The James Smith Show

James Smith

The Problem With… isn’t here to give easy answers - it’s here to ask the uncomfortable questions behind today’s biggest trends and taboos.

Each week, host James Smith digs into what’s really going on - from AI to wellness culture - through unfiltered chats with experts and insiders to uncover the truth behind the noise.

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Tuesday · 1 hr 27 min
The Truth About GLP-1s, Menopause, And Female Founders (Rebecca Oliver-Mooney)
Rebecca Oliver-Mooney joins James Smith for a conversation that starts with a left-handed can and ends up somewhere far more uncomfortable. Founder of the Raising The Glass network and a drinks industry buyer who has sat on the other side of the table from hundreds of challenger brands, Rebecca explains why most founders put half their message where the shelf will hide it, why GLP-1s are about to reshape what food and drink gets made, and why menopause is the category nobody has been willing to build for yet. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋️‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Rebecca Oliver-Mooney On LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-oliver-mooney-65730614/ She explains: ◼️ Why retailers cover the bottom half of your packaging, and what belongs up top ◼️ What GLP-1s actually do to appetite, and why the shame is the bigger problem ◼️ Why menopause is the next outcome-led category in food and drink Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:26 The Left-Handed Can 03:07 Why Retailers Hide Half Your Packaging 03:42 Ingredients vs Benefits On Pack 04:43 The Conversation About Hiding The Eye 06:19 What Raising The Glass Actually Is 07:55 Was I Being Hypersensitive? 08:44 The Free Mentoring Platform 10:16 Do Men Really Interrupt More? 11:53 Two Women Founders Getting On Shelf 14:18 Toy Trucks And Gendered Play 17:29 Changing Your Political Stance 18:16 Algorithms And Echo Chambers 19:50 Women Coming Into Neutonic 21:26 Electrolytes And The Salt Brands 23:50 GLP-1s: The Real Conversation 24:38 Do You Still Eat On GLP-1s? 28:07 The Shame Around The Medication 30:36 Never Being Hungry Again 32:13 Two Extreme Views On Telling People 36:08 GLP-1s Compared To Insulin 39:20 When Only One Of You Can Afford It 40:53 Wealth, Connections And Starting Again 46:25 Are Men More Driven To Seek Status? 47:59 The Iceberg Model 48:48 Imposter Syndrome 51:11 Raising Investment 53:33 This Candidate Is Probably Going To Be A Man 55:58 Equality vs Equity 58:25 The Employee Who Was Caring For His Mum 59:08 HRT And Dr Louise Newson 01:01:30 Menopause Behind Closed Doors 01:03:32 Anabolic Steroids And Crashed Estrogen 01:04:43 Nothing Is Explained At School 01:06:21 Menopause As The Next Category 01:10:20 Calm, Energy And What Sells 01:15:08 How Buyers Actually Pick Products 01:18:18 The Category Diamond 01:19:06 Smoke And Mirrors For Challenger Brands 01:21:29 Find Your Tribe 01:23:01 You Deserve To Be In The Room 01:25:13 Fake It Till You Make It: The Power Pose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 17 · 1 hr 29 min
The Truth About Balding, Booze, And Being A Dad At 50 (Jason Fox)
Jason 'Foxy' Fox joins James Smith, on his wife's birthday no less, for an unfiltered and very funny conversation that swaps the usual topics for a proper sit-down with the boys. A former UK Special Forces operator and the longest-serving member of the SAS: Who Dares Wins directing staff, Foxy opens up about becoming a dad again at 50 after seven years of IVF, missing his son's birth over a WhatsApp video call, and why newborn sleep deprivation hits harder than anything the military threw at him. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Jason Fox On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jason_carl_fox/ Jason Fox On X - https://x.com/jason_carl_fox Ultra 4 Charity - https://ultra4charity.com He explains: ◼️ Why newborn sleep deprivation is worse than military exercises ◼️ What it's really like to be away working when your child is born ◼️ How Ultra 4 Charity makes ultra marathons accessible for everyone Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:30 Baldness, Hair Transplants and Finasteride 07:05 How Fatherhood Feels Different Second Time Around 08:08 James's Son Blocked From Entering the UK 09:22 Missing His Son's Birth Over WhatsApp 12:22 Older Parents and Seven Years of IVF 14:59 James's Adoption and the Stolen Cheque 17:22 Ibiza Chaos and Writing a Will 19:31 The Pregnancy Complication That Forced an Early Birth 21:37 James's Emergency C-Section Story 24:20 Special Forces vs Newborn Sleep Deprivation 25:10 The Sleep Coach That Actually Worked 28:11 Being Away Filming SAS: Who Dares Wins 30:10 Sam Burgess: Headlocks and Falling Off the Wagon 35:44 Is London Still Worth It? 39:08 Ultra 4 Charity: Running for Veterans 41:42 How Jiu-Jitsu Gives Veterans Purpose 42:27 Foxy's Muay Thai and BJJ Journey 45:08 Snapping His Leg on a 300ft Tower 48:25 Getting Caught by a 'White Belt' 50:14 Rolling With a GB Judo Black Belt 53:57 Why Strikers Scare James 55:43 The Shoplifter Who Sang for the Queen 58:00 Teaching Young Leaders About Mental Health 59:10 James Nearly Joined the Army 01:00:29 Has Britain's Attitude to the Military Changed? 01:02:15 Veteran Support and Military Respect 01:03:07 The ThruDark Story 01:07:37 The Blocked Urethra That Led to Sepsis 01:13:36 In Praise of NHS Emergency Care 01:14:54 A Bali Moped Crash and NHS Hallways 01:18:11 Foxy's Only Real Goal in Life 01:20:41 Adult Circumcision and Other Injuries Down There 01:22:11 The Schoolyard Punch and Gaps in Body Armour 01:23:57 MrBallen's Grenade Story 01:26:41 From an IED Blast to a UK High Street in 16 Hours 01:28:45 Calm in Chaos, Chaos in the Calm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 11 · 1 hr 17 min
What Actually Happens To Your Taxes? : Frank Greeff
Frank Greeff joins James Smith fresh off a $180 million exit for a raw conversation about tax, talent and why the game never really ends. Frank breaks down the $6.2M tax bill from selling his last business, the proposed Australian capital gains changes that would have doubled it, and why, hand on heart, he isn't sure he'd have started his last company if those rules had existed first. Check out Kinso on YouTube : @KinsoAI Follow Frank Greeff on intagram : https://www.instagram.com/frankgreeff_/ Try Kinso: https://www.kinso.ai/ 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Chapters: 00:00 The $6.2M Tax Bill 03:05 Australia's Proposed Capital Gains Changes 04:19 How Indexation Doubles the Tax to $12M 05:31 "Show Me the Incentive, I'll Show You the Outcome" 06:53 Capital Gains Isn't Income Tax 07:39 The Trickle-Down Effect of Building Businesses 08:55 Gaming the System & the "Nurses and Teachers" Trap 11:13 Killing the Entrepreneurial Spirit 12:44 Why the Rich Leave: Dubai & $1.5M a Year 14:46 The UK £100k Tax Trap 15:50 Becoming a Reddit Hit Piece 16:43 Three of His Network Have Already Left 18:51 New Zealand: No Capital Gains Tax 20:05 Why Australia Is an Entrepreneur's Dream 20:56 Hostels, Sleepwalking Lies & the Woolworths Confession 22:44 How Hard It Is for Brits to Stay in Australia 24:31 Locked Out in the Pandemic 25:50 The "Plane That Couldn't Land" 28:38 Dinner With Tony Abbott & Chris Williamson 31:06 Payroll Tax: The "Temporary" 1950s Tax 31:57 Daniel Priestley & the Lifestyle Business 32:44 The Dinner Bill Analogy: When the Rich Leave 34:31 What Kinso Actually Does 36:29 Filtering Spam & Rebuilding Context 38:39 Fundraising Stories: The Dubai Deck 40:05 Why WhatsApp Is King 41:05 Inside Kinso's Beta & Manual Onboarding 42:53 The Netflix Content Strategy (11.9M Views) 44:48 Thinking Like a Media Company 45:53 The Character Arbitrage 47:56 15 Reels a Day & Trial Reels 49:41 Instagram Edits & the Sauna Guy 50:36 The Nicotine Pouch Trick Shot Ad 51:59 Trying Neutonic on Camera 53:56 TikTok Shop: 45,000 UK Sales 55:56 The Fake "Caught Cheating" Reels Model 57:24 Retail Blows His Mind 58:12 Rate of Sale & the Language of Retail 01:00:43 Business as a Coping Mechanism 01:02:16 Money as a Byproduct of the Game 01:03:35 Relief, Not Happiness, When You Hit Goals 01:04:44 The Pregnancy Analogy & a Live Negotiation 01:07:30 Do You Ever Get Bored? 