Monday 19 August 2013

The Wellbeing Show on UWS Radio

I just wanted to let you know that my new radio show "The Wellbeing Show" is launching on UWS Radio today!
The show theme is wellbeing and I will be interviewing experts in personal development, physical and mental health as well as people who have an inspirational story to tell. I want the show to be educational, informative and raise the profile of mental health issues.

It broadcasts every Monday 5-6pm across SW Scotland on digital radio and online.  Click  here to listen.


To keep up to date like the show on facebook or sign up for updates
 
Upcoming shows and guests
August 19th - Journalist David Lloyd on the highs and lows of working for a local newspaper
August 26th - Psychologist Dr Travis Osborne from BBC 3's "Extreme OCD Camp" talking about how to overcome anxiety using exposure techniques
September 2nd - Neil Thompson, MD of Musichoir Scotland, on the benefits of singing

Saturday 4 May 2013

My interview with four time Emmy award winner Ross King!


I have known Ross since 1994 in the days when I used to want to be a TV presenter.  I used to send him my video showreels and he gave me feedback on how I could improve my presenting skills.
Ross is one of the most inspirational guys I know and in this interview he talks about how he made it from Knightswood to Hollywood.  Click here to listen

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Kevan McKenzie interview

Kevan McKenzie
Sometimes in life things happen to us that can be life changing.  It is not what happens to us that matters it is how we respond.  My interview with Kevan McKenzie shows just how important having a positive attitude and determination are.  Kevan was in a plane crash and sustained serious injuries.  He talks about how he handled the aftermath of the crash and turned his life around.  Click here to listen

Friday 19 April 2013

Sir Chris Hoy interview

Following Sir Chris Hoy's retirement from cycling here is an interview I did with
Chris in 2009.  Click here to listen!

Monday 8 April 2013

Spring into summer! Jan de Vries interview

Well, it looks like Spring may finally be making an appearance!
After an unseasonably cold spell, finally it is getting milder and the sun has been making an appearance!
A lot of people I know recently have been laid up with flu type colds. So today I thought I would share an interview that I did with world renowned Naturopath Jan de Vries. The interview covers a variety of health related issues and Jan gives some alternative remedies and solutions.  Click here to listen!

Thursday 4 April 2013

5 Keys To Take Back Control of And Get Results

Do you ever have times in your life where you have a great idea or feel pulled to do something amazing, to really step up and move forward? You start out filled with enthusiasm, tell the people closest to you, feel full of positivity and excitement then.....somehow you lose momentum, start doubting your ideas, tell yourself you cannot do it and allow negative reactions from others to confirm why it won't work.
Oh...then you beat yourself up for giving up and feel bad. Sound familiar?

It is all too easy in the world we live in today to allow events and circumstances to dictate what we do with our lives and how we feel in a given moment. Over time we can become fearful, anxious, depressed, overwhelmed and unhappy.


So what are the keys to taking back control of your life?

1. Choose how you feel – at any moment you are choosing how to feel by what you are doing with our physiology, how you move and breathe, your focus, and your language. Change any one of those 3 things and you can change how you feel. Ask yourself better questions because by doing this you are instantly changing what you focus on. For example rather than asking “why can’t I do this?” “why is this not working”, ask “How can I turn this around?” or “what can I do right now to move forward.”

2. Be Honest - What do you really want? What excites you? If you could do absolutely anything what would it be? What do you love doing? Brainstorm!

3. Get enough reasons WHY this is important to you. What will it give you? How will your life be different? How will you improve not only your own life for the better but also those around you? How great will it be that you are following your passion? Having enough reasons why is really essential. Those reasons will keep you going through the toughest challenges.

4. Get leverage - If you don't do this how will you feel? If you settle for second best what will your life be like in the future? When you are older and looking back on your life how much will you regret not doing this? Find someone to hold you accountable and encourage you. this is critical. It can be someone you know or ideally a coach who is trained to help you break through limiting beliefs that are holding you back and give you tools you can use to move forward. Accountability is the key!

5. TAKE ACTION - Put together a timescale with small and manageable steps that you can take. Nothing will change if you don't take action. Every step you take is a step closer to your dream becoming reality. Get feedback and learn. If something isn't working then look at different ways to get the results you want.

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Top 5 mistakes businesses make when trying to get featured in the media!


With the economy the way it is these days it is important that you are able to raise the credibility and visibility of your business effectively using TV, Radio and the Press to get your message across without having to spend a lot of money on advertising. In order to do this you must have an effective PR strategy for your business which enables you to get media coverage for free.

So what are the most common mistakes that businesses make when doing their own PR?

 1. They don’t consider the possibility of free media coverage 

Some businesses don’t even consider the possibility that they could generate media coverage for free so they cut off any possibility of getting featured because they don’t even try! They then consider paying for advertising space which has no guaranteed return. One thing to keep in mind is that your business will gain a lot more credibility by being in a feature / interview written by a third party such as a journalist.

2. They don’t consistently convey a clear core message

When businesses do decide to contact the media a very common mistake is that they don’t have a core message which they are conveying. The temptation can be to try and please everyone all of the time resulting in a number of different messages being put across. Without a clear message two things can happen –the media will not pick up on the story because the message is not clear enough or if they do the business runs the risk of a confused message being put across.


3. They don’t write a newsworthy press release

The most effective way of putting your message across to the media is by writing a press release. All too often businesses put too much information in a press release and not always in the correct format. They also put too much emphasis on selling their product or service and not enough on giving the press a newsworthy story. As the media receive thousands of press releases everyday it is important to make your message clear, concise and as unique as possible.

4. They don’t directly contact the people who can give them coverage

Once the press release has been written it is then time to research and get into contact with the specific members of the media who can put across your message. Many businesses make the mistake of sending press releases to general email addresses and do not directly speak with the individual members of the media who are in a position to make a difference and use their information. Doing your own PR relies on creating and building media contacts on an ongoing basis. In building contacts it also enables you to get feedback on how newsworthy and effective your press releases are. Persistence is the key!


5. They don’t do enough research before doing a media interview

When doing media interviews many businesses make the mistake of trying to get too much information across which can result in their message being diluted. They also haven’t researched the media organization that they are being interviewed for. This can mean that they don’t come across with as much impact that they could have.