Adam Hugill spent 18 months riding his bike 20,000km through Asia and North America having been in the Army before that. When he returned he found it difficult to re-adjust to normal life and starting out on a new career. In this episode he talks us through how how he made that adjustment, the role cold water has played for him, the importance of finding a community you relate to and the five key lessons from his bike trip around the world.

Krishna Thapa grew up in mountains of Nepal, he applied to join the British Army's Royal Gurkha Rifles as a teenager and was successful. He spent 7 years in the Gurkhas before attempting SAS selection, becoming one of the first two Gurkhas to ever join the Regiment. Krishna spent 17 years in the SAS, deploying overseas 12 times. During one of his first deployments a team mate was killed right in front of him, a moment which he admits led to some dark times. He found sanctury in the Buddhist teachings of his childhood. He is now a mountaineer who has climed Everest several times and recently helped the first double above the knee amputee to summit the mountain. We talk about his journey and spiritual outlook, with the assistance of Magnus the dog.

Scott started life as a talented all round sportsman without a particular plan. He followed his passion and studied Sports & Sports Science in great detail, eventually gaining a PHD and a PGCE.

As Scott explains, he didn’t have a plan, he kept studying because he was passionate about sport and performance.

People often say that we should follow our passions in life, whilst this is certainly true, it can be difficult to achieve when real life or pragmatism gets in the way, or perhaps you’ve never been told to follow your passion. As Scott says, he was lucky, the beginning of his career coincided with a revolution in UK Sport investment and development, he went on to spend 10 years with UK Sport working on the Olympic programme, two years at the English Rugby Football Union, three years at team Sky Cycling Performance Hub and he is now two years into his tenure as Director of Sport at Millfield School.

You can now listen to this episode and all other episodes of the podcast via our website which is https://thewatchword.co.uk, we are pleased with it, I made it with the assistance of my friend and guest number two on the podcast Paul Mather. We will be building it out further with more content over time, but for now it has every episode, a short biography of each guest and information on how and why the podcast started. So you can now listen to every episode via the website https://thewatchword.co.uk – all the links to Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts and Anchor are there already.  Send us a message through the site if you have any feedback or ideas.

Marianna is an anthropologist who started her career in Marketing, she has forged a unique path combining the two disciplines leading her to her current role with Rainmaking Venture Studio.

So why anthropology? Well it’s largely because I came across Marianna's work which puts a modern spin on something that we automatically think of as ancient or traditional. The world of work fascinates me, the people, the environment, the dynamics, we are going through the latest iteration of human evolution and doing so through the internet, market trends, capitalism and COVID.

The dictionary defines anthropology as:

the study of human societies and cultures and their development.

And/or the study of human biological and physiological characteristics and their evolution.

Rainmaking Venture Studio partners with corporations to build startups to meet evolving consumer demands. It is a fascinating organisation and in Mariannas own words, she had no idea that the job she is doing now would exist two years ago.

It was great to talk to Mariannia, you can find her on LinkedIn and please do follow the podcast on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Sean changed tack from having a normal job to breaking endurance world records and writing books for a living. In this episode he tells us how.

When he was young Sean had an ambition to travel the world working as a photographer, he didn’t quite achieve his aim, and after 10 years and reaching the age of 30, he was working in the UK and specialising in school portraits. Whilst he was doing well professionally, there was something missing.

Sean made a huge career change, whilst trying to work out how to fund a life of travel, he decided he needed to break world records in order to get sponsored.

He set his sights on achieving a world’s first, worlds furthest and world’s fastest in various disciplines.

Worlds first – swam the length of Britain, World’s furthest – longest triathlon, world’s fastest – cycling across Europe from Portugal’s most westerly point in Portugal to the most easterly point in Russia.

This is a fantastic story about pursuing passion.

You can find out more about Sean via his website www.seanconway.com or via Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/seanconwayadventure

Please also do follow the podcast on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/WatchwordPodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast

or LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/65261174

Look out for the Watchword website which is coming soon!

* This episode contains detailed explanations of improvised explosive device detonation and the associated impact. 

Kim joined the Army aged 16, he became an Ammunition Technician and then Bomb Disposal Operator.

He completed 10 operational tours during his career including three tours of Afghanistan. During his first tour of Afghanistan he neutralised 119 IEDs in six months and was awarded the George Cross for his actions on a particular day in Sangin. His actions that day were described as "the single most outstanding act of explosive ordnance disposal ever recorded in Afghanistan."

