Human Alchemy

In this episode with Adam Gemili we discuss a lot of different topics.

Adam lost out on an Olympic medal by 0.003 seconds and had to deal with that disappointment but he certainly doesn't seem bitter. Adam has a very positive mindset and has worked very hard on the mental side of things. 

We discussed what it was like racing against the great Usain Bolt, how certain runners would try to intimidate you, the mechanics of executing...

Ash Dykes joins us again for a very new and exciting project. 

Ash will be going on 6 expeditions over the next 12 months each one lasting around 30 days. In between each mission, Ash will be joining me to debrief the last mission and preview the next one. 

In this episode we look ahead at Project 6 and go through why Ash is taking on such a big logistical challenge and preview his first expedition into the Congo basin.&nbs...

Join me for this episode of Human Alchemy with Joe Pietersen.

Joe played professional rugby for 20 years in South Africa, England, France, Japan and the United States so his exposure to performance across different cultures is very unique. 

During his career he started building a charity called Nkombe Rhino dedicated to protecting Rhinos across the Kruger national park. 

Joe may have dehorned more Rhinos than anyone else in ...

Daniel Eggington is an adventurer, who in November, will attempt to become the first recorded person to ever walk the length of the Congo river. It’s a mission that will take no less than a year and pose threats to his life and health. 

He has already traversed the infamous Darien Gap, traveled the Rio Negro and endured many tough challenges but this will trump them all. 

The Congo is a mission describ...

Colin fisher is an expert is organisational behaviour and team dynamics having studied at Harvard and worked with some amazing teams and conducted important research. 

In this episode we covered a lot of topics so I'll list out a few of the key points below:

• Incentives
• Is diversity actually good for teams?
• Are Psychometrics any use (They're not)?
• How do you build effective teams?
• Is structure or coaching more important?
• How confo...

On this episode of Human Alchemy, I sat down with Simon Brodkin. 

Simon has a great CV of performance under pressure having worked initially as a junior doctor before entering the world of TV where he sprung to prominence with characters like Lee Nelson and Jason Bent. 

Simon became world famous with high profile stunts where he took on people like Donald Trump, Theresa May, Kanye West and ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter.&nb...

Ash Dykes is a Welsh explorer and world record holder, and we have the pleasure of hearing about his remarkable journey from chip shop worker to world-leading adventurer.

Ash is known for taking on solo expeditions in remote and dangerous locations, including crossing the ridiculously treacherous Madagascar, being the first to follow the full length of the Yangtze River and undertaking the first solo and unsupported journey across t...

It's been a while since our last episode but we're excited to be back!

The Traitors is a fascinating show that highlights some very interesting topics that I personally love to talk about. Group dynamics, performance under pressure, cognitive biases and group decision making are all key components of the show and that's why I've decided to breakdown a few of the areas I think have the most transfer to everyday life. 

Are people ...

If there's one topic that I rely on more than any other it's this one. How on earth to you consistently come up with new ideas? 

Almost everything I do depends on the quality of the ideas I produce;

Sales closes, podcast questions, session ideas, thumbnails, titles, public speaking and loads more. 

The topic I go into in this episode is one I've been studying desperately for the last 4 years, as I view it as so crucial to an...

Will McLaren spent 5 years in the Royal Marines where he battled through selection and learned some core life skills before making the move to London. 

After having a go at a few different things including personal training and a few different ventures, Will has embarked on his most ambitious journey yet; starting a fitness competition to challenge Hyrox.

Will and his co founder Toby have created a fitness competition called Met...

Dave Pounds is a resilience and leadership coach who has helped countless teams and individuals. 

When Dave was just 12 years old he experienced something truly horrific, the murder of his Mother in his home. 

Dave has battled with anxiety, PTSD, alcohol abuse and more and now, having tried hundreds of different therapies, Dave has come out the other side. 

In this episode, Dave shares his story and how he brought himse...

The 'Pygmalion Effect' is one of the most powerful tools out there for anyone looking to positively impact those around them and the first topic for a 'Ross Examination'.

A little while ago we decided to pivot the podcast to 'Human Alchemy' to align more closely with who we wanted to speak with on the show but I had a soft spot for the name Ross Examination and decided to keep it for solo episodes focused on one topic. Every now and...

This weeks episode looks at performance from a slightly different angle. 

Jonnie Fielding has been walking the streets of London for over 10 years as a tour guide. His tours are exceptional and from a performance point of view, very impressive.

No matter the weather, company or his own feelings, Jonnie has to turn up with energy and enthusiasm to make it special. 

One of the biggest things I took from the episode was how Jon...

Charlie Copsey has 20 years experience in production working on BBC Radio 5 Live's 'Fighting Talk', since then, Charlie has started her own business - 'The Underground Fan Club' where she creates fan experiences like not other. 

She noticed that most talent would be awesome and charming off screen but when they were on screen they would almost go into autopilot which prompted Charlie to come up with a way to allow people to fee...

Josh Brandon has over 20 years experience in talent management, working with musicians, actors, athletes and influencers. Josh has seen people go through every stage of stardom and understands better than most the difference between making it and missing out. 

Josh is also highly educated after studying at Oxford, MIT and Henley Business School. 

Josh has founded multiple start-ups and ventures along side his talent managem...

Stuart Lancaster is a highly experienced professional rugby coach who has worked at all levels of the game. He has played professionally, coached at academy level, first team level and international level as well as coaching overseas in France and Ireland. 

I sat down with Stuart after he had just been released from Racing 92 and before he took his role at Connacht. Stuart spoke about the challenges of leading in a different la...

I had no idea at all what to expect when starting a podcast, what would be easy, what would be hard or what to expect. 

Before the podcast moves in a different direction, I thought it would be interesting to take you through the process of starting a podcast and what I learned throughout as well as some of the big mistakes I made and a couple of wins. 

It's a also a great time to introduce the plans moving forward and who I...