Ten Words

"**Scenes that can only be performed, they can't be read**".   Aaron Sorkin was the inspiration behind this podcast. And his stories have influenced my life over the last twenty years. So in this extended edition, I look behind the scenes at the five scenes which Aaron Sorkin says he is most proud of writing. And for good measure, I add in two scenes which have heavily influenced my life.   I look at Moneyball, as the underdog movie which inspires us all the think differently in order to challenge the status quo. And off the back of a recent Extinction Rebellion interview where the co-founder of the movement made sensational (un-true) claims about climate change, I also take a look at the one and only time Aaron Sorkin decided to address the climate crisis. And no, it's not as dull as it sounds I promise!!   LINKS The News Room v Climate Change - Fact checking the script How can a climate debate be good TV (Marti Noxon) Aaron Sorkin's screenwriting tips How to win a presidential debate according to Aaron So

"The story doesn't really begin until you've introduced the intention".   He wrote some of the greatest shows that have ever been aired on TV, he has the highest grossing American play in history and he got nominated for an Oscar for his first play, which he wrote on the back of cocktail napkins while he was working in a bar.   He's Aaron Sorkin, and this show features some of his best advice, my favourite scenes and a look behind the scenes at his biggest triumphs and his deepest challenges.     LINKS Behind the scenes with Aaron Sorkin Sorkinism's The Newsroom - Full opening scene [8 mins] Every "What's Next?" in The West Wing Biography of Aaron Sorkin Aaron Sorkin (Wikipedia) The Social Network Aaron Sorkin Interview The Social Network links & credits Aaron Sorkin's top screen writing tips Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screen Writing (Masterclass.com) How To Win A Debate by Aaron Sorkin Newsroom - Critics Review  

"Nothing stays the same and it can't remain the same".   He's been in broadcasting for over 65 years and is regarded by his friends as a 93-year old trapped in a teenagers body. He's the only presenter to win a BAFTA for shows in black and white, colour, HD, 3D and 4K. This episode is devoted to the man who taught us all about the natural world and how we need to take more care of this fragile blue marble that we find ourselves on.   In this extended special edition, I look behind the scenes at what makes him a great presenter and what he thinks are the secrets to his success.   Sir David Attenborough Bio President Obama + Sir David Attenborough Natural History Mastercalss with Sandi Toksvig at BAFTA My favourite Attenborough quotes Brian Cox & David Attenborough on Charles Darwin A tribute to Sir David Attenborough's career Sir David's appearance on Desert Island Discs Jeremy.Earth: "Good Humans, Technology & Climate Change"   My Extinction Rebellion Photos

"Enjoy the journey of life and not just the end game".   He's played a dragon, a sorcerer, a detective, a whistleblower, a coding breaker and an inter-galactic evil genius - and in his first ever stage performance in the nativity as Joseph on at primary school, he pushed Mary off stage because she was taking too long.   So what makes Benedict Cumberbatch tick? What inspires him? And what creative skills can we learn from the characters he's played? This episode looks into all this and more.   SHOW NOTES Benedict Cumberbatch [WIKIPEDIA] 20 Facts about Benedict 52 Things you never knew about Benedict Follow @LettersLive on Twitter Sol Lewitt's letter to Eva Hesse Benedict Cumberbatch at LettersLive [YOUTUBE] Background on the Sol LeWitt letter [Brainpickings] Benedict on acting & inspiration [BLOG] Benedict on pissing off Julian Assange [YOUTUBE] Playing Van Gogh in BBC's Painting with Words Benedict's Top 10 Rules for Success [YOUTUBE] "If I had more time I would have written you a shorter letter" [QUOTE

"Take the things that you love and build on them."   What does Academy award-winning DJ and producer Mark Ronson have in common with marketing hustler Gary Vaynerchuk? Both of them believe that the future belongs to the DJ's.    "Life is not about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself". Bob Dylan   In this episode I take a look at inspirational advice from Mark Ronson about how you can write yourself into the story of something (or someone) you love, and contrast it with practical advice from Gary Vaynerchuk about how exactly you and I can do that. Featuring "cameos" from Bob Dylan and David Bowie, this show is for anyone to wants to re-create their own story by curating someone else's.   Mark Ronson's TED Talk Everything is a Re-Mix (Brilliant short documentary by Kirby Ferguson) Gary Vaynerchuk - "It takes 2 cents to grow a wine show" Vaynerchuk Keynote at Web 2.0 Expo NY (2008)  

