Wake Up with Chris Donnelly

A few years ago, I was just like many of you, figuring out the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, facing setbacks, and chasing breakthroughs. By 25, I had built and sold a leading digital marketing agency. By 30, I was co-founding Lottie, a health tech company transforming care solutions, and growing into one of the UK’s fastest-rising business creators. But along the way, I noticed something: the world is changing, yet most of us are still stuck playing by outdated rules. That’s why I launched Wake Up, a podcast for people who are ready to rewrite the playbook. It’s not just about hearing incredible stories, it’s about taking those stories and turning them into real, actionable steps. Each week, I sit down with some of the most inspiring leaders, creators, and innovators to uncover their strategies, struggles, and unfiltered truths. Wake Up isn’t here to inspire you for a moment, it’s here to empower you for a lifetime. Together, we’ll rethink the way we work, lead, and succeed in a world that demands new ideas. Thank you for joining the movement. Let’s wake up to what’s possible and create something extraordinary.

1: Ben Askins Reveals the Worst Bad Boss Stories, Job Interview Red Flags & How To Ask For A Pay Rise!

Could understanding the workplace dynamics of toxic bosses, red flags in interviews, and the art of negotiating pay raises finally unlock the secret to thriving in modern careers? In this episode of Wake Up, Chris Donnelly is joined by Ben Askins, entrepreneur, content creator, and voice for the underappreciated employee. Known for tackling issues like quiet quitting, toxic workplaces, and leadership challenges, Ben shares insights that will resonate whether you’re an employee navigating a tricky job or a business owner trying to build a team people love to work with. Episode Chapter:  0:00 Introduction 1:11 Are We Working Too Little? 6:00 Should Everyone Have a Side Hustle? 10:00 Job Interview Red Flags 15:20 Ben’s Content 19:00 When to Quit Your Job 21:00 Worst Boss Stories 29:00 Is Gen Z Lazy? 38:30 Is University Still Worth It? 43:00 The Rise of Quiet Quitting 48:00 The Dark Side of Flexible Working 53:00 Biggest Interview Red Flags 1:02:00 Why Side Hustles Are the Future 1:06:00 How To Ask For A PAY RISE!  1:08:00 The Worst Company Perks 1:11:00 UK’s Business Challenges 1:17:00 The UK’s Water Crisis  Follow Chris: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdonnellyofficial/?hl=en-gb  Follow Ben: https://www.instagram.com/benaskins.official/?hl=en-gb

12-11
01:23:45

2: Lara Acosta On Becoming a Millionaire at 26, Going VIRAL and Why Work-Life Balance Is A SCAM!

In this episode of Wake Up, Chris Donnelly is joined by Lara Acosta entrepreneur, LinkedIn expert, and millionaire by 26. Known for challenging societal norms around work-life balance and inspiring a new generation of professionals, Lara shares unfiltered insights on mental health struggles, the power of personal branding, and scaling success on LinkedIn. Whether you’re looking for a job, building a business, building your personal brand, or just looking to rethink your approach to success, this episode is packed with actionable advice you can’t miss. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 1:00 - Lara’s upbringing 5:00 - Lara’s mental health struggles 7:40 - 10X event 11:50 - Are degrees a waste of time?  22:00 - Are Gen Z lazy? 26:00 - Gen Z try too hard 30:00 - Work-life balance 37:00 - First experience of entrepreneurship 47:00 - Best skill for entrepreneurs 57:00 - How to deal with comparisons 1:01:00 - How Lara first went viral on LinkedIn 1:07:00 - The power of LinkedIn 1:16:00 - Biggest inspiration 1:21:00 - Biggest wake-up call 1:26:00 - How rejection pushed Lara 1:33:00 - How to get over imposter syndrome 1:38:00 - How to win on LinkedIn 1:49:00 - Lara’s first digital product 1:52:00 - How to get Lara’s attention 1:55:00 - Why Lara started a cohort 2:01:00 - Lara’s cohort 2:07:00 - Someone stole Lara’s cohort Follow Chris: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdonnellyofficial/?hl=en-gb  Follow Lara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laraacostar/ https://motionarray.com/royalty-free-music/deeper-than-stars-2886191/ 1d29c99e97cc7be4fee5bbc22cf59b4509cbd09b67577712bff9815d53b05370:132049427

12-19
02:18:08

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