01:08:20 The Post-Sale Support Group Dinner 01:10:49 Buying the RS6 & Feeling Nothing 01:11:49 What Necker Island Was Really Like 01:13:22 Losing the Ability to Enjoy Things Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 30 · 1 hr 16 min
Traitors Star Andrew Jenkins: The Problem With Mental Health
Andrew Jenkins, the Traitors star, joins James Smith for a raw conversation about resilience, identity, and rebuilding a life after everything is taken away. At 21, Andrew was pronounced dead at the scene of a catastrophic car accident, lost half his skull and over half his blood, and was told he'd never walk, talk, or recognise anyone again. He walked out of that hospital and then spent 15 years suffering in silence behind a good body, a nice house, and a successful banking career. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Andrew Jenkins On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/andrewjenkinsofficial/ Andrew Jenkins On YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@andrewjenkinsofficial Andrew Jenkins's Website – https://www.andrew-jenkins.co.uk/ He explains: ◼️ Why failure is how you learn and why cotton-wool parenting is failing kids ◼️ How he attached his identity and his father's love to a rugby ball ◼️ Why the people with the biggest smiles are often struggling the most ◼️ How to get to the root cause instead of papering over the cracks ◼️ Why talking doesn't make you weak it makes you stronger Chapters: 00:00 The Hidden Cost of Success 01:13 First Impressions from The Traitors 01:50 The Real Problem With Resilience 02:37 Why Business Owners Are Terrified to Fail 03:22 No More First, Second or Third at School 04:29 The Coach Who Told Him the Brutal Truth 06:43 The Dream of Playing Rugby for Wales 06:54 Attaching His Dad's Love to Rugby 08:08 James's Rugby Days and Welsh "Supplements" 09:14 The Catastrophic Car Accident 11:02 Told He'd Never Walk Again 11:56 "I Guarantee I'll Walk Out of Here" 12:40 Brain Injury, CTE and Rugby 13:37 The Other Four People in the Car 14:38 Living With the Trauma 15:52 Great on the Outside, Hating Himself Inside 16:25 Losing His Identity and His Dad 18:39 How One Concussion Can Change a Person 19:30 His Son's Concussions and a Parent's Fear 20:45 Finding Another Outlet for Competition 23:12 Sport, Business and Meritocracy 24:11 Climbing the Wrong Ladder 25:36 Does More Money Make It Worse? 28:01 Why One Bad Day Can Wreck the Privileged 29:26 Growing Up in the Graveyard of Ambition 30:43 James Being Locked Out of Australia 32:35 Happiness Is an Internal Job 35:57 Happiness vs Pleasure and the Hedonic Treadmill 37:31 Why Every Goal Feels Empty 38:59 Talking Yourself Through Your Emotions 40:08 Root Cause Analysis for Mental Health 42:02 The Chimp Paradox and Self-Awareness 42:58 Environment vs Brain Chemistry 43:54 Menopause, Women and Suicide 44:26 TRT, Testosterone and Low T 47:24 Crashing Your Estrogen — The Male Menopause 48:38 James's Own Low Testosterone Story 49:58 Talking to His Son About Drugs 52:36 The Four Ways He Measured Masculinity 53:35 Telling His Parents the Truth 55:08 Being the Responsible One 55:55 Why We Should Educate Kids Honestly About Drugs 57:39 The Truth About Ketamine 58:26 Alcohol vs Everything Else 1:01:54 Psychedelics as Mental Health Treatment 1:03:23 Amsterdam After His Mother Passed 1:04:52 LSD in the Park and a Friend's Breakthrough 1:05:42 Acid at a Wedding 1:07:35 Closing Advice: Believe in Yourself 1:09:03 Creating a Second Path 1:10:14 Surround Yourself With the Right People 1:11:00 Breaking Stigmas — Talking Makes You Stronger 1:12:36 Meeting the Man Who Saved His Life 1:13:07 Where to Find Andrew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 30 · 1 hr 33 min
Why The Aussie Economy is F*cked
Tom Hawley joins James Smith to expose the deliberate machinery behind a cost-of-living crisis most people don't even know is happening to them. The co-founder of Azura Financial, one of Australia's top 10 brokerages and a three-time Residential Broker of the Year, Hawley argues that inflation isn't a natural force but a policy choice, a quiet tax on your purchasing power that hits lower and middle-income earners hardest precisely because they can't see it. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Tom Hawley on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tom_hawley_/ Azura Financial – https://www.azurafinancial.com.au Chapters: 00:00 The Hidden Tax Nobody Voted For 01:13 What Is Inflation Really? 04:11 Why Governments Want Your Money to Lose Value 06:44 Capital Gains: How the Goalposts Just Moved 08:01 Why High-Growth Investment Gets Punished Most 09:08 James's Plan to Dodge the Tax Man 10:30 Is the Stock Market Even Worth the Risk Now? 13:35 Are Australia's Politicians Thick or Deceptive? 15:35 Did Labor Politicians Just Commit Insider Trading? 16:50 Pulling the Ladder Up on Negative Gearing 19:42 Australia Is in Economic Trouble 22:43 The Immigration Trap: Six Years Locked Out 27:59 The 457 Visa That Vanished Overnight 31:18 What GDP Growth Actually Hides 32:37 The Festival Trick That Explains the Economy 35:24 Printing Money Is Just Diluting You 38:03 Government Waste and the $70,000 Plaque 41:14 Three Tiers: Government, Employment, Self-Employed 45:09 The Curse of Never Switching Off 47:59 Chasing a Billion-Dollar Exit for Neutonic 50:02 Why the Journey Beats the Payday 53:03 A Petrolhead's Defence of Buying the Car 57:31 Why Ripping It for Ten Kids Is Worth It 01:00:00 Smiles Per Mile vs Saving It All 01:02:25 The Revolver Logic of Retirement 01:04:20 Should You Buy a House or a GT3? 01:08:02 Why Buy When the Market Feels Worst 01:11:48 The Leverage Play Explained 01:13:18 Will Gen Z Just Inherit It All Anyway? 01:15:00 Are We Heading For a Death Tax? 01:17:08 The Welfare Trap: Better Off Not Working 01:21:33 You Get Less of What You Tax 01:23:49 Will Australia Lose Its Entrepreneurs? 01:24:54 Tall Poppy Syndrome vs the American Way 01:27:38 Closing Advice for the Everyday Punter 01:28:51 What the Government Must Do to Save the Australian Dream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 23 · 1 hr 15 min
