Thriving Minds with Alberto Zandi

Jay Sean is one of the most successful and influential artists in modern pop music. His global hit “Down”, featuring Lil Wayne, reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the first South Asian solo artist to top the chart. In 2026, the record was certified Diamond in the United States after surpassing 10 million units, making Jay the first South Asian artist to ever receive an RIAA Diamond certification. But his journey began with a decision almost everyone around him thought was crazy. Jay was studying medicine when he walked away from a safe career in front of him to pursue music. Then, after finally becoming successful, he walked away again. His record label wanted him to become an artist he did not recognise. Jay chose to leave, invested his own money into his music and expected another label to come calling. Nobody did. He remembers sitting alone in his car, crying, convinced he had ruined his career. What happened next changed his life. In this episode, Jay explains: ◼ Why he left medicine for…

Touker Suleyman is one of Britain’s best known entrepreneurs and investors, with more than 50 years of experience building, buying and transforming businesses. But long before millions knew him from Dragons’ Den, Touker lost everything. In his twenties, he was already chairman of two public companies, driving an Aston Martin and enjoying extraordinary early financial success. Then one disastrous investment triggered a domino effect. His businesses collapsed. He lost his home. And he had to start again. In this conversation, Touker explains: ◼ Why early success can be dangerous, and the mistake that taught him the importance of due diligence ◼ How he rebuilt after losing everything and eventually created businesses employing thousands of people ◼ How he bought Hawes & Curtis for just £1, took on its debts and rebuilt the brand to be worth millions ◼ The negotiation principles he has used across more than 50 years in business ◼ Why entrepreneurs often ask for investment when what they actually need is better…

Rose Ferguson is one of the UK’s leading functional medicine practitioners and has spent nearly two decades helping people understand why they can be doing everything they think is “healthy” and still feel tired, bloated, foggy or stressed. Her message is surprisingly reassuring: Health does not need to become another full time job. In a world of supplements, glucose monitors, extreme fasting, restrictive diets, protein targets and endless wellness hacks, Rose believes many of us have forgotten the foundations that actually determine how we feel. She explains: ◼ Why chronic stress can affect your energy, digestion, sleep and inflammation, and the simple ways she reduces it ◼ Why she recommends starting with a 12 hour overnight eating break rather than jumping into extreme fasting ◼ How to build meals around protein, fibre and healthy fats without obsessively counting everything ◼ What she really thinks about sugar, fruit, alcohol, keto, supplements and protein powders ◼ The simple daily habits she uses for…

Simon Alexander Ong is a globally recognised personal development coach, international speaker and bestselling author who helps people rethink success, protect their energy and build lives that actually feel worth living. But before speaking on the biggest stages around the world, Simon spent years working in finance, following the version of success he thought he was supposed to want. Good university. Good career. Good salary. Yet he would sit at work dreaming about escaping his own life. Eventually, he realised that success on paper means very little if you feel disconnected from the person living it. In this episode, Simon explains: ◼ How to recognise when discomfort has become genuine misalignment, and what to do next ◼ His SIN framework for changing your future through Skills, Inputs and Network ◼ How to stop letting fear, other people’s opinions and even your family determine your decisions ◼ The four forms of energy you need to protect: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual ◼ Why your partner,…

Dr Aseem Malhotra is a world-leading consultant cardiologist, practicing doctor and one of the most outspoken voices challenging conventional thinking around heart disease, nutrition and modern medicine. After 25 years in medicine and treating thousands of patients, Aseem reveals why you can look incredibly fit and still have serious heart disease, why chronic stress may be far more dangerous than most of us realise, and why more exercise is not always better for your health. His connection to the heart is also deeply personal. When Aseem was 11, his 13 year old brother died suddenly from viral myocarditis, an experience that helped shape his decision to dedicate his career to understanding heart disease. He explains: ◼ Why chronic stress could be one of the biggest overlooked threats to your heart ◼ Why having a six pack does not necessarily mean you are healthy ◼ How much exercise he believes we actually need, and when it can become too much ◼ What he recommends eating for better heart and metabolic health…

