Scwair One presents Speaking of Success (SÖS) – episode five with executive coach Mark Carolan, on the power of the pause, public speaking nerves, and why getting out of your own way is the whole game.

My guest for episode five once stood on a bridge in Prague with a sign that said 'Conversation for Sale.' And people paid.

I've spent most of my life trying to get out of conversations. Mark Carolan sold them to strangers, by the topic, from a piece of cardboard.

Mark spent over twenty years in the corporate world. He was good at it. He knew it wasn't right. His epiphany: if he never changed, that would be his future — all the way to retirement. That scared him as much as changing did. So he changed.

He's now a personal, leadership and executive coach and does a lot of work in public speaking and corporate wellbeing. He's the person companies bring in when their people have to stand up and say something that matters. He's spent 20-odd years helping people get out of their own way.

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I'm Andy Greenhouse. And I'm a creative evolutionist. I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse My video agency @ swhype.com And if you're looking for your tribe… maybe I'll see you at Scwair1 — https://scwair1.com

I'm Andy Greenhouse.
And I'm a creative evolutionist.
I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse

My video agency @ swhype.com

And if you're looking for your tribe...
Maybe I'll see you at Scwair1.

Scwair One presents Speaking of Success (SÖS) – episode four, solo.
The sharpest public speaking advice I've had on this whole project, and the last person I expected it from.

So far I've spent this whole thing talking to people about how to speak.
Coaches. Broadcasters. People who do it for a living.

And some of the best advice so far came from a conversation I wasn't even really treating as one.

I asked casually... if she had any tips. She gave me three.
One of them I'd been getting wrong my entire life and had genuinely never noticed.

She spoke purposefully. Deadpan.
Like it was nothing. I just sat there nodding like a student.

One thing though.
I'm proud.

She's sixteen. She's my daughter.

And there's a lot more wisdom to come.

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I'm Andy Greenhouse. And I'm a creative evolutionist. I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse My video agency @ swhype.com And if you're looking for your tribe… maybe I'll see you at Scwair1 — https://scwair1.com

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why sharp, sudden hand gestures can give the wrong impression.
• The problem with rising inflections – when the technique becomes too visible, the audience stops listening to what you're saying and starts watching how you're saying it.
• Why public speaking is harder than acting – a distinction that makes a lot of sense once you hear it explained properly.

I'm Andy Greenhouse.
And I'm a creative evolutionist.
I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse

My video agency @ swhype.com

And if you're looking for your tribe...
Maybe I'll see you at Scwair1.

Scwair One presents Speaking of Success (SÖS) — episode three, solo.
A week of forced conversations, one question asked in public, and what an hour with YMCA volunteers at Victoria Station taught me about the habit of speaking.

The week before, I'd bottled it.
I was at a talk, had a question ready, and didn't ask it.

So this week I went back – to a media trade show at Olympia – with one specific goal. Ask a question. Out loud. In a room full of people.

I did. Last one up. To Alexis, the principal product manager for colour at Adobe Premiere. Felt slightly negative the second it left my mouth. He was gracious about it. And afterwards I cornered him just as he was leaving – which felt awkward and slightly selfish – and asked him how he'd got so comfortable on stage. His answer was less complicated than I expected.

Then I bumped into Adam, a motion designer I used to know. Got him on camera. Then went on a mission to talk to as many strangers as possible – surreptitiously sloping up to people on stands and asking them about their thing.

Then, on the way back to Victoria, I said 'I'll be back' to a YMCA fundraiser I was walking past. And ended up in a conversation that lasted an hour.

I would never have had that conversation if I hadn't made a decision earlier that day.

That's the thing about making a habit of it. It gets easier. And you feel better than you expect.

