Episodes

  • 173: Paul McVeigh on football, psychology and leading without ego

    173: Paul McVeigh on football, psychology and leading without ego
    Feb 27 2026

    This week we tried (unsuccessfully, messily, hauntingly) to mate a canary with a cockerel – all in a bid to impress our guest, former Norwich and Tottenham footballer, turned performance psychologist, Paul McVeigh.

    Having played more than 270 professional games, as well as earning 20 caps for Northern Ireland, Paul kicked ball with and against some legendary players, earning a few trophies, a few promotions and, perhaps the ultimate honour, his own song.

    But rather than go off and do the sort of generic post-playing jobs many ex-pros go for (like moaning about stuff on the tv. Or moaning about stuff on the radio. Or moaning about stuff on a podcast etc.) Paul has bottled up all his remarkable experiences in sport and used them to help all kinds of leaders to perform when it matters most.

    As a highly respected performance psychologist, Paul has built a super-successful second career out of helping to dismantle the old narratives about shouty, macho, ego-driven leadership, through his coaching and his two excellent books: ‘The Stupid Footballer is Dead’ and ‘It’s Not About You: The Psychology of Leadership.

    In a chat where Giles tries really, really hard not to dribble ‘Spurs’ all over the conversation, we ponder the most common mistakes, and misunderstanding, when it comes to ‘being the boss’, and some of the most influential sporting figures who inspired Paul’s philosophies on leadership.

    This episode is proudly dedicated to Paul’s Aunt Jean – proof that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself and that anything is possible.

    Follow Paul on LinkedIn

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    Timestamps

    1:32 – Quick Fire Questions
    5:37 – Leaving Belfast for Tottenham Hotspur
    10:05 – Inside a High-Performance Environment
    16:03 – Leadership Styles in Football
    19:12 – It’s Not About You and Modern Leadership
    24:21 – Leadership Beyond Football
    27:25 – Humility and Misconceptions About Leadership
    33:18 – Ahead-of-the-Curve Professional Habits
    39:58 – Transformational Habits That Stick
    42:52 – Advice to His Younger Self

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    Paul’s book recommendations are:

    Awaken The Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
    Money Master the Game by Anthony Robbins

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    53 mins
  • 172: Tim Delaney on building one of ad-land’s most brilliant careers

    172: Tim Delaney on building one of ad-land’s most brilliant careers
    Dec 12 2025
    This week we made our way through twenty rolls of ‘Word a Day’ toilet paper – not (entirely) because of tummy trouble, but in order to impress one of the world’s greatest wielders of words, copywriting legend Tim Delaney.

    An advertiser who made all of advertising try harder with their adverts, Tim is of course the founder of the famous Leagas Delaney agency as well as being one of the all-time great copywriters.

    You’ll no doubt have spent much time gawping at and/or weeping over some of his most iconic work – including some extraordinary campaigns for Harrods, Adidas and Nationwide. He’s also the creative brain behind the unforgettable ‘Perfect Day’ film for the BBC – giving the world the briefest sniff of what a Bowie/Boyzone collaboration might have been.

    Wildly successful in both the building of an agency and the writing of copy, Tim is also one of advertising’s most compelling talkers of sense – with a philosophy built around strategic thinking, disciplined work and a healthy appreciation for the value of intuition.

    In a chat where we skid quickly and wildly away from what we laughably called ‘the agenda’, Tim takes us on an entertaining and eye-opening journey through one of the most remarkable lives in the creativity game.

    This episode is proudly dedicated to Tom Harrington.

    Follow Tim on LinkedIn

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    Timestamps

    04:40 - First Job in Advertising
    06:45 - Transitioning to Copywriting
    09:40 - Early Days in Advertising
    12:49 - The Band Experience
    14:03 - From Music to Advertising
    19:07 - Climbing the Advertising Ladder
    22:11 - The Role of Creativity in Advertising
    29:03 - Challenges at BNP
    30:41 - Understanding Advertising's Mystique
    34:08 - The Impact of Technology on Advertising
    39:39 - Enthusiasm for Newcomers
    43:53 - Advice for Junior Copywriters
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    56 mins
  • 171: Kazeem Jamal on the importance of finding the funny side

    171: Kazeem Jamal on the importance of finding the funny side
    Oct 24 2025
    This week we’ve been out every night, committing crimes (twocking Nokias, cussing at ducklings, stealing the dust caps off your dad’s tyres) all to attract the attention of South-London Batman himself – and this week’s guest – Kazeem Jama.

