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Playing The Inner Game

Playing The Inner Game

Written by: Michael Campion
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My guests are Entrepreneurs, Executives, Olympians, Artists, and Creatives. Some famous names and some hidden gems. We discuss what success means to each one of them and decode the best parts of their mindset. It is a search for the common threads, principles, and patterns that we can apply to our own lives to become healthier, wealthier, happier, and wiser.© 2026 Playing The Inner Game Careers Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Success Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • #52 Vivian Siu - From Rock Bottom to Ivy League and the Macau Grand Prix
    Jan 8 2026

    Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/

    Vivian Siu was born in Hong Kong. At age 6 she and her mother moved to New York in the hope of a better life.

    At age 16 she lost her mother, and dropped out of high-school in the USA, moving back to HK to avoid being put in foster care …She then dragged herself up by the bootstraps, hitting the books, and somehow getting into and graduating from Columbia University

    She went from bartending around HK and sleeping on friend’s couches with a small suitcase just to survive… to a successful career in investment banking.

    As an escape from her harsh reality, she found joy in the underground video arcades of gritty Kowloon. She found community there and found that she was actually really good at the car racing games.

    Many years later, she used that muscle memory from the arcade…to unbelievably making history as the first female and first LGBTQ Formula 4 driver ever to finish the Macau Grand Prix. All with just 6 months of experience and 4 real races in an actual racing car, and whilst holding down a job in Investment Banking.

    Seriously incredible and the movie about her life so far will be shown on all Cathay Pacific flights starting in December

    Vivian’s story is a reminder to all of us that when education and sport, meets a young person with drive… anything is possible.

    She was not born into money. There has been no silver spoon to feed her opportunities. And when you don’t have opportunity fed to you on a silver spoon, you learn to lick it off knives.

    She’s taken every sliver of an opportunity shown to her and really made her own luck. The odds were completely stacked against her achieving any of these things. And yet, here she is. Record breaker.

    Ultimately, I’ve often said that “It’s hard to beat the person that refuses to give up.”

    This woman has not, and will not give up. We all have something to learn from her.

    I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.


    Guest - Vivian Siu (https://www.instagram.com/viviansiu28/?hl=en)
    Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/
    Instagram: @michaelxcampion

    Watch the movie Zero to Macao (https://www.zerotomacao.com/) on all Cathay Pacific flights


    (00:00) Preview
    (00:41) Intro
    (04:41) Moving to New York as a kid
    (07:40) Losing her mum at 16
    (10:07) The arcade racing game that kept her sane
    (13:53) Rock bottom years
    (17:19) GED, community college, obsessive studying habits
    (20:57) Getting Into Columbia
    (25:42) Ivy League grind
    (30:33) Life After Columbia
    (31:33) Graduating alone
    (36:54) Survival mode mindset
    (40:24) From arcade to track
    (44:20) Mentors and momentum: the push that made it real
    (45:02) The Macau Grand Prix experience
    (47:38) Racing for her dad
    (51:28) Releasing years of bottled up pain
    (54:46) Zero to Macau
    (57:52) Who this story is for
    (01:00:01) Doing it for mum and dad vs doing it for yourself
    (01:03:21) Why every lap feels like a win
    (01:07:00) Inner game routines
    (01:08:32) What’s next for Vivian
    (01:10:11) Outro

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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • #51 Robert Earnshaw - What Professional Sport Taught Me About Life, Discipline & Purpose
    Aug 30 2025

    Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/


    It’s tough to separate your job title from your identity and self-worth. Here’s 2 great questions Robert Earnshaw asked himself upon retiring from the highest level:

    “If I’m not a footballer…then who am I?”

    “Now that it’s over, how do I want to show up, and who do I want to be for those around me?”

    Transferable Lessons & Principles from our conversation:

    - Obsession is necessary. The person who lies awake at night thinking about how to get better will win.

    - You are more than your job. Do not confuse WHAT you do with WHO you are.

    - Diversify your sources of happiness and self-esteem. Not every passion needs to be monetised. Keep something just for you.

    "Earnie" has navigated the transition from professional footballer and public figure with more ease, grace, and optimism than most.

