About This Storm

About About This Storm

About This Storm

Publisher

Primate

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

11 May 2023

Latest episode

2 May 2024

Latest episodes

17 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 May 2024

   Episode 15. Mike Lever

   The banking crash of 2007/8 was the most severe global financial crisis since the Great Depression, but what was it like to be on the inside of it? Mike Lever was there. Sitting around war tables, trying to rebuild a bank - Northern Rock - that was on its knees. At the same time, Mike and his wife were living with repeated rounds of failed IVF, and whilst taking a shower one Saturday ended with Mike in intensive care having had a massive brain haemorrhage. What happens when you wake up in intensive care and just how does a brain haemorrhage change you? Can you live well after such a life changing brain injury? And what is Neuroeconomics? You’re going to love this sarcastic, funny, but powerful conversation with Mike, Sales Performance Expert, Speaker and Children’s Author. Enjoy! You can Subscribe to Mike’s newsletter, “Your Brain Sells” on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7103087169040171008) Or follow him on the platorm instead  (https://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicdirector/)

2. 

   26 Apr 2024

   Episode 14. Lee Fitzpatrick

   Lee Fitzpatrick started his first company aged 17, but by 23 his award winning business was insolvent, and he was on the hook for £100k. That kicked off an amazing entrepreneurial journey that has seen Lee start and run a property company, protein bar brand, gym, digital agency and now a hugely successful regenerative strategy and marketing company. This conversation is deep, thoughtful and enlightening. We cover the way your emotions get bundled up with your financial health, whether or not  your identity should be tied to your business, mental health, parenthood, and the need for Zebra’s not Unicorns. Lee, is wonderfully honest, humble but wise. Enjoy! Learn more about Lee  (https://www.leefitzpatrick.co.uk/) If you're interested in working with Zebra, drop them a line  (https://zebragrowth.com/) Or connect with Lee over on Linkedin  (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-fitzpatrick-7816a039/)

3. 

   19 Apr 2024

   Episode 13. Barry Fearn

   Abandoning ideas of journalism and uni, Barry Fearn started work at 16 in the .com Boom. He was lucky enough to be given opportunities in almost every business department before a move into Digital Marketing and Media proved to be his calling. Barry has run Media and Marketing agencies up and down the UK ever since, and has been the Managing Director of internationally award winning Lane Media, for over 8 years. We have a brilliant chat about how Barry’s experiences have shaped his approach to business and appetite for risk, the perspective his wife - an NHS nurse - gives him when he’s stressed about work, his passion for football and coaching kids as they start out in the sport. Enjoy! Find out more about the Lane (https://www.thelaneagency.com/) Or connect with Barry over on Linkedin  (https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryfearn/)

4. 

   12 Apr 2024

   Episode 12. Donnie Maclean

   Donnie Maclean is pathologically tenacious, he will literally never give up. Whether that's in an endurance race, hitting 7kms on a space hopper, or the dogged pursuit to make his food business - Eat Balanced - successful. Donnie's business journey has been a true rollercoaster, from winning his first contract and securing an exceptional manufacturing partner, to losing his house as the business struggled. In our conversation we explore the challenges of building a million pound food business and the challenges of our food industry. We also discuss how the loss of his best friend changed his life, mental health, endurance challenges, and how to get more oxygen into your lungs - I should probably mention he’s also a qualified breathwork coach. Enjoy! Check out Eat Balanced (https://www.eatbalanced.com/) Learn more about Breath Work (https://breathingschool.co.uk/)

5. 

   25 Mar 2024

   Episode 11. Justine Mitchell

   Justine Mitchell has been a successful lawyer, property developer and spa founder, she co-owned Dundee United Football Club, and is now an in-demand business consultant. But her successful career and family life became headline news when her husband was killed in a motorbike accident, three days before her dad died of Cancer. Justine is incredibly honest and open in this powerful conversation, it’s a wild story. We discuss grief, finding your feet, rebuilding, stepping away, jumping into different business sectors and finding love mid-pandemic!  I’m so pleased Justine agreed to sit down and chat - this is one not to be missed. Hit play. Find out more about Quirky Chocolate  (https://quirkychocolate.com/) Want to join WeDo Scotland? Check them out!  (https://www.wedoscotland.com) You can learn more about Justine on her Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justineeamitchell/) page.