Insulin Expert Dr David Unwin has helped 159 patients achieve drug free Type 2 diabetes remission in his NHS practice. He reveals why everyday foods like bread, rice, potatoes and even fruit can spike your blood sugar, why you may be hungry again shortly after eating, and the warning signs that could mean you are becoming insulin resistant. Dr David Unwin is an NHS GP who has cared for the same community for almost 40 years. He has published around 30 peer reviewed papers, and his famous teaspoon of sugar equivalents have been translated into 39 languages. But remarkably, David says much of what transformed his approach to health only became clear to him at 55, after he developed Type 2 diabetes himself. He explains: ◼ Why you could be eating sugar all day without realising it ◼ The everyday signs that may suggest you are becoming insulin resistant ◼ Why bread, rice, potatoes, fruit and other foods can affect your blood sugar more than you think ◼ Why you are still hungry after eating, and how insulin can…

Akash Mehta is the cofounder and CEO of Fable & Mane, one of the most recognisable Ayurvedic haircare brands in global beauty. The self funded company launched globally with Sephora, became a number one hair oil at the retailer and helped bring traditional Indian hair rituals into mainstream beauty. But behind the success is a much more complicated story. Growing up, Akash struggled deeply with his skin colour. At around 12 or 13, he bought pills online hoping they would make his skin lighter. Later, after building his identity around achievement, he got into Imperial College and failed his second year. For the first time, Akash had to question whether the life that looked impressive from the outside was actually the life he wanted. Through failure, therapy, entrepreneurship and years of self reflection, he began unlearning the need for other people’s approval and discovering what genuinely mattered to him. In this episode, you will learn: Why other people’s opinions can quietly control your life How to stop…

Darryl Williams, better known as BullyJuice, is a fitness creator and entrepreneur with over 16 million followers across social media. Before building one of the biggest audiences in online fitness, he was a collegiate track athlete, served in the United States Air Force and became a physical training leader responsible for helping people get back into shape and meet military fitness standards. Most of us know we should exercise, eat better and take care of our bodies. The difficult part is actually starting, staying consistent when motivation disappears and turning healthy decisions into a lifestyle. In this episode, BullyJuice explains why discipline matters more than motivation, how to build a fitness routine you can actually sustain and why transforming your body alone will never make you feel complete. You will learn: • Why relying on motivation is one of the biggest reasons people quit • How finding a deeper reason to exercise can keep you consistent for life • How to turn exercise into a habit instead…

Professor Sonia Livingstone is one of the world’s leading experts on how technology is changing our lives. A technology social psychologist at the London School of Economics and Political Science, she has spent decades researching social media, digital wellbeing and online safety, while advising governments and international organisations around the world. Technology was supposed to make our lives easier. But has it also made us less in control? In this episode, Professor Livingstone explains why the biggest technology companies are fighting for our attention, how social media can learn and exploit our vulnerabilities, why screen time alone is the wrong way to think about digital wellbeing, and how artificial intelligence could take the attention economy to an entirely new level. She also explains why children are struggling to put their phones down, what parents are getting wrong about screen time, how our own phone habits influence our children, and why simply taking technology away may create more…

Most people believe they should have figured their life out by 30. Simon Woodroffe says he was lost, nearly out of money and 47 when he opened YO! Sushi. He explains why boldness matters more than following the perfect plan, and why some of the greatest opportunities appear when you ignore how an industry tells you things should be done. Simon Woodroffe is an entrepreneur, the founder of YO! Sushi and YOTEL, one of the original Dragons on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, and the author of Yo! Man. YO! Sushi grew from one unconventional Soho restaurant into an international brand, while YOTEL expanded from a small airport hotel prototype into a global hospitality business. He explains: Why starting YO! Sushi at 47 proves that you are never too late to build something significant How he opened a £1 million restaurant with only a fraction of the money he needed and had queues within one week Why being bold, different and occasionally outrageous can become your greatest competitive advantage Why founders must eventually give…

Most people blame their phone for destroying their attention. Nir Eyal says the phone is often only the outlet, that 90% of distraction begins with something happening inside us, and that the real solution is not deleting every app but learning to manage discomfort, plan our time and challenge the beliefs keeping us stuck. Nir Eyal is a behavioural design expert, former lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, and the author of Hooked, Indistractable and Beyond Belief. He first revealed the psychology companies use to create habit-forming products, before developing a practical system to help people reclaim their attention and follow through on what they intend to do. He explains: ◼ Why your phone is probably not the real reason you cannot focus ◼ Why boredom, anxiety, loneliness, fatigue and uncertainty drive most distraction ◼ The four-step system for taking back control of your attention ◼ Why traditional to-do lists can make you feel busy,…

