlds largest and oldest ultramarathon, the South African Comrades Marathon (89km or 56 miles) a record nine times. Eight of his wins were consecutive (1979-88). He also won the 100km London to Brighton Marathon three years in a row (1981-83). He is the current world record holder over the distance of 50 miles and the former world record holder over 100 km. Bruce has written two books about the Comrades Marathon, he was also a sports columnist for various newspapers and he is the founder of Parkrun, a weekly 5km running event in South Africa which is free to all participants. In 2004, he was voted in the list of Top 100 Great South Africans. On this podcast we talk about Bruce’s running career, his training and preparation for ultra marathon events, the mindset behind endurance events and his views on food and diet. For legal reasons please note that Bruce’s comments regarding diet an

Karen Darke (@kdarke) is a Paralympic Gold Medallist and adventurer. Karen was always a keen runner, climber and all round outdoor addict but aged 19, she fell off a cliff and became paralysed from the chest down. With creativity and perseverance she has lived an extraordinary life and proven that almost anything is still possible. Karen has crossed mountains in Central Asia on a hand bike; completed a 600 kilometre journey across Greenland on a sit-ski and climbed the one kilometre high rock face of El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park. Currently, she is a full time athlete with the British Para-Cycling Team. In Rio in 2016 she won a Paralympic gold in the Handcycling road race. Karen is truly an inspirational character. On this podcast we talk a lot about mindset, Karen’s approach to dealing with fear and other psychological tips and tricks. We also talk about Karen’s incredible expeditions and what she hopes to achieve from now on. www.karendarke.com

Simon is a maverick entrepreneur. He is the founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL, YO! Home and all things YO! Simon left school at the age of 16 with just two o-levels. He spent 30 years in the entertainment business designing and staging concerts for many artists, including The Moody Blues, Madness, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and George Michael. In 1997 Simon founded YO! Sushi, the UK’s only conveyor belt sushi bar. The concept turned dining out into a complete entertainment experience, featuring call buttons, robot drinks trolleys and Japanese TV. The first restaurant opened in the heart of Soho and became an overnight phenomenon. Today, YO! Sushi continues to expand both at home and abroad and has opened 100 restaurants serving 6 million customers each year.  Simon was an original “Dragon” on BBC Two’s worldwide hit program Dragons’ Den, making (and breaking) the dreams of would-be entrepreneurs pitching business ideas for financing. Simon continues to develop new YO! brands today. YOTEL, is Simon’s solution to bor

On this month’s podcast we meet Eliza Rebeiro, founder of the charity Lives Not Knives (@LNKCharity). The charity aims to prevent young people from carrying knives and becoming involved in gang culture. Eliza established Lives Not Knives at the age of just fourteen after witnessing a series of tragic stabbings in her local community in Croydon. Lives Not Knives began as a local community group selling t-shirts branded with the bold slogan LIVES NOT KNIVES to raise awareness. The t-shirts resonated with the local community and proved popular with friends so Eliza expanded production to a much larger scale. With the profits from t-shirt sales she then invested the proceeds in hosting a party to celebrate young people having fun without violence. The event was a huge success, hundreds of people attended and signed a petition to support making the streets safer and Lives Not Knives was officially formed. From its initial inception Lives Not Knives has evolved from a community group, to a campaign and is now a ful

George Bullard (@georgebullardexplorer) is an explorer and world record holder. In 2008, at the age of just 19, George embarked on an expedition with Alex Hibbert to break the world record for the longest unsupported journey in a Polar region. After 113 days, hauling 200 kilos of equipment George and Alex covered 1,374miles to set a new world record. Their journey took them from the south-east corner of Greenland to the north-west coast of Greenland and back again. George has been pushing himself beyond the limits of human endurance for over a decade. His challenges have included swimming the English Channel, as well as cycling 2,500 miles from London to Greece. In 2016, George and his expedition partner Oly Hicks completed a world first by kayaking from Greenland to Scotland, which was a journey of 1,200 miles. They spent between 17-20 and hours a day paddling and had to sleep in their double kayak to complete the journey. In this podcast we talk about George's numerous adventures, his mindset, his motivatio

Mark Maclaine (@markmaclaine) is one of the world’s most experienced tutors. With over 20,000 hours of one-to-one tutoring Mark has built a reputation as one of the most prolific tutors in the world in mathematics and science. Mark’s pupils include the children of royal families, sports stars, movie stars, musicians and billionaires. He can be found tutoring in London, Hong Kong, Cannes, St Moritz, New York and the Caribbean. Mark is also the co-founder of www.tutorfair.com a company which sources tutors for parents and students. He has established the Tutorfair Foundation to provide free tuition for children who can’t afford it. For every student who pays for tutoring the Tutorfair Foundation provides free tuition for a student that can’t. In the podcast Mark shares loads of personal insights from the adversity he suffered as a child, the difficulties he faced in school, how he became a tutor and how he established his reputation as one of the very best in the world.

Pen Hadow (@PenHadow) is an explorer and world record holder. He is the only person to trek solo, without resupply by third parties, from Canada to the North Geographic Pole. His remarkable feat, in 2003 has not been repeated since and some argue it is comparable in difficulty to making the first ascent of Everest, solo and without oxygen. Within months of completing the North Pole expedition Pen went on to become the only Briton to have trekked, without resupply, to both the North and South Geographic Poles. In 2009, he formed Geo Mission, a pioneering environmental sponsorship organisation, which delivered the multi-award winning series of Catlin Arctic Surveys (2009-2011) investigating the rates, causes and global impacts of the fast-disappearing Arctic sea ice. In the podcast we talk about Pen’s expeditions, world records, the concept of luck, physical and psychological challenges, setbacks, failure, pressure, mindset management and global warming.