    A comedian so entertaining he almost makes you hate yourself slightly less for being on Instagram all the goddam time, Kazeem has been liberally lubricating the amusement pipes on the BBC, Comedy Central and the Mobo Awards.

    Before comedy grabbed him by the earlobe and dragged him over to the funny side, Kazeem spent decades working in the education sector, primarily with children with special needs and in alternative education – making him humorous and kind-hearted enough to make us all feel really bad about our own decisions, especially the terrible stuff we said to those ducklings.

    This episode is proudly dedicated to the people who shaped Kazeem: his mum, his dad, his kids, and all the doubters along the way.

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    Follow Kazeem on Instagram and Facebook
    Watch the videos that has us cracking up: Frozen and Waze
    Sign up to the mailing list
    To go see him live: tickets here.

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    Timestamps

    02:50 - Kazim's Uncommon Path: From Rugby to Comedy
    07:51 - Ownership: The Key to Kazim's Comedy Journey
    11:26 - Drama Class: The Shy Comedian's Dilemma
    12:52 - Channelling Frustration: The Sports Outlet
    18:30 - Stage vs. Socials: The Comedy Landscape
    21:26 - Navigating Tough Topics: Kazim's Approach
    27:06 - The Unexpected Funeral Laugh
    31:03 - Nine-to-Five vs. Comedy Dreams: The Struggle
    34:08 - Attention, Skill, Monetizing: The Comedy Cycle
    39:03 - The Art of Not Giving a Damn: Embracing the Process
    42:48 - Comedy Contracts: The Safe Space Agreement
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    57 mins
  • 170: Marcus du Sautoy on how to see the stories in numbers

    170: Marcus du Sautoy on how to see the stories in numbers
    Sep 19 2025
    This week we rented the top 3 maths movies of all time – A Beautiful Mind, The Imitation Game and 3 Men and a Baby – all in order to be mathematically competent enough to share a pod with one of the world’s greatest number nibblers, Marcus du Sautoy.

    So highly acclaimed and awarded, we could have filled the entire podcast by listing out his many achievements, Marcus is perhaps best known as a Professor in Mathematics, Fellow of the Royal Society and Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University.

    But, as well as being one of the very smartest people on the planet, he’s also one of the most engaging and enlightening speakers on the unexpected stories to be found in numbers, having written for several national newspapers and appeared on a number of mathematically-inclined TV shows including Mind Games, The Story of Maths and The Code (not to be confused with The Cube).

    By now you’ve probably run out of fingers to tally up all the brilliant things he’s done, so we shall just wrap up by saying he’s also the author of a series of superb books examining the relationship between maths, creativity, music, games and more – including Blue Prints, The Music of Primes and The Creativity Code.

    (Basically, the fact that it took us all this time to mention he’s also an OBE tells you all you need to know. He’s an impressive dude.)

    In an episode where Giles wears his disappointing GCSE results like a hi-vis vest of inadequacy, we ponder the search for meaning in numbers and how the stories behind them can help shape ideas and solve problems.

    This episode is proudly dedicated to Mr Baleson.

    Follow Marcus on LinkedIn

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    Timestamps

    04:17 - The Influence of a Great Teacher
    06:03 - Mathematics as a Language and Creative Outlet
    08:44 - The Intersection of Mathematics and the Arts
    12:08 - Exploring Creativity in Mathematics
    15:17 - The Relationship Between Structure and Artistic Expression
    21:10 - The Cicada's Prime Number Life Cycle
    30:51 - Patterns and Expectations in Art and Comedy
    33:09 - The Role of Mathematics in Problem Solving
    43:15 - The Importance of Storytelling in Science
    46:25 - The Search for Meaning in Numbers
    48:13 - The Dual Nature of Scientific Thinking

    Marcus’ Book recommendations are:

    A Mathematician’s Apology by G.H. Hardy

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    56 mins
  • 169: Richard Shotton and MichaelAaron Flicker on hacking the human mind.

    169: Richard Shotton and MichaelAaron Flicker on hacking the human mind.
    Aug 29 2025
    This week we broke a golden rule and crossed podcast streams with a pair of excellent guests, Richard Shotton and MichaelAaron Flicker, hosts of the Behavioural Science for Brands podcast and co-authors of the soon-to-be released (and definitely-to-be brilliant) Hacking The Human Mind.

    Richard is, of course, returning for a record third appearance on Call To Action® although we have respectfully honoured his request to not be left alone with Giles. Responsible for opening industry eyes to the potential of behavioural science, Richard is the author of two books that serious marketing types like you and I could not do without – The Choice Factory and The Illusion of Choice.

    Alongside him today, as is so often the case, is MichaelAaron Flicker, founder and president of (Zeeenno-Sigh) XenoPsi Ventures, a brand incubator firm that helps out all kinds of companies with financial, marketing and intellectual capital. As well as co-hosting their pod, and co-authoring their book, they’ve completed a hattrick of Co’s by co-founding the Consumer Behaviour Lab, where they apply their considerable collective knowledge to help make marketing smarter, better and less stinky.

    In an episode where we open the sunroof on the human mind and reveal there’s much more to it than day dreams, crippling doubt and song lyrics from 1996, we hear from two of the field’s most compelling experts on what it really takes for a brand to be chosen.

    This episode is proudly dedicated to Rory Sutherland.

    Follow Richard and MichaelAaron on LinkedIn.

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    Timestamps

    08:27 - Reflections on Career Path and Pivots
    10:09 - Richard's Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne
    12:39 - How Richard and Michael Met
    14:22 - The Concept Behind Their New Book
    16:01 - Writing Process and Collaboration Insights
    20:21 - Discussion on Haagen-Dazs and Country of Origin Effect
    25:04 - The Power of Naming: Patagonian Toothfish vs. Chilean Sea Bass
    30:07 - Marketing Confusion Between Marketing and Sales

    Their Book Recommendations are:

    Alchemy by Rory Sutherland
    Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 168: Professor Byron Sharp on a lifetime of learning in the marketing world

    168: Professor Byron Sharp on a lifetime of learning in the marketing world
    Aug 15 2025
    This week we tucked in our shirt, straightened our tie and resisted the temptation to nip off for a quick vape behind the pickle-ball court, all in order to suitably impress our guest, one of the world’s greatest marketing academics, Professor Byron Sharp.

    A man who would need no introduction (if we weren’t contractually obliged to provide all our pod guests with one) Prof Byron is one of the world’s most respected thinkers in the field of brands and consumer behaviour.

    Unless you’re deliberately trying to get yourself fired from your marketing role, you’ll no doubt have read his seminal book ‘How Brands Grow’ and, if you’re especially lucky, you may well have learned directly from the man himself in one of his globally prestigious academic roles.

    A speaker, a teacher, a thinker and a pioneering researcher, Byron still has the time to be a thoroughly entertaining podcast guest, and is famously happy to share the kind of knee-buckling market truth that the industry fears but also really, really needs.

    In an episode where Byron jabs a scholarly finger into the flabby thinking that holds brands back, we ponder the many different disciplines a proper marketer should be able to wrap their heads around if they want a consumer to care.

    This episode is proudly dedicated to John Scriven.

    Follow Byron on LinkedIn

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    Timestamps

    03:27 - Early Jobs and Academia
    04:38 - The Importance of Real-World Experience
    06:09 - Working with Andrew Ehrenberg
    08:28 - The Intent Behind "How Brands Grow"
    09:41 - Marketing Blind Spots and Unexplored Areas
    10:30 - Cognitive Biases and Behavioral Science
    11:48 - The Role of Heuristics in Consumer Behavior
    12:43 - Understanding Double Jeopardy Law
    14:08 - Consumer Efficiency vs. Laziness
    15:26 - Predictive Power of Marketing Science
    16:06 - The Weirdness of the Real World
    17:37 - Misconceptions About Marketing Science
    19:40 - The Role of Synthetic Research
    32:58 - B2B Marketing and Growth Strategies
    35:22 - The Value of Awards in Marketing

    Byron's Book recommendations are:

    The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig
    Everything is Obvious by Duncan Watts
    The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver

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    53 mins
  • 167: Lisa Parfitt on doing the business for women’s sport.

