How Did They Do It?

Most of us solopreneurs are in it for the love of what we do. Typically we are experts in the services we provide, whether we are therapists, coaches, artists or small business owners. This leads us into countless enjoyable conversations with our clients, patients and fans. However, conducting a sales conversation typically feels like an entirely different matter. The context in which we often conduct such conversations seems to be very different, and this often makes us dread these conversations.  Some time ago, I spoke with hypnotherapist and sales expert Philip Carrington-Spence about the art of conversational sales for coaches and therapists. In this almost hourly live chat we discussed some typical pain points for solopreneurs when it comes to making sales calls. If you are wondering how to improve your sales skills then I strongly recommend you taking some time to watch this episode and find out: Why sales conversations needn’t be boring and dry Why you shouldn’t be afraid to charge high ticket prices The number one tip for conducting successful and natural sales conversations Why you should be aiming to get a lot of ‘no’s’, despite of what the sales guru’s say

You often hear success and productivity gurus talk about the need to find 'The One Thing': your one passion in life which you pursue relentlessly so that you become really good and successful at it. Luckily for some of us, who don't have the stamina of the monomaniac Captain Ahab in 'Moby Dick', there are people doing a lot of things, who are successful and fulfilled in their own way proving that it doesn't have to be that way.  Marketer, musician, author, photographer, podcaster and family man Andrew Laws is one of these people. In just over 30 minutes, we cover a dazzling range of topics, including why Andrew is passionate about 'marketing for humans', why connection is the key word in both marketing and music, why he would rather read Stephen Fry's travel book rather than his own, and why you should have a 'plate list' rather than a 'bucket list'. Follow me on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly conversations with inspirational individuals who found their freedom by doing every day what they love doing most.

Hi I am Kostas Panagiotou, NLP coach, composer and team leader. I have been always inspired by people who found their freedom and purpose in life by doing what they love doing the most, and this podcast hosts exactly this type of people. Whether they are therapists, artists, solopreneurs or small business owners they have one thing in common: they find meaning and happiness by pursuing their passions in life. I hope they inspire you as much as they inspired me.

Join me in conversation with Shamanic Priestess Alex Vitillo where we clarify the difference between a priestess, a witch and a goddess; we delve into concepts such as quantumflow, soulcontracts and heart-centred entrepreneurs; and we demonstrate convincingly that money and spirituality can go hand in hand when you work for the betterment of the world! Follow me on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly conversations with inspirational individuals who found their freedom by doing every day what they love doing most.

In this interview with extreme metal musician and studio owner/producer Déhà we delve into the purpose of creating music and art in general. What need does it serve? What does it give the creator of the music, and what does it offer to the listener?  Déhà, known in doom metal and DSBM (depressive suicidal black metal) genres for his individual, emotional creations manages to give a positive spin to otherwise negative genres. In this frank conversation we discuss the compulsion to create music, the need to self-harm (and how to fight it), the apparent gap between creating music for your own healing and producing it professionally (hint: the gap is not as big as it seems) and much more.   Follow me on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly conversations with inspirational individuals who found their freedom by doing every day what they love doing most.

Heavy metal and hypnotherapy: not your most obvious companions, but definitely best buddies in the mind of hypnotherapist and self-proclaimed metalhead Roz Knox. Join me in this episode to hear Roz talk with passion about how metal is life, heavy metal gigs are self-care and hypnotherapy is the key to unlocking your potential and aligning your subconscious mind with your conscious behaviour. Finally, find out how heavy metal and hypnosis can actually be combined in a (dys)harmonic symphony called Metal Meditation! Subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts not to miss my weekly 'How Did The Do It' conversations with inspirational individuals who found their freedom and purpose by doing what they love doing most.  

Do you suffer from the effects of internalized capitalism, patriarchy and violence? Gestalt Therapist and Sexologist Maira Danni reckons that you do. Patriarchy has been installed in human society about five thousand years ago, and has been with us since then, causing trauma and damage to both men and women. The good news is that you can heal your internal patriarchy; all you need is to apply the healing forces of love and freedom in your life and respect the boundaries of the people around you. Maira explains in detail how you can do this. Join us in this hour long conversation to find out more about the anarchistic origins of Gestalt, the genesis of patriarchy, Maira's views on healing from domestic violence, why people don't like to talk about sex, why anger management is not a great term to use and so much more! Subscribe to my podcast on Anchor, Spotify and/or Apple for weekly conversations with inspirational individuals who have found their freedom by doing what they love doing.  Follow me on KostasTheCoach-The Freedom Composer for weekly blogs helping solopreneurs, therapists and creatives to find their freedom and clarity of purpose in life!  

In today's episode I discuss with amateur kickboxing champion Jess Roper what it takes to be a champion. Jess is not only a kickboxer, but also a hypnotherapist. The word which connects the two disciplines together, is 'Mindset'. Jess is building her own Fighting Fit community where she inspires individuals to create confidence. She is also working with young people at schools to help them develop the mindset of tomorrow's champions! Listen to this episode to find out why: Discipline can only be developed when internal conflict has been resolved You don't need to practice for 10000 hours to become competent at something What the true meaning of a champion is I am always on the outlook for inspiring individuals who have found their freedom and transformed their own lives doing what they love doing. Should you be one of them, or know one of them, don't hesitate to get in touch! Email me at [email protected] to discuss getting you on the show. 

In this episode I speak with #thatpianoguy Mark Deeks. Mark helps adults fulfil their dream of playing the piano. His work focuses on changing their mindset and removing obstacles and excuses that have so far prevented them from playing their preferred instrument. There is as much of a coaching approach as there is a teaching element in his work: Mark tackles negative and unhelpful beliefs about learning to play an instrument, challenges the language people are using which is likely to add stress rather than relaxation to their lives and sets them up for success. We discuss the health benefits of playing the piano, the link with our mental health (and the story in Mark's life which gave him a sense of mission and purpose in tackling mental health through music) and Mark's own musical project Arð | Facebook    Mark is expertly using a range of social media to bring his message across so I also grabbed the opportunity to ask him about his preferred social media platform and why!

Once in a while, we all meet a person in our lives who seems to live and breathe for their unique talent to inspire and bring other people together. Those people are not necessarily what we would consider to be ‘successful’ in a material sense. Their ‘success’ doesn’t necessarily translate into wealth; this doesn’t mean that they can’t achieve wealth, and indeed they often do as a side effect of their strong work ethic based on the deeper values that lead them to positive action.  However, their gains are first and foremost internal, and their influence upon others cannot be measured solely by quantitative figures. It is rather akin to a slow burning flame, which is passed on in an almost unnoticeable and inconspicuous manner to the people around them. Their leadership is powerful and infectious, and yet they don’t shout, demand or intimidate. I believe that Jaya is such a person, and in this interview I speak to her about her life and food philosophy, what motivates and drives her forward and how her customers react to her work. You will hear about her holistic views and how the ancient Ayurvedic philosophy influences her cooking methods. Her approach has a strong effect on her customers, whose loyalty and enthusiasm are visible to anyone who has ever set foot in her shop. Jaya's shop in Bicester sadly doesn't exist anymore; her philosophy however still lives on in her more recent cooking ventures in Oxford. As she states herself 'I sometimes spend 18 hours a day cooking in the weekend. I'm not sure I would be able to do this if I was to consider it as work'. Enjoy the conversation with this remarkable person and as ever, comments and suggestions for future speakers are welcome on [email protected]