The Starting Line with Rich Leigh

-- Subscribe for new episodes, released every Monday! --Ellie Simmonds was awarded an MBE at the age of 13 - and still holds the record for being the youngest ever recipient. She now has an OBE, five Paralympic gold medals, eight World Championship gold medals and 10 European Championship golds under her belt. In this interview with swimming star, author, TV presenter and just all-round lovely human being Ellie we discuss everything from her career, dwarfism and drugs, the importance of role models both in society and on the screen, her upbringing, adoption, drive, travel, what she’s been up to since retiring, favourite TV shows and more.Follow Ellie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliesimmondsWatch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bszsyL4WHE0Patreon: Support the show by becoming a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/startinglinepod for just £5 a monthWebsite: https://www.startinglinepod.comContact: If you have guest suggestions or would like to talk about sponsorship opportunities, please email hello@startinglinepod.comAbout The Starting Line PodcastThe Starting Line Podcast, hosted by award-winning serial entrepreneur, PR expert, and best-selling author Rich Leigh, is all about drive, ambition and curiosity.Speaking to entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers, guests open up about positivity, success, resilience, perseverance, mistakes and more. In series one Leigh spoke to three OBEs, one MBE, world champions, world record holders, Olympic medal winners, and multi-millionaires, alongside people giving back and supporting communities in unique and incredible ways.Go back and enjoy series one guests including Levi Roots, James Cracknell OBE and Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells.About me, Rich LeighFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers.Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define or limit your potential.Listen every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Follow The Starting Line on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startinglineshow Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/startinglineshoTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/startinglineshowFacebook: https://facebook.com/startinglineshowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startinglineshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Undefeated professional boxer Nina Hughes, born in Essex, UK, became bantamweight world champion at the age of 39 - having come back into the sport and only gone pro after having two children.Nina spoke about everything from Ebanie Bridges and Shannon Courtenay ducking her, US Boxing's decision to allow trans women to box biological women - calling it 'dangerous', pointing to deaths in boxing and asking why women would take the risk, female boxers and OnlyFans, the Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight, how much female boxers are paid, her upbringing, her time with Team GB, how she found boxing and more.Nina defends her title again this weekend, Sunday 12th May, against Cherneka Johnson at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, and, all being well, believes she can become undisputed world champion within three fights.Watch this episode on YouTubePatreon: Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/startinglinepod for just £5 a monthWebsite: startinglinepod.comContact: If you have guest suggestions or would like to talk about sponsorship opportunities, please email hello@startinglinepod.comAbout The Starting Line PodcastThe Starting Line Podcast, hosted by award-winning serial entrepreneur, PR expert, and best-selling author Rich Leigh, is all about drive, ambition and curiosity.Speaking to entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers, guests open up about positivity, success, resilience, perseverance, mistakes and more.Go back and enjoy series one guests including Levi Roots, James Cracknell OBE and Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells.About me, Rich LeighFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers.Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define or limit your potential.Watch or listen every Monday.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebookLinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second series of interview podcast The Starting Line kicks off with an exclusive conversation with star of screen, stage and film, two-time Olivier Award winner Brian Cox.Recorded in his north London home around new year, Cox spoke about everything from religion, politics, cannabis, the actor he’d most like to act alongside, whether he'll reprise his role as William Stryker in Deadpool 3 and much, much more.The Succession star opined about Trump, Israel and Gaza, the state of British politics, how the Bible is the ‘worst’ book ever written and his thoughts about billionaires, having played one of the best known billionaires in TV history, among many other topics.Watch this episode on YouTubePatreon: Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/startinglinepod for just £5 a monthWebsite: startinglinepod.comContact: If you have guest suggestions or would like to talk about sponsorship opportunities, please email hello@startinglinepod.comAbout The Starting Line PodcastThe Starting Line Podcast, hosted by award-winning serial entrepreneur, PR expert, and best-selling author Rich Leigh, is all about drive, ambition and curiosity.Speaking to entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers, guests open up about positivity, success, resilience, perseverance, mistakes and more.Go back and enjoy series one guests including Levi Roots, James Cracknell OBE and Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells.About me, Rich LeighFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers.Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define or limit your potential.Watch or listen every Monday.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebookLinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Starting Line Podcast is BACK.The first episode of series 2 is being released next Monday - Monday 29th April - and this time, you can choose to watch on YouTube or listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.You won't want to miss it - it's an exclusive conversation with star of stage, screen and film, Brian Cox, recorded in his London home. Brian was open, honest and wonderfully opinionated.Watch the Series 2 video trailer and subscribe to the show on YouTube here: youtube.com/watch?v=ZXE_Ptj3MzMPatreon: Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/startinglinepod for just £5 a monthIf you have guest suggestions or would like to talk about sponsorship opportunities, please email hello@startinglinepod.com.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

***Parental advisory and all that***In short - if you don't like bad language, or jokes some might consider vulgar, this is not the Christmas special for you. As I say in the intro, there are plenty of other podcasts out there. You know, including many chart-topping podcasts listened to by millions of people about real-life terrible things like serial killers, making tonnes of money for the people behind those podcasts, for you to listen to instead. And also, while I'm at it, if you haven't listened to Tim Minchin's 'Pope Song', it makes this point wonderfully. Again, terrible, naughty language absolutely not to be played in front of young ears, but wonderful nonetheless.Onto the episode!Kunt and the Gang is a chart-topping British comedy songwriter and performer, a best-selling author and the man behind Shannon Matthews: The Musical (and the upcoming Shannon Matthews: The Musical: The Movie).With ten studio albums under his belt, and four top twenty singles, Kunt has enjoyed both mainstream and indie success.He has achieved five UK top five indie hits, with 2 number ones.He's taking a break from releasing songs around Christmas for 2023, and backing a mystery band, The Krackpots, for this year's Christmas number 1, with their 'love letter' to Christmas hits of years gone by, Proper Christmas. And The Krackpots are definitely, definitely nothing to do with him, OK?Enjoy!Follow Kunt on Instagram here and Twitter here.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final episode of series one, we take you behind-the-scenes of the second half of interviews in this chart-topping first series, with some of the most successful people in the country, from world record breakers to multi-millionaire OBEs.Join me, Rich Leigh, and, once again, please welcome friend of the show, listener and one of my best friends - of 25+ years! - (Ashley) Stokes.After exactly 14 weeks since we released episode one - 98 days to be precise - it's goodbye to this first series, and hello to planning for series two!Subscribe if you haven't already, and you'll be the first to know when the next series begins again, as it'll automatically download and notify you. Don't be a stranger. Email hello@startinglinepod.com with guest suggestions, what you'd like from the next series or anything else you might want to say, or alternatively, say hi to us on social media.Follow The Starting Line Podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startinglineshowTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/startinglineshoTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@startinglineshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startinglineshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second bonus episode, we take you behind-the-scenes of the podcast, answering listener questions and a few posed by returning special guest, listener and one of my best friends of 25+ years, (Ashley) Stokes.We speak about why ‘now’ for me to start this show, and how a certain Comedy Dave gave me a kind and gentle nudge, despite concerns that nobody needed another podcast from a straight white man in his thirties.We speak about emotional interviews, and how my intention is absolutely not to find the person in the world with the ‘worst’ starting line.I’m asked about my own definition of success - a question I’ve asked all guests.We get into what, on reflection, I’d have done differently in this first series. We speak about:the relentlessness of self-promotionthe process of getting guests in front of the micdealing with rejection from potential guestshaving A-listers pulled at the last seconddream guests and moreWe’re back with our final episode of series one next week, covering the second half of our guests.Thank you as ever.If you’ve got any questions, you’ve got until the end of TODAY to ask them, before we record our final, final episode of this series. Email hello@startinglinepod.com, or message us on social media.Follow The Starting Line Podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startinglineshowTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/startinglineshoTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@startinglineshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startinglineshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus episode, we take you behind-the-scenes of the first half of interviews in this first series, with some of the most successful people in the country, from Olympic gold medallists to multi-millionaire OBEs.From revealing the name of the now-famous undercover cop Levi Roots claims set him up and landed him in prison, to sharing the story of how a beloved TV star accidentally stood us up, we want to bring you closer to the fun and madness of how we built a chart-topping podcast in just a few short months.Join me, Rich Leigh, and welcome one of my best friends and special guest (Ashley) Stokes, who’s supported me for as long as I’ve talked about creating this show. He’s listened to every episode, and having known me for 25+ years, brings a thoughtful balance and asks questions you might well have had while listening.We’re back with a Q&A episode mid-week, and will have a second bonus behind the scenes episode for you next week, covering the second half of our series one guests.If you’ve got any questions, you’ve got just a few days to ask them, before we record our final, final episode of this series. Email hello@startinglinepod.com, or message us on social media.Follow The Starting Line Podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startinglineshowTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/startinglineshoTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@startinglineshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startinglineshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You are NEVER too old to change your life" - and this final guest interview of the first series could just be the episode that changes yours.Those are the words of today's guest - the world record breaking Susie Chan, named “the number 1 runner to follow on Instagram” by Runners World and the Evening Standard.Peloton instructor Susie is an endurance runner, but she's unlike any other athlete I've ever met.She is a wonderful, joyful, exuberant personality to finish the series on, and proof that no matter what your starting line is or was, you can absolutely take control and change the direction of your life, at any age.Single mum Susie was in her mid-thirties. By her own admission, she was lost. Smoking, drinking, and without direction.Her brother convinced her to run a half marathon with him. And she got hooked.From there, her second race was a marathon. And from there? She found herself competing in the Marathon des Sables - a six-day, 250km endurance race in the searing heat of the Sahara Desert.She's since run the Marathon des Sables more times than any other UK female. She's broken the world record for the most miles run on a treadmill in 12 hours, and among other incredible achievements, she's forged a new career path for herself that she would never have dreamed possible.Follow Susie on Instagram here and Twitter here.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is with Charlie Mullins OBE, the founder of Pimlico Plumbing and the self-styled ‘most famous plumber in the world’.Charlie was born in 1952 in north London to a working class family. In his own words, they were very poor, and he remembers going to school with holes in his clothes. He began working from the age of 8 or 9, and that work ethic stuck. He started his company when he was still in his twenties, and sold it two years ago for £147m.He was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to business, and has been an advisor to a handful of prime ministers and governments.We talk about a lot of topics, including his upbringing, what kind of father and husband he thinks he was, his recent ban from Twitter - having, in his words, stepped over the line when speaking about London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and how that is likely to impact his own Mayoral ambitions, how he thinks he wouldn’t have said those things was he in better health at the time, the new business he’s creating that will rival Pimlico Plumbing - and how he doesn’t care that they’re upset about his new venture, and much, much more.Charlie says some things, both in this conversation and outside of it, which I don’t necessarily agree with. I think it’s important to be able to sit across a table and have conversations with people we might not always agree with, in good faith.I think all too often, in 2023, we are seemingly, collectively, almost foaming at the mouth in our want for people to be punished and cancelled. I think that’s a dangerous game to play, and a sure way to ensure that the question isn’t if something we’ve done or said comes back to bite us on the backside, but when. I’m sure there’s a phrase about throwing stones and glass houses that applies, and I would sooner have a conversation than maintain this polarisation. At the best, opinions shift. At the worst, opinions don’t change and each of you are only more staunch in your belief, which is no bad thing.