The Quiet Man

I invented coaching, and then the internet age began with the ‘Dotcom’ bust and a tsunami of ‘Coaches’, all trained by Jonathan Jay. This episode covers qualifications and the prime skill a coach will ever need. A client says, “I’d pay £50,000 to know what Neil knows!” 54 Life Tips from a Master Storyteller The thirtieth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning."   #c...

The fifth week of the podcast begins with turning the other cheek. It’s not a sign of weakness but putting the finger up to authority. We prove that ‘The English’ are more positive than ‘The Germans’, that sanity is living in a box with the number two on it, and that the grand old Duke of York is worth following. 54 Life Tips from a Master Storyteller The twenty-ninth extract from Neil Tuson's new...

‘Vision’ and ‘How far do you want to go?’ A school friend’s vision of ‘The House on the Hill’ provides an apt story for the power of having a ‘Vision’ and ‘Adding a Zero’. I got out of bed for less than $10,000 and discovered that luck can be like three buses, one after the other.   The twenty-eighth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning."   #character #listening #...

Quietness, Stillness, Silence, Calmness, Serenity, Peace, and Tranquillity—if these are qualities you seek, this is the episode for you. The pace changes, trauma is released, forgiveness is given, and The Freedom Tree emerges. Learn to sit in Silence.   The twenty-seventh extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning."   #character #listening #laughing #learning #students...

Forty-two is the beginning of the ‘Age of Mastery. ‘Pubic’ speaking, Kyrgyzstan, back-pocket talks, and inventing coaching are all featured in this episode. Gagging on company ‘Mission’ statements leads to a new communication model set to save the world. Have you been ‘Tusoned’ yet?   The twenty-sixth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning."   #character #listening...

Your client says, “Emotional stability is the thing I respect the most.” When your world is ‘Topsy-Turvey’, you think, “That would be nice!” This episode sees the rise and fall of the British Empire, the power of the bell, and the original ‘Factor X’.   The twenty-fifth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning."   #character #listening #laughing #learning #students #e...

‘Falling out of a tree’ provides a valuable insight into ascribing meaning to events. Good or Bad? Right or wrong? Lucky or unlucky? There is also a powerful lesson on conscious, wilful action being the engine of civilisation. ‘Mind your Gap’, Dunbar’s number, and feedback ‘Filling the sails’ anchor this episode. The twenty-fourth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learn...

Criticism and communication are the themes, but words of wisdom from a nine-year-old take centre stage—don’t be a slave to the salary. The ‘Birdwhistell’ formula, top international salesman, three big ticks in San Diego and being called an ‘Arrogant CNT’ round out this episode.   The twenty-third extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning."   #character #listening #laug...

The fourth week of the podcast begins with not being ‘Rich enough’, the ‘Wisdom of Insecurity’, and ‘Living in Interesting Times’. The cliches just come fast and furiously. A story of a butterfly and an overheard conversation save the day— once they are secure in my little notebook. The twenty-second extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning." #character #listening #la...

Walking, Tooting, Alligators, Boat races, Jack Nicolson, Snowden, and spitting tea out with politicians all combine in this episode. The gist is to shine your shoes, get the right kit, and learn to live on the edge because that is where there is energy and movement. The twenty-first extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning." #character #listening #laughing #learning #...

The lessons start to come thick and fast. I overcome my culture shock and commit to staying in the UK. Goethe and Encyclopaedia Britannica combine to educate me. I learn about the concept of ‘Suck Back’, differentiate between takers and givers and start to look at walls differently. The twentieth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning." #character #listening #laughi...

The plates shift and throw me back up in the UK. The shock is palpable and immortalised by one line— “What will I tell my friends?” upon the news that I wished to stay in sales! Getting slaughtered in a ‘Team Building’ exercise, realising that Brits didn’t like investing in themselves, and the concept of ‘The Maltese Breaststroke’ all arise. The nineteenth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "List...

Seismic and tectonic shifts occur after lunch at Bake ‘n Broil on Atlantic Avenue. Who would have thought HAL (from 2001), Tony Robbins, General Sherman, Garcia, Pots of Gold, and Fairy Tales could be so inextricably linked? The hero lived happily ever after, but not in the intended way. The eighteenth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning." #character #listening #...