"You can change the world just by sharing your story".   This episode marks a watershed moment for me as I take a new career path, inspired in part by many of the conversations we've had on this podcast. In this episode, I look back at a few of my favourite quotes, and look at the ten words (and the three words!) which have changed my life.   If you are looking to embark on a new career path which feels "more you", take on a new challenge which feels or shift your focus creatively, then this might be the episode for you. It's one of the few times I talk about myself a little, bit I assure you there's no ego here - just lots of good advice to help you find your voice and tell your own story a little better.  

"There is no 'I' in team (but there is a 'Me')".   Before Sir David Brailsford took over as performance director for Team GB cycling, they had won 1 gold in 76 years. At the Beijing Olympics they won 8 gold medals with a further 17 at the paralympic games and 59 world championships over the next decade.   What exactly did Sir Dave do? And what can we learn from his performance philosophies? It's not everyone, but in this episode we did into the "Kaizen" of marginal gains - the 1% rule - and look at ways which we might be able to improve the performance of ourselves and the team around us. 

"It's really important to remind ourselves that impossible things happen".     He's flown further and faster than almost any other human. Astronaut Chris Hadfield was the commander of the International Space Station, has travelled 62M miles, is the US Navy AND Air Force's all-time top test pilot and has orbited earth 2336 times. What Chris Hadfield has to teach us about communicating your mission, explaining things simply and learning things REALLY fast is well worth listening to. Fasten your seatbelt!   Chris Hadfield's keynote show reel [VIMEO] The Presentation Secrets of Chris Hadfield [LINKEDIN] Chris Hadfield on NotebooksandBourbon [INSTAGRAM] Chris Hadfield's Masterclass What I Learned From Going Blind in Space [TED] 13 Moments That Changed My Life [YOUTUBE] Space Oddity by CH for Bowie

"We can't save the world by playing by the rules".   In August last year, hardly anyone knew who Greta Thunberg was. A few months later, she's inspiring millions of people to campaign governments around climate change and has been nominated for a Nobel prize. What did Greta do to become so influential in such a short period of time? And what can we learn from the way that she did it? Let's take a look...    SHOW NOTES Greta's story [WIKIPEDIA] How to analyse one of your talks with IBM Watson Nominated for a Nobel Prize Greta's TEDxStockholm Talk [11 mins] @TEDxStockholm on twitter with no idea what's about to happen Per Espen Stoknes on 'Apocalypse Fatigue' Follow Greta on Twitter Photos and placards from the #FridaysForFuture march Kairos - "A supreme moment which one must act..."

"You can change the world just by sharing your story".   In 1997 Steve Jobs took back the reigns of Apple when the company he founded was just three months away from bankruptcy. Fourteen years later Apple become the world's largest brand and went on to become the first trillion dollar company. Beyond the hype, the myths and the cliches, what was it that sparked this legendary turnaround? In this episode, I look behind the scenes of the Think Different campaign to look for answers.     SHOW NOTES Think Different Campaign Crazy Ones (Read by Steve Jobs) Crazy Ones (Original Version) Steve Jobs (private marketing strategy session) Think Simple & Insanely Simple by Ken Segall (books) The story behind the 'Think Different' campaign   The Crazy Ones (Unpublished version) Here’s to those who have always seen things differently. The ones who follow a vision, not a path. Where others percieve first as valuable,  you value the first thing that actually matters.  While others are distracted by the new,  you fo