The Problem With Running A Small Business: Diren Kartal
Diren Kartal joins James Smith for an honest, often hilarious conversation about what running a small business actually does to you once the money is coming in but the freedom isn't. Diren is a personal trainer and Turkey's number one fitness coach with over 1.2 million followers, and despite bringing in hundreds of thousands a year he can't shake the feeling that none of it sticks. Together they unpick the tax trap that's bleeding British high-earners dry, the brutal "valley of death" stage of scaling, his secret ADHD diagnosis, and why the two of them keep eyeing the exits to Australia, Dubai and Turkey. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Diren Kartal's YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/c/DirenKartal Diren Kartal On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/diren.kartal/ He explains: ◼️ Why he can earn hundreds of thousands a year and still not feel a penny of it ◼️ The HENRY trap, and why earning over 100k in the UK can quietly leave you worse off ◼️ The secret ADHD diagnosis and meds that finally turned the noise off and let him focus ◼️ Why the rich borrow against their assets instead of selling, and never pay the tax ◼️ Why short-form scrolling left him "depressed and disgusted" and long form is the real comeback Chapters: 00:00 The Problem With Running A Small Business 01:25 Bringing In Hundreds Of Thousands And Feeling Nothing 01:52 HENRY: High Earner, Not Rich Yet 03:21 The Cost Of Living In London Right Now 04:07 Every Tax Under The Sun 05:25 Why The Shops Keep Shutting Down 06:27 Business Rates Are The Real Killer 07:39 Going All-In And How Tough It's Been 07:56 Is AI A Disruptor Or A Distraction? 09:00 Why AI Still Can't Replace The Human Bit 10:27 The Real Reason People Stopped Posting 11:58 Living It vs Looking Like You're Living 12:51 The Steven Bartlett Problem 14:19 Being Unapologetically Yourself 15:10 Short Form Is Dying, Long Form Is Back 17:00 The Will Kennedy Trust Lesson 18:03 The Diren Kartal Experience 20:27 Thinking Fast And Slow: Give Him An A-Task 22:00 Why Men Talk Shoulder To Shoulder 23:54 The Front End Is Easy, The Back End Breaks You 25:36 Long-Term Memory, Terrible Short-Term Memory 26:23 The Pressure Nobody Warns You About 27:45 You Don't Want Your Son To See You Fail 28:28 Council Estate Vibes And The Fear Of Going Back 29:25 Getting The Psych Test 30:25 Six Months On ADHD Meds 32:20 Manufacturing Stress To Motivate Yourself 34:30 Is There A Real Return On The Meds? 35:35 Escaping The Desk Job To Build Another One 36:53 The 150 Grand Website Regret 37:50 Australia Is Bad, The UK Is Worse 40:04 289,000 Businesses Set To Fail This Year 41:20 Boomers Hate To Hear How Good They Had It 43:50 Why Earning More Can Leave You With Less 45:12 Your Favourite Part Of Britain Is Leaving It 46:23 Do The Elites Just Find The Loopholes? 47:04 Stop Making The Top Earners Feel Like Villains 49:05 Why Hating Landlords Makes No Sense 51:32 How Politicians Punish The Young To "Help" Them 53:16 Will He Stay In Australia? 53:43 How The Rich Borrow Against Assets And Pay No Tax 55:01 The Stuff They Never Teach You In School 56:17 The Money Chat That Changed Everything 57:43 The Valley Of Death: 12 To 30 Employees Is Hell 58:38 If He Did It Again He'd Stay Small 59:06 We're Both Hypocrites About Debt 01:00:17 Tripling The Money As An Investor 01:02:20 The Adapt Story And Building A Brand With Mates 01:04:26 What's Missing From Jiu Jitsu 01:07:28 Just Wanting To Look Good On The Mats 01:08:35 Taking The Piss Out Of Jiu Jitsu Culture 01:09:06 Becoming The Joe Wicks Of Turkey 01:10:47 Should You Get Assessed For ADHD? 01:11:33 Meds, Music And Feeling Like You're On Psychedelics 01:12:36 Raising A Son Without The Noise 01:13:23 Wrapping Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 16 · 57 min
The Problem With Splitting The Difference: Chris Voss
👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Chris Voss's YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@NegotiationMastery⁩ Chris Voss On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thefbinegotiator/ Chris Voss joins James Smith for a masterclass on the psychology of negotiation, trust, and getting what you want without ever splitting the difference. A former FBI hostage negotiator and the bestselling author of Never Split the Difference, Voss breaks down why most people negotiate badly, how loss aversion quietly runs the room, and why the goal is never to win the moment but to build something that lasts. He explains: ◼️ Why splitting the difference leaves everyone feeling cheated ◼️ How to catch a liar off guard and then get them to tell the truth ◼️ Why predictability, not charm, is what actually builds trust ◼️ The grocery store move that turns a stranger into an ally ◼️ Why walking away only works when you genuinely mean it Chapters: 00:00 The Problem With Splitting the Difference 02:23 Why We Overreact to Loss 03:26 The Emotions You're Born With 03:59 Loss Aversion, Jiu Jitsu and the Submission 05:20 Catching Liars in Their Own Web 06:14 How a Polygraph Really Works 08:01 Shu Ha Ri and the Art of Mastery 10:34 Sending Students Into the Wild to Practice 11:15 The Three Commodities in Every Negotiation 12:36 The Broccoli Sprouts Masterclass 13:30 Priming and the Power of Pattern Interrupt 15:10 Why Using Someone's Name Defuses Violence 18:33 The Hardest Part Isn't Catching the Lie 20:25 Short Term Loss vs The Loss That Kills You 22:32 Why Entrepreneurs Make Weak Negotiators 23:18 How to Actually Ask Your Boss for a Raise 26:03 The Hidden Power of Deference 27:21 The Sales Tricks That Have Been Weaponised 29:49 Why Honest Sellers Win More Deals 31:33 Predictability Is Trust in Disguise 33:15 Inside the Black Swan Community 35:47 Buying a Car With Empathy Instead of Ego 37:19 Is Walking Away a Skill or a Bluff? 40:29 Relationships Are Ongoing Negotiations 42:17 Never Be So Sure You'd Miss Something Better 44:50 Cadence, Silence and Sounding Important 46:08 Using Humour to Disarm a Cold Room 48:25 Deactivating Fear Instead of Fighting It 50:10 Negotiation, Dating and the Renewals Process 52:11 Should You Ever Touch During a Negotiation? 53:13 Where to Start If You Want to Get Good 55:35 The 48 Hour Challenge That Will Change Your Day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 10 · 1 hr 3 min
The Problem With Training After 30: Sonny Webster
Sonny Webster joins James Smith for an honest conversation about what training, money and ambition actually look like once you hit your 30s. A British Olympic weightlifter who competed at Rio 2016, Sonny is now a fitness entrepreneur building global training platforms, and he doesn't hold back on the realities of optimisation culture, the TRT debate. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Sonny Webster's YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@sonnywebsterGB Sonny Webster On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sonnywebstergb/ He explains: ◼️ Why training after 30 becomes a completely different ball game ◼️ How peptides and GLP-1s are quietly reshaping the fitness industry ◼️ What moving to Dubai really costs (and why money evaporates faster) ◼️ Why handing over money is the thing that actually makes people change ◼️ Where testosterone sits for the everyday athlete who'll never compete Chapters: 00:00 The Testosterone Debate and Sonny's WADA Ban 00:57 Why Training After 30 Hits Like a Brick Wall 02:10 Olympic Lifting for Longevity, Not Platforms 04:15 Going Sober and the Death of the Wild Weekend 05:07 Peptides, TRT and the World of Optimisation 06:26 Why GLP-1s Make You Hate Alcohol 07:50 Grabbing the Low-Hanging Fruit First 08:32 Becoming a Slave to Your Wearables 12:24 How Dubai Changed Sonny's Physique 16:22 Tax-Free Living and the Money That Evaporates 18:45 Going Back to the UK and Embracing London 20:54 Why Your Friendship Circle Shrinks in Your 30s 23:31 Sonny's Goals: Minimal Effective Dose 26:27 Body, Business, Relationships, You Can't Have All Three 28:05 The Power of a Business Coach and Cutting the Noise 30:16 Why Paying for Something Makes You Actually Do It 31:00 Why Free Codes Create the Worst Clients 32:32 No Transformation Without the Pain 34:48 As Close to 50 as I Am to 23 35:34 Testosterone, the Enhanced Games and Masters Lifting 38:28 The Track Car Logic of TRT 40:34 The Double Standards of Optimisation 41:31 Are We the Peak Optimisation Generation? 43:34 Relationships, Freedom and Finding Hannah 44:56 Having Kids and Knowing When You've Got "Enough" 49:30 The Fair Points Podcast and Missed Opportunities 51:52 Taboo Topics and Creating a Safe Space 52:36 Building a Legacy in Dubai 56:14 Speed Cameras, Statham and Going Bald Gracefully 59:14 The Russian Banya Near-Death Experience 01:01:45 Scaling The Lifting Zone and the Clothing Brand 01:03:09 Wrapping Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 2 · 1 hr 17 min
The Problem With Work-Life Balance: Paul Mort
Paul Mort joins James Smith for a no-holds-barred conversation on work-life balance, building a business you don't want to escape, and why most people are chasing a version of freedom they haven't earned yet. A two-time Master Coach of the Year, bestselling author, and podcast host, Paul Mort makes the case that work-life balance isn't a time problem or a workload problem; it's a clarity problem, and you can't hit a target you can't see. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Paul Mort's YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@paulmortofficial Paul Mort on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/paulmort/ He explains: ◼️ How boundaries — not balance — are what actually protect your life ◼️ Why a great hire is an investment, not a cost ◼️ What a "shitty job" teaches you that Gen Z has been sold out of ◼️ Why you should buy back time before you buy the Ferrari Chapters: 00:00 The Real Problem With Work-Life Balance 03:10 You Haven't Earned Chapter 20 Freedom Yet 04:45 Boundaries Are How You Protect What Matters 06:26 Hire People Who Manage You, Not the Other Way Round 08:55 Bringing Other Humans Into the Business 09:45 Death By a Thousand Requests 12:27 A Ferrari or a Member of Staff? 13:45 Why a Great Hire Is an Investment, Not a Cost 14:30 Has Gen Z Been Sold a Pipe Dream? 15:07 Why James Only Hires People Who've Had a Shitty Job 16:50 The Hires That Went Wrong 17:32 Your Biggest Haters Are Former Fans 20:25 Chasing Clout and Why It's Never About You 21:13 When the Comments Feel Like the Whole World 22:39 Defending Your Friends but Not Yourself 25:49 Practising Gratitude as Success Gets Complicated 27:01 Your Values Shift — and That Becomes a Boundary 29:14 Lying to Yourself About Being Happy "Later" 30:09 Could You Actually Retire? And Would You? 32:38 The Curse of the Creator-Led Business 34:06 The Fear of Losing Relevancy 35:02 Paul's 18-Month Disappearance and Comeback 35:54 Doing Less of the Stuff You Hate 36:51 The 2014 Ad That Turned James Into a Marketer 38:17 Why the Old Marketing Still Works 39:35 What Gen Z Doesn't See About the Grind 41:56 Eating Shit: Empty Seminars and Worse 42:08 The Boot Camp Disaster Story 42:47 The Hidden Work-Life Balance of a 9-to-5 45:11 A Shrinking Runway With the Kids 45:31 Jealous of People Sinking Beers at the Airport 47:34 Shedding Your Old Skin 47:42 Four Years Booze-Free and Training at Lunchtime 49:14 The Eight Sleep Obsession 53:57 Japanese Toilets and Things You Don't Value Till You Try 55:25 Why a Nice Car Is Integral to How You Feel 58:54 Being Sensible With Money to Buy Back Freedom 58:43 Swapping Time for Money, Money for Time, Money for Money 59:14 The Retirement Gamble Nobody Talks About 01:00:41 Diminishing Returns and Setting Up Your Kids 01:02:56 Getting Kicked Out of School and the Job Centre Story 01:04:48 Raising Kids to Know What Hard Work Feels Like 01:06:02 How Do You Feel About Tax? 01:08:00 Is the UK a Good Place to Build a Business? 01:09:02 Strong Opinions From People Who've Never Done It 01:10:18 Brown Belt Humility and Getting Touched Up by Pros 01:11:33 Getting Outclassed by Your Own 15-Year-Old Son 01:12:34 Seasons of Training — and the Hypocrisy of It 01:13:11 Why "Work a Bit Less" Is Too Vague to Work 01:14:08 How Do You Grow a Business in 3.5 Days a Week? 01:15:03 Ask Better Questions, Set Clearer Goals 01:15:44 What Paul's Working On: The 90-Day Transformation Returns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 26 · 1 hr 3 min
The Problem With Not Understanding The Economy: Tom Bilyeu
Tom Bilyeu joins James Smith to discuss how broken the modern economy really is. The host of Impact Theory and co-founder of Quest Nutrition argues that inflation is theft, that you cannot save your way to success anymore, and that elites are quietly funneling wealth from the working class. He explains: ◼️ Why a balanced budget changes every policy argument ◼️ How property markets get fixed by deregulation, not taxes ◼️ Why men should be encouraged to go hard in the paint ◼️ How AI is shrinking headcount while multiplying output ◼️ Why paying down debt can quietly beat the stock market 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Tom Bilyeu's YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Tom Bilyeu On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Chapters: 00:00 The Problem With Not Understanding The Economy 02:30 Inflation Theft and The Hidden Wealth Transfer 03:10 Australia's Capital Gains Tax Bombshell 05:03 The Negative Gearing Property Trap 08:01 Why The Stock Market Is Basically Gambling 11:19 Tom's Advice For An Ambitious 22-Year-Old 13:11 Why Society Now Hates Male Ambition 15:39 Women, The Patriarchy and Sexual Selection 17:48 Why People Demonise Billionaires 21:41 The American Buying Mentality vs The UK 23:14 What Actually Made America Great 26:42 Generational Amnesia and Forgotten Hardship 30:43 Living in Los Angeles and California 33:01 Can The Whole World Live The American Dream? 35:46 Japan, Assimilation and Shared Values 38:38 American Political Corruption as Entertainment 42:01 Human Nature, Greed and AI Government 45:00 Why AI Is The New Internet Moment 45:59 How AI Is Transforming Tom's Business 49:09 Video Games, VR and Escaping Reality 54:04 Addictive Personalities and Gaming 55:34 The Simple Financial Playbook 58:06 The Truth About Paying Down Your Debt 1:01:46 Should You Be Buying Bitcoin? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 19 · 1 hr 24 min
The Problem With Linkedin: Lara Acosta
Lara Acosta joins James Smith for a no-holds-barred conversation about LinkedIn, the corporate world, and what it really takes to build a personal brand that actually moves the needle. A LinkedIn growth expert and founder who's helped thousands of professionals turn themselves into trusted authorities, Lara breaks down why most people are doing LinkedIn wrong — and why the platform isn't the problem, corporate is. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Lara Acosta's YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@Laraacosta Lara Acosta On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/laraacostar/ She explains: ◼️ Why LinkedIn isn't cringe — corporate is ◼️ What's actually changed in the algorithm and how to ride it ◼️ Why AI slop is killing engagement (and why Lara doesn't care) ◼️ How to micro-dose failure instead of betting the house ◼️ Why following your skill beats following your passion every time Chapters: 00:00 The Real Problem With LinkedIn 01:16 Why LinkedIn Feels So Cringe 03:19 James's Years in the Corporate Trenches 05:46 Hacks to Leave Work Early Without Being Noticed 08:06 Sales, Recruitment, and the Posh Hotel Voice 11:11 What's Actually Wrong With the Algorithm 12:48 Carousels and Picture-First Posting 14:21 The Great LinkedIn Articles Debate 21:06 The Three-Hour Workday Conspiracy 24:05 Social Loafing and Bloated Departments 26:06 Cocaine, Cider Hands, and Surviving Corporate 28:18 Three Weeks at Activision Doing Nothing 30:35 Failing First Year of University 33:00 The Birmingham Housemates Story 35:00 Failing Spanish as a Native Speaker 38:31 The AI Slop Problem on LinkedIn 40:29 Why Engagement Prompts Actually Work 43:53 Entrepreneur vs Business Owner in Britain 45:45 The Texas Barbecue New Tonic Story 50:15 The Zero Sum Mentality Trap 52:57 Lara's NPower Door-to-Door Scam Job 56:00 James in a Prom Suit Selling Energy 58:32 One in a Hundred and the Power of Rejection 01:01:35 Enjoying Every Stage of Business 01:02:55 The Problem With Remote Working 01:09:03 Giving Your Team Rope to Climb or Hang 01:10:44 The Problem With Leadership on LinkedIn 01:15:32 The Goalposts That Never Stop Moving 01:16:00 James's Complacency in Lockdown 01:19:13 Closing Takeaways: Follow Skill Not Passion This conversation is part LinkedIn masterclass, part corporate exorcism. Lara's clear-eyed take on the platform — what the algorithm rewards, what AI is doing to the feed, and why most leadership content is fake — meets James's lived experience of faking pisses to scroll Twitter, calling Cornwall County Council 100 times a day, and getting binned from a job he never figured out. The result is a candid look at why so many people stay stuck in jobs they hate, and a practical case for micro-dosing failure until you build the life you actually want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 12 · 1 hr 23 min
The Problem With Being Soft: Ali Maclean
👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Ali Maclean's YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@alimacleans Ali Maclean On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/alimacleans/ Ali Maclean joins James Smith for a no-holds-barred conversation on combat sports, mental toughness, and why being "soft" is the most dangerous thing a man can be. A career MMA fighter-turned-coach, Ali argues that combat sports are the most underrated self-development tool on the planet — a Trojan horse that forces men to confront their ego, communication, fitness, and their own appetite for controlled violence. He explains: ◼️ Why combat sports are a Trojan horse for self-development ◼️ How fear and excitement live in the same nervous system — and how to use it ◼️ Why "everything you learn at white belt is a lie" about strength in jiu-jitsu ◼️ How injuries quietly build a better grappler than ego ever will ◼️ Why the path of inaction is the only outcome worth fearing Chapters:Chapters: 00:00 Heights, Fear and What's Coming 01:35 The Problem With Being Soft 03:00 The Three Types of Men: Unprepared, Half-Capable, Capable 04:25 Why Walking Away Is Real Self-Defense 06:55 Jeff Cooper's Awareness Levels — White, Yellow, Orange, Red 09:30 Losing the Ego When a Knife Comes Out 11:30 Baseball Bats, Knives and What You Can Actually Do at Home 12:55 We All Secretly Love Violence 14:08 The Rugby Club Bare-Knuckle Champion Story 17:00 Walking Into a Bar When You've Never Been Hit 18:50 Getting Kicked in the Balls at School (and Other Reality Checks) 20:00 Why Violence Isn't Suffering — It's a Teacher 22:00 Decorum in Street Fights vs Nights Out 24:50 Why Jiu-Jitsu Is the Best On-Ramp to MMA 26:50 The Ultimate Fighter Season 15 — Getting Humbled on Live TV 29:30 Words Only Hurt If They're Slightly True 30:30 Why Hate Comments Are a Performance Indicator 33:40 Banter Is Just Practiced Confrontation 34:50 The DOSE Cascade From Combat Sports 36:30 Combat Sports as a Trojan Horse for Self-Development 38:50 The Lockdown Touch Crisis and Loving Brock Lesnar 42:00 What WWE Taught Us About Building an Audience 45:50 Bodybuilding vs Combat Sports Beauty Standards 49:00 Why Injuries Make You a Better Grappler 51:30 James's MCL Tear and a Front Headlock Game 52:40 The Most Underrated Body Part to Train: Your Neck 54:00 The Osteopath Magician and the Expectation Effect 55:50 Strength in Jiu-Jitsu — Everything You Learn at White Belt Is a Lie 57:30 The Guillotine Is About Hope, Not Submission 58:00 Soul-Stealing — How High-Level Strikers Break You 1:01:30 Grip Fighting Decides the Match 1:01:50 Going Out Too Hot — A Cautionary Comp Story 1:03:08 Everyone Backstage Is Scared (Even GSP and Darren Till) 1:05:00 Cus D'Amato: Fear Is a Raging Fire 1:05:50 Flow State and the Day James Caught a Knee Bar 1:08:08 Sauna, Ice Bath and the Daily Battle With Yourself 1:09:30 Stoicism, Discomfort and Seeking Mental Toughness 1:12:00 The £4,000 Missed-Flight Lesson 1:14:50 Ali's Fear of Heights Confession 1:17:00 Fear as the Compass to Where You Should Go 1:18:09 Soft Is the Path of Inaction 1:19:20 Ali's Honest Take on His MMA Career 1:20:30 Ali's Coaching: Strong, Fit, Capable Men 1:21:25 How James's Mentorship Changed Ali's Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 5 · 1 hr 25 min
The Problem With Bad Luck: Paul Sloane
Paul Sloane joins James Smith to dismantle the myth of bad luck and reveal why the most successful innovations in history happened entirely by accident. A Cambridge engineer, former IBM marketer, and bestselling author, Sloane argues that what most people write off as misfortune is actually a hidden opportunity, and the people who notice it are the ones who change industries. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Paul Sloane's Website – https://www.destination-innovation.com Paul Sloane On X – https://x.com/PaulSloane He explains: ◼️ Why most "bad luck" is unrecognised opportunity ◼️ The four traits that actually lucky people share ◼️ How psychological safety unlocks radical ideas in any team ◼️ Why polymaths produce more creative solutions than specialists ◼️ The one question every business must be able to answer Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:15 The Two Problems With Bad Luck 02:37 J.K. Rowling, Trains and Hidden Opportunities 04:26 The Four Traits of Lucky People 05:32 Why Superstition Is the Wrong Direction 06:34 Penicillin, Velcro and Happy Accidents 08:48 Why Successful People Never Blame Others 10:23 Mindset, Identity and Why Dating Felt Different 12:01 Testing Thumbnails and the 4K Trick 14:17 The Brutal Role of Timing in Success 15:14 Building Psychological Safety for Wild Ideas 17:22 James on Steroids, Status and Being 22 20:00 Why Carwow's YouTube Strategy Is Genius 24:02 Innovation vs Creativity Defined 24:22 Doing Something Different Every Day 25:45 Closing Open Loops and the Zeigarnik Effect 27:37 The Random Greyhound Approach to Travel 29:37 James's Red Bull Can You Make It Story 32:37 Wilson Greatbatch and the Pacemaker Accident 34:26 Why Polymaths Find Better Solutions 35:26 Using AI to Introduce Useful Randomness 37:27 Red Bull's Trojan Horse Marketing 39:51 Productive Boredom and Shower Thoughts 44:55 Survivorship Bias and the Quiet Years of Work 46:23 The Cellar Door Lateral Thinking Puzzle 47:45 The Most Important Question in Business 50:02 Why People Really Leave Money to Charity 52:27 Polarising Marketing on the Tube 55:29 Paddy Power and the Blind Football Advert 58:13 The C-Word and Brave Brand Choices 01:01:28 Burger King's Left-Handed Hamburger Hoax 01:02:24 ASDA Opticians and the Swiss Referee 01:07:56 Rory Sutherland, HS2 and Demolishing Birmingham 01:08:59 Edward de Bono's Ford Car Parks Idea 01:12:24 The Case for Self-Driving Cars 01:16:49 AI, Useless Jobs and Paying People Properly 01:20:42 Will Self-Driving Cars Steal Our Thinking Time? 01:21:54 Who This Book Is For Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 28 · 1 hr 19 min
The Problem With Air Fryers: Lucy Lord
Lucy Lord joins James Smith for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with the air fryer sitting unused on 70% of UK kitchen counters and ends up tearing apart everything from protein marketing scams to the slow death of the British night out. A best-selling cookbook author and the woman behind Supper Club, Lucy is back with her third book, Love Your Air Fryer, and makes the case that cooking your own food is the most underrated act of self-care left in the modern world. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Lucy Lord's Website – https://www.lordlucy.com Lucy Lord On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lordlucy/ Lucy Lord on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@lordlucyfoodstory⁩ She explains: ◼️ Why the air fryer is the most underutilised tool in your kitchen ◼️ How cooking is the lowest-hanging fruit for looking and feeling better ◼️ The protein con quietly corrupting your supermarket shop ◼️ Why "increasing your surface area for luck" works in dating, business and life ◼️ How "touching your future" rewires what you think you're capable of Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:00 The Air Fryer Problem No One Talks About 03:50 Why Cooking Is the Most Underrated Form of Self-Care 06:37 Air Fryer vs Oven — Why the Oven Is Becoming Obsolete 11:19 The Apple vs Probiotic Soda Con 12:54 Skipping the Foundations and Chasing the Trends 15:33 The Protein Ball Scam Exposed 19:23 Protein Water, Huel and the Death of the Real Meal 22:05 Why Britain's Grab-and-Go Culture Is Broken 23:15 James's Brutally Honest Review of Japan 27:44 Karoshi — Japan's Death From Overwork Crisis 29:09 The Birth Rate Collapse Hitting the Western World 32:11 Hustle Culture Is Stealing Men's Best Years 34:35 The 200 Dates That Led James to Tay 37:11 Lucy on Whether She Actually Wants Kids 39:01 Increasing Your Surface Area for Luck 39:45 Volume vs Intensity — The Dating Strategy That Works 43:52 GLP-1s, Smartphones and the Death of the Night Out 45:55 The Quiet Crisis of Men Disappearing From University 47:03 The Mumps, the Missed Lectures and James's Year of Chaos 50:21 Is a University Degree Even Worth It Anymore? 53:13 Inside Lucy's New Book — Love Your Air Fryer 58:39 Why James Is Forcing Lucy Onto YouTube 01:04:02 The Random Idea That Sold 3,500 Hats 01:06:28 How to Start a YouTube Channel With Just an iPhone 01:10:18 The Advice You Give Is the Advice You Need 01:10:33 Why James Avoids Gratitude 01:12:18 The Car as Forced Gratitude 01:13:04 Touching Your Future — The Concept That Changed Everything 01:17:46 Where to Find the Book, the Hats and Supper Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 21 · 1 hr 11 min
The Problem With Tribalism: Michael Morris
Michael Morris joins James Smith to dismantle the popular myth that tribalism is humanity's curse. A renowned cultural psychologist and Columbia Business School professor, Morris argues that our tribal instincts aren't hardwired hatred for outsiders, they're the very adaptations that allowed humans to outcompete Neanderthals, build civilisations, and cooperate at scales no other species can match. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com He explains: ◼️ Why tribal instincts are the glue of human cooperation, not division ◼️ How the peer, hero, and ancestor instincts shape every group you join ◼️ Why dating apps and social media distort our perception of attractiveness ◼️ How cults and extremist groups exploit our conformist psychology ◼️ Why ordinary Germans went along with the Nazis — and why you probably would too Chapters: 00:00 The Myth of Hardwired Tribal Hatred 01:51 What's Actually Wrong With Tribalism 03:30 Defining Tribal Instincts Properly 05:08 The Three Waves: Peer, Hero, Ancestor 07:07 Why Humans Evolved Differently to Apes 10:17 Do Chimpanzees Have Culture? 12:02 How Culture Shapes Political Systems 15:22 The Overlooked Positives of Tribalism 19:05 The Small Tribes All Around Us 22:04 How Leaders Actually Change Culture 24:02 Ancient DNA and the Neanderthal Story 28:21 Cannibalism and Neanderthal Inbreeding 29:28 The Trolley Test of Human Decency 33:41 How Homo Sapiens Outcompeted Neanderthals 36:48 Why Groups of Humans Become Apex Predators 37:35 Modern Family Structures and Dating Apps 40:06 The Body Dysmorphia Crisis Online 44:10 Social Media as a Funhouse Mirror 45:14 James on American Political Polarisation 47:11 The Addiction of Virtue Signalling 49:19 Hot Takes and the Race for Status 51:36 Where Status Sits in Tribal Psychology 54:21 Why We Imitate Celebrities and Heroes 56:01 The Asch Experiment and Conformity 59:04 Heaven's Gate and the Mechanics of Cults 01:00:58 The Decline of Young Men's Social Groups 01:03:16 Would You Have Been a Nazi? 01:05:36 The Milgram Shock Experiment 01:06:47 Why Tribalism Is the Solution, Not the Problem 01:10:00 Where to Find Tribal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 17 · 1 hr 52 min
The Problem With Comfort: Anthony (Staz) Stazicker CGC
