How To Be a Success: Ordinary Men Living Extraordinary Lives...

This month’s theme is Resilience. Our guest is Johnboy Smith, Paralympic Athlete, UK No.1 and Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist in the Wheelchair Marathon. In ‘The Beginning’ section, he talks about growing up running around with a dog and a pocket-knife in rural Kent, until a chance encounter forced him to survive the unthinkable… In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’, he talks about what gave him the strength to keep going after his...

This month’s theme is Complete Transformation. Pastor Peter Nembhard founder of ARC: A Radical Church tells us about his journey from prison to preaching. In ‘The Beginning’ section, he speaks about growing up in London, boyhood dreams of being a movie villain and being excluded from school. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind – Part 1’, he speaks about losing someone he loved and finding God in prison… In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind ...

This month’s theme is From Pain to Pursuing Purpose. Seth Pinnock is founder of Midnight Oil Youth Summits, frontman of award-winning gospel group ‘A New Thing’ and Tearfund’s Head of African and Caribbean Engagement. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Seth tells us the difficult truth behind his fairy tale of success. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’, Seth tells us how his vision for Midnight Oil was conceived, after a trip to South Afri...

Paul Gask is Christian Vision for Men’s (CVM) Regional Director for the North of England. Paul was once a police officer who dramatically fell from grace… Today, he travels across the country talking to men about God in order to help CVM achieve their goal of bringing 1 million average men to God. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Paul tells us about his youth and the impact his job had on his mental health. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mi...

Emmanuel Oyeleke is a professional football player signed to Port Vale FC. He was born on Christmas Eve 1992, in Wandsworth to Nigerian parents his passions in life are football, God and family. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Emmanuel tells us how he overcame rejection to succeed as a footballer. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’, Emmanuel tells us about facing his greatest fear… In ‘The Mountaintop’, Emmanuel tells us about how changi...

Simon Edwards: 10 years ago, whilst serving a life sentence in Dovegate prison Simon found God. 5 years ago, he walked out of prison with £46 in his pocket. Today, he is the CEO of Walk ministries, a ministry that houses ex-prisoners and helps them forge a new life. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Simon tells us how he went from being in care to becoming a successful businessman by the age of 23. In The Battlefield of the Mind, Simon t...

James Aladiran, the founder of Prayer Storm, is an instrumental figure in the UK for catalysing the Church into deeper levels of intercession. Before starting Prayer Storm, James coordinated the Message Trust’s Prayer Strategy for 7 years. Since starting in 2009 Prayer Storm has gathered people from across the UK to fast and pray for a great spiritual awakening in our Nation. In ‘The Beginning’ section, James tells us about his ear...

Karen Allen is an author, preacher, public speaker, playwright, the CEO of the Joe Morris Boxing Gym and co-founder of the Joe Morris Community Empowerment Centre. She is also a passionate advocate of Young Black Men. In ‘The Beginning’, Karen tells us how her passion for young black men began with the special connection she shared with her baby brother, boxing promoter Joe Morris. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’,  Karen tells us ...

Ola Animashawun is Creative Director of playwrighting consultancy ‘Euphoric Ink’, founder of the Royal Court Theatre’s famous Young Writers Programme and has been described as ‘the Royal Court Theatre’s Secret weapon’. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Ola tells us about his dreams of being a footballer, not knowing what he wanted to do for a living and the play that changed his life. In ‘The Battlefield of the Mind’, Ola tells us about ...

Amani Simpson is an award-winning social entrepreneur, filmmaker and youth activist. At the age of 21, he was stabbed 7 times after intervening in a robbery attempt. He has since produced a powerful Youtube short film 'AMANI' starring Hollywood actor Joivan Wade which has had over 2 and a half million views. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Amani tells us how traumatic experiences in primary school and his attempts to fit in s...

Matt Bird is an international entrepreneur, speaker, author and broadcaster. He has spoken in 30 countries to more than a million people, has written 10 books. He is the founder of Relationology International and the CEO of philanthropic foundation Cinnamon Network International. In ‘The Beginning’ section, Matt tells us about how he went from being in remedial classes at school to advising 10 Downing Street. In ‘The Battlefield of...

Mervin Cato is Head of Enfield’s Secondary Behaviour Support Service where he works with some of the most challenging young people in London, a large percentage of whom are young offenders. Mervin is also founder and co-leader of Men United 4 Christ and the driving force behind the Joe Morris Boxing Gym. In ‘The Beginning’ episode, Mervin tells us about his huge family and his father’s influence on him and his community. In ‘The Ba...

Oladipo Agboluaje is one of our best Black British Playwrights, an academic and Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow. Born in Hackney and educated in both Britain and Nigeria. He won the Alfred Fagon prize for playwriting in 2009 for his play Iya-Ile (The First Wife) and his work ranges from the belly laughing satire of The First Wife set in modern Nigeria, to documentary theatre in his play The Hounding of David Oluwale, about a cas...

In our 1st Anniversary Episode we're going to do something a little bit different. We are going to have a recap of some of our most popular and powerful episodes!


The Beginning - Seth Pinnock - From Pain to Pursuing Purpose

Seth Pinnock is founder of Midnight Oil Youth Summits, frontman of award-winning gospel group ‘A New Thing’ and Tearfund’s Head of African and Caribbean Engagement. In ‘The Beginning...

Carl Beech is the president of Christian Vision for Men (CVM), CEO of The Edge and founder of both Edgefest and The Gathering festivals. He is also an author, radio host and podcaster.

0:24: Carl tells us about CVM, The Edge and the work they do with working class men.

01:14 The Beginning – Carl tells us about one of his earliest memories, what he was like as a mischievous 12-year-old, using pages of the bible as Rizla paper, ha...

Okezie Morro, is a successful Black British actor who starred in the Netflix series The Mist, has featured in several Hollywood movies including World War Z and Red Tails and has played leading roles in theatre productions at the National Theatre, The Tricycle Theatre and Almeida Theatre to name a few. He is also the creator and producer of the Youtube children’s show Tata Story Time, where brilliant black actors perform fantastic ...

A-Star real name Alidor Gasper is a successful Christian Grime artist, his first EP Revolutionary debuted at No.4 in both the Christian and Gospel Chart and the iTunes Hip Hop and Rap Chart. 2020 saw the release of his hard-hitting new album Born and Raised which delivers real talk on topics that range from: surrendering his life to God; to struggling with lust and pornography; to living with Sickle Cell Anaemia, an excruciatingly ...

Welcome to our Love Episode, this month we are going to do something a little bit different and look at how love has impacted the lives of some of the extraordinary men we have had on our podcast over the past year!


00:30 - Carl Beech, the president of Christian Vision for Men (CVM), CEO of The Edge and founder of both Edgefest and The Gathering festivals tells us how he met the love of his life...

4:24 - J...

Solomon Smith is the founder of Brixton Soup Kitchen, an organisation that has received numerous accolades and been featured on BBC3’s Amazing Humans, Channel 4, BBC Radio 1xtra and the Evening Standard Top 1000 Influential list.

0:00 Covid 19 - Solomon tells us how Covid 19 and lockdown have affected Brixton Soup Kitchen and the people they serve.

5:09 The Beginning – Solomon tells us about growing up on the Mo...