"I'm a dreamer, don't tell me not to dream..."   Martin Garrix went from his bedroom to playing in front of 100,000 people in less than two years. At just 22, he is already the world's #1 DJ for 3 years running, but his unprecedented rise to success has not pleased everyone. So what is the secret to his success and what can we learn from it? Perhaps the future really does belong to the DJ's...   SHOW NOTES Martin Garrix YouTube channel (featuring the Martin Garrix Show) Martin Garrix & Mike Yung "Dreamer" by Martin Garrix featuring Mike Yung The story behind "Dreamer" This Was Tomorrow [Documentary] What We Started [Documentary] Armin Van Buuren Teaches Dance Music [Masterclass] Deadmau5 Teaches Electronic Music Production [Masterclass] ANIME (Martin Garrix set at ADE 2018) Everything is a Remix by Kirby Ferguson Do what you can with what you have (Tony Robbins on Ten Words) Taylor Swift on fighting negativity and beating the odds (Ten Words)   My 'beautiful mind' style notes from my Rome keynote (a

"Laws of work: Show up. Shut up. Do your job".   David Mamet is a Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright, screenwriter and director known for such works as 'American Buffalo,' 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' 'The Untouchables' and 'Phil Spector.' His trademark rapid-fire dialogue are studded with obscenities and explore the power relationships and corporate corruption.   There is only really one rule of drama - "Don't be boring".   He is one of the most prolific storytellers of modern times. In this special episode on Ten Words I look behind the scenes of his most famous script, what motivates him to write, why are writers like beavers and why is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu the secret to his success?   David Mamet's Masterclass on dramatic writing

"It's only with the heart that one can see rightly".   Antoine de Saint-Exupéry accidentally wrote one of the best selling books of all time. Since publishing "Le Petit Prince" in 1943 it has achieved almost mythical status having been translated into over 200 languages and has been voted the greatest book of the 20th century. It continues to sell almost 2 million copies everyday, but at the time Saint-Exupéry wasn't even sure anyone would like it. Leaving the finished manuscript with a friend before he went off to war he said, "I'd like to give you something splendid, but this is all I have".   In this episode of Ten Words, I look behind the scenes and what inspired this gorgeously eccentric and reluctant author-adventurer-artist-aviator to write. And what lessons we can learn from his relentless pursuit of creativity?   It's one of my favourite books of all-time, so much so that I even wear a bracelet everyday embossed with the Little Prince's star! I hope you enjoy hearing a little bit about Saint-Exupéry

"What's your motivation? What's great? What's missing? What's preventing this?"   He's one of the top business coaches in the world worth over $6Bn who left an abusive home, to work as a janitor on $40 a week. What was the one thing which changed his life, and what can we learn from the way that he communicates to over 200,000 people every year?   In this episode I try to steer clear on the self-help bumper sticker quotes, and look more deeply at what drives the most successful people (including how they break up each day into 100 x 10 minute chunks). Digging back into the 20 years that I have followed Tony, and sharing some of my experiences from working alongside him in 2015, whatever your opinions are of Tony Robbins, I think there's something in here for you. Because one thing's for sure - he's NOT (just) a motivational speaker...   Show Notes Tony Robbins facts and here Follow Tony on Twitter Watch 'I Am Not Your Guru' on Netflix 10 minute morning ritual 

"You can change the world just by sharing your story".   What started out as a bit of fun earlier this year has taken on a life of its own. Around 20,000 people now listen to the Ten Words podcast each week, to look behind the scenes and who said what and why.   So in this episode, I review the story so far and pick my highlights from the first 20 episodes, featuring poets, pastors, strippers, celebrities, politicians, scientists and storytellers. I hope you enjoy it.   Thank you SO much for joining me on the journey so far. I can't wait to see where we go next!   Ep. 1 PILOT ~ "You can change the world just by telling your story". Ep. 2 BARACK OBAMA ~ "Fired Up? Ready to go". x2 Ep. 3 VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ~ "Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality not quantity". Ep. 4 CEDRIC VILLANI ~ "To achieve good results work all night and eat soup". Ep. 5 ELLEN ~ "It's failure that gives you the proper perspective on success". Ep. 6 GARRY KASPAROV ~ "A good human plus a machine is the best combination". Ep. 7 J.K.

