John Eckbert is the CEO of Five Guys in Europe. By far the most successful ‘posh burger’ chain in Britain, John tells us how he took a classic concept to a whole new content by inventing a unique business model. Five Guys in Europe is not just a franchise, but John rather started from zero on a joint venture which has so managed to eclipse the dozens of other similar businesses that launched at the same time, and then some. As well as dishing out profound business and management advice, John walks us through how a sea-change in his personal life left him feeling trapped and alone. But John fought fires at both home and work in order to make Five Guys what it is today. We’re so glad he did. Five Guys: https://fiveguys.co.uk/ Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will is an author who brings out the unexpected ways that we’re vulnerable, and how to manage those vulnerabilities and turn them into strengths. The author of six books including Sunday Times bestsellers, he’s one of the most interesting voices on how we can manage our worst impulses to succeed in the modern world. In a conversation that covers everything from are we more narcissistic than we used to be to how a desire for status underpins all of our ambitions, to how to deal with low self esteem and suicidal thoughts, Will held nothing back on this unfiltered exploration of the surprising strategies we can employ to deal with the dark sides of life. Will’s new book, The Status Game, is out now in the UK and in the US on the 23rd August. Follow Will: Twitter - https://twitter.com/wstorr Will’s book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Status-Game-Will-Storr/ Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In these ‘Moment’ episodes of my podcast, I’ll be selecting my favourite moments from previous episodes of The Diary Of A CEO. In this moment, Lewis Howes lays down exactly why you need to stop being a people pleaser if you want lasting and deep relationships. What Lewis teaches us is that real relationships come from someone loving us for who we are, not from who we’re pretending to be. Any act or pretence we put on about ourselves will inevitably get found out. So you have to come as yourself, for better and for worse. How do you find an authentic way to express your true self? Let Lewis explain… Listen to the full episode here - https://g2ul0.app.link/lPEJbP9Xdsb Lewis: https://www.instagram.com/lewishowes/?hl=en https://twitter.com/LewisHowes?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDiaryOfACEO/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Bay is a BRIT-award winning musician who’s sold over 5 million records, and one of the most personal and authentic artists working in the field today. Never afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve in his work, his artistry has helped millions of people articulate feelings in their own heart of love, regret, and friendships made and ended. He’s definitely come a long way from the small town where he grew up, which he escaped through grasping every opportunity that came his way. There’s perhaps no industry tougher to succeed in than music, and this fear that there’s only a few that make it has haunted him at every step. So settle down and let James walk you through every step of what the creative process looks like at the elite level - where inside him it comes from, what inspires it, and how he delivers his music. James’ new album ‘Leap’ is out now. Follow James: Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesBayMusic  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jamesbaymusic/ James’ new album: https://www.jamesbay.com Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rory Sutherland is the author of Alchemy, a senior advertising executive, and the man who understands why some ideas connect with people and some ideas don’t. He’s a columnist, an innovator and a trailblazer in the world of marketing and advertising. Rory doesn’t have time for business platitudes, but rather looks for the unconventional crazy ideas that really stand out. This is why he devoted years of his life to looking at business from a human behavioural perspective, to understand not just why people should do things, but why they actually do them. Rory always seeks out the outlier and the unexplainable phenomena. He’s become an expert on why certain emotional triggers cause us to behave irrationally, how you can be aware of yourself when you aren’t making smart decisions, and how you can deploy those triggers when you’re trying to sell something yourself. Rory blessed us with his one of a kind knowledge to make this one of the most memorable conversations we’ve had with an author for a while. Topics: The concept of how we value things Recursive Trends The brain's marketing function: Signalling technology making location irrelevant making something bad to give it value Scarcity of product personalisation how to deliver a product to the world Why business are focusing on the wrong thing Personal branding Why do you think you successful The last guest question Rory’s book: ⁠https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alchemy-Surprising-Power-Ideas-Sense/dp/0753556529⁠ Follow Rory: Twitter: https://twitter.com/rorysutherland Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In