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ultra-endurance athlete Sean Conway, born in Zimbabwe, has been the subject of documentaries aired on Discovery and Amazon Prime. He is the author of six books and a highly sought-after motivational speaker.Multiple world record holder Sean has:Cycled the length of Britain. Sailed the length of Britain. He’s swam the length of Britain. He’s cycled across Europe. He’s run the length of Britain. He’s cycled from London to the Alps. He completed a 4,200 mile long Ironman.Another time, he cycled around the world.And, in perhaps his biggest and most recent challenge yet - and I’ve not even listed half of them - Sean broke the world record for the most consecutive Ironman triathlons in a row. He did an Ironman every single day for 105 days.I contextualise this in the interview with some actual figures, but that means Sean swam 2.4 miles. And then, after that swim, he cycled 112 miles. And then, after that cycle, he ran a marathon.He did that every day, for 105 days. I visited Sean in the beautiful rural North Wales - by myself and without my usual production support! - where he lives with his wife Caroline and their two young children. We chatted about life, his accomplishments, his drive - and believe me, there aren’t many people with the single mindedness Sean has.Follow him on Instagram @seanconwayadventure and on Twitter @Conway_Sean. More about his successes, dreams and hiccups at seanconway.com.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- Content warning: suicide -For the first time this series, we're going to put a content warning. In this episode, we talk about suicide, grief and loss, and if that's not for you, that's entirely understandable.----------Suicide is the biggest cause of death of people under the age of 35. 4x the number of people die by suicide than in road accidents every year.In this episode, we speak to Mike McCarthy, the co-founder of the Baton Of Hope UK, the biggest suicide awareness and prevention initiative the UK's ever seen. ----------Mike lost his son Ross to suicide. Ross had left a farewell letter to Mike to campaign for better mental health support. He was 2 weeks into a 6 month waiting list for mental health support.After meeting with Steve Phillip, who also had lost his son Jordan to suicide, the pair came up with the idea of an Olympic-style relay tour that could create a national conversation.The ‘Baton of Hope’ started from Glasgow on the 25 June 2023, before finishing in London at 10 Downing Street, where Mike was presented with a Points of Light award by Health Minister Maria Caulfield MP. The award recognises outstanding individual volunteers, and prompted support from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, among many others.In this incredibly powerful, important episode, we discuss Mike's life as a journalist, the impact of losing Ross, the system as it stands, how and why Mike believes we need to work towards a zero suicide society - and much more.Follow the Baton of Hope on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After being crushed under a 1 TONNE (2200lbs) bale of hay, her Olympic dreams were shattered.But what Kelda Wood MBE has done since that life-changing accident is nothing short of incredible.From being the first adaptive rower to row the Atlantic - solo - to helping survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing and many others living with life changing injuries, illnesses or trauma with her charity Climbing Out, Kelda lives her life by her own personal mantra:“It’s not about saying ‘I can’t’… It’s about saying, ‘how can I?’”This is episode 8 of The Starting Line Podcast and we've been incredibly excited to bring this one to you all.Follow @kelda_wood on Instagram, and follow Climbing Out @climbingoutcharity on Instagram and on Facebook here.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Cage Warriors champion Christian Leroy Duncan is a 28 year old mixed martial artist from Gloucester, UK, with a pro record of 8-1-0. 7 of his wins have been stoppages, with six knockouts and one submission.Christian fights out of MMA pioneer Mark Weir's Range Martial Arts Academy, and made his UFC debut in March 2023, bringing his unique and flowing style to the middleweight division.In this wide-ranging interview recorded before jetting to Las Vegas for his second fight in the UFC we talk about everything, from the ins and outs of life as a professional fighter to what it was like to make his UFC debut in London, on the same card as fellow Brit Leon Edwards' welterweight title defence against Kamaru Usman. We discuss Christian's upbringing, who he looks up to in sport, how his background as a basketball player elevates his fighting ability, his big ambitions for the future, and how the loss of his best friend Joel Westcarr motivates him daily.Follow Christian on Instagram @christianleroyduncan.Listen to Fly Team, the entrance song we discuss that was recorded by Joel (Yung Montanna) just months before his death, teaming up with Gripper, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w-KxlLBxfc. About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming from a council estate in Wales to creating a multi-billion pound industry and two of the most famous brands in the UK, Hayley Parsons OBE is a one-of-a-kind entrepreneur.In this rare interview, Hayley talks about how she created Confused.com while working at Admiral, and how being overlooked for the CEO role was "the best thing that ever happened" to her, as it spurred her on to create GoCompare.Hayley went on to build and sell GoCompare for £100m, creating one of the most memorable characters in all of advertising in the process - Gio Compario - remarking "I wanted to create the most annoying ad possible!"Since selling, Hayley became the first woman to serve on Cardiff Rugby's board when she was appointed a non-executive director.She wrote a passionate and much-publicised letter to the Welsh Rugby Union, in which she highlighted "a long-standing and deep-rooted culture of toxicity and bullying", and called for change and for the CEO to step down. She said, "I believe the board, in its current state, does not possess the expertise and experience to run the WRU, which is essentially a £100m company."In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about a drunken visit to 10 Downing Street, obsession, curiosity and more.