"God, let it be with me just as you say".   He's a poet, pastor, preacher, philosopher and storyteller. He's the author of 40 books but is best known for The Message. A translation of the bible which took him over 20 years to write and has sold over 17M copies, making him one of the most important (yet largely unknown) authors of our generation.   In this feature length episode (part podcast / part audio book!) I celebrate Eugene's 85 years on this planet and explore the simplicity of his words, and how he re-wrote such an epic book by re-mixing it into a language that everyone can understand. Including me.   I'll never forget being at a U2 gig in 2001 just before 9/11 when Bono recited Psalm 116 from the Message at a key part of the Elevation Tour show. The entire atmosphere in the arena seemed to change instantly. This shared experience seemed to connect everyone but at the time, I, like almost everyone else, had no idea what was going on. Or what he actually said. So I set off on a mission to find out. Se

"I don’t practice. Practice is for beginners. I rehearse".   Yuja Wang is regarded among classical music aficionados as being one of the most important artists of our generation. So wide is her appeal and influence on artists of all genres that Red Bull even sponsored her for a documentary about the art of performance. A child prodigy from the age of 6, Beijing born Yuja has risen to the top of the classical music industry to become one of the world's most famous concert pianists.    But despite her prolific talent, many people don't see past the short dresses that she chooses to wear to perform. So what is it that makes her tick? Did she deliberately construct a "brand" in order to stand out, and what advice could she give to us as performers? Let's find out...    SHOW LINKS Yuja Wang bio Yuja Wang Dresses Up Chopin (Red Bull Media House) Yuja Wang - Variations on the Turkish March (Odeonsplatz) Yuja Wang plays the Flight of the Bumble-Bee (Vol du Bourdon) "More than just a red dress". The OCR article Th

"Life is a grand adventure, so keep writing and reading".   His films have grossed over $9Bn, he has won two Academy Awards and is regularly referred to as "the nicest man in Hollywood". In this exciting episode of the Ten Words podcast I look beyond Tom's filmography and focus on how he approaches the creative process of reading, writing and film making.   What I discovered were some amazing pieces of advice that I think we can all apply into our personal and professional lives, regardless of how creative we feel we are. This was a LOT of fun to record. I hope you enjoy it.   SHOW NOTES California Typewriter: The Movie Tom Hanks Bio Tom's Box Office Figures I. AM. TOM. (New York times article on Typewriters) The Typewriter Manifesto Tom Hank's 10 Rules for Success (Evan Carmichael) How to Analyse a Speech

"Connection is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives".   Brené Brown is a Texan researcher storyteller, and she is one of the most reluctant public speakers you will come across. Ironic considering that she's now a global phenomenon around the topic of vulnerability, the author of several New York Times best selling books and the star of one of the most watched TED talks of all time.   In this episode I look behind the scenes at what made her talk such a huge success, and I get completely caught up with the work which she feels compelled to share with the world. It's a heavy topic and a tricky one to navigate in such a short talk, but Brené manages to make the audience laugh 22 times in just 19 minutes! When they say that the best way to make an audience remember is to make them laugh, it is no wonder this became one of the most watched TED talks of all time.   Whether you are interested in "The Power of Vulnerability", want to become a better public speaker yourself, or maybe (like me) you just adore

"There's no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing".   This is not just the story of how I fell in love with a 'brand' in 3 minutes, but a tale of passion, purpose, love, loss, tragedy and adventure. In this special episode I dig deep into the archives to discover the real story behind Thomas Burberry in an effort to try and understand what made him tick.   What I discovered was not what I expected. A far cry from the $5Bn luxury fashion house you see today, Burberry not only had very humble beginnings, but it was built upon an invention that was discovered by accident in a farmers field. That innovation made it possible for explorers, pioneers and adventurers to go further and higher than anyone else had ever gone.   If you are interested in fashion, the process of innovation, branding, entrepreneurship or just good old fashioned storytelling, this episode might be just what you've been looking for.   LINKS Tale of Thomas Burberry Thomas Burberry (Wikipedia) Britt Warner Burberry (Interbrand) Burberry