these ‘Moment’ episodes of my podcast, I’ll be selecting my favourite moments from previous episodes of The Diary Of A CEO. Marcus Buckingham, is one of the world's most in-demand career experts and the author of several best-selling business books focusing on strengths versus weaknesses, how to take feedback, how to love your work and identify leadership. In this moment I talk to Marcus about how we are supposed to build a great career that we love. The three main question points we all ask ourselves when we are in a working role is the ‘who’, the ‘what’ and the ‘why’. The ‘why’ is so important to think about - why are you doing doing what you are currently doing, why do you believe in the purpose of what you are doing? The ‘who’ is also crucial. Working with people you like, being in a great team, and amongst inspiring people plays a powerful role in our work. But for Marcus, the ‘what’ trumps the ‘who and ‘why’. What are the activities and roles you are actually doing? What do you love about them?  Marcus has a theory about the different threads our days are made up of. These threads ultimately create the fabric of a work day; layers, structures, colours, textures, which can be interpreted into feelings, highs, lows, loves and loathes. The most successful people are able to identify what threads work well for them. In order for this to happen, we need an early framework and a sense of shared understanding about what we naturally lean into, our passions and skills. If we start early on the right threads from a younger age, we will be able to create a career that we love. Listen to the full episode here - https://g2ul0.app.link/9JiFiCT71rb Marcus: https://www.instagram.com/marcusbuckingham/?hl=en https://twitter.com/mwbuckingham?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDiaryOfACEO/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Krept is a rapper and one half of the the iconic rap duo Krept and Konan. The host of the Rap Game, Krept is a star of our tv screens as well as the recording studio. And with his multiple business successes, Krept has built empires from scratch in multiple areas of his life. It’s a world away from experiencing crime and poverty as a young boy. Krept has routinely looked into the darkest areas of his psyche to find the motivation to propel himself forwards, finding unexpected truths about the human condition in the process. Krept’s been stabbed, had to pull his business back from the suicide of his partner, and built his way out of Croydon. There’s so many times in his life where he’s had to bounce back after unimaginable setbacks. But he did it. In full context and with frank honesty, he tell us exactly how he did it. Follow Krept: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kreptplaydirty/?hl=en Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Jones is the founder of Soho House, the worldwide exclusive private members club worth an incredible $2.8 billion. He’s rewritten the rulebook on hospitality, and his business covers restaurants, hotels, events, and so much more! If you want to know not just how to build a business, but invent a whole industry, this is the conversation for you. If you want to know how to maintain worklife balance while making billions, this is the mentoring you needed to hear. Nick is so calm and collected in his thoughts it’s strange to think it all came so close to crashing down, and his business was born out of his first initial business failure when he had nowhere else to turn. Because when you get knocked down, sometimes that forces you to come back in a whole new way. Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Moment Daniel Pink opens up on how we can turn regret into our superpower. There is no emotion as forceful or driving to us as that niggling feeling when we didn't get it right. Rather than shut out or deny that emotion, Daniel takes us through step-by-step how we can turn the tables on our own regrets to make sure that we don't make the same mistakes again. Daniel brought such a positive attitude to this recording that our mistakes are opportunities for learning and a teachable moment, not burdens that have to dog us for the rest of our lives. Seeing the hidden power of regret is to realise everything is fixable, mendable and figure out-able. Listen to the full episode here - https://g2ul0.app.link/7X08IGEEQrb Daniel: https://twitter.com/DanielPink?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor https://www.danpink.com Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDiaryOfACEO/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malcolm Gladwell is an author who across his six bestsellers has sold millions and millions of books, and his podcast Revisionist History is listened to by millions and millions of listeners every week. Malcolm blessed us with his insights on everything on how to deal with regrets to how to keep the memory of our loved ones alive, from America’s mass incarceration crisis to what was Steve Jobs actually good at? Malcolm’s book, The Bomber Mafia, is out now in paperback, and his podcast, Revision History, is currently releasing its seventh season. Follow Malcolm: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/malcolmgladwell/ Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/gladwell