What do butterflies, visualisations, and chaos have in common? Threads start to come together. Promises are kept. Races are aced. Palm Springs, Porsche road trips, and sailing to Santa Catalina provide the backdrop to the decisive decisions about to be made, with some squirming and smirking thrown in. The seventeenth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning." #charact...

The muse strikes, and a poem emerges in the hope that it will tempt someone back. A road trip to Santa Barbara holds a mirror up to entrenched prejudice. A second trip to Brunei leads to a reconciliation. The idea of leaving corporate security arises. All this is accompanied by an 80s soundtrack of Huey Lewis, U2, Enya, Eddie Brickell, and Bobby McFerrin.   The sixteenth extract from Neil Tuson's...

The third week of this podcast begins with a salutary lesson. The ‘Englishman in LA’ fails to charm the audience and fails magnificently. He learns three lessons: 1. to invest in himself, 2. to speak in public, and 3. to let ‘Love’ go. The idea for ‘The Freedom Tree’ takes root, and the mantra, “It wasn’t that I couldn’t, I’d never been shown how”, is first uttered. The fifteenth extract from Neil...

What is the greatest motivator? Why every step and breath is important. With the decks cleared and my best-ever marathon in the bag, I’m free to follow the path west and transfer to California, where one heck of a storm awaits me. The fourteenth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning." #character #listening #laughing #learning #students #entrepreneurs #leadership #d...

The ‘B’ episode.  Beware Bears. Bonnie and the Birdhouse Bar. Brunei. Black Monday. This chapter is more of a personal interlude with the lesson that one needs to prepare for the storms ahead. The highlights are ‘Skinny Dipping’ in the South China Sea supping Vervé Cliquet and the greatest opening line to a book ever.  The thirteenth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Le...

I’m now an Englishman in St. Louis. Aided by a little motivation called Lynn DeNinno, I learned that ‘Age doesn’t matter’ and ‘Daily Discipline’ is vital to success. I joined the famous 6:20 running club, started running marathons, got seasick on Lake Michigan, and met an Englishman in New York.   The twelfth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing, and Learning."   #character #li...

My ability to ask questions gets me a job. Nine hundred miles south and east lies St. Louis, the gateway to the West. I learned that remembering people’s names (provided you get them right) is crucial to success in sales. I meet Kirk, a sublime runner who introduces me to the St. Louis running community. I start to write again and get divorced.   The eleventh extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "L...

1983, and the real lessons of life begin. I’m an ‘Alien’ and began my new life in the USA selling Kirby vacuum cleaners door to door in the North Dakota winter. I learned that successful people do the things failures don’t like to do. Willpower is the gatekeeper to opportunity. Grafton, Red Lake Falls, and Thief River Falls mould my character.   The tenth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Liste...

The summer of 81. Reagan and the Pope get shot. The AIDS crisis rears its head. Charles and Diana got married, and so did I. Following some magnificent resits, I’m allowed to continue my studies accompanied by the classic soundtrack of Bowie’s ‘Let Dance’, the Eurythmics, Talking Heads, and Cyndi Lauper. There was also a war in which the ‘Be Stoic’ lesson came through.   The ninth extract from Nei...

The second week begins with some cracking insights. It’s 1980, and time for university. I loved univesity because it taught me how to teach myself. It wasn’t easy, but then the best things in life never are. The year’s highlights were visiting the USA four times, a friend for life, Magnificent Spaghetti Bolognese, meeting an ex-Trappist monk, the first Great North Run, and discovering that the New...

The 70s are about to end, and so is my naval career. The lessons are ‘Travelling opens your eyes’ and ‘Relish being shocked’. Different cultures and languages expand your mindset. The ‘Eagle atop the orangery’ is forever etched in my imagination. With Newcastle University approaching, I am again venturing into a foreign land!   The seventh extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening, Laughing,...

This episode is about ‘Making friends— Sharing new experiences’ and ‘Developing a Can-Do attitude’. It starts with a £9 flight to the USA, a thwarted motorcycle ride along Route 66, Mexican Food and Skiing in the Rockies. It ends with a road trip to the land of 10,000 lakes, a sunken canoe, and a T-shirt saying, “I’d rather be in Denver”.   The sixth extract from Neil Tuson's new book— "Listening,...