Kim left the Army just over a week ago and now runs Threat Reduction Limited, which provides a number of services but at the moment, during COVID, he has been producing bespoke carpentry in his workshop, you can see more at https://www.instagram.com/threat_reduction_ltd

Kim has written several books, the first of which was his autobiography ‘Painting in the Sand’ which is available on Amazon and other good bookstores. Look out for his other upcoming books Operation BLACK KEY and Operation CERTAIN DEATH.

You can find us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast & LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/65261174

Kev spent most of his career working on the River Thames in a job with 400 years of history behind it. Watermen used to row the passengers to and from tall ships moored up in London and whilst the role has evolved the traditional skills of rope work, boat handling, navigation and knowing the tides are still required. Kev’s passion for the outdoors led to an encounter with one of the best-known adventurers in the UK and Skyrise Productions was born. The following years have included trips all over the world filming adventures, including Sean Conway’s world record speed cycling trip from Europe’s most westerly mainland point in Portugal to the most easterly in Russia.

This is a story about pursuing passion, perseverance and creativity.

You can keep up with Skyrise Productions at skyrise_ productions on Instagram or at their website skyriseproductions.co.uk
You can also find the Watchword Podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Lulu is the sole founder of Clothes Doctor, a business she started in 2016 having made the leap from a successful career in the city of London.

We talk about the learning curve involved in starting a new business from scratch, the challenges of being a sole founder, fund raising via crowd funding platforms, how she plans on reinventing clothing repairs, the impact fast fashion is having on the planet and how she has had to pivot the business in 2020. A true start up story.

You can keep up with Lulu and her business via their website www.clothes-doctor.com or find them on Instagram.

Nick is the Director and Head Chef of The Patricia, the restaurant he founded in 2016 having worked at the Michelin starred River Café in London before that.

Nick talks us through how he became a chef, running his first pub and subsequent experience at top restaurants in London.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story for a number of reasons, but ultimately because it is one driven by Nick’s urge to start his own venture, his willingness to take risk when he was lacking the finances and his desire to follow his passion. Finally, it is a great story because it was enabled by his grandmother, Patricia, who he named the restaurant after.

Nick and his team have had to evolve to thrive during the COVID pandemic, a testament to the team and Nick’s ability as an entrepreneur.

You can find the The Patrica on Instagram, Facebook and at www.the-patrica.com

Also please do give the Watchword podcast a review!

Danny is the technology correspondent for The Sunday Times newspaper. He has worked at the paper since 2008 and launched his podcast 'Danny in the Valley in 2017', it is one of the best podcasts out there, highly recommend it if you are interested in technology, the world of silicon valley and even the future of humanity, because sometimes it gets pretty deep, as Danny explains.

In this episode we talk about how he got into journalism, the current situation with Tik Tok vs the US government, the impact social media is having on society, politics and children, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musks' shared objective of colonising outer space and Mark Zuckerberg announcing his plan to eradicate all disease.

Hope you enjoy the podcast and as ever find us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram @ The Watchword Podcast.

Musah grew up in rural Ghana, he had to work as a child to cover the cost of going to school. He struggled to do so and after making a shoe shine box he decided to leave home aged 14 to travel and make a living shining shoes, he made a treacherous 5000km journey from Ghana to Libya before seizing the opportunity to travel to the UK and eventually join the British Army. Now having been forced to leave the Army he has started a community-based project with the aim of changing the lives of those living in rural Ghana.

Having been introduced to Musah by a friend I found him an incredibly positive and inspirational person so it was great to talk to him. You can find him on LinkedIn and find out more about his project at www.helac.community

You can find the podcast on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WatchwordPodcast

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/65261174

Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast/

Jon spent 9 years as an officer in the Royal Marines, serving in Cyprus, the USA, Brazil and twice in Afghanistan. His military career came to an unexpected end and he transitioned into the corporate world, first working for Amazon.

Jon tried desperately to make it work but in his own words was dying inside. Married with 3 children he remained strong for his family but had lost his purpose. Things spiralled downwards for him and when driven to thoughts of suicide he knew that something had to change.

I find Jon’s story fascinating, partly because I relate to it having found myself in an office listening to the tapping of keyboards with similar thoughts, but also because I can’t help but think, whether service leavers or not, there are a lot of people in careers that ultimately don’t fulfil them.