Malcolm's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bomber-Mafia-Story-Set-War/dp/024153500X Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian is the co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, a company thats reached highs of a valuation of $100 billion. After an adolescence and youth searching for independence where no one could be his boss, he’s come a long way, but he’s realised he’s had to change a lot too. Before anyone had heard of Bitcoin, there was Coinbase. Taking a punt on an industry no one knew and no one understood, Brian quit his lucrative career to be his own man. No one encouraged him. No one. He’d told the idea to hundreds of people before someone told him it could work. In this conversation, Brian brought a wisdom and a nuance about how to run and build a business like very few conversations we’ve had on this podcast. If you want to know how the best in the world take an idea from drawboard to $100 billion, this is the story of how it happened. Follow Brian: Twitter - https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this moment, Karren Brady tells us about how she finds balance in all parts of her life, juggling leading a premier league club with relationships. There is no more relentless entrepreneur than Karren, and no one who works as hard, but there's also no one who cares about their family more. Karren opens up about how constant communication and compromise allows both her and husband the space and the breathing room to live their lives to their fullest potential. Both of them have been so successful because both of them want the other to be successful, and this generosity of spirit is something we can all bring to our own lives. Listen to the full episode here - https://g2ul0.app.link/e8DcqM1RErb Karren: https://twitter.com/karren_brady?s=20&t=FeA1tytuSw8D0GiMF6LSHA https://www.instagram.com/karren_brady_official/channel/?hl=en Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDiaryOfACEO/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Africa Brooke is a speaker and podcast host, who has built a community that has helped hundreds of thousands of young people navigate the unique pressures of the world today. From binge drinking to cancel culture, sexual empowerment to race and politics - Africa isn’t afraid to speak completely honestly and frankly about anything. No one has come in to speak to us with as much honesty and vulnerability as Africa. This is a one-of-a-kind conversation that left us speechless. There's never a topic on Diary of a CEO that’s off-limits, we will always bring you the world’s leading people telling their honest truth. What to make of their opinions is up to you, but as soon as Africa walked through the door of my kitchen to record, any pre-conceptions of what she was about to say were left on the other side. She certainly didn’t hold anything back. Follow Africa: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/africabrooke/ Website - https://africabrooke.com/ Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Eubank Jr. is a boxer on his way to being the best in the world. A journey into boxing like no other, Chris didn’t just have to step out of the shadows of his own demons to make his name in the ring, but out of the shadow of his own father. But Chris’s journey to the top hasn’t been seamless. He’s been knocked back by some bruising defeats, and - as he explains - by tragedy. When his brother tragically died of a heart attack, Chris’s world almost fell apart. But it isn’t how you get knocked down, it’s how you get back up. Over and over again in Chris’s life, he’s had to look deep within himself to find his inner strength to match his outward toughness. It hasn’t been easy for him, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way. Follow Chris: https://twitter.com/chriseubankjr https://www.instagram.com/chriseubankjr/ Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In these ‘Moment’ episodes of my podcast, I’ll be selecting my favourite moments from previous episodes of The Diary Of A CEO. In this moment, Jimmy Carr walks us through how exactly to find out what it is that's going to bring you happiness, and how to find satisfaction in your life. He tells us exactly how to interpret your actions and interrogate your feelings to bring out your true desires. It took Jimmy a long time to find out what he really wanted from life, and he was nearly trapped by the expectations he and other people put on himself when he felt himself moving towards a corporate life he didnt want. Jimmy set himself free, and in this moment he explains how you can set yourself free too. Listen to the full episode here - https://g2ul0.app.link/I7QKadbntrb Jimmy - https://www.instagram.com/jimmycarr/?hl=en https://twitter.com/jimmycarr?