Anthony "Staz" Stasziker, a former special forces officer, shares essential life advice on the importance of hard work, discipline, and the problem with living a comfortable life. Staz highlights that true success, much like military training in special ops, is not easily achieved but requires dedication. It's about putting in the effort, not just romanticizing the idea. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Follow Staz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stazthrudark/ Check out Thrudark: https://www.thrudark.com/ Check out Thrudark on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThruDark Chapters 00:00 - Why Comfort Is Making Us Weak 01:33 - The Friction We Desperately Need 06:34 - How Jiu-Jitsu Changed Everything 08:12 - Leaving Special Forces With Nothing 12:14 - The Hidden Force Controlling Your Life 19:28 - Are We Raising a Generation of Losers? 25:02 - From Failed Footballer to Elite Sniper 31:34 - What They Don't Tell You About Special Forces 41:53 - The Future of War Is Terrifying 51:59 - The Real Reason Men Are Falling Apart 56:04 - The Trauma Nobody Talks About 01:00:57 - The Drug Curing PTSD Overnight 01:06:34 - Why He Climbed Everest in 7 Days 01:22:19 - Buried Alive on the World's Highest Mountain 01:43:38 - What He Learned at 29,000 Feet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 14 · 1 hr 12 min
The Problem With Being Honest: Ian Leslie
Ian Leslie joins James Smith to unpack the uncomfortable truth about honesty: we can't actually handle it. A bestselling author and host of the Where Shall We Meet podcast, Ian argues that lying isn't a bug in human nature but an evolutionary feature — the very thing responsible for our big brains, our creativity, and our capacity for art. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Ian Leslie On Substack – https://ianleslie.substack.com/ The Ruffian Podcast by Ian Leslie - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Qm30smGRQjhEPUMq49uU8 James opens up about being honest with his employees, hiring a brutally candid editor for his next book, and how a rugby coach telling him he "played like shit" taught him more than any polite feedback ever could. He explains: ◼️ Why lying is a sign of intelligence, creativity and empathy in children ◼️ How the online world breeds dishonesty ◼️ Why office politics is passive aggression at scale ◼️ How trust is the prerequisite for any productive disagreement ◼️ Why sport is civilisation's greatest cage for our warrior instincts Chapters: 00:00 Why Lying Is Hardwired Into Our Intelligence 01:22 The Problem With Honesty Is We Can't Handle It 03:14 The Invention of Lying and Useful Deception 06:12 Why Lying Sits in Our Moral Grey Zone 08:37 When Your Child Should Start Lying to You 10:48 Autism, Theory of Mind and Honesty 12:01 Conformity as a Form of Social Lying 14:30 Self-Deception and the Lizard Brain 15:59 Cults, Ideologies and Online Group Lies 19:37 Interrogation Tricks and Cognitive Load 22:05 Telling Stories Backwards to Catch Liars 22:46 The Jiu-Jitsu Ringworm Test 25:18 Artists as Legitimised Liars 26:24 Bob Dylan's Reinvention and the Line Between Lying and Art 27:18 Embellishment, Storytelling and Social Incentives 28:50 Advertising as a Lie We Collude In 30:08 Dating Dynamics and Honesty With Women 32:29 Why Honesty Is Your Best Bet in the Long Run 34:09 The Woman Who Lied About Her Age 36:04 Botox, Makeup and Physical Deception 38:13 Height, Ethnicity and the Online Dating Filter 41:13 How Digital Breaks Humans Into Packets 41:56 Why Workplaces Are Full of Bullshit 44:14 Office Politics as Passive Aggression at Scale 45:06 James Getting Dropped From His Rugby Team 47:22 Hiring a Brutally Honest Editor 48:40 Trust as the Prerequisite for Honesty 50:00 The Two Channels of Every Difficult Conversation 52:19 Jiu-Jitsu, Conflict Resolution and Primal Urges 55:06 Sport as Civilisation's Substitute for War 57:37 Michael Jordan as a Roman Warrior 57:58 John Jones and the Beautiful Cage of MMA 58:24 The Ashes, the Barmy Army and Sportsmanship 01:00:24 The Gilded Cage of Rules and Norms 01:01:13 Zero-Sum Games and Honest Feedback 01:03:09 Why Participation Medals Miss the Point 01:05:16 Giving Brutal Feedback on Content 01:07:16 Have You Earned the Right to Be Honest? 01:08:26 Ian's Book: John and Paul — A Love Story in Songs 01:11:22 The Creative Power of Love This conversation takes a candid look at why deception is woven into the fabric of human intelligence, the corrosive cost of workplaces where nobody says what they think, and the trust that has to exist before honesty can actually land. Ian's perspective on disagreement, creativity and the relationship channel beneath every argument offers a sharp counterpoint to James's trademark bluntness — and the result is a conversation that will change how you think about every hard conversation you've ever avoided. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 7 · 1 hr 39 min
The Problem With Being Your Business: James Haskell
James Haskell joins James Smith for a brutally honest conversation about life after professional sport, the chaos of building multiple businesses, and what it actually takes to stay relevant when the game is over. A former England rugby star, Sunday Times bestselling author, and DJ, Haskell pulls no punches on the mental cost of reinvention — and why his obsession with performing has never really left him. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com James Haskell on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jameshaskell James Haskell's music – https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ry5gHsT7l1X84yGPZeVIj The Good, The Bad & The Rugby – https://open.spotify.com/show/1LJJ9KUF4aAjcSPimyKfp3 James opens up about the fear of failure that drove him through rugby, the strange emptiness that follows success, and why 40 felt like the moment everything had to change. From DJing in a music industry that doesn't return emails, to launching Black Eye Gin with a £1.50-per-bottle charity model, to finally getting his testosterone tested — this one covers ground most people won't. He covers: ◼️ Why being your own business is feast or famine — and how to future-proof it ◼️ The DJ career no one takes seriously (yet) ◼️ Building undeniable proof against self-doubt ◼️ Why catastrophising your future can be a legitimate motivational tool ◼️ What testosterone at level 3 actually feels like — and what TRT changed ◼️ The email list gap that's costing him (and you) real money Chapters: 00:00 There Are a Lot of Lost Men Out There 01:23 The Problem With Being Your Own Business 03:22 Life After Rugby — Planning vs Panic 05:05 Finding What You Actually Want to Do 05:30 The DJ Career: 12 Years, 31 Records 07:22 MMA, Surgeries and the Body Paying the Price 09:24 Going Back to Basics in 2026 10:18 Why Haskell Got Into DJing 12:01 Building Undeniable Proof Against Self-Doubt 13:31 Imposter Syndrome, Evidence Bases and Therapy at 17 15:35 Creating Common Enemies as Motivation 18:06 Catastrophising as a Motivational Mechanism 18:44 Defining What Success Actually Looks Like 19:21 Why Very Wealthy Men Lose Their Money 20:01 The Rocky Montage Years: Fear of Failure as Fuel 20:52 Learning to Sit In the Moment 22:00 The Music Industry Is a Wild West Shambles 24:50 The 50 Cent Tour Story — Music vs Every Other Business 27:03 Drug Culture, Harm Reduction and the Honest Conversation 30:49 What He'd Tell His Daughter About Drugs 32:02 Social Media, Innocence and Raising Kids Today 33:39 Does Civilisation Correct Itself? 