Jon now runs his own business helping service leavers ignite their passion and you can find out more by visiting www.jonbeete.com

Please also do leave a review for the podcast on Apple podcasts if you can.

Paul spent 35 years in the Army, reaching the rank of Major General, having completed his initial training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst he returned nearly 30 years later to run the Academy. During his career he also commanded an Armoured Brigade of 5,000 soldiers before latterly being responsible for Army recruiting, Army basic training and the centre for Army leadership.

In this episode we talk about the challenges of leaving the military, regardless of rank, the evolution of training even within the last few years and how to build a high performing culture in the workplace.

Paul is happy to connect with anyone who would like to on LinkedIn. Please leave a review for the podcast if you enjoy it!

I really enjoyed talking to Oz, his perspective having built many teams, started a business and commissioned to serve as the first black officer in both the Parachute Regiment and the UK Special Forces make his story unique. I hope you enjoy the episode and you can connect with Oz on Twitter, LinkedIn and find his company CybSafe at cybsafe.com. If you enjoy the podcast please leave a review on iTunes!

Stuart started a business after leaving a successful career in consulting, having been Chief Operating Officer of KPMG UK. Four years after it’s creation, Stuart’s business Crossword Consulting has experienced considerable growth. In this episode we talk about the challenging reality of starting your own business, the attributes required to succeed and the importance of managing your own wellbeing whilst doing it.

In addition to his experience in finance, consulting and cyber security Stuart also spent eight years in the Army. He also advises and mentors people who are looking to grow cyber security companies.

I hope you enjoy the episode and you can connect with Stuart via LinkedIn if you search for Stuart Jubb. Please also take a couple of minutes to leave a review on Apple podcasts as it makes a big difference.

John joined the family business Timpson in 1963 before the organisation went through a serious board room disagreement which saw the business go out of family control. John continued to work there and eventually enabled a management buyout before leading the business on to considerable success.

In addition to running the business, John and his family have supported their team of colleagues in a wide number of ways which perhaps set their organisation apart from others and I would argue is inspirational. He and his late wife Alex also found the time to foster 90 children.

It was a privilege to talk to Sir John and I hope you enjoy it.

Please do leave a review for the podcast on Apple podcasts and follow us on social media.

Nick joined the Army aged 23 and deployed to Afghanistan one week after finishing his initial training. Three months later he was in Musa Qualeh when he was injured by a rocket propelled grenade. The injury led to Nick being in a coma for three weeks and was the start of a long journey of recovery.

Despite his injuries, Nick went on to return to Afghanistan twice more, he has now left the Army and uses his unique perspective to write, talk and inspire others to better understand personal and organisational success.

The way Nick talks about trauma, in that may be military related or not and is experienced by huge numbers of people every day, led me to reflect on challenges I have had to overcome myself. Given the topic, this podcast is not one of light entertainment but hopefully will help some people who might have had related experiences.

You can find Nick on LinkedIn at Nick Garland and please do give the podcast a review on Apple podcasts.

Mark joined the Grenadier Guards aged sixteen and spent 25 years in the Army. He went on to become one of the first members of the Help for Heroes team when the charity was formed in 2007. 

Their original aim was to raise £10,000, thirteen years later the organisation has raised millions. This incredible journey has helped a huge number of wounded, injured and sick service people and their families in the process.

COVID 19 has had a dramatic impact on the third sector and Help for Heroes need assistance.  You can find out more about Help for Heroes at https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Please also do give the podcast a review on Apple podcasts as it makes a big difference.

Zoe has found success working in tech, having spent three years working with Deliveroo during a period of huge growth before moving on to one of the most intriguing tech companies in the world.

In our discussion Zoe reflects on joining the Navy aged 18, the power of the Invictus games, being a woman working in tech and how to build engaged teams. I really enjoyed talking to her and hope you enjoy it too.

You can connect with Zoe on LinkedIn at Zoe Williams, also please also do give the podcast a review on Apple podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-watchword-podcast/id1503538748

Steve McCulley started his own business which builds and fits custom made bikes, from mountain bikes to road bikes. They are hand made in the UK and customised to each client. The name of the company is Lios, he named it after his children Lily and Oscar. If you are a keen cyclist then check out https://www.liosbikes.com and consider treating yourself because not only are the bikes designed and built in the UK but the story behind the company sets them apart.