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDiaryOfACEO/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Pollan is an author who between his five bestsellers has sold millions of books. Through exploring our connection to the natural world, he reveals sides of ourselves that we never knew we had. As an author and a journalist, it’s Michael’s job to question everything. But in his 50s he turned the tables on himself and began to question his own assumptions. What followed was a one-of-a-kind journey that took him to explore the nature of his own perception of the world which would take him into trying going caffeine-free and trying psychedelic drugs. Now, he shares what he’s learnt from that journey with us. Michael’s book, This is Your Mind on Plants, is out in paperback this summer, and his Netflix series How to Change Your Mind drops July 12th. Follow Michael: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/michael.pollan/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/michaelpollan/ Michael’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Your-Plants-Michael-Pollan/ Michael’s Netflix series: https://www.netflix.com/title/80229847 Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Watt is the CEO and founder of Brewdog, the Scottish craft beer sensation that is now valued at $2 billion. A former sea captain, he’s had to navigate increasingly choppy waters at Brewdog. But after a string of allegations rocked the company, ranging from personal impropriety to financial misconduct to marketing scams, James has had to start from scratch in Brewdog’s reputation, and on his own management style. For the first time, James walks us through his mistakes, what he denies, and what he defends. Where does the line blur between a hard-driving start-up and a toxic culture. It’s a tricky balance many challenger companies have to contend with. James’ is a story where he sailed a little close to the wind, when the revelations dropped it looked like everything he built could slip away. Can he navigate Brewdog back to dry land? He tells us exclusively how he plans to. Follow James: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brewdogjames Twitter - https://twitter.com/BrewDogJames Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In these ‘Moment’ episodes of my podcast, I’ll be selecting my favourite moments from previous episodes of The Diary Of A CEO. In this moment, Patricia Bright lays out the benefits - and the potential pitfalls - of following your passion. We always have to stay authentically in touch with what we love to do, and why we love doing it. This moment lays out how people can lose their way in following their passion, and how to avoid it. It’s a rare gem who can persevere with their passion to the point where it’s not only their work, but work they love to do and feel themselves doing. We’re so glad she did, and we think you’ll be glad she did too. Listen to the full episode here - https://g2ul0.app.link/tPEORY7Uhrb Patricia - https://www.youtube.com/c/PatriciaBright https://www.instagram.com/thepatriciabright/?hl=en Watch the Episodes On Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDiaryOfACEO/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Bellew is a professional boxer and a former British, Commonwealth and World Champion. As well as this, he is also an actor, and the star of Creed with Sylvester Stallone, and the author of last year's bestselling book, Everybody Has A Plan Until They Get Punched in the Face. In this raw, honest and emotional interview, Tony breaks down exactly why people dedicate their life to fighting, and how it’s often because they have no other choice. But also because it comes to fill a need inside of them, and Tony opens up on what this inner need can do to you if you leave it unchecked. Many times, Tony has had to bring his life back from the brink - of poverty, bullying, defeats, and his own emotional instincts. His story is a fascinating example of how it’s often things we’re good at that cause us the most trouble, but when we face that honestly we can come through stronger the other side. Follow Tony: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tonybellew Twitter - https://twitter.com/TonyBellew Tony’s book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Everybody-Plan-Until-They-Punched/dp/1841884707 Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bear Grylls is a British adventurer and television host who has been an international sensation of survival shows for twenty years. The host of Man vs. Wild, You vs. Wild, Running Wild, The Island, and the author of Mud, Sweat and Tears and over twenty other books, he’s come in to talk to us about his new book - Never Give Up. Bear has always told himself a story about himself that he’s ‘resilient’, he’s pushed through the toughest challenges the world has to offer - from climbing Everest to surviving in the desert - because he’s told himself he’s the type of person who survives. But now, he reflects to us about the costs of that mentality, and where it leaves you when you come up short. Bear’s new book is a follow-up to his smash-hit bestseller Mud, Sweat and Tears. He’s spent five years writing it, written every single word himself, and shares some lessons from his life he’s never felt comfortable sharing before. It was a pleasure to read, and a pleasure to speak to him in my kitchen. Follow Bear: Twitter - https://twitter.com/BearGrylls  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beargrylls Bear’s book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Give-extraordinary-autobiography-phenomenon/dp/ Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices