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The Good Listening To Show

The Good Listening To Show

Written by: Chris Grimes
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The Good Listening To Show: Stories of Distinction & Genius

Presenter: Chris Grimes

Welcome to ‘The Clearing’, where you can hear remarkable and valuable life & business stories to inform, inspire and entertain.

It’s like having a ‘Day Spa’ for your Brain in an Oasis of Kindness!

Welcome to the UK’s hottest Storytelling Show, presented by Motivational Comedian Chris Grimes!

It’s the Show in which he invites movers & makers, shakers & mavericks, influencers - and also personal heroes - into a ‘Clearing’ (or ‘serious happy place’) of his Guest’s choosing, as they all share with us their stories of ‘Distinction & Genius’.

With a unique and thoroughly enjoyable storytelling structure, involving a Clearing, a Tree, a lovely juicy storytelling exercise called ‘5-4-3-2-1’, some Alchemy, some Gold, a couple of random Squirrels, a cheeky bit of Shakespeare, a Golden Baton and a Cake! So it’s all to play for!

If you have a story of Distinction or Genius and fancy being given a ‘Good Listening To’ too, then get in touch with Chris Grimes today!

Visit www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com to find out about the many different series strands to help you to tell your Story, promote your Business and amplify your brand, including:

Founder Stories - Legacy Life Reflections - Good Books - Leadership Reflections

See also www.legacylifereflections.com to record your Life Story - or the Story of someone that you Love - for posterity, “Lest we forget…Before it’s too late”, with Chris Grimes as your Host.

Contact Chris Grimes:

E: chris@secondcurve.uk

M: +44 7711 644 094

X: @thatchrisgrimes

Instagram: @thatchrisgrimes

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegoodlisteningtoshowpodcast

Calendar Link - For a conversation about Guesting:

https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/the-good-listening-to-show

Show Websites:

https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com

https://www.legacylifereflections.com

2026 Brushwood Media Network Art Economics Entertainment & Performing Arts Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales Politics & Government Self-Help Social Sciences Success
Episodes
  • Legacy Life Reflections: Reg Starkey shares the ‘5-4-3-2-1’ of his Life Story for Posterity. Ancient Copywriter, “Young when the Dead Sea was only Poorly!”

    Legacy Life Reflections: Reg Starkey shares the ‘5-4-3-2-1’ of his Life Story for Posterity. Ancient Copywriter, “Young when the Dead Sea was only Poorly!”
    Jun 10 2026

    A special "Legacy: Life Reflections" Episode with ex-Ad Man/Mad-Man and all round thoroughly decent human being, my very good friend Reg Starkey!

    A wonderfully rich conversation with reflections a-plenty on a colourful and creative life, both long-lived and wise!

    Born in Barking during the Blitz, a benign benefactor put him through private schools in Salisbury and Malvern.

    Further education involved French in Paris, Law in London and Advertising in Watford, followed by career as a Copywriter and Creative Director.

    He has written a slim volume of poetry entitled ‘The Weekend Artist’ followed by ‘The Old Covent Garden Market’, ‘Samples of One’ and ‘The New Millennium Tales’.

    Reg is prolifically creative and energetic currently working on a number of creative projects as part of his legacy: On his memoirs, called ‘Second Thoughts’, a new collection of poetry called ‘A year In Villanelle by way of Limerick and Haiku’ and a guide to dealing with addiction entitled ‘The Battleship and the Lighthouse.’

    And as Reg says: “We are all products of our background. The challenge is not to be victims of our history.”

    Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

    • Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
    • You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
    • Twitter thatchrisgrimes
    • LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
    • FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

    To record your Life Story or GIFT an episode to someone that you love, with Chris as your host, then do get in touch about how ‘Legacy Life Reflections’ can help:

    LEGACY LIFE REFLECTIONS WEBSITE:

    https://www.legacylifereflections.com

    E MAIL: chris@legacylifereflections.com

    WHATS APP: +44 7711 644 094

    LINKEDIN:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/

    FACEBOOK:

    https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • Andy "One Shot" Gotts! Hollywood's Very Favorite Photographer, on Realizing his Dream of a 36-Year 'Wish List' of Who to Photograph, John Hurt's Last Recording, Monty Python and on Never Chasing Fame!