    167: Lisa Parfitt on doing the business for women’s sport.
    Aug 1 2025
    This week we’re pushing our withered hamstrings way beyond their wretched limits, all in order to win the attention of our guest, sport and brand marketing super-baller Lisa Parfitt.

    In a career that has been, figuratively, one top bin after the other, Lisa has done more than most to give women’s sport a serious platform, particularly when it comes to those all-important commercial relationships.

    A star player in the efforts to land the Women’s FA Cup their first brand sponsorship, Lisa can be found on the prestigious pages of PR Week’s Power 100 for her work in pushing for greater representation for women in the sports business.

    Having gone toe-to-toe with the inequalities in the game in her time as both a Level 1 coach and director, she now devotes her considerable skills and stamina to creating better, fairer and more sustainable partnerships, sponsorships and culture in the game.

    In an episode with absolutely no time wasting, even for the occasional glug of branded energy pop, we ponder everything from the unique brand value of fans of women sport, to how the game is changing, in both sporting and commercial ways.

    This episode is proudly dedicated to Karen Earl.

    Follow Lisa on LinkedIn.

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    Timestamps

    04:34 - Transitioning to the Sports Industry
    10:31 - First Job in Women's Sport
    12:18 - The Shift to Sponsorship and Commercial Focus
    15:32 - The Role of Brands in Women's Sport
    20:10 - Securing the First Women's FA Cup Partnership
    26:32 - The Impact of COVID on Women's Sport
    30:35 - Research on Women's Sports Fans Engagement
    36:59 - The Future of Women's Sport and Upcoming Events
    42:06 - Changing Perceptions in Women's Sport

    Lisa's Book Recommendations are:

    Eat Sweat Play - Anna Kessel
    Why She Buys - Bridget Brennan
    Game On - Sue Anstiss

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    59 mins
  • 166: Harriet Knight and Hannah Penn on an agency world that’s open to all

    166: Harriet Knight and Hannah Penn on an agency world that’s open to all
    Jul 18 2025
    This week we made difficult phone-calls to Ant & Dec, Torvill & Dean and, accidentally, the Neville Brothers, all in order to explain that the nation now has a new favourite double act – the joint chiefs of Pablo, Harriet Knight and Hannah Penn.

    Not content with leading Pablo to the very top of the creative charts in agency land – scooping up the Global Campaign Indie of the Year award on two separate occasions – H&H have set about tearing up the dusty old rulebook for agency leadership (especially all those pages about being greedy and horrible). They’ve poured their considerable energies into actually delivering the kind of culture every agency pretends they have, and even launched the Pablo Living Wage, a £30,000 minimum salary for entry level roles that opens up the industry to people who are usually left on the side-lines.

    As well as turning Pablo into the creative, and cultural envy of agency world, Harriet and Hannah are also responsible for one of the most successful agency models around – earning a reputation for being superb to work with that translates into a barely believable 100% client retention rate.

    In an episode that puts us all in the uncomfortable position of listening to agency bosses who are actually likeable and amusing, we ponder everything from how agency cultures are created to the dynamics that make their partnership tick.

    This episode is proudly dedicated to Dan Watts.

    Follow Hannah and Harriet on LinkedIn.

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    Timestamps

    03:00 - Early Career Paths: Hannah's Journey
    09:00 - Harriet's Background and Transition to Advertising
    15:00 - The Importance of Diverse Experiences in Advertising
    18:00 - Creative and Commercial Balance in Advertising
    22:00 - How Harriet and Hannah Met
    25:00 - The Dynamics of Their Partnership
    29:00 - Legacy and Impact in the Advertising Industry


    Hannah and Harriet’s Book Recommendations are:

    Four Thousand Weeks– Oliver Burkeman
    Cork Dork – Bianca Bosko
    Super Communicators- Charles Duhigg

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    1 hr and 7 mins