Thriving Minds with Alberto Zandi

This week Alberto sat down with Richard Mullender, the renowned former hostage negotiator and communication expert, to unpack what communication really is, why most people do it badly, and how better listening can transform negotiation, trust, persuasion, leadership, and relationships.

Richard spent decades in policing, with the final part of his career leading Scotland Yard's hostage and crisis negotiation, where the stakes were often life and death. In this conversation, he explains why negotiation is not really about talking more or sounding clever, but about understanding what the other person values, what they are feeling, what they are motivated by, and why they believe they are right.

He challenges some of the most common myths people still believe, including the idea that body language can reliably reveal truth, that asking more questions automatically makes you a better listener, and that great negotiation starts when the formal negotiation begins. According to Richard, trust starts much earlier, and the people who influence best are often the people who understand best.

You will learn
Why most people think they are listening, but are actually just waiting to talk
Why body language can mislead you, and what to focus on instead
How trust is built before a negotiation even begins
The six things Richard says you should listen for in every important conversation
Why everyone believes they are right, and how understanding that changes everything
How to negotiate better at work, at home, and in high pressure situations

Follow Richard & The Listening Institute:
⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-mullender-1b427910/⁠
⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-listening-institute/⁠
⁠https://www.facebook.com/listeninginstitute/⁠
⁠https://listeninginstitute.com/richard-mullender/⁠

Get Richard's books: ⁠Amazon⁠

#podcast #negotiation #listening #communication #mindset #selfimprovement #thrivingmindspodcast
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This week Alberto sat down with Oliver Cookson, the renowned founder of Myprotein, the world’s #1 supplement brand, serial entrepreneur, author, and one of the UK’s most compelling self-made business builders, to unpack how he went from humble beginnings in Manchester to building one of the most recognised names in sports nutrition.

Oliver’s story breaks almost every rule people think success requires. He did not go to university, did not raise outside funding, and did not build Myprotein with a polished business plan or a big support network. He started with a £500 overdraft, built the first products himself, packed orders around a full-time job, and slowly turned a kitchen operation into a global business.

In this conversation, Oliver explains how curiosity first led him to question what was really inside protein powder, why he believed he could build and sell a better version online, and how obsessive execution, discipline, and self-belief became the foundation of everything that followed.

He also shares the reality of scaling without investors, the importance of hiring people who cover your weaknesses, the emotional toughness required to keep going, and why entrepreneurship is often far lonelier than people realise.

You will learn
How Oliver built Myprotein from a £500 overdraft, with no degree, no investors, and no safety net
Why execution matters more than credentials, and how to start before you feel ready
How to scale a consumer business through lean cash flow, referrals, and smart direct-to-consumer marketing
What great hiring really looks like, and why your senior team should cover your weaknesses
Why entrepreneurship is mentally hard, emotionally lonely, and still worth it if the mission is real
What money does and does not solve, after building and selling major businesses

Follow Oliver:
IG: ⁠mrolivercookson⁠
X: ⁠olivercookson⁠

Buy Oliver's book:
⁠Bootstrap Your Life: How to Turn £500 into £350 Million⁠

#entrepreneurship #businessstory #startupjourney #founderstory #mindset #selfgrowth #successmindset #motivation #myprotein #businesstips #hustle #resilience #podcastclips #growthmindset #startupadvice #myprotein
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This week Alberto sat down with Georgie Coleridge Cole, the renowned founder and CEO of SheerLuxe, one of the UK’s most influential digital media brands, to unpack the real story behind building a business that shaped modern online publishing and recently reached a major acquisition milestone.

Georgie started SheerLuxe in 2007, after spotting a clear gap in the market, a trusted destination that could help people discover the best places to shop online at a time when ecommerce was still in its early stages.

What began as a simple but sharp idea evolved into a powerful modern media brand built on great content, trusted voices, first party audience, and commercial discipline.

In this conversation, Georgie shares the full journey, from her early ambition and fascination with working women, to writing the business plan with her husband, raising a relatively small amount of capital, building the first version of the platform, and learning how to not only survive but thrive through nearly two decades of change in digital media.