6. 

   13 Mar 2024

   Episode 10. Thor Holt

   Thor Holt is a Performance Coach, Non Exec Director and Podcast Host. When I ask him to define success he replies “Having a laugh. Because life is too short not to have a laugh with your clients.” Humour is one of the bedrocks in life for Thor, who has also been known to tread the boards of a comedy club or two. Wow, does this conversation cover a lot of topics - plant medicine, the tenets of coaching, speaking with courage - also the name of his podcast (formerly the Hippie Hut) - Thor’s upbringing on Shetland and the Tarlov Cyst on his spine which doesn’t return anything nice when you give it a Google. This chat is full of intelligence, thought provoking approaches to life, and naturally, a lot of laughter. Enjoy! (https://open.spotify.com/show/5627gIuO5RgEdhXDuAFJkF?si=0d28b8a0dc494af7) You can find Thor's Podcast, Speaking With Courage on Spoify  (https://open.spotify.com/show/5627gIuO5RgEdhXDuAFJkF?si=0d28b8a0dc494af7) If you're interested in working with Thor, he invites you to connect on Linkedin. (http://linkedin.com/in/thorholt)

7. 

   7 Mar 2024

   Episode 9. Richard Simpson

   Richard Simpson has been at Tayburn - the renowned powerhouse of a brand and design agency - for over 15 years. In that time he’s ascended from Head of Business Development to co-owner and Managing Director, in a journey of major ups and downs. Our conversation is pretty awesome, we cover wild challenges, huge wins and the time he came exceptionally close to quitting. The ways he has achieved consistency in life and business are really interesting. We also chat about mindset and the importance your beliefs have in your success - or failures. Ever heard of hemi-sync meditation? Nope me neither! But if you fancy it, grab this free meditation to try! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmtkmJ_cAIs) Check out Tayburn's latest work (https://www.tayburn.co.uk/) If you fancy reading the artists way - grab a copy here. (https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-artists-way/julia-cameron/9781788164290)

8. 

   1 Mar 2024

   Episode 8. Kaye Moors

   Let’s be honest, covid, lockdowns, 2020 was not a brilliant year and the first six months were no different for Kaye Moors, Managing Director of Drum. After months of home schooling the summer holidays couldn’t have come soon enough, but two days in Kaye had a massive brain hemorrhage, which would eventually lead to a second, months in hospital and years of rehab. How do you rebuild your business after that, is it even possible? What was it really like living inside a locked hospital during a global pandemic? As a result of the two brain hemorrhages, and a 19 hour brain surgery, Kaye’s left handside is paralysed and she has trigeminal neuralgia - also known as "the suicide disease” because of the intense pain it causes. Kaye’s story is remarkable. She continues to run Drum as MD, having made specific adjustments to let her continue which she explains in our conversation. Kaye is also an award nominated disability campaigner and digital inclusivity champion. You can find out all about Kaye's activism by following her on Linkedin. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaye-moors-02bb203/) And learn more about the work that Drum do by checking out their website. (https://wearedrum.com/)

9. 

   1 Mar 2024

   Season 2. Trailer

   Welcome to Season 2 of About This Storm! I am delighted to welcome another amazing selection of guests, everyone a business owner, leader, or founder, each with their own challenging story. Everyone is once again, incredibly honest, sharing their lived wisdom and bags of positivity - despite everything they've been through. Enjoy!

10. 

    27 Jun 2023

    Ep 7. David Johnstone

    David didn’t found the first agency he started running, and in his own words, he inherited quite the mess. But if failure breeds success he’s the proof. He’s just completed a successful M&A and grown his agency - After Digita (https://www.afterdigital.co.uk/)l - to run with a recurring revenue rate of 70%. We had such a load of fun recording this conversation because David is as funny as he is eloquent about all things business. We cover a lot of topics in this episode, including the risks and successes of niching into a sector, international growth, creating a people-first culture, the loss of a co-Director, mental health, and office dog Noodle the Golden Doodle! Jump onto the website to learn more about After Digital (https://www.afterdigital.co.uk/) Read all about the merger between Peppered and After Digital (https://www.afterdigital.co.uk/insights-and-updates/peppered-and-after-digital-merge), announced just after we recorded this episode back in April.