Food is supposed to nourish us. So why has eating become a source of guilt, anxiety, confusion and control? Emily English is one of the world’s leading nutritionists, a bestselling author, entrepreneur and one of the most influential voices in modern healthy eating. Known to millions as Em The Nutritionist, she has built a global community by making healthy food feel simple, joyful and realistic. She is also the founder of Epitome, a science-led gut health brand, and the author of So Good, Live to Eat and her latest book created for people who want nutritious food without spending hours in the kitchen. But Emily’s mission began with her own painful relationship with food. After being scouted as a model at 17, one comment about her body led her into a cycle of restriction, obsessive exercise and fear around eating. She explains: ◼️ Why diets work temporarily but almost always fail in the long term ◼️ Why some people cannot stop thinking about food ◼️ How childhood experiences silently shape the way you eat as…

Depression is not always sadness. Feeling numb, disconnected and trapped inside your own mind is the warning sign. Dr Rosalind Watts is one of the world’s leading clinical psychologists and researchers in psychedelic therapy, depression and human connectedness. At Imperial College London, she worked on one of the pioneering clinical trials investigating psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, as a treatment for people living with treatment-resistant depression. She is the creator of the Connectedness Scale, now used in psychedelic research around the world, and the founder of ACER, a therapeutic community designed to help people turn temporary psychological breakthroughs into lasting change. She explains: ◼️ Why depression often feels like numbness rather than sadness ◼️ How modern life, loneliness and excessive screen time are disconnecting us from ourselves and each other ◼️ What psychedelic therapy really does to the mind and why some patients felt alive again after years of depression ◼️ Why…

Most people wait until they feel ready. Andrea Thompson built her career by doing the opposite. In this episode, Alberto sits down with Andrea Thompson, former Editor in Chief of Marie Claire UK, award-winning journalist, investigative reporter, and one of the most influential women in British media. Andrea grew up in a home where politics, current affairs, race, representation, and social justice were part of everyday conversation. From a young age, she wanted to tell stories that mattered, especially the stories that were not being told. Her career took her across some of the biggest names in British media, from newspapers and magazines to television. She worked undercover, investigated exploitation, reported on child labour, and exposed difficult truths in industries where power often protected itself. Then came the role she had wanted since university: Editor in Chief of Marie Claire. But when the dream job arrived, it came with redundancy, grief, pressure, digital transformation, and eventually…

You are not lazy. You are not broken. And you are not just tired. This week Alberto sat down with Dr Florence Comite, Yale and NIH-trained endocrinologist, precision medicine expert, best selling author of Invincible, and one of the global leading voices in personalised health, hormones, metabolism, and longevity. Dr Florence explains why the body can begin changing under the surface much earlier than most people realise. For many people, the first signs are not dramatic disease symptoms. They are the quiet changes we often ignore: low energy, brain fog, poor sleep, weight gain around the middle, lower libido, slower recovery, cravings, muscle loss, painful or irregular cycles, and feeling like the same habits no longer work. In this conversation, Dr Florence explains why age 30 can become an important biological turning point, why hormones act as messengers across the body, why sleep is one of the most powerful tools for health, and why the future of medicine should be proactive, personalised, and based on…

Most people saw the campaign. Very few saw the years he almost gave up. This week Alberto sat down with David Gandy, the world’s most recognisable male model, entrepreneur, founder of David Gandy Wellwear, and one of the defining figures in modern masculine style. David became globally recognised through the iconic Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue campaign, a moment that helped redefine male beauty and turned him into one of the most recognisable faces in fashion. But before that breakthrough, there were years of rejection, uncertainty, lonely hotel rooms, cancelled campaigns, and moments where he questioned whether he should keep going. In this conversation, David opens up about what it really took to survive 25 years at the highest level of fashion. He explains why he never fitted the industry standard at the beginning, why he refused to shrink himself to become what everyone else wanted, and how the very thing that made him different eventually became the thing that made him stand out. But this episode is not…

What if everything you believe about yourself is just a story your brain made up? In this powerful episode, world-renowned therapist Marisa Peer reveals the shocking truth about how your mind works against you and exactly how to take back control. Having spoken at Google, trained thousands of therapists worldwide, and helped countless clients transform their lives, Marisa shares the mindset secrets that took her from deeply insecure child to global authority on the human mind. Marisa Peer is a bestselling author, motivational speaker, and the creator of Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT). She has spent over three decades working with royalty, rock stars, Olympic athletes, CEOs, and Hollywood actors. Her TED talks have been viewed millions of times, and she regularly speaks at major corporations including Google. In this conversation with Alberto Zandi, Marisa reveals: Why your brain is a "proof-making robot" that will confirm whatever you tell it The exact words you should say to yourself to rewire anxiety…

