The Art of Brilliance Podcast

Is social media the devil's work? Andy assembles an unlikely panel to fight it out - and referees from the middle. In the blue corner: his son, AoB trainer Ollie Cope, who deleted all his social media accounts and is now doing a PhD on what they do to your brain. In the red corner: AoB's marketing manager Amy Bradley, the creative force behind the Art of Brilliance posts that land in your...

Could you be happier, even if nothing in the world around you changed? Andy puts the question to two of the Art of Brilliance trainers, Nikki Ayles and Kev House, in Episode 2 of the new series - and what follows is the most honest 25 minutes you'll spend this week. All three of them, by their own admission, would have said no a few years ago. The thinking went... my happiness is out there som...

Andy is back - and this time he's not in his car. After two seasons of recording on his iPhone in a layby, Andy has finally splashed out on a proper studio. To mark the occasion, Andy has roped in two of his Art of Being Brilliant co-conspirators, Will Hussey and Hannah Knowles, for a riff on something deceptively simple: top wellbeing tips you haven't heard before. Spoiler: Will's fir...

What if Christmas itself needed rescuing… from Santa?! In this special end-of-season episode, Andy welcomes his traditional guest: Santa. Except this year, something’s... off. Santa sounds robotic, obsessed with efficiency, and surprisingly keen on replacing elves with 3D printers. Before long, AI Santa is talking KPIs, surveillance elves, and children asking for tactical flamethrowers. Christmas...

What if “feeling fine” isn’t the finish line… but the warning light? In this episode, Andy records from Windsor (with a much cheaper parking rate this time) to unpack one of the biggest myths about happiness... that it’s just positive thinking with a smiley sticker on top. What follows is a fast, funny reality check on modern life - the low-level Monday-morning glumness, the commotion, the sense t...

Ever wondered why some things only make sense after someone points them out? That’s the energy of this episode - Andy sitting in a Wembley car park, paying £60 an hour for parking and using the pressure of financial ruin to deliver a whistle-stop tour of the most obvious idea psychology somehow missed for 150 years. From world-famous double acts like fish & chips and Laurel & Hardy, he lan...

What if the algorithm wasn’t raising our boys? In this episode, Dr Andy Cope and his son Ollie join forces with Paul McGee to talk about their new book for teenage lads, Ladult: Navigating Safely from Boy to Man. From toxic masculinity to the chaos of the “manosphere,” they dig into what it actually means to be a good man now - without going all beige, boring, or preachy. You’ll hear about digital...

What if your most memorable moments weren’t the smooth ones... but the messy ones? In this episode, Andy looks back on 20 years of keynotes and training and shares his “Top 10” conference memories - from gold mines in Johannesburg to WI meetings where the payment came in Victoria sponge. You’ll hear about blizzards in Birmingham, social workers who made him cry, and why even the hardest rooms can...

What if convenience was quietly making us weaker? In this episode, Andy riffs on everything from gluten-free pints to e-bikes in Italy, using Deliveroo, and YouTube piano lessons to make a bigger point… modern life has become a masterclass in ease. We’re the first generation in history to die not from scarcity but from excess - too much food, too much scrolling, too much comfort. And in outsourcin...

What if time isn’t just slipping by... but being stolen? In this episode, Andy takes aim at the clock - and the way we let busyness, screens, and endless scrolling siphon off our 4,000 weeks of life. With humour and a few sharp jabs at TikTok culture, he explores how our attention has become the real currency of the modern world. From motorway meal deals to midnight doomscrolls, you’ll hear why “k...

What if the comfiest seat in the house... could actually change your mindset? In this episode, Andy tells the story of a very expensive chair that, thanks to a little family mischief, became “Percy the Positive Chair.” What started as a silly game with his kids turned into something bigger... a lesson in energy, anchoring, and the contagious power of positivity. From skeptical ten-year-olds to pos...

What if one small win was all it took to change the game? This week, Andy dusts off a story he hasn’t told in 15 years - an afternoon in the garden with eight-year-olds, a cricket bat, and one girl who swore she was rubbish before she’d even tried. What happened next is part comedy, part psychology experiment, and part life lesson. It all ties back to the Matthew Effect: the idea that small advant...

What if the cage we’re trapped in… was built by us? This week, Andy wrestles with a heavy word - buckling. From social workers under impossible pressures to a snake shedding its skin, he explores what happens when life feels way too much and how we might just be strangers to ourselves. It’s an emotional journey this one. Going through human zoos, Stockholm syndrome, and the little bargains we make...