Whilst Steve loves bikes, he was forced into his career change through injury, he was blown up in Afghanistan whilst commanding 175 Marines in battle. The injuries he sustained were numerous and substantial. During his rehabilitation he made a plan and went on to build a successful bike company as well as a successful career in motor racing. I think it is safe to say he is not your 9 - 5 kind of guy…

If you would like to get in touch with Steve you can do so via his website https://www.stevenmcculley.com/or follow Lios Bikes on all social media.

Please also leave a review for the Watchword podcast on Apple podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-watchword-podcast/id1503538748

Jonny Ball has combined his two passions - the military and politics - to form Campaign Force, which exists to get veterans and those from the military community into politics at all levels, from local organisations through to becoming Members of Parliament.

Talking to Jonny was an education, his passion is infectious and his message presents some great options for people to consider, whether as a possible career change or on a part time or voluntary basis to have a greater presence amongst your local community.

In addition to talking about politics and the military, Jonny goes on to talk about some recent challenges he has overcome, his desire to continuously develop and the power of cognitive behavioural therapy.

You can find out more about Jonny and Campaign Force at https://campaignforce.co.uk/

Please also do follow the Watchword Podcast on Facebook and Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast/

Gary started off his career as a prison officer before deciding to join the Army. He went on to become a Forward Observer in the Royal Artillery and has served for 12 years, achieving a great deal including a considerable battlefield promotion whilst on operations.

There are several reasons for doing this podcast, one is to highlight the quality of people of all ranks leaving the Armed forces. The second is to assist those on a similar journey – Gary is doing a great job so far and there are quite a few useful takeaways for anyone planning their departure from the military. The third is to hear more about Gary’s reflections on leadership and the impact some influential people have had on him during his career.

If you are leaving the military and would like to discuss this further with either Gary or me, you can connect with us on LinkedIn – search for Gary Rodford or Mark Thomson. 

Please do follow the Watchword podcast on Facebook and Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast

Richard is a former Royal Marine officer who was injured whilst on operations, he went on to work in investment banking before realising it wasn’t for him. Since then he has worked for Help for Heroes and is now the CEO of Team Rubicon UK, the charity that has led the way in supporting the NHS, emergency services and local authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Richard loves his job, his reflections on purpose, the world of work and how we can contribute more are enlightening and I hope you enjoy it.

If you are interested in volunteering to support team Rubicon please visit https://www.teamrubiconuk.org

You can find the Watchword Podcast on Facebook and Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast

Huw founded the Motivational Preparation College for Training 23 years ago after a long career in the military. Whilst working in Army recruitment he spotted a gap between the standards the military required vs how prepared some applicants were.

Huw started the MPCT with a handful of people, 23 years later their team is 180 strong, has 35 colleges across the UK and has trained over 20,000 learners.

Profit with purpose and responsible capitalism are two terms that we hear more now than ever before. The reason I was excited to talk to Hugh is that he and his team are achieving exactly that, helping people get a better start in life and find a more fulfilling job than they otherwise might have.

You can find out more about the MPCT at mpct.co.uk

Nick grew up wanting to be a Royal Marine and achieved his ambition, going on to conduct multiple operational tours all over the world including serving in support of the Special Forces. The impact of his activities took its toll and he was eventually discharged from the military due to a diagnosis of complex PTSD. Nick found sanctuary in the outdoors and started Hidden valley bushcraft, which exists to educate and help people. It is an inspirational story and they are currently offering free support to key workers to assist with the COVID 19 pandemic.

You can find out more at https://www.hiddenvalleybushcraft.co.uk or find them on social media.

Please also do follow the Watchword podcast on Facebook and Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast/

Louise spent over 11 years in the Police, during that time she married her husband Nick, a Royal Marine who was later forced to retire from service. After buying a small woodland they established Hidden Valley Bush craft, which has evolved into a place for healing, learning and developing outdoors, amongst nature.

It is an inspirational story and you can find out more at hiddenvalleybushcraft.co.uk or find them on social media @Hiddenvalleybushcraft.

Please also follow the Watchword podcast on Facebook and Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast/

Ryan was born in Boulder Colorado and grew up living an outdoors lifestyle. In his youth he volunteered for the Peace Corps and worked in Honduras helping disadvantaged children before deciding he was going to ride his bike back through South America instead of fly. Since then he has led a life dedicated to the outdoors and adventure which has taken him to Nepal, Europe, South America and all over the States...He lives in a solar powered apartment and has never owned a car.