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who do Lord Sugar, Steven Bartlett and the Spice Girls have in common?The answer is Andrew Bloch, Mr Black Book himself.Public relations is all around us - every time you open a newspaper or social media platform, the fingerprints of PR are there, building and protecting reputations.Andrew is a PR expert. He started his career in the agency that inspired British comedy Absolutely Fabulous, and sold the agency he co-founded, Frank PR, for a life-changing sum, having worked with some of the biggest names and brands in the world.Having been Lord Sugar’s PR advisor for more than 20 years, Andrew was instrumental in the development of the BBC’s hit business show The Apprentice in the UK.He was also my boss for a short period of time, before I started my own PR agency, Radioactive PR.Follow Andrew on Instagram and Twitter.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fourth episode of The Starting Line podcast, with undefeated professional boxer Shabir Haidary.Shabir fled Afghanistan aged just 12, finding himself in Gloucester in the UK after a harrowing journey in which he admits he thought he’d die numerous times, having witnessed things ‘no child should’, both in Afghanistan and on his long and terrifying journey.At 14, Shabir found boxing, and he hasn’t looked back since. Having won each of his first five professional fights, and with his sixth fight looming, he has his eyes set firmly on a world title.Shabir arrived in the UK not knowing a word of English - or even being able to read or write in his first language - yet he has recently finished a degree, and been granted British citizenship.Follow Shabir on Instagram and Facebook.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional.At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The third episode of The Starting Line podcast, with the inspirational James Cracknell OBE.Two-time Olympic gold medal winner. Six time world champion. Junior world champion.Add the extensive and impressive list of feats since his Olympic rowing days, which includes rowing the Atlantic with Ben Fogle, finishing as the fastest ever Brit at the time of competing in the gruelling 350km Marathon des Sables and winning The Boat Race for Cambridge as the oldest man to ever compete, and James is undoubtedly one of the most incredible athletes Britain’s ever produced.James was in a coma for 12 days following a near-fatal and life-changing accident in 2010, when he was hit by a fuel truck driving at 65mph. His road to recovery has been long and continues even today.Listen to find out more about this one-of-a-kind man.Follow James on Instagram and Twitter.About The Starting Line PodcastFrom a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional. At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children. Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second episode of The Starting Line podcast, with the brilliant Marnie Swindells, winner of the most recent series of the BBC’s flagship business show, The Apprentice, and the founder of boxing gym business Bronx LDN.Join us as we go behind the scenes on the show, discuss Marnie’s early life, her challenges, her ambitions, her motivations and more.The Apprentice averages 7 million viewers per episode - meaning one in every six adults in the UK will have watched Marnie secure Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment back in March 2023.Follow Marnie on Instagram and Twitter.Follow The Starting Line on:InstagramTwitterTikTokFacebook= About The Starting Line =From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional. At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children. Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The one, the only, Mr Levi Roots.Listen as we talk about Levi's journey, from the boy that couldn't read or write to becoming one of the most recognisable names in the UK. Levi's story is as winding as it is inspiring - and I promise you, you don't know the half of it.= About The Starting Line =From a turbulent childhood marred by domestic violence, addiction and crime to being named the #1 most influential PR person, my journey has been anything but conventional. At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house, determined to rewrite my story and break the cycle so many understandably struggle to.By 30, I was a successful agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities, building, shaping and protecting reputations, using my influence to raise more than a million pounds for sick children. Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful interviews with entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and more. Together, we explore the themes of curiosity, resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of success, proving that your starting line doesn't define your potential.Join me every Monday as we discuss life's challenges with positivity, perseverance and a touch of silliness.Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at startinglinepod.com and follow us @startinglineshow on social platforms. Email hello@startinglinepod.com - with guest suggestions or just to say hello. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.