I'm Andy Greenhouse. And I'm a creative evolutionist. I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse My video agency @ swhype.com And if you're looking for your tribe… maybe I'll see you at Scwair1 — https://scwair1.com

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The week before: having a question ready and not asking it – and deciding that wasn't happening again
• Asking a question at an Adobe talk at a media trade show in Kensington, what it felt like to finally do it, and why it came out slightly more negative than intended
• What Alexis, Adobe's principal product manager for colour on Premiere, said about getting comfortable with public speaking – and why the answer is simpler than most people think
• Getting motion designer Adam on camera talking about his own first public speaking experience at the same show
• What it actually feels like to make yourself talk to strangers on exhibition stands when you'd normally slope past
• The YMCA conversation at Victoria Station that lasted an hour – and why it only happened because of a conscious decision made earlier that day
• Why making a habit of putting yourself in situations is the thing, and how quickly it starts to feel less terrifying and more like something you actually want to do

I'm Andy Greenhouse.
And I'm a creative evolutionist.
I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse

My video agency @ swhype.com

And if you're looking for your tribe...
Maybe I'll see you at Scwair1.

Scwair One presents Speaking of Success (SÖS) – episode two with voice artist and former BBC broadcaster Sara Starling, on finding your voice, public speaking nerves, and why voice notes are a communication tool most people are ignoring.

My guest for episode two has spent almost 40 years doing the thing I've spent my whole life avoiding.

Sara Starling is a voice artist, broadcaster, and storyteller. She started with a drama degree, spent nearly 20 years at the BBC as a studio manager, announcer and newsreader – including the World Service... then left to build her own voice studio from scratch. She's been doing that for 20 years too.

She also, it turns out, was quite shy.

In this conversation we talk about the one mindset shift that makes speaking to a room feel manageable, why a bad experience reading aloud in class can follow you for decades, how voice notes are quietly one of the most powerful communication tools most people are ignoring, and what it actually looks like to stay calm on air when everything around you is falling apart.

The line that stayed with me: "It starts as a pencil mark. Then it gets inked in. Then it's a marker pen. And then you just believe it."

That's about the story we tell ourselves when we stumble. Worth hearing the rest.

I'm Andy Greenhouse.
And I'm a creative evolutionist.
I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse

My video agency @ swhype.com

And if you're looking for your tribe...
Maybe I'll see you at Scwair1.

Scwair One presents Speaking of Success (SÖS) — a podcast about public speaking and finding your voice, by someone who's spent his whole life avoiding it. Episode one, solo: why I started this.

I've had a lifelong aversion to speaking.

It started when I was a kid.
Friends took the piss out of me for stuttering.
People finished my sentences.

I went through periods where I couldn't listen back to my own voice – it was so monotone, so flat.

I put people to sleep. I still do.
My wife nodded off last week as I talked about work.

And yet I've spent 20 years helping other people communicate.
Behind the camera. Behind the brand. Very comfortable back there.

This podcast exists because I finally got uncomfortable.

Speaking of Success / SÖS – is for people who are crap at speaking but want to be better. Not a masterclass. Not a performance coach telling you to stand up straight. Just honest conversations about what it actually takes to find your voice – from people who've done it, and one person who's still figuring it out.

That person is me.

Episode one I'm flying solo.
Or at least... crawling to the start line on my own.
Where this started, why now, and what I'm hoping this becomes.

The guests start from episode two.

If you feel like me about speaking... let's talk.
We just might get along.

I'm Andy Greenhouse.
And I'm a creative evolutionist.
I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse

My video agency @ swhype.com

And if you're looking for your tribe...
Maybe I'll see you at Scwair1.

What if your personal brand wasn't something carefully crafted but rather something that emerges naturally when you consistently show up as yourself?

That's exactly what happened to Thomas Woodhams, who built a quarter-million following on TikTok before finding his home on LinkedIn, where he now creates content about recruitment, career advice, and neurodiversity.

In this illuminating conversation, Thomas shares his journey of accidental brand-building through authenticity. From creating sketch videos with tea towels on his head to illustrate workplace scenarios for neurodivergent individuals, to sharing his own ADHD diagnosis journey, Thomas demonstrates how being genuinely yourself resonates more deeply than polished corporate personas.

Joining the discussion is Inga Sleinere, a 'vision alchemist' who helps solopreneurs translate their essence into visual identities that feel authentic. Inga approaches personal branding from a more strategic angle while still centering authenticity at the core.

"Personal branding is almost a by-product of showing up consistently," she explains, emphasising that trying to look too 'professional' can actually work against you.

Both guests offer practical wisdom for anyone building their presence online. They advise keeping visuals simple rather than trying to 'jazz it up', which often creates visual noise. They discuss how commenting thoughtfully on others' content can be more powerful than your own posts, and why understanding your purpose – whether building community or generating leads, should guide your content strategy.