You can keep up with Ryan on Instagram at Duzer and on Youtube where he has 60,000 followers by searching for Ryan Van Duzer.

You can find the Watchword podcast on Facebook & Instagram…https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast/

Heather Stanning grew up wanting to join the Army. Having developed a passion for rowing at university she went on to balance her career in the military with being an elite athlete.

Heather became a double Olympic champion, winning gold in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, in addition to a number of other world and European championship titles. Since retiring from rowing, she has continued to progress her Army career and recently become a Mum.

You can keep up with Heather on Instagram @heathermstanning and please do also follow The Watchword Podcast on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Samuel Hall started his career studying law at Oxford University, going on to work in corporate law for several years. After a great deal of reflection Samuel changed tack and moved into the world of startups. He then worked in a variety of functions within different start-ups, gaining a generalist skillset, becoming comfortable with risk and acquiring the ability to change direction quickly led to his his second career, building new ventures.

Samuel now lives in Singapore and is the APAC CEO of a company called Rainmaking that builds new startups and ventures with established corporate partners. I loved talking to Sam and hope you enjoy teh conversation too.

You can connect with Sam on LinkedIn at Samuel Hall and please do follow the Watchword podcast on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Jeremy Gibbs worked in the agricultural industry for 25 years, he changed direction and launched Forces Farming. Forces Farming offers servicemen and women the opportunity to transition into various roles within the agricultural industry. Jeremy has a interesting story and I think it is a great plan.

Ben Legg spent 10 years serving as an officer in the Royal Engineers before embarking on a career that has seen him work for McKinsey, Coca Cola & Google prior to moving into the world of start-ups. Ben now advises, mentors and invests in start-ups he believes have a chance of changing the world for the better. He has some thought-provoking ideas on the changes required to health care in the UK and across the world.

You can connect with Ben on LinkedIn if you search for Ben Legg, also please take a moment to give the podcast a review on iTunes or Spotify and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Welcome to the Watchword Podcast, exploring life's big decisions and the factors behind them. In this episode, I talk to Helen Barnett.

Helen joined the Police force aged 18 because she wanted to serve the community and help people. During her career she was involved in violent incidents whilst serving with both the regular Police and the SO19 Armed police response unit, having been the first mother to join. One incident in particular led to Helen being awarded the Queens Commendation for Bravery, but also ultimately her departure from the Police.

After the initial challenges of prematurely ending her Police career, Helen credits an organisation called ‘Hidden Valley Bushcraft’ with changing her life and she is now their Patron. 

If you would like to connect with Helen you can find her on Instagram at helenbarnett7205. Please also follow the Watchword Podcast on Instagram & Facebook. https://www.instagram.com/watchwordpodcast

Mark Billingham MBE joined the Parachute Regiment in 1983 and the SAS in 1991, he was responsible for the planning and execution of strategic operations at the highest level in numerous locations (Iraq, Afghanistan, South America and Africa) and has lead countless hostage rescues.

Having left the military in 2015, he became a bodyguard and looked after people such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Sir Michael Caine, Tom Cruise and even Hulk Hogan. Having now moved into roles on TV he is one of the members of the SAS Who Dares Wins team.

You can follow Mark on Instagram at Billingham22B Don’t forget to follow the Watchword podcast on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Andrew Bell grew up in Durham, he loved sport and ultimately specialised in the martial art jui jitsu. Having got a law degree and started his career, his life changed one day when riding his motorbike. He was involved in a crash which left him paralysed from the chest down. The ensuing years were amongst as challenging as any individual and family could go through.

If you are affected by anything we talk about Andy is happy for you to get in touch with him, you can find him on Instagram at Andrew Bell 85 or  through the Watchword Podcast Instagram page. Also please do follow the Watchword podcast on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

This week's episode is with rugby player Toby Flood, Toby has played professional rugby for nearly 17 years, earning 60 England caps during that stime. He started his career at Newcastle, moved to Leicester Tigers where he captained the side and won 3 Premiership titles, then in France where he played with Toulouse and became fluent in French before returning to where it all began with Newcastle.

Toby is planning a big career change, his departure from rugby, in this episode we talk about what Covid has been like for a professional sportsman, how he has achieved longevity as an athlete in such a brutal sport and how he has developed as a person and leader during his career.