She cried every single day in the school playground. Now her jeans are worn by celebrities and royalty, including Kate Middleton. This week Alberto sat down with Donna Ida Thornton, founder of Donna Ida, known in the fashion industry as the Jean Queen, and one of the most distinctive voices in British fashion, to unpack what it really takes to build a brand that lasts for 20 years. Donna shares how she grew up in Australia, struggled deeply with school, left at 16, worked multiple jobs, saved everything she could, and eventually moved to London to build a life that felt like her own. But her story is not just about fashion. It is about resilience, reinvention, instinct, customer connection, and learning how to keep going when business becomes difficult. Before Donna Ida became one of Britain’s most respected denim brands, Donna worked in secretarial jobs, waitressed at night, took calls at Domino’s Pizza, fought to stay in the UK, and built the business from the ground up without waiting for permission. In…

This week Alberto sat down with Sarah Ann Macklin, nutritionist, best selling author of Health Shouldn’t Be This Hard, founder of the not for profit organisation Be Well Collective, host of Live Well Be Well, and one of the leading voices connecting nutrition, mental health, self compassion, and the mind body relationship. Sarah shares how she started modelling at 16, built a successful international career, and appeared to have everything society tells us should make us happy: success, beauty, social status, financial reward, and external validation. But behind the polished image, her body was sending warning signs she kept ignoring. Anxiety, exhaustion, illness, stomach problems, burnout, and eventually a hospitalisation became the turning point that forced her to rebuild her relationship with health from the inside out. In this conversation, Sarah explains why health has become so unnecessarily complicated, why the wellness industry often sells fear instead of real wellbeing, why diets rarely work long…

This week Alberto sat down with Adam Byatt, the Celebrity and Michelin starred chef, restaurateur, founder of Trinity, and one of the most respected figures in British hospitality, to unpack what it really takes to build a restaurant that lasts and succeeds for 20 years. Adam shares how he grew up in a working class family in Essex, found food as a way into a bigger world, trained at Claridge’s (London’s most famous 5 star hotel) from the age of 15, cooked at The Square during one of London’s most exciting food eras, and eventually opened his own restaurants. But his story is not a straight line. Before Trinity became one of UK’s most respected restaurants, Adam experienced huge early success, then painful failure, financial pressure, loneliness, and the responsibility of having to rebuild with a young family depending on him. In this conversation, Adam explains why hard work is more uncomfortable than most people realise, why failure can become one of the most important ingredients in long term success, why…

This week Alberto sat down with Professor Jane Ogden, Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Surrey and one of the leading voices on eating behaviour, food psychology, body image, dieting, and the relationship between the mind and body. In this conversation, Professor Ogden explains why our relationship with food is never just about food. She explores how childhood, family scripts, emotional hunger, body image, dieting culture, social media, stress, and the people around us can shape the way we eat and how we feel about ourselves. She also explains why food can become a problem when it starts taking up too much space in your mind, and why trying too hard to be healthy can sometimes become unhealthy. You will learn • Why food can become emotionally loaded and take up too much space in your mind • How to tell when your relationship with food may be becoming unhealthy • Why emotional hunger and physical hunger can be difficult to separate • How childhood, parents, reward, punishment, and family…

This week Alberto sat down with Richard Harpin, the founder of HomeServe, investor, and author of How To Make A Billion In Nine Steps, to unpack the practical framework behind building a business that sold for $5.6 billion. Richard’s story challenges one of the biggest myths about entrepreneurship: that you need a completely unique idea to build something great. He explains why copying and improving can be more powerful than inventing, why founders should stay small until they prove the model, why focus matters more than endless new ideas, and why hiring your replacement can be one of the most important decisions a founder ever makes. He also shares the nine steps he believes helped build a billion dollar business, from copying and improving existing ideas, to testing before scaling, finding the right investor, hiring better people, expanding internationally, staying focused, and developing the character needed to survive the journey. You will learn • The 9 steps Richard created to help founders build a…

This week Alberto sat down with Dr Chloe Paidoussis Mitchell, the world renowned Chartered Counselling Psychologist, grief and trauma specialist, and best selling author of The Loss Prescription, to unpack what grief really is, what it does to the brain and body, and why so many people feel like they are grieving in the wrong way when they are not. In this conversation, Dr Chloe explains why grief is not just emotional pain but a full mind, body, and identity experience, why sudden loss can dysregulate the nervous system, why denial can be a normal early response, and why people do not move through grief in neat stages. She also explores bereavement, relationship loss, trauma, family grief, delayed grief, and the difference between suppressing pain and actually healing through it. You will learn • What grief actually is, beyond the clichés people are usually told • Why grief affects the brain, body, nervous system, and identity, not just emotions • Why there is no single right way to grieve, and why people…

