The ExeL Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Alison is our social media consultant at Training Wheelz and returns in this podcast episode to talk about her recently launched project. This gives you the opportunity to develop ypour own social media marketing at an affordable cost if you feel unable to hire a manager yo do this for you - or of you like the idea of doing this for yourself.

The link to Alison's course is https://alison-harper-s-school.teachable.com/p/boostyourbusinessonsocialmedia

There is a special offer if you sign up for the course by the end of August!

*Warning notice! This episode was quite a challenge to edit as the internet dropped several times during the recording so there are a few places where there is a bit of a gap between one of us speaking and the other replying. Hopefully it does not detract from the overall flow of the conversation.

In this episode I was joined by Natalie Warr who is the partnership manager for Vision Zero South West. We discuss the vision of reducing the numbers of people seriously injured or killed on the roads in the South West. The initial aim is to reduce these numbers by 50% by 2030 and eventually down to zero. 47 people were killed on the roads in Devon and Cornwall in 2022 and 741 seriously injured.

There is a wealth of information on their website https://visionzerosouthwest.co.uk/ covering a range of areas from motor cyclists, business and older drivers, horse riders, cyclists, pedestrians and learners.

Among the issues discussed is Operation Snap where dashcam evidence of poor driving can be submitted - the website is https://operationsnap.devon-cornwall.police.uk/

Natalie and I were due to be joined by two of her partnership colleagues from Devon and Somerset Fire service but the gremlins got in the way soo I am arranging to speak with them at a later date, probably in September.

In this episode I chat with Stewart Lochrie the founder of Bright Coaching. This is a newly created training company aimed at driving instructors offering the only accredited qualification in coaching in the UK. The course specifically aims at exploring challenging and changing behaviours in drivers and explores driver psychology.

To find out more visit the Bright Coaching web site.

Bright Coaching works closely with The Honest Truth which was a very recent subject of my podcast when I spoke with Olly Tayler. Stewart speaks very stringly about the links between the two and how The Honest Truth complements the work of Bright Coaching.

Stewart is a firm advocate of CPD and has recently completed a quailfication with Dr Lisa Dorn who is one the world's leading experts in driver behaviour.

If you enjoy the show pleas give it a like - thank you!

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Carrie passed her Part 3 just two days before we recorded this episode. She talks about her experience of the qualifying process and the pressure of having to go to a third attempt to pass her Part 3 test. She also tells of the reasons why she chose to become a driving instructor and the support materials that were used (Go Green). Modesty forbids me to say who her trainer was but maybe having to go to a third attempt isn't the greatest advert?! Anyway I am sure a lot of people will empathise with Carrie when it comes to the trials and tribulations of the whole qualifying process. I hope you enjoy this episode - if you do please give it a 'like'!

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Join me as I chat with Olly Tayler, the face of The Honest Truth. We start off with our own tribute to Lou Walsh who tragically died suddenly in August. Olly and I first met many years ago at Westpoint on one of the legs of the relay so it was Lou who actually facilitated us getting to know each other. Olly has always been passionate about road safety from his days as a serving road traffic police officer. Now having retired from the force he is able to devote his time to road safety and particularly The Honest Truth. THT has undergone a complete re-vamp since Covid. It is now under the aegis of James Enan's First Car group and there is a brand new app and lots of other resources for ADIs.

This is a must listen episode - who in the driver training industry isn't committed to road safety?!

Visit The Honest Truth website to find out more.

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I was delighted to get Chris Allsopp on my podcast just before he and his partner Diane Hall came to Exeter to deliver their excellent 'Driving Test Nerves' course. Diane came on in Season 2 and talked about the content of their course and suggested then that I get Chris on to talk in more depth about the mental well-being (or not) of our young people after everything that has gone on over the last few years with Covid and the missing education years. He gives a passionate account of how generations in society have changed their behaviour which accounts very much for how young people (in general) are how they are now., Snowflakes? A word Chris dislikes with a passion and he tells us why.

I just sat back and listened in the most part to someone who is a leader in his field and speaks with great authority. I hope you njoy listening to him as much as I did!

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For the first episode of Season 3 Alison Harper gives some advice on how to utilise social media to maximum effect. She manages the social media for Knowledgable Instrucotr Training (KIT), The KIT Podcast, Xpert Driver Training, Diane Hall's L of a Way to Pass as well as Training Wheelz for myself and Christie.

In this episode we only really scratch the surface of this topic. Alison is a regular monthly contributor to the KIT Podcast and you can. find out lots more there. Find out more on her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/alisonharpersocialmediaconsultant

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Following on from the previous episode with two trainees talking about their training, I realised that they are not really aware of the range of resources that are available. Phil Cowley very kindly agreed to join me to discuss a whole range of resources and I think we have covered a large peroportion of the most popular or most well-known of these.

The list is by no means exhaustive but we did include the following in the podcast;

Lou and Blaine Walsh https://www.gogreendrivinginstructortraining.co.uk/

Diane Hall https://www.lofaway2pass.com/product/driving-test-nerves-specialist-workshop/

Bob Morton https://clientcentredlearning.co.uk/

Chris Bensted https://www.theorytestexplained.co.uk/

Terry Cook https://www.theinstructorpodcast.com/

Mick Knowles https://www.adikit.co.uk/podcast/

Kev and Tracey Field https://www.confidentdrivers.co.uk/the-driving-confidence-podcast

Mindnode https://www.mindnode.com/

Canva https://www.canva.com/online-whiteboard/

Fionadrive https://fionadrive.com/

The Honest Truth https://thehonesttruth.co.uk/

Who'In The Driving Seat https://gedandclaire.com/driving-instructor-book/

I am sure I have missed some out so go Google anything I have forgotten and if you can't find it let me as I'm sure I can find someone who does know!

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We finally got there! After a blip on the first recording when one of my interviewees disappeared for the last 15 minutes they both very kindly agreed to come back and re-record the last part.

Vicky Bourne and Vicky Henwood are training with me. The purpose of this is not to push our driver training but is designed to give an insight into what is involved in the training. They have both come to us from different directions - one Vicky has been an ADI (briefly) many years ago and the other decided to pursue this after being made redundant from her previous job. One (Vicky B) is not on a trainee licence (for reasons she explains) while the other (Vicky H) is about to go on a trainee licence the week after this recording is published.

We talk about the highs and lows, what I could have done better and the relative merits of leasing or buying a car. The over-riding message to me in all of this is to do your research and, even if you know you made the wrong decision, change it before it is too late!

Training with both of them has never been anything other than very enjoyable, even to the point of anarchy at times - including losing Vicky B on the first attempt and her wandering around the garage she and her husband own to find decent coverage!

The Go Green training materials referred to in the episode can be found here: https://www.gogreendrivinginstructortraining.co.uk/

If you find the episode interesting please give a 'like' on our facebook page - or, even better, leave a comment or review. Thank you!

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