Your Time With James Sweetman

If we are honest, most of us would like to feel more self-confident in at least some situations. It might be at an interview, delivering a presentation, attending a big meeting, or just trying something new. Over the years I’ve gathered many confidence boosting strategies and this week I’m sharing 10 of these tried and tested tips and distinctions. When we’ve been through challenging times, it’s n...

This week I’m revisiting the broad topic of leadership focussing in particular on the qualities and mindset a modern leader must possess to be effective in their role. As I often say, today’s leaders have to be equal parts accountant, visionary, counsellor and coach, so how do we balance these seemingly diverse roles? I look at how to navigate the path between the rational mind and empathetic hear...

Most people say they have a book in them, or that they’d love to write a book. With my sixth book Word to Inspire out soon, this week I’m sharing my experiences on what it takes to write a book. One of the biggest hurdles all writers and creatives face is dealing with resistance, those limiting beliefs usually wrapped around our perceived lack of worthiness. Wearing my coaching hat, I also explore...

“Nothing to fear but fear itself.” Those famous words spoken by President Roosevelt are the inspiration for this week’s episode. Watching the news it’s easy to believe that we have more to fear today than ever before. In our own lives, many of our decisions and behaviours are motivated by fear - the fear of not being good enough, or the fear of letting others down. This week, I’ll take you through...

This week I’m joined by Susan Maxwell. Susan is a great example of someone who is managing a portfolio career, combining her interests in different areas from the travel industry, to well-being and even writing. In the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic, like many people and businesses, she had to instigate change and just over a year ago she launched her latest business venture, The Ruby Sue Collectio...

The tables are turned this week as I'm sharing an interview recently broadcast on Phoenix FM. I sat down with host Michael Daly on his weekly radio programme 'Making a Difference.' He asked me about the people who have influenced me, my career journey and the source of my motivations. It was a deeply personal and meaningful conversation as I speak too about my late Dad, whose anniversary it happen...

This week I’m joined by Charley Swords, leadership consultant, trainer and mentor to discuss her book ‘Dare to be a Revolutionary Leader.’ Charley’s book is the most comprehensive guide to modern leadership I’ve read in ages and I was delighted to delve into many of the themes she expounds, from starting with self-leadership to emphasising why ‘people are the solution.’ I also ask Charley for her...

This week I’m asking some ‘Big Why’ questions. So often we are focused on what we do and how we do it and the ‘why’ is easily forgotten. In this episode, I’m turning the dial from productivity to purpose. If you’ve every contemplated the 'big why' questions, such as 'why do I do what I do?', or 'why am I here?', then this is an episode for you. I also speak about why the adage of following your bl...

I’m kicking off this new series with my reflections on having taken a ‘practical sabbatical’ over the last few months. I speak about how imposter syndrome and other limiting assumptions surfaced when I was not distracted by the busyness of work. How I went back to basics, delved into my motivations and even sought ways to fall in love with my business again. As well as a time of renewal, it was al...

This week I’m sharing how after a few weeks of contemplation, I’m pressing pause on several aspects of my business including my weekly podcast. I’ve had to put my hand up and concede that I need a rest. In this very personal episode, my final one before I take what I’m calling a practical sabbatical, I share the question that prompted this reassessment. We’ve all been through so much and sometimes...

What are you investing in? We don’t just invest money, we invest our time and energy too. This week I look at 6 different aspects of life including physical and mental health, relationships, career, and future security, and ask how am I investing my time, energy, and resources. I focus on the idea of investing in our dreams and look at the challenges we have to navigate, especially the voice of th...

This week on my podcast I’m taking a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the 200th edition of my monthly community ezine Next Steps. Over the last 17 years, I’ve written and distributed my newsletter to my clients and contacts every month for 200 consecutive months. That’s over 600 articles and book reviews. It’s said consistency is key with any marketing initiative, so I certainly adhered to that...

For those of us blessed with good hearing listening is a primary sense, it’s how we interpret the audible environment. There are times when we can be very bad listeners. Poor listening skills are the number one marker of poor leadership and poor communication skills. All conflict and complaints arise because someone doesn’t feel listened to or understood. Attentive listening shows that we care, it...

Self-care is more than pampering or shopping, everything that is marketed under the banner of ‘I deserve it.’ In this week’s episode, I’ll be looking at the tough love side of self-love and how self-care is finding a way to be gentle with our precious heart in the midst of life’s challenges and messiness. It’s an area many of us can struggle with, myself included. Whilst cosseting and pampering is...

This week I’m joined by Bernie Rogers an experienced, coach, trainer, and facilitator. Bernie ran the NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) courses I attended in the past. We speak about how we personally benefited from NLP and how NLP tools and techniques underpin so much of our work with clients. I was fascinated when Bernie spoke about mBit (multiple brain integration techniques) and how to align...

We’ve all heard the adage about not wishing you spent more time in the office as you lie on your deathbed. With offices reopening this autumn, the sentiment is relevant for many people. For some, it’s Sunday night syndrome multiplied by ten, like that dread of the new school year we had as children. For others, it’s ‘JORTO’ the joy of returning to the office. In this week’s episode, I’ll be explor...

Over the years I’ve developed a morning routine that sets me up for the day ahead. In this week’s episode, (the last for two weeks as I take a summer holiday) I share the menu of options I use to allow me to go into the day as the best of myself.  In today’s busy, noisy, fearful world we all want to respond to events not react to them, to feel proactive, grounded, aligned, and in control of how we...

The theme this week aligns with one of my key intentions with my podcast, which is to present you with an opportunity to pause, reflect and connect with your inner wisdom. This week’s episode is built around 6 questions. They are an invitation for your to take a trip down memory lane, to acknowledge how far you’ve come, and to reconnect with your sources of inspiration. From favorite journeys, gif...

Most of us are fully paid up members of the tough on ourselves club, so this week I’m suggesting that you are probably doing better than you give yourself credit for. So often we run the pattern that there is something wrong with us that needs to be fixed, but remember we can be both perfectly ourselves and still be works in progress. This week’s episode is a reality check, a time to take stock an...

Did you know that on average we will attend 42 interviews over the course of our careers? This week I’m delving into a topic that is a core part of my business and that’s interview skills coaching. If you have an interview on the horizon this week’s episode will cover all the basics of quality preparation. The themes of communication and influencing skills and promoting what you do are relevant in...

This week I’m joined by Roly Miller who is eLearning & Digital Media Manager with Jobcare. Established in 1994 Jobcare is a charity that provides training, resource services and transitional work programmes to equip unemployed people with the skills to secure and sustain work. What I particularly admire about Jobcare is their ethos that ‘Working Matters,’ that everyone has the right to a form of e...

This week I’m delighted to be joined by Des Canning, a counselor, and psychotherapist. I was a client of Des’s earlier this year and I’m a huge fan of his work. In an open and frank conversation, we chat about how men can still be reluctant to discuss mental health and to reach out for assistance. I share some of the ways receiving counseling has benefited me. Des speaks about his journey from wor...

Inspired by all the great sport on TV, and with the Olympics just around the corner, this week I’m exploring the topic of high performance. What does it mean, how do we recognise it and how do we attain it. I define high performance as achieving above and beyond expected results in a sustainable way over the long term. In this episode I’ll take you through what I refer to as the 7 disciples of hig...

Are you a corporate mystic? That’s the question I’m posing this week. The word mystic might conjure up a guru living in a cave, or even Yoda from Star Wars. For me, a corporate mystic is an enlightened leader, someone who is comfortable harnessing the wisdom of both head and heart and who inspires and is inspiring. Integrity is a value espoused in every organisation, but integrity is not just the...

I’m joined this week by Georgina Durcan an Intuitive Therapist who is affectionately known as the ‘Soul Whisperer.’ In her work, Georgina points the way for her clients to come home to who they truly are. I so enjoyed our conversation and I think you will too. Georgina shared her story, how a breakdown led to a breakthrough, and to her own soul calling. She also speaks about how she helps her clie...