35:40 On Politics, Reform and Weak Leaders 37:13 Hair Transplants, Prince William and Shaving Your Head 39:14 The James Haskell Effect on Rugby Back Rows 41:47 Henry Pollock, Pranks and the England Camp 44:03 The Witch Teeth Prank at the Dentist 45:24 The 2007 World Cup — and Ronny Ring's Band of Brothers Moment 49:01 Maidenhead RFC, Getting Dropped and a Mate's Game of His Life 53:41 Black Eye Gin — The Charity, the Recipe and the Origin 57:06 Rugby, UFC and Sports That Don't Apologise for Themselves 59:55 Trying Neutonic for the First Time 01:01:05 Building an Event That Combines Sport, Music and Fitness 01:07:19 Peptides, BPC-157 and Healing a Torn Bicep 01:09:05 Testosterone at Level 3 — Getting on TRT 01:20:32 The Relevancy Trap and Running Active Businesses 01:22:38 The Infinity Pool Story — Getting the Balance Right 01:26:36 Why Haskell Doesn't Have an Email List (Yet) 01:27:46 The Email Marketing Masterclass He Didn't Ask For 01:37:57 What's Coming Next: Music, DJ Gigs and the Tequila Launch This is one of those conversations that goes everywhere — rugby war stories, music industry chaos, drug policy, fatherhood, hormones, hair transplants, and the uncomfortable truth that being very good at performing doesn't automatically make you good at business. Haskell is funnier, more self-aware, and more switched-on than most people give him credit for — and this is the version of him you don't usually get to see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 31 · 1 hr 18 min
The Problem With Trying to Feel Better: Dr Julie Smith
Dr Julie Smith joins James Smith for a wide-ranging conversation on the psychology of emotion, mental health, and what it really means to feel better. A clinical psychologist and international bestselling author, Dr Smith dismantles the idea that difficult emotions are problems to be solved and challenges James on everything from catastrophising and shame-based motivation to the surprising emotional cost of success. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com Dr Julie Smith's YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@DrJulie Dr Julie Smith On Instagram –https://www.instagram.com/drjulie/ James opens up about his experience of lockdown, being cut off from Australia, the relief (not happiness) of hitting major milestones, and why he uses financial goals as a psychological permission slip to keep overworking. She explains: ◼️ Why wanting to feel better is sometimes part of the problem ◼️ How to recognise when distress is situational vs something deeper ◼️ The double standard we apply to ourselves vs others ◼️ Why self-compassion isn't weakness (it's the harder skill) ◼️ What status loss does to mental health and identity Chapters: 00:00 The Problem With Trying to Feel Better 04:20 When Anxiety Means You're a Good Parent 07:23 Is Low Mood Situational or Something Deeper? 12:10 When Should You Actually Get Therapy? 13:52 James Being Locked Out of Australia 15:36 Not Feeling Like You Qualify for Help 17:34 The Workaholics Trap and Honest Feedback 18:45 Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy — Where Does Dr Smith Stand? 20:23 James's LSD Day in the Park 21:49 The Periodic Table of Emotions 27:12 Vulnerability, Fatherhood and Opening Up 29:08 Redefining Success Beyond the Metrics 32:26 Giving Good Advice You Don't Take Yourself 34:49 Severance and the Work-Life Split 38:07 The Hidden Cost of Living a Very Public Life 41:24 When Followers Tell You You've Saved Their Life 44:28 How a Relationship Changed James's Relationship With Work 45:13 Status, Mental Health and the Fear of Losing It 53:01 The Double Standard We Have for Ourselves 55:42 Using Financial Goals as a Coping Mechanism 57:28 Catastrophising as Motivation 01:00:04 Why Every Goal Feels Empty After You Hit It 01:02:51 Fear of Success vs Fear of Failure 01:08:30 The Journey Is the Point — Not Just the Outcome 01:09:18 Sneak Peek: Dr Smith's New Book 01:10:21 Generational Amnesia and the Young People of Today 01:15:08 Closing Takeaways: What Actually Helps This conversation takes a candid look at the psychology behind overwork, the emotional emptiness that can follow achievement, and the courage required to actually let people in. Dr Smith's clinical perspective on self-compassion, attachment, and the standards we hold ourselves to offers a grounding counterweight to James's trademark candour — and the result is one of the most honest conversations on mental health the podcast has produced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 24 · 1 hr 29 min
The Problem With Self Sabotage: Connor Beaton (ManTalks)
Connor Beaton joins James Smith to reveal the uncomfortable truth about self-sabotage. Far from being a simple lack of discipline, self-sabotage is a sophisticated survival strategy your brain uses to maintain control. Beaton explains why your psyche would rather choose a familiar disaster over an unfamiliar victory, keeping you locked in a cycle of destructive behavior to protect a fragile sense of identity. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com They dismantle the myth that dark motivation is a sustainable fuel for success and expose the biological cost of running on shame. From adoption trauma and attachment theory to the high-stakes world of elite performance, this conversation uncovers the invisible weights that stop men from being present in their own lives. He explains: ◼️ Why your brain actively avoids healthy new habits ◼️ How shame-based fuel creates a performance ceiling ◼️ What happens when achievement replaces human connection ◼️ Why mastery and addiction share the same neurology ◼️ How radical transparency prevents relationship resentment Chapters: 00:00 The Psychology of Working With Men 03:37 The Real Problem With Self-Sabotage 04:11 Sabotage as a Protective Strategy 05:37 James’ Experience With Wild Weekends 07:15 Reinforcing Your Negative Identity 08:06 Carl Jung and The Shadow 09:11 Why Your Brain Prefers Familiarity 11:16 The John Jones Sabotage Pattern 12:46 Relational Trauma and Attachment Issues 13:45 Breaking Your Nervous System Set Point 16:02 George St-Pierre on Real Courage 17:51 James' Battle With Cognitive Dissonance 19:52 The Truth About Cocaine Habits 23:00 High Performers and The Control Trap 24:18 Dark Motivation: Using Shame as Fuel 26:42 Why Success Often Feels Empty 27:23 James’ Story of Adoption and Spite 30:35 Shifting From Spite to Family 32:48 Dating Volume and Almond Croissants 35:43 Healing Trauma Through Your Children 43:43 Rebuilding Trust and True Intimacy 47:14 Addiction as an Attachment Issue 49:33 Mastery vs The Addictive Tendency 53:07 Learning to Let Go of Control 57:17 The Dangers of Mental Masturbation 59:12 Diminished Versions of Yourself 01:02:14 Learning to Choose Your Regrets 01:04:02 The Psychological Fear of Retirement 01:08:40 The Cost of Professional Relevancy 01:12:19 Communicating Trade-offs in Relationships 01:15:51 Modern Dating’s Silent Plague 01:17:46 Re-infusing Choice into Relationships 01:21:53 Navigating the Psychological Map Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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