North Star Conversations | Unlock Your Potential, Performance & Purpose

Originally aired: August 2025 Episode Number: 251 Success leaves clues. Instead of figuring everything out on your own, learn from the best, take action, and build the habits that lead to extraordinary results. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , seasoned Wall Street veteran and mentor Barry Garapedian shares how studying top performers helped him become a lea...

Originally aired: August 2025 Episode Number: 247 Sometimes, the key to creating the life you want is to let go of pressure and start becoming the person you want to be. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , manifestation coach and author Esther McCann shares how to consciously create a life you love by shifting your mindset, releasing limiting beliefs, and taki...

Originally aired: July 2025 Episode Number: 246 Financial freedom means little if you have no purpose or control over your own life. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , entrepreneur, investor, and author of "Always Free" Jason Graystone delves into the three freedoms: freedom of mind, money, and movement. Discover why financial independence alone doesn't guara...

Originally aired: July 2025 Episode Number: 244 Real growth begins when you stop blaming your team, identify where you need to improve, and learn how to bring out the best in others. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , personal development legend and author of Average Sucks Michael Bernoff explores the mindset shift required to become a more mature business ow...

Episode Notes In this episode, I sit down with Paul Avins, a scale-up strategist who has spent over 20 years helping more than a thousand business owners break the £1 million revenue line. We talk about how we met on Clubhouse, the network marketing event that started his personal development journey, and how being adopted left him angry and asking "what's wrong with me?" until he made peace with...

Originally aired: July 2025 Episode Number: 242 Chasing more success doesn't always lead to greater fulfilment. Sometimes, finding purpose means stepping away from society's expectations and understanding what truly matters to you. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , entrepreneur and author Janelle Bruland discusses the pressure to achieve more, the importance...

Originally aired: June 2025 Episode Number: 238 Turning your vision into reality requires more than belief. It takes aligned action, patience, and consistency. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , Founder & CEO at Niico Alistair Sergeant delves into the power of acting as if, using your environment to support your goals, and creating a clear vision for who you...

Originally aired: May 2025 Episode Number: 237 Building a successful business requires more than ambition, and knowing when to step back can be just as important as knowing when to push forward. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , security-sector entrepreneur Neil Sweeney shares how he built his company into a highly recognised security provider, the role pers...

Originally aired: May 2025 Episode Number: 235 True development isn't about forcing someone else to grow. It's about acceptance, patience, and giving them space to find their own path. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , love coach and relationship expert Annie Lalla shares how personal development can impact relationships and why trying to convince your partn...

Episode Notes In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Abel, founder of TNB (a leading UK apprenticeship training provider) and headline sponsor of Ahead in AI, our upcoming event on November 10th, 2026. We talk about her winding path through roughly ten failed businesses before finding success in the hair and beauty industry, the childhood trauma - her father's suicide and becoming a full-time care...

Originally aired: May 2025 Episode Number: 234 Going from feeling capable of anything to questioning your own confidence can be a difficult part of rebuilding yourself.  In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , On a Mission Podcast Host Ellie McKay explores her journey of rebuilding confidence after experiencing a dramatic change in circumstances. Discover why pers...

Originally aired: April 2025 Episode Number: 232 Strong relationships, shared values, and a willingness to evolve can create opportunities that go far beyond business.  In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , President and Founder of BITA Paul Whitnell shares the evolution of BITA, the relationships that helped shape its growth, and the importance of creating a cu...

Episode Notes In this episode, I sit down with Jacob Lockwood, a former soldier in the Coldstream Guards turned founder of Lockwood Clothing, a British-made outerwear brand built on military-grade design and an unshakeable commitment to UK manufacturing. We talk about the dark moment driving down the M4 that made him realize something had to change, the decision to leave the Army with just 12 mont...

Originally aired: April 2025 Episode Number: 231 Business failures can teach you some of the most valuable lessons in entrepreneurship, forcing you to reflect, adapt, and rethink your approach. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, and keynote speaker James Ashford shares how his first business failure taught him the i...

Originally aired: April 2025 Episode Number: 229 The toughest moments in life can force you to question everything and create a completely new path. What matters is how you choose to respond and what you build from the experience. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , entrepreneur and professional photographer Carmel Jane shares how overcoming major personal cha...

Episode Notes In this episode, I welcome back Matt Essam, a business strategist who works with award-winning creative studios, for his second appearance on the show. We talk about the last 16 months since his first episode - including the moment he realized he'd built a product chasing what the market wanted rather than what actually energized him, the "energy of obligation" that told him somethin...

Originally aired: March 2025 Episode Number: 228 Boxing can build far more than physical strength. It can teach discipline, confidence, respect, and the character to face challenges head-on. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , former professional boxer, boxing coach, and founder of the Box2Burn gym Billy Long shares how boxing became a powerful vehicle for per...

Originally aired: March 2025 Episode Number: 227 Sometimes the biggest wake-up call is realising that your income depends entirely on you. True freedom comes from building something that can grow without you being there every step of the way. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , children's entertainer turned business mogul Toby Burns dives into the moment a bro...

Episode Notes In this episode, I sit down with Chris Daems, a chartered financial planner and author of "What Happens Next: Ditching the Retirement Cliff for a Life Well Lived." We talk about the client story that changed how he views retirement forever - a man who quit his job the moment he learned he had "enough," only to text two days later asking if he needed to get a life. Chris shares his fr...

Originally aired: March 2025 Episode Number: 226 Great relationships don't happen by accident. They need intention, play, and consistent effort to keep the connection alive. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , marriage-centric business and relationship coach Kelly Clements shares the importance of play, appreciation, and intentional connection in creating a la...

Originally aired: March 2025 Episode Number: 225 The path to becoming who you want to be rarely follows a straight line. Sometimes, the experiences that challenge us most can become the catalyst for deeper self-awareness, personal growth, and a completely different way of living. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , Founder of Superbeam Tiernan Dixon opens up a...

Episode Notes In this episode, I sit down with Perry Gladstone, a serial entrepreneur who built one of Canada's largest snowboard brands, became friends with Tony Hawk through skateboarding, launched a television network in Israel, competed as a national-record-holding free diver, and now coaches elite performers and business leaders through identity transitions. We talk about the belief that's ca...

Originally aired: February 2025 Episode Number: 224 Success doesn't always begin with a clear passion or a perfect plan. Sometimes it comes from being willing to learn, take opportunities, solve problems, and keep moving forward when the path becomes difficult. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , award‑winning accountant‑entrepreneur and owner of the Pocknells...

Originally aired: February 2025 Episode Number: 223 Building long-term financial security often means making decisions that don't deliver an immediate reward. The choices we make with money today can shape how much freedom, stability, and opportunity we have years from now. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston , world and five-time British Hairdressing Champion C...

Episode Notese In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Andrew Threadgold, a former GP turned entrepreneur who has built a portfolio of over 100 properties and now owns four businesses across healthcare, hospitality, and facilities management. We talk about growing up on a council estate near Manchester, the moment a well-intentioned favor for a grieving family triggered an 18-month GMC investigation...