    Andy "One Shot" Gotts! Hollywood's Very Favorite Photographer, on Realizing his Dream of a 36-Year 'Wish List' of Who to Photograph, John Hurt's Last Recording, Monty Python and on Never Chasing Fame!
    Jun 3 2026
    When Andy Gotts was 18, a stranger in Norfolk asked him why he didn't look happy. That single question and the Photography Teacher it quietly led him to, set in motion a 36 year path from a college darkroom in King's Lynn to Hollywood's most idiosyncratic black-and-white portraits. In this Stories of Distinction & Genius episode, Chris Grimes welcomes Andy "One Shot" Gotts into The Clearing to trace the whole arc: From the 300 letters with not a single reply, the 1 yes from Joss Ackland at his son's wedding in Clovelly, and the line "what do you do and who shagged who?!" that finally gave the wish list its theme. Andy talks about the 150 Actors he set out to photograph in 1995, the long, patient pursuit of Gary Oldman that ended this year through Big Mo and a young actress sliding into his DMs, and how Paul Newman himself christened him "One Shot Gotts" after a 4 minute shoot in Connecticut. The conversation moves through the people who shaped him: His milkman father leaving for work at 3:00 every morning, his devoted mother, Dr Tony Leach who taught him Photography on Saturdays in Holt, Stephen Fry whose 90 second portrait at a college Q&A genuinely started his career, and Sir John Hurt, born on the very same day as Andy's dad. Andy shares the afternoon in East Runton when John told him over a pint of red wine that he had cancer and months to live, and asked Andy back the following weekend to direct him. What followed - John in his late father's priest's robes, speaking 'Imagine' as a parable in a single take - became John Hurt's last ever recording. There are also the secret Monty Python reunion shoots at Duke's at 3:00 in the morning; LS Lowry, Hitchcock and Sidney Poitier's story about Tony Curtis and The Defiant Ones; Bob Ross's happy little clouds taking over lockdown; three years spent funding a degree as a Norfolk Nightclub Bouncer; an unwavering refusal to retouch a single line on a face; and the epitaph Ringo Starr gave him, "the Ansel Adams of faces." A warm, story-rich hour and a half about tenacity, taste, and what it really means to "stay on the bus!" 🌐 andygotts.com 🌐 thegoodlisteningtoshow.com CONTACT ANDY GOTTS WEBSITE: https://www.andygotts.com X: https://x.com/DrGotts FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/drgotts INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/drgotts/ Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.comYou can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.ukTwitter thatchrisgrimesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 To record your Life Story or GIFT an episode to someone that you love, with Chris as your host, then do get in touch about how ‘Legacy Life Reflections’ can help: LEGACY LIFE REFLECTIONS WEBSITE: https://www.legacylifereflections.com E MAIL: chris@legacylifereflections.com WHATS APP: +44 7711 644 094 LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Good Books: Maria Franzoni, Speakers' Advocate & Coach and Author of 'The Bookability Formula', on How The Top 1% of Speakers Get Booked

    Good Books: Maria Franzoni, Speakers' Advocate & Coach and Author of 'The Bookability Formula', on How The Top 1% of Speakers Get Booked
    May 27 2026
    Only a tiny proportion of Professional Speakers are able to land the best stages again-and-again-and-again - and it is not always the celebrities. I’m joined by Maria Franzoni, Speakers' Advocate, Speaker Coach and former Speaker Bureau Owner, to dig into what actually drives paid Speaking engagements, repeat bookings, and higher Keynote Speaker fees. If you’ve ever wondered why brilliant talks still struggle to sell, Maria brings the Agent’s-eye view that cuts through noise and gives you practical clarity. We start with the story behind the strategist: growing up British Italian, learning to navigate culture and language, and inheriting a serious work ethic from parents who built stability through sheer persistence. That personal foundation matters, because the stage is never only about slides and scripts. We also talk openly about gender assumptions, what it means to choose a childfree life, and how those experiences shape confidence, boundaries, and message. Then we get into the heart of it: Maria’s "Bookability Formula" and what the top 1% of bookable Speakers do. We break down the four pillars the market rewards most: being relevant to a paying market, being known for one clear thing, being memorable to audiences and bookers, and being easy to find and easy to work with. We also explore the multiplier of value (ROI, outcomes, change) and the role of ego, which can help you step on stage but can also undermine trust if it grows too big. If you want a sharper speaker positioning, a more commercial topic, and a clearer route to getting booked more often, this conversation gives you a grounded framework to act on. Subscribe, share this with a speaker friend, and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. CONTACT MARIA FANZONI: WEBSITE: https://www.mariafranzoni.me X: https://x.com/MariaFranzoni FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpeakingBusiness LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariafranzoni/ YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/MariaFranzoni Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.comYou can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.ukTwitter thatchrisgrimesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 To record your Life Story or GIFT an episode to someone that you love, with Chris as your host, then do get in touch about how ‘Legacy Life Reflections’ can help: LEGACY LIFE REFLECTIONS WEBSITE: https://www.legacylifereflections.com E MAIL: chris@legacylifereflections.com WHATS APP: +44 7711 644 094 LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.167
    Show More Show Less
    51 mins
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