The Lead Story

Figure out your escape from a prison island. Shop for raw rabbit meat in the local supermarket. Find job security by choosing the right pen to lend to your boss on a plane. Get travel advice from a sociopath! It’s all covered in the latest Sini-Mini, a “snack-sized” podcast, this time on keeping a travel journal.Tips, hints, and how to make your travel experience last longer

Episode 3 of the Sini-Mini “snack-sized” podcast is all about one journaling prompt: exploration. This can be used as a writing prompt, a meditation, or good practice to enhance your travel writing. We’ll go into the minute detail of a piece of fruit, I sing the praises of the plain digestive biscuit, and you should come out of this with the strong urge to go shopping somewhe

So you want to try journaling. But where to start? I use my decades of journaling practice to get you going, whether you’re writing with your first cup of tea in the morning or trying out Oprah’s favourite practice of a gratitude journal at the end of the day. I go into more detail about the many different types of journals, tapping into your emotional self (and how to get that

If you have journaling as one of your New Year’s Resolutions (or have had your interest piqued by the new app included in the latest iPhone update), this is the podcast for you! I’ve taken a little detour from The Lead Story to delve into a topic I know a little something about. In this “Sini-Mini’” I cover what journaling actually is, some of the different types of journ

Paul Downing, my dad, is back! With 40 years of experience working in hotels internationally, Paul once again brings us lots of colourful stories about how he’s successfully handled cultural differences around the globe. There’s ice cream served in the desert from Lawrence of Arabia’s train, a goat stew brings a team together, and a manager must agree to hold meetings again,

I had so much fun talking about positivity with Tiffany Bradbury and had to find out a little more. This bonus segment gets a few more insights into how she keeps positivity in her life: with coffee, gratitude, 90’s grunge music and a whole lotta glitter. "The Lead Story" episodes 1-5 + 4 Sini-Mini's are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and othe

TRAILER: I'm exploring positivity in Episode 4 with one of the most positive people I know: Tiffany Bradbury. She was one of my very first managers and lead with a big smile and an even bigger heart. But that didn’t mean she was a pushover. So how has she brought that positivity and leadership to the fore every day, whether it be directing the evening news, teaching kids fire saf

Who’s the most positive member of your leadership team? Ever think about the steel that’s supporting all that sunshine and smiles? We’re exploring *positive* leadership so it’s time to get down to the details and look at positivity. It’s a conscious way to approach the day, the attitude with which to tackle a challenge, the thing you can be known for. But how do you susta

Pop quiz, hot shot! You didn't think I was going to speak to a teacher and not spring a pop quiz on him, do you? I put Mr Gartman into the hot seat to ask about first day superstitions, hidden talents, and the truth about the teachers' lounge. Grab a pencil, heads down, and begin! "The Lead Story" episodes 1-5 + 4 Sini-Mini's are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music,

It’s back to school time! We’re sneaking into the teacher’s lounge to speak to Jeff Gartman who’s been teaching for 20 years, after leaving television news production behind (just as I did!). I’ve grilled my fellow Virginia Tech grad about working with both those bright stars and more challenging students, how an old dog has to constantly learn new tricks to keep up with