On this month’s podcast we meet Dr. Dave Alred Dave is an elite performance coach who works with world class sportsmen and teams. He helps them deliver when the pressure is at its most extreme. Dr. Alred is a pioneer in performance, mindset and attitude. He holds PhD in Performing under Pressure from Loughborough University. He is a member of the UK Coaching Hall of Fame, a winner of the Mussabini Medal and a member of the ECB Elite Coaching Fellowship. His clients include rugby’s Jonny Wilkinson, George Ford and Johnny Sexton; golfers Padraig Harrington, Francesco Molinari and Brad Kennedy; footballers, Joe Cole and David James; the England rugby union team; the British Lions; the England cricket team; British Judo and Premiership football sides, Manchester City, Sunderland, Watford and Newcastle. He is also the bestselling author of The Pressure Principle.

On this month’s podcast we meet Patrick Drake @patrickdrake Patrick is an entrepreneur and chef. He is the founder of the revolutionary food delivery service Hello Fresh www.hellofresh.co.uk/ Patrick started his career wearing a pin-stripe suit working for one of the most prestigious law firms in London. However, he quickly found that his love of food dragged him away from the boardroom and into the kitchen. Despite working long hours as a lawyer he spent his evenings training in the kitchens of iconic restaurants in London such as the Cuckoo Club and Brindisa. He also spent time working with Heston Blumenthal at the legendary Fat Duck restaurant in Bray. Recently, he has created an online cookery school called the 60 second chef which teaches you all the cooking techniques you need to be confident in the kitchen. www.the60secondchef.com He also has a TV show which is available in 68 countries which airs on National Geographic and the Discovery Channel.

On this month’s podcast we have something a little different, we have a scientist who specializes in the psychology of extreme and isolated environments.   The man in question is Dr. Nathan Smith, he has degree in Sport & Exercise Science and he has a PhD in Sport & Exercise Psychology and he is a Lecturer in Sport Psychology at the University of Northampton.   His research focuses on: The Psychology of extreme and isolated environments (such as astronauts, explorers, deep sea divers and high altitude mountaineers) He also looks at motivation in sports Role of physical activity in the promotion psychological health   For this podcast we talk about the psychological attributes you need to survive and thrive in extreme environments. We talk about the kind of character traits that drive people to seek out extreme environments. We also look at how to manage anxiety, how to build resilience. We discuss the role of self belief, strategies to cope with pain, goal setting and gratitude

Levison Wood is an explorer, bestselling author and photographer. He spent a number of years as an Officer in the British Parachute Regiment, and served in Afghanistan.  After leaving the Army to pursue a full time career as a writer and explorer, in 2014 he completed a nine-month expedition walking the full length of the river Nile. It was a journey of 4,250 miles which took seven million steps to complete.  In 2015, he walked the length of the Himalayas from Afghanistan to Bhutan, a journey of 1,700 miles which took four million steps to complete.  Both expeditions were documented in a Channel 4 series and an accompanying book. It is worth pointing out, in this podcast we do not go through the nitty gritty of each expedition but we focus on Lev’s career, his mindset and what makes him tick. If you want to know more about his specific expeditions we recommend looking at the book and Channel 4 series.  Note, this podcast was recorded before Lev took on his expedition to walk across the Americas.

Karl was serving in the Staffordshire Regiment in Iraq in 2005 when he suffered a direct hit from a petrol bomb. This resulted in 40% of his body being burnt in particular, his arms, chest, hands, legs and face. He was placed in an induced coma and faced numerous skin graft operations to heal his wounds. 5 years later, in 2010 he completed his last operation and dedicated himself to running marathons and ultra marathons to raise money for the medical staff who helped save him and rebuild his life. Over a period of 52 weeks he successfully completed 52 marathons. Karl is determined to show that a life changing injury is not the end of life but simply a new beginning. 

Kirsty Henderson became the first (and is still the only) woman in Britain to attain a Black Belt in Shidokan Karate (better known as Japanese Mixed Martial Arts). After travelling, studying and competing in Japan she become ranked as the top female Shidokan fighter in the world. On returning to the UK, she became coach to the British Men's Team training them to successful international-championship wins.   Kirsty's list of qualifications are staggering. She is a qualified...   Martial Arts Instructor  Shidokan Blackbelt 2nd Dan (Japan) Mixed Martial Arts Instructor and Coach Krav Maga Instructor Specialist Defence Instructor Knives and Edged Weapons Instructor She is also a qualified Yoga Teacher She has a Reiki Degree and 3 University Degrees.  Kirsty has completed 7 years of training to become a qualified  architect at the prestigious Charles Rennie Mackintosh School of Architecture.     Currently she is the Founder & Owner of the Five Rings Training & Research Institute As you can imagine she ha

On this month's podcast we meet Jamie McDonald. Jamie is a fund raising adventurer who has cycled from Bangkok to his hometown of Gloucester in England. Soon after that mamouth journey he took on the static cycling world record which he smashed by 44hours setting a new record of 268 hours or more than 11 days on the bike. In 2014 Jamie completed a solo run of 5000 miles across Canada and raised over £250,000 for sick children.  

Welcome to the Great Traits Project Podcast. We investigate the character traits that drive great achievements and reveal the mindset behind success. Throughout these podcasts we introduce you to remarkable individuals from the world of sport, business, the military, the arts, science & technology, ground breaking explorers, and many more. We shed light on how they behave and what they believe. We discuss their attitude to life. On this month's podcast we meet Roz Savage an ocean rower, author, speaker and environmental campaigner. Roz is the first woman to have rowed solo across the three major oceans, the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian. She has rowed over 15,000 miles, taken around 5 million oarstrokes, and spent cumulatively over 500 days of her life at sea in a 23-foot rowboat.