Access to Inspiration

Vinay Chandra, CEO of High Peak Software based in India and Atlanta, USA talks to Sue Stockdale about the highs and lows of being a serial entrepreneur. Vinay is a versatile and multifaceted entrepreneur who has devoted his creative energy and restless passion into starting and running businesses around the globe. Over the last 25 years, he has successfully and unsuccessfully founded and operated...

Sue Stockdale talks to Nontuthuko Mgabhi, General Manager Human Resources at Richards Bay Coal Terminal, South Africa, about the mindset, commitment and preparation it took to successfully run seven marathons in seven consecutive days, on seven continents in February 2020. Nontu became the first African female to complete this challenge, and in the process also raised a substantial sum of money to...

Sue Stockdale talks to farmer Jonathan Cook, about why he loves his job. Jon looks after a herd of 50 cows producing the raw milk which he sells on his dairy farm in Wiltshire, England. He is from a fourth generation farming family and along with his partner, Sarah, look after the herd on their 100 acre farm where they now adopt a regenerative approach to farming. Both are passionate about raw mil...

Sue Stockdale talks to Major Becky Frater about her career as a military helicopter pilot and instructor, and discovers more about the focus and concentration that these roles demand. Becky originally joined the Army in 1998 after three years as a secondary school teacher in Bristol. After initial training at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst she was commissioned directly into the Army Air Corps an...

The recent pandemic has caused many people to re-evaluate how they live and work. Sue Stockdale talks to leadership thinker Navi Radjou about his life and experiences in India, France and USA, and how this has influenced his thinking on how business and society considers and practices innovation, to do better with less. Navi Radjou advises senior executives worldwide on breakthrough growth strateg...

Sue Stockdale previews Series Four where the theme of the series is sustainability and pioneering. She also welcomes the first Access to Inspiration Ambassador, Paul Rose, and talks to Matías de Ezcurra​ our Sound Editor who edits the podcasts, to find out the effect that the recordings have on him personally. Some of the upcoming episodes in this series are: - Navi Radjou: Consciously reinventing...

Sue Stockdale talks to Paul Rose about his life at the front line of exploration. Having spent 10 years as Base Commander in Antarctica, Paul talks about some of the skills he has learned in extreme environments that help him navigate modern life. Paul is one of the world’s most experienced science expedition leaders. He helps scientists unlock and communicate global mysteries in the most remote a...

Sue Stockdale talks to an award-winning British chef, Andrew Scott about what it takes to achieve and retain a Michelin star. Andrew was inspired to develop his career as a chef by his parents, who both worked in the hospitality industry. After winning a cooking competition at the age of 13, Andrew started working part time as a pot washer in the kitchens of his local hotel. Then following trainin...

Alysia Silberg talks to Sue Stockdale about the reality of being a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, the challenges she had growing up in South Africa and what she hopes her long-term legacy will be. Alysia is Founder and General Partner of Street Global Venture Capital, a global seed stage investment firm, investing in technology start-ups that are solving big, difficult problems and have the po...

Sue Stockdale talks to John Miles, co-founder of iWorker, about why he started up the business and how it helps generate economic prosperity for skilled workers in Venezuela and other countries that are in dire economic situations. John Miles is a Canadian entrepreneur who started his career managing a few small brick-and-mortar businesses just outside of Toronto. In 2017, John decided he wanted t...

Sue Stockdale talks to Nauja Bianco, a native Greenlander about what life is like 'up north' and why cultural identity is becoming more important for Greenlanders and those living in the Nordic Countries. Nauja Bianco was born and raised in the capital Nuuk, in Greenland. At the age of 17 she was an exchange student in the USA, followed by travels to Central and South America after graduating high...

Sue Stockdale talks to David Liebnau, Client Director and Senior Expert at SYNK Group, in Berlin, Germany about why we need heart and courage at times of uncertainty. David graduated with a Masters Degree in Communications and has worked for the past twenty years as a senior learning & development consultant and executive coach. He has worked in 25 countries with more than 20,000 managers at a...

Sue Stockdale talks to Virginie Goethals, co-founder of RUN, a non-government organisation in Hong Kong that focuses on trauma rehabilitation through sport and education. Virginie explains how her love of the outdoors and running long distances accidentally inspired her to help female refugees in Hong Kong who are victims of sexual violence; and help them rebuild their mental and physical strength...