She explains why great businesses are built through constant adaptation, why curiosity is one of the most underrated entrepreneurial traits, and why content, people, and audience became the three pillars behind SheerLuxe success.

You will learn:
• How Georgie turned a simple market insight into one of the UK’s most recognised lifestyle media brands
• Why content, people, and audience became the core pillars of SheerLuxe’s growth
• How to build an audience, why trust is the most valuable asset in media and how to build it
• What great hiring and team building really looks like inside a fast moving founder led company
• What it feels like to sell a business for millions and millions
• Why commercial savvy is one of the most important life skills, whether you are an entrepreneur or not and how to craft it

Follow Georgie
https://www.instagram.com/gcoleridgecole/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiecoleridgecole/

Follow SheerLuxe
http://www.youtube.com/@sheerluxe
https://www.instagram.com/sheerluxe/
https://www.tiktok.com/@sheerluxe
https://uk.pinterest.com/sheerluxe/

#podcast #entrepreneurship #startupstory #businessjourney #founderstory #ecommerce #contentstrategy #mindset #workethic #leadership #thrivingminds
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This week Alberto sat down with Dr Tim Spector, a world leading gut health expert, medical doctor, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, bestselling author, and co founder of #ZOE.

In this conversation, Dr Spector explains why the gut microbiome is one of the most important control systems in the human body, shaping metabolism, immunity, mood, cravings, inflammation, and even the way the brain functions.

He breaks down complex science in a way anyone can understand, and challenges some of the biggest assumptions people still have about food, calories, supplements, protein, fasting, and weight loss.

This episode is one of the clearest and most practical conversations you can watch if you want to understand what to eat, what to avoid, and how to build a healthier body and mind through better everyday decisions.

You will learn
• Why calories do not tell the full story, and why two people can eat the same food and have completely different responses
• What the gut microbiome actually is, and how it affects your brain, immune system, weight, mood, and energy
• How to identify the foods that are quietly driving inflammation, hunger, and overeating
• Why ultra processed foods are designed to make you eat more, and how to spot the worst offenders
• What a healthy day of eating should really look like, from plants and fermented foods to protein and meal timing
• The truths about keto, fasting, creatine, alcohol, supplements, and Ozempic

Follow Dr. Spector:
https://www.instagram.com/tim.spector/
https://twitter.com/timspector
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timspector/

Dr. Spector Books:
https://amzn.to/4m1KJND

Follow ZOE:
https://www.youtube.com/c/ZOE-health
https://www.instagram.com/zoe/
https://www.facebook.com/joinzoe1/
https://www.tiktok.com/@join_zoe
https://zoe.com/zoeverse

#GutHealth #Microbiome #Nutrition #HealthyEating #Wellness #TimSpector #Podcast #HealthScience #FoodMatters #ZOE #thrivingminds
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This week Alberto sat down with Thom Elliot, co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims, one of the UK’s most recognisable and successful pizza brands.

Thom shares the real story behind building Pizza Pilgrims from a single van into a national business with over 800 employees, and what it actually costs to scale in hospitality. From long hours and financial pressure to the emotional toll of leadership, this conversation goes far beyond the highlight reel.

They explore the early days of the business, the realities of growth, why hospitality is often romanticised from the outside, and how pressure, responsibility, and risk change as a company scales. Thom opens up about burnout, identity, and the challenge of staying grounded while building something that demands everything.

You will learn
• What it really takes to build and scale a restaurant business
• The personal cost of entrepreneurship in hospitality
• How leadership pressure changes as a business grows
• Why success does not remove stress or uncertainty
• How to build something meaningful without losing perspective

Follow Thom & Pizza Pilgrims
https://www.instagram.com/pizzapilgrims/
https://www.youtube.com/@UC_LiCe5657Ynu5G7lIzHGjg
https://www.tiktok.com/@pizzapilgrims

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thom-elliot-9115ab2b/

#podcast #entrepreneurship #pizzapilgrims #startupstory #hospitality #founderstories #businessjourney #streetfood #smallbusiness #motivation #thrivingminds
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