I recently completed a 493 mile bike ride in 5 days to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, like many people I was inspired by the rugby player Rob Burrow. I've raised just over £2,000. A disease we can't do much about at present, but hopefully with investment one day it will be curable. 

The link to sponsor is here - Just Giving

Dave Coffey applied to join the Army as a private soldier aged 15 years and 9 months to escape a troubled childhood. 25 years later he left the Army having completed 8 operational tours, including 3 fighting tours of Iraq and one of Afghanistan as a Company Sergeant Major.

There are two reasons for doing this podcast, the first is to explore the reality of war with someone who has experienced challenges most of us can only imagine. As Dave explains, war can be chaos and the impact it had on him and his family nearly cost him everything.
The second reason is to learn from his experience, as Dave describes it, war broke him, but through acceptance it led to learning, growth and success which resulted in him being one of the leads for the introduction of the highly successful values based leadership model to training establishments in the Army. And then on to complete a Masters degree.

Dave Coffey is an inspirational person, there is something about him, he isn’t someone to sell himself in 20 seconds, he is someone you want to spend time with because he exudes leadership that is the result of hardship, loss and reflection. I hope you enjoy the discussion.

Ben Lipscynski spent 13 years as an officer in the Navy serving on both submarines and ships before deciding to take the leap into cyber security in 2015. Ben has worked for EY, Accenture and now at another of the big four consulting firms. 

In this episode we talk about current cyber threats as well as Ben's path into the industry. His story is one of a hugely successful transition and we hope it helps those who are planning career changes and looking for ideas. Cyber security is a good fit for those with a military skill set.

Remember to follow the Watchword Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn & if you can give us a review on iTunes I would be most grateful.

The primary aim of The Watchword Podcast is to help people.  In this episode I talk to Justin Standfield who runs a training and development company called Incendo. Justin specialises in leadership consultancy and amongst many other things he has been trained by the UK College of Mindfulness Meditation as a mindfulness teacher. He is also a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute. In this episode we talk about leadership, mindfulness and Justin gives some excellent tips on how to manage your state of mind in stressful times.  

You can find Incendo as @IncendoDevelop on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo and Youtube (or you can search for Incendo Development).

Adam Hugill grew up in a small town in East Yorkshire, after becoming a cadet he developed an ambition to join the military as an officer. Adam achieved his aim and served in the Army for 8 years, whilst in Afghanistan he read book about cycling around the world and a seed was planted which led him to leave the military and embark on a 20,000km adventure that changed his perspective on life. It is a great story and I hope you enjoy it.

You can find Adam on Instagram and Youtube if you search for Adam Hugill.

Hugh Keir signed up to join the Army in 1999, joining the Parachute Regiment before serving for eleven years, completing 2 tours of Northern Ireland, 2 tours of Iraq and 3 tours of Afghanistan, most of which as a sniper and then sniper team leader. 

Hugh left the Army in 2011 and went on to start the H Hour podcast with the aim of helping the veteran community, he now works for satellite communications company Immarsat and is a passionate advocate of mental health for all. 

You can find out more about Hugh and connect with him via his website charliecharlieone.com.

Stuart began his career as a teacher, balancing rugby and education until he transitioned to coaching full time, starting a journey which led him to become the England Rugby Head Coach and then on to Leinster, arguably the best club team in Europe.

Stuart has dedicated his life to helping others perform whilst continuing to learn himself and I found the conversation inspirational.

If you would like to connect with Stuart, add him on LinkedIn where you can view a huge amount of coaching and leadership content which he distributes for free.

Paul Mather helped grow Deliveroo from 100 delivery drivers to nearly 60,000 in five years. Prior to that he served as an officer in the Army, deploying to Afghanistan in 2013. Paul reflects on some of life's big decisions, what made this Oxford graduate avoid the trappings of the city and join the Army? And how did that lead to 6 years (and counting) dedicated to start ups, growing businesses and helping people?

Paul currently resides in Antigua but you can get in touch with him at pauldavidmather.com or find him on LinkedIn. 

Jimmy Clark joined the Army after deciding to leave his corporate graduate job just 3 months after starting it. Jimmy reflects on some of life's big decisions and the factors behind them. What took him from a child who liked amateur dramatics and science fiction to fighting in one of the worst parts of Afghanistan?

The Watchword Podcast tells the stories of challenge and success. Our aim is to talk to people from all backgrounds and careers to share the benefit of their experience. Reflecting on life's big decisions and the factors behind them so that you are better informed when planning your own path.