What if the most complicated machine on earth came with no manual? In this episode, Andy takes a detour through a one-star review, a shiny new toaster, and the chaos of becoming a dad - only to land on a much bigger question… who actually taught you how to think? It’s a wild ride from hospital wards to hot bread, but the point is simple. Whilst our education is crammed full of maths, French, and m...

What if your brain could send you a desperate late-night email? This episode is short, sharp, and straight from the grey matter itself - literally. Andy reads a cheeky, slightly gross, and surprisingly heartfelt letter from “your brain” to “your body,” pleading for a better night’s sleep. You’ll learn why slow-wave snoozing is basically brain housekeeping, why screen time is the arch-nemesis of cr...

What if rocking the boat was the most responsible thing you could do? This week, Andy wades into the murky waters of leadership clichés - everything from “change starts at the top” to “a leader’s job is to inspire their team” - and gives them a good shake. Spoiler alert… not all boats need steadying… some need sinking. Along the way, you’ll meet mood hoovers (who might secretly be your best proble...

What if your culture document was actually useful... and slightly Moses-themed? In this episode, Andy shares the (cardboard) stone tablet that keeps the Art of Brill team pointing in the right direction: ten commandments, one Sharpie each, and zero tolerance for terrible PowerPoints. You’ll hear why “Don’t chase the money” makes sense, why social media isn’t optional (even if you hate it), and how...

What if the most powerful leadership tool… was actually just caring? In this episode, Andy goes all in on relational energy, Mr. Nobody, and a Gallup survey that boils leadership down to one beautifully simple idea: someone at work seems to care about me as a person. You’ll hear about ADHD envy, toe-curling book signings, a tragic Mr. Men story, and how the workforce from hell might just be a side...

What if some of your most ‘motivational’ mantras... are total rubbish? In this episode, Andy dusts off some lockdown-era thinking and takes a flamethrower to four of the biggest clichés in personal development: YOLO, fitting in, SMART goals, and “if at first you don’t succeed...” You’ll hear why trying is overrated, why mediocrity is sneaky, and why standing out (for the right reasons) beats blend...

What if the secret to life was hiding in a toy box? In this episode, Andy reads a chapter from Brill Kid - The Big Number Two. One of his children's books that might just contain some of the best life advice you’ve never heard. It’s playful, daft, and surprisingly profound. Because it turns out Lego isn’t just Danish, dangerous underfoot, and oddly emotional - it’s a metaphor for how to live w...

What if you’re so busy managing the symptoms... when you should be fixing the roof? In this episode, Andy shares a few famous last words (spoiler: Elvis died doing exactly what he said he was going to do), before rolling into a parable that didn’t make the book - but might just make your brain go “Oof.” It’s the tale of Miss Cleverclogs, Ralph, and a leaking maths classroom. A ridiculous story, ye...

What if the best leader in the world wore a hard hat and hung out with a cement mixer called Dizzy? In this episode, Andy ditches the usual leadership clichés and goes all in on the unexpected hero of the working world... Bob the Builder. You’ll hear why happiness isn’t something you choose (but positivity is), how leadership isn’t about Mandela quotes or motivational posters, and why the attitude...

What if the toughest guy in the room taught you the softest lesson? In this episode, Andy shares a story he hasn’t dared tell in years - about a nightclub bouncer with a cobweb tattoo, a grudge seven years deep, and one phone call that changed everything. It’s about forgiveness, hand grenades (metaphorically), and why carrying a grudge is like getting punched in the face... by yourself. Tune in fo...

What if being in the top 10% still means you're only 50% there? In this episode, Andy ditches the deep philosophy and jumps back into something simpler (and sneakily brilliant): what it really takes to move from “good” to “wow.” You’ll hear about football academies, pelotons, celebrity keynotes, and why your real superpower might just be washing your hands properly. Tune in for Olympic strateg...

You are not who you think you are. In this episode, Andy takes a deep breath and heads straight into the philosophical deep end -mixing ants, airplane engines, and Tesco epiphanies in a bold attempt to answer the biggest question of all… who (or what) are we, really? Inspired by Rupert Spira, road rage, and a misbehaving mind, Andy explores the idea that you’re not your story, your stress, or your...