Sue Stockdale talks to Sarah Lang, Project Director at Infrastructure NZ, about how she started with one small idea and put it into practice, which in turn has transformed the face of the infrastructure sector in New Zealand so that it better represents the diversity of the country's population. Sarah is Project Director at Infrastructure NZ, New Zealand’s peak infrastructure body. In 2016 Sarah e...

Sue Stockdale reflects on the impact on listeners that the podcasts have had so far, and also previews Series Three of Access to Inspiration which will feature guests from Germany, Greenland and Hong Kong. The guests for this upcoming series are: Sarah Lang - Transforming the infrastructure sector in New Zealand Virginie Goethais - How sport rehabilitates refugees in Hong Kong David Liebnau - Why...

Two dynamic women working in the conservation sector - Marlina Moreno and Shannon Noelle Rivera, talk to Sue Stockdale about the importance of collaboration as well as some of the projects they are involved in around the world. Marlina Moreno is a former NFL cheerleader and professional dancer turned conservation biologist, filmmaker, and digital content creator. Her work has taken her to some of...

Amelia Lin, co-founder and CEO of Saga had an unusually academically-oriented start to life, which has profoundly impacted her life and work. Amelia talks to Sue Stockdale about the role that books and education had as she grew up, how that influenced her desire to record her parents' life stories, and how Saga was created as a result. As as a 7th grader (11-13 years old) Amelia scored a 1550/1600...

After 16 years in magazines – as a writer, editor, editor-in-chief and publisher – Christopher Phin has for the last year been leading the creation of a podcast strategy at Scottish publishers DC Thomson Media. Chris talks to Sue Stockdale about why he loves podcasting as a communication medium, as well as where he sees the industry developing in the future. Chris now publishes eight podcasts, wit...

Racheal Wanjiku Kigame talks to Sue Stockdale about leadership and how working as Country Program Director for Help a Child Africa in Kenya enables her to make a difference and help the most vulnerable in society, having grown up in a slum herself. Find out more at https://www.helpachild.org/programmes/kenya Read a transcription of this podcast on our website www.accesstoinspiration.org Connect wi...

In the autumn on 1999, Deb Downing and Dennis Borner embarked on an atypical retirement adventure. They sold their home and all their furniture, and embarked on what was to become a twelve-year sailing adventure. In this Access to Inspiration podcast, Sue Stockdale talks to Deb and Dennis to find out how they adapted to living onboard a 49 foot ketch rig, which included learning to catch marlin, c...

Laurel Herman is acknowledged as an international expert in every aspect of personal effectiveness. In this podcast, she talks to Sue Stockdale about fifty years of being in business, and how using her initiative to solve problems has taken her into a number of different ventures including concept shopping, an image consultancy and a social enterprise helping people with Autism Spectrum Difference...

What’s it like to travel into space? Sue Stockdale talks to Dr. John-David F. Bartoe to find out the answer to this question. He is a retired astronaut, solar physicist, and former Research Manager of the International Space Station who has travelled over 2.8 million miles, and logged over 190 hours in space. In this podcast Dr Bartoe talks about what inspired him to become an astronaut, what it’s...

When it comes to women working in the cruise industry, they are in the minority – with women accounting for fewer than 2% of the mariners employed worldwide. Lauren Vaitkus is one of only two female cruise directors working for Celebrity Cruises who are leading the way in taking action to transform the numbers of women working in the industry. Lauren is an enthusiastic and dedicated leader, with r...

Sue Stockdale previews Series Two of the Access to Inspiration podcast; talks about her own background as an adventurer and polar explorer with former TV News Anchor Roger Rocka, and explains why the Access to Inspiration podcast was created. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/access-to-inspiration--4156820/support .

What if farming + family does not equal happiness? Loshni Manikam, leadership coach and winner of Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year in 2018 talks to Sue Stockdale about how she helps women to thrive in New Zealand's dairy industry. Find Loshni at https://www.facebook.com/thrivingfarmingwomen Read a transcription of this podcast on our website www.accesstoinspiration.org Connect with us on social me...