    I caught up with him in Singapore, after we shared the pitch at the Soccer 7s Series to talk about the “inner game”:

    But this episode isn’t just for athletes. It’s for anyone standing at a crossroads, wondering if there’s something more.

    If you've ever felt the tension between who you were and who you’re becoming, this one’s for you.


    -----------

    Connect with Robert: https://www.instagram.com/robertearnshaw/

    Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/


    (00:00) Identity Beyond Football

    (01:27) Playing in Singapore Soccer 7s

    (03:31) First Impressions of Singapore

    (04:35) Bringing Back the Somersault Celebration

    (06:31) Playing with Joy vs Playing with Anger

    (07:54) Football as Joy, Competition & Entertainment

    (10:15) The Pure Emotion of Scoring Goals

    (12:23) Life After Retirement & Reinventing Identity

    (17:21) Coaching, Broadcasting & Public Speaking

    (20:20) Building Life’s Boxes: Spiritual, Physical, Professional

    (24:47) Chess, Curiosity & Lessons Beyond Football

    (28:39) Talent is Practice in Disguise

    (32:59) Transferable Lessons from Football to Life

    (37:49) Visualization & Performing Under Pressure

    (42:26) Mastery and the Process of Getting Better

    (46:45) Discipline, Health & Contracts with Yourself

    (53:35) Doing Things with Feeling & Full Commitment

    (56:52) Patience, Consistency & Trusting the Process

    (58:43) Overcoming Setbacks & Disappointment

    (1:01:24) Did Robert Earnshaw Squeeze the Lemon?

    (1:06:24) Sacrifice, Social Life & Family in Football

    (1:09:13) Why Discipline Beats Motivation

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 16 mins
  • #50 Matthias Weiskopf - Inside the Psychology of Luxury: The Inner Game of Branding
    Jul 29 2025

    Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/


    Luxury isn’t about price tags or logos.

    It’s about identity. Emotion. Desire.

    And no one understands that better than Matthias Weiskopf.

    As a brand strategist who’s worked with some of the world’s most iconic names, from Ferrari to Porsche to McLaren, Matthias doesn’t just market luxury.

    He dissects it. Rebuilds it. And redefines what it means to want something that, frankly, no one needs.

    In this conversation, we go far beyond product design or campaign strategy. We explore how luxury brands build meaning across cultures, especially in Asia where perception, status, and symbolism shift from one market to the next.

    But this episode isn’t just about business. It’s about why we chase certain dreams. What it means to create aspiration without alienation.

    If you’ve ever wondered why a handbag can make someone feel invincible or why storytelling might be the last true luxury — this one’s for you.

    And if something here sparked a new perspective, let us know in the comments.

    Stay curious.


    Connect with Matthias: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthiasweiskopf/
    Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/


    (00:00) Preview
    (01:25) The Psychology of Luxury
    (04:22) The Five Tiers of Luxury Customers
    (07:48) McLaren vs Ferrari: Heritage, Status & Recognition
    (10:51) Emotional Utility and the Experience of Luxury
    (12:20) Status Signaling and Relationship Dynamics
    (14:14) Why Ferrari’s Brand Is Irreplicable
    (17:36) Hyper-Local Strategy for Challenger Brands
    (19:15) Managing Retail Across Asia
    (23:06) The “Money Can’t Buy” Experience Strategy
    (27:15) Understanding Customer Desires
    (31:36) The Disconnect Between Product and Experience in Modern Luxury
    (33:35) Jaguar's Rebrand Failure
    (37:48) What Western Luxury Brands Get Wrong About Asia
    (43:13) The Rise of Homegrown Brands
    (47:14) Why Luxury is Not Just About Price
    (49:20) The Power of Storytelling in Branding
    (50:22) Matthias’ First Luxury Purchase and the Psychology Behind It
    (55:58) Porsche’s Ecosystem and Experience-Driven Strategy
    (01:02:28) Defining Real Luxury
    (01:08:02) Matthias’ Career Leap: From McLaren Exec to Entrepreneur
    (01:11:32) Building Something That’s Yours: The Solopreneur’s Advantage
    (01:14:49) Finding Joy in Teaching and Consulting


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    1 hr and 24 mins
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