Due to my background in the Army, we are starting with several military people, but plan to quickly diversify into other areas including starting a business, social media, content production and even yoga. 

This podcast is brought to you by Watchword Security, providing professional security services to protect people, property and assets. We are a values led organisation who focus on the customer experience. If you need a security team you can rely on Watchword can help. 

www.watchwordsecurity.co.uk

Alex spent 10 years in the Army, six of which were with the Special Forces.

His journey into the Army was result of a childhood ambition but his career in Special Forces started as a result of a setback…

Alex left the Army in 2020 and now works for cyber security company Senseon as an Account Executive, he has also founded his own business called WILDNIS, which exists to provide bespoke adventures in exciting environments.

You can find out more about senseon at sension.io and wildnis at wildnis.co.uk

You can also find all episodes of the podcast on our website thewatchword.co.uk

There has been a lull in podcast related activity despite having some great guests in the pipeline. The delay has been caused by Covid related activity. Last year I spent several months working with the Army Reserve in support of the effort to counter Covid-19, spending time working on the testing programme before moving into a regional headquarters.

When I went back to running Watchword Security full time I was asked if I could help with Covid-19 testing. As a business we have subsequently put our experience to good use by helping colleges and businesses establish their testing plans.

As a result, this episode is completely different to what we normally do, I spent time talking to Penny Wycherley, the Principal and CEO of our first Covid testing client, Highbury College, and also the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North Penny Mordaunt.

Penny Mordaunt is Paymaster General & Cabinet Office Minister, she has previous held roles in Government as International Development Secretary and as the Defence Secretary.

In this episode we talk about how the project came to be and how things have gone so far.

You can see more about what we have been doing in support of Covid-19 testing at watchwordsecurity.co.uk

Martin started mountain biking age eleven, and as you’ll hear, his passion for it is all consuming.

His journey reflects the why the podcast exists – his childhood passion, the deviation away from it due to the challenges of everyday life, but then a return to mountain biking and then the planning and delivery of a huge project in the most dramatic fashion.

Martin had an idea to build the first dedicated private mountain bike park in the UK. 4 years later Bike Park Wales opened their doors, 7 years later they are still going strong, despite huge setbacks from COVID.

Martin’s story is about realising a dream and having the determination to overcome every hurdle that comes your way in doing so.

This is the last episode before Christmas and I wanted to a say a huge thank you to everyone who’s listened to the podcast in 2020. It has been absolutely brilliant to start the podcast as it is something I have wanted to do for about six years. To realise an ambition that you have had for a long time is hugely rewarding. I have also recently received a few messages from people who are listening to the episodes from the beginning, as I have with my favourite podcasts, which is great to hear. In these podcasts we don’t talk much about current affairs, the focus is on the person and their journey, the idea being that they are relevant whenever you listen to them, so thanks again to those who have got in touch.

We have some awesome guests in the pipeline for 2021 including a couple of well known sports people, which is always exciting.

So back to this episode…check out bike park wales on facebook and Instagram, You can also find the Watchword podcast on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram – if you enjoy the podcast please leave a review on apple podcasts. Check out the Watchword podcast website!

This bonus episode is a short 8 minute breathing exercise with Clemmie. We hope you enjoy it. 

You can find out more at her website Clemmie.london or on Instagram @clemmie.london

You can also find the Watchword podcast on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram – if you enjoy the podcast please leave a review on iTunes as it makes all the difference!

Clemmie worked in office-based jobs for about 10 years but gradually came to the realisation that it wasn’t for her, she became desperate to do something else and having discovered yoga she found the courage to leap from a safe career to running her own business teaching yoga, which she has subsequently taken all over the world.

The reason for doing this podcast is twofold – firstly to explore a big career change and understand how Clemmie made it happen, and secondly to talk about yoga and the huge benefits it can bring both physically and mentally.

Clemmie has also agreed to give listeners of the podcast a special price on an introductory yoga chat and online private yoga session. You can find out about yoga and get started with Clemmie for £40 instead of the usual price of £60. Go to Clemmie.london to get in touch with her and mention the podcast.

Also check out the short bonus episode in which Clemmie takes us through a breathing exercise...

You can find out more at her website Clemmie.london or on Instagram @clemmie.london

You can also find the Watchword podcast on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram – if you enjoy the podcast please leave a review on iTunes as it makes all the difference!