11. 

    20 Jun 2023

    Ep 6. Kelly Molson

    Kelly Molson and I would almost certainly be best mates if we didn't live 500+ miles apart. I’ve not met someone I’ve clicked and resonated with so quickly, in a very long time. Kelly is the Founder of Rubber Cheese (https://www.rubbercheese.com/), a celebrated Digital Agency based in Cambridge, Director of Ava Lily Property, the author of Design Led: Interior secrets of Designers and Developers Ebook (https://avalilyproperty.com/ebook/) and also runs a wildly successful podcast called Skip the Queue (https://www.skipthequeue.fm/episodes). We met at an event over 3 years ago, when she delivered one of the most profound, honest and raw talks I’ve ever listened to. She stood up and spoke about leadership and reccurent baby loss, and the ways you can keep on going, whilst experiencing the absolute worst. This is one of my favourite ever episodes because Kelly has this infectious energy. Despite covering some tough topics, she's funny, wise, extremely open, and offers a load of important takeaways - about leading, about self-care, about having a good plan B. If you’re impacted by anything we discuss today, Kelly was supported by Petals (https://petalscharity.org/)and has shared her story with them, to help other people. (https://petalscharity.org/project/kelly/) The Twins Trust Bereavement Service (https://twinstrust.org/bereavement.html)(Formally TAMBA) were also highly supportive and recommended by Kelly, if you’re in a similar position. Why not grab a copy of Design Led: Interior secrets of Designers and Developers Ebook (https://avalilyproperty.com/ebook/), a collection of advice, tips and real life stories from the country's best interior designers and developers. If you have a passion for interiors, are looking to improve your design skills or are a property developer that wants to design better homes for people, then this is the book for you. And even better, this ebook is available to purchase as a donation with all the money going to Petals Charity. 100% of the donation will go to Petals Charity, a specialist provider of counselling for parents after baby loss, a life changing charity who’ve supported Kelly and her husband Lee, many times.

12. 

    13 Jun 2023

    Ep 5. Eleanor Tucker

    Eleanor Tucker is author of Thanks for Sharing: How I Gave Up Buying and Embraced Borrowing, Swapping and Renting (https://geni.us/ThanksforSharing), on the advisory board of the CBI Sharing Economy council (https://www.sharingeconomyuk.com/) and a consultant specialising in sharing economy businesses (http://www.eleanortucker.co.uk/). We met back in 2019 when Primate (https://www.primate.co.uk) was hunting for a like-minded agency to share our office space, we connected and have known one another ever since. However, it wasn’t until well after Lockdown that I heard about Elle’s terrifying start to 2020. She’s not shared this story widely, in truth even I didn’t know it all until this chat, and I feel very privileged that she chose to share it with me on the pod. This chat is a stark reminder that we should all know the signs and symptoms of Sepsis (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sepsis/), know what it actually is, and to trust your gut if someone you know seems unusually unwell. Elle - given she's having this chat! - survived and the experience spurred her on to write her wildly successful book! You’re going to want to read her incredibly enlightening and very funny book - Thanks for Sharing: How I Gave Up Buying and Embraced Borrowing, Swapping and Renting (https://geni.us/ThanksforSharing). If you've been affected by Sepsis, the Sepsis Trust UK (https://sepsistrust.org/) are here to help. They educate, support survivors, improve public awareness and save lives.

13. 

    5 Jun 2023

    Ep 4. Ryan O'Keeffe

    Ryan is the founder of Jago (https://wearejago.com/), and we connected during Covid Lockdown no 1, back when we were all trapped at home. He’s been in business a long time, but 4 years ago he pivoted into personal branding and Jago is now the world’s only B-Corp certified personal branding agency! However, he’s had huge life challenges to scale whilst growing the business. Even I didn’t know quite the extent of Ryan’s terrifying ordeal with his two oldest children. His little girl Grace had such an impact on this world, that her Consultant quit his job after saving her life! It’s an incredible, terrifying, yet life affirming story. Ryan discusses this ‘slap around the face’ moment, changing his business, how you switch direction and make it successful. He also describes becoming a B-Corp and all that incorporates. Why not grab a copy of Dr Charles Godden’s book (https://amzn.eu/d/cb42gtS,) and learn more about Grace’s story. Read Ryan’s latest Forbes article (https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2022/12/19/how-to-build-an-authentic-personal-brand-with-purpose/) for more on building an authentic personal brand - Ready to explore personal branding properly? Contact Jago (https://wearejago.com/)

14. 

    30 May 2023

    Ep 3. Ian McAteer

    For someone who never wanted to run an agency, Ian McAteer has made quite the career out of it as Founder and Chairman of The Union, Scotland’s longest running independent creative agency. Creeping close to their 30th birthday, The Union have watched and traversed an incredible change in the industry and technology, they’ve layered new services into the business, grown, challenged the market, and currently employ 85 staff. They’ve weathered recessions, crises, the loss of a Director and more. Despite this, Ian says he doesn’t feel the business is successful - sound strange? I thought so too! But his insight into why, and the way this mindset drives him as a Chairman is enlightening. We cover all sorts of challenges, and that one time he was nearly arrested at the office… Why not learn more about The Union (https://union.co.uk/)and each of its different arms. Read more about Ian's thoughts on winning and losing, or (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/riding-high-april-shot-down-may-ian-mcateer/)about the granny and her £20k that saved the business! (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/onion-how-almost-ended-tears-ian-mcateer/) A celebration of the life of Simon, Ian's co-founder. (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/simon-scott-ian-mcateer/) The obituary for Kyle Hardie (https://www.union.co.uk/our-news/kyle-hardie/), the Union's MD.

15. 

    23 May 2023

    Ep 2. Jane Strachan

    After buying out her co-founder in 2020, Jane was successfully running a business independently, continuing to collect fantastic clients, deliver brilliant work and helping the agency punch way above its weight. Until, in November 2021, Jane fainted at home and then found herself taking big decisions about her future, and that of Punk. In this episode we discuss mental and physical health, cancer, leadership, fear, healing and more. Jane Strachan is Founder of Punk, a boutique creative agency based in Edinburgh. They've worked with clients like Whyte and Mackay, Dying with Dignity, Edinburgh Gin and Deans. Jane has been supported by The Brain Tumour Charity (https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/) As a thank you for all their help, Jane's brother is running the Great North Run on 10th September this year, all donations are very welcome! (https://tinyurl.com/8vbw8a6x) If you're interested in learning more about Bright Signals, jump onto their website and drop them a note. (https://brightsignals.co.uk/)

16. 

    16 May 2023

    Ep 1. Gordon McLachlan

    This is the very first episode of About This Storm, and it's the context episode. On this pod I welcome my co-Managing Partner Gordon McLachlan, he is one of the original Founders of Primate and a good friend. You should know we're always very honest, a bit dark, and a bit blunt! But it's the backbone of our friendship. We explore why this podcast exists at all, but from his viewpoint. We discuss cancer, mental health, work-life balance, struggling as a leader and finding stoicism to manage stress and worry. Enjoy!

17. 

    11 May 2023

    About This Storm Trailer

    "One day you'll tell people About This Storm, and it'll encourage them to keep going." - About This Storm is the podcast that chats to business owners, founders, directors and leaders about running a company whilst navigating a crisis. Be it personal, emotional, financial or otherwise. It's hosted by Rebecca McIntyre-Smith, Managing Partner at Primate, cancer carer and cancer survivor. Rebecca navigated her husband’s cancer diagnosis, followed by her own, only for his cancer to return, all in the space of 4 years. At the same time, she was working with her co-directors to lead a digital agency that was all set for growth. In this podcast Rebecca speaks to incredible people leading businesses and working to keep those lights on, whilst surviving the worst things life could throw at you. But this isn’t doom and gloom, this is how to get through the otherside!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.