Perhaps the most valuable takeaway is that personal branding serves both altruistic and practical goals. Thomas shares that he creates content not just to help others but as a form of 'safeguarding' for his future – building relationships and establishing expertise that could help him navigate career changes.

Whether you're just starting out on social media or looking to refine your existing presence, this episode offers a refreshing perspective – focus less on crafting a perfect personal brand and more on consistently sharing your unique perspective and knowledge. The personal brand will emerge naturally as a consequence of your authenticity.

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TL;DR

In this episode you'll learn...

• How Thomas built a quarter-million TikTok following before focusing on LinkedIn where he now creates content about recruitment and ADHD.
• How personal branding emerges as a byproduct of consistently showing up as yourself rather than something intentionally constructed.
• Why simple visuals outperform complex designs.
• How human connection through humour and relatability creates stronger engagement than corporate jargon or buzzwords.
• Small shifts in commenting style and engagement with others can significantly impact how you're perceived online.
• Why video content is increasingly important, even if you're camera-shy.

Check out the show notes @ scwair1.com
And connect me, Thomas and Inga on LinkedIn if like me, you like meeting new people.

I'm Andy Greenhouse.
And I'm a creative evolutionist.
I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse

My video agency @ swhype.com

And if you're looking for your tribe...
Maybe I'll see you at Scwair1.

This episode of the Scwair One Podcast was recorded during another one of my 12-hour open Zoom calls, designed to create meaningful connections between people in my network.

I had the pleasure of chatting with the ultra-inspiring Arber Ismaili – a shining light on LinkedIn, known for spreading positivity and raising awareness about the challenges autistic people face on a daily basis. Arber shares profound insights and genuine messages of kindness and hope, while talking about some personal hurdles he comes across and ultimately, how he stays positive

You'll discover:

• How Arber's positivity journey began
• The challenges of multitasking and sensory sensitivities faced by autistic individuals
• The importance of recognising and respecting neurodiversity
• Why kindness and authenticity are his guiding principles
• How LinkedIn became a platform for his positivity and impactful connections
• His advice on spreading joy and starting your own journey of online positivity

This conversation is a powerful reminder to be kinder, cherish each day, and create a positive legacy. Connect with Arber on LinkedIn to follow his inspiring work and learn more about autism awareness.

Sit back and get ready to be uplifted!

I'm Andy Greenhouse.
And I'm a creative evolutionist.
I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse

My video agency @ swhype.com

And if you're looking for your tribe...
Maybe I'll see you at Scwair1.

This episode of the Scwair One Podcast was another one recorded during one of my 12 hour open• Zoom calls.

It features a conversation with awesome marketing & branding expert Mychael Owen. Mychael helps brands and businesses be more interesting.

He’s had an interesting entrepreneurial career:

From his early days as founder of an award-winning design & marketing agency leading to a plethora of advisory roles, to founding multiple businesses and brands, including the fashion label Always Wear Red, luxury holiday home The Old Post Office... he also enjoys exercising his writing legs with his brilliant blog 50 Odd – the diary of a man who stopped waiting.

He’s a lecturer, growth coach and writer.
He’s also none of the above.
And all of them.

And he’s currently writing a book.
Which I find really interesting.

This is a long one... because there is just so much gold inside.

You'll learn:

• The benefits of being interesting
• The difference between marketers and publishers
• Why if you're not seen or noticed – everything else is irrelevant
• Why downtime IS life
• How he discovered marketing and grew a business on the way
• How his gut told him how to stand out
• What he's writing
• Why he wants to kill marketers
• Why he doesn't care about the Linkedin algorithm
• His take on personal brands
• Why stand up comedy would make him cry
• Why Mychael is like Eminem
• About taking pills and writing books
• The saddest story about a last bird
• His process for writing
• Why we should be aware of the echo chamber

You can find Mychael at:
mychael.co.Uk

I'm Andy Greenhouse.
And I'm a creative evolutionist.
I help people, brands and businesses evolve in an ever-changing landscape.

Find me writing daily on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andygreenhouse

My video agency @ swhype.com

And if you're looking for your tribe...
Maybe I'll see you at Scwair1.