This week Alberto sat down with Viviane Paxinos, former Warner Bros Vice President, former AllBright CEO, and one of the most accomplished growth and transformation executives in media and digital, to unpack a career built on ambition, reinvention, resilience, and the courage to keep moving when things do not go to plan. Viviane shares how she grew up in a Greek immigrant family in Canada, moved to London on her own, built a remarkable career across Viacom and MTV, BBC Worldwide, A+E Networks, Warner Bros Discovery, UNiDAYS, and AllBright, and then faced one of the hardest leadership chapters of her life under public scrutiny. In this conversation, she speaks openly about ambition, burnout, public failure, identity, leadership shame, female leadership, fundraising, resilience, and what it really takes to rebuild yourself personally and professionally when a business goes through a painful transformation. You will learn • How to build a career across media, tech, and leadership without having everything…

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,…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

This week Alberto sat down with Martin Brooks, a world leading body language and communication expert who helps people use non-verbal communication to transform their professional and personal lives. Martin’s work sits at the intersection of psychology, communication, and human behaviour. He explains how body language shapes first impressions, why the body often reveals what the mouth is trying to hide, and how small changes in posture, voice, gestures, and eye contact can completely change the way others respond to you. You will learn • How to make a stronger first impression through posture, eye contact, and a genuine smile • How to look more confident by changing your internal state, not just your posture • The hand gestures that make you seem more credible, persuasive, and assertive • How to spot signs of deception, including truth slips and duping delight • How to read interest, disengagement, and power dynamics in real time, in person and on Zoom Follow Martin:…

This week Alberto sat down with Dr Andy Cope, also known as The Happiness Doctor, a world leading positive psychology researcher, speaker, and best selling author, best known for his work on human flourishing, and for the idea that happiness is the goal behind all your other goals. In this conversation, Andy breaks down what happiness actually is, why we confuse short term pleasure with long term contentment, and why chasing happiness as a destination usually makes us feel worse. They explore destination addiction, the modern obsession with being busy, and how consumer culture trains people to believe that the next promotion, the next purchase, or the next milestone will finally make them feel fulfilled. This episode is simple, practical, and immediately usable, it is a toolkit for feeling better on ordinary days, not just special ones. You will learn • What happiness really is, and why you do not need to be happy all the time • Why happiness is often a starting point, not the reward at the end • The four…

This week Alberto sat down with Maria Hatzistefanis, founder and CEO of the Rodial Group, bestselling author, and a Dragon on Dragons Den Greece. Maria grew up on a small island in Greece, dreaming of a bigger world. She moved into magazines, studied business at Columbia, entered investment banking, then got fired at 25, a moment that forced her to choose what she actually wanted. With 20,000 in savings and no beauty industry experience, she started Rodial from home, faced investor rejection, and built the brand through focus, persistence, and product storytelling. She took a suitcase to Cosmoprof, met suppliers stand by stand, found the lab she still works with today, and launched with a tight initial range, because focus beats noise in the early days. You will learn How Maria built Rodial from home, with limited capital, no funding, and no industry background Why launching with focus beats launching too many products, and how to pick a niche that travels How to win attention without huge budgets, naming,…

This week Alberto sat down with Dr Erin Hope, a leading clinical psychologist, bereavement specialist, and founder of The Loss Foundation, a national charity supporting people after cancer loss. Grief is something every human will experience, yet almost none of us are taught how to understand it, process it, or support others through it. In this conversation, Dr Erin explains why grief is not a disorder, not a weakness, and not something to get over, but a deeply human response to love and loss. This episode also offers practical guidance, for those grieving right now, and for those trying to support someone they love. From what to say at a funeral, to how to check in months later, to how workplaces and parents can better support grief, this is a compassionate and deeply grounding conversation. This is not about fixing grief. It is about learning how to live fully while carrying it. You will learn • If the the way you grieve is healthy and normal • How grief shows up mentally physically and emotionally • Why…

This week Alberto sat down with Lee Warren, a world leading persuasion and communication expert, keynote speaker, and advisor to senior leaders and global organisations. Lee’s work challenges one of the most common myths in business and leadership, that people are persuaded by logic, data, and facts. In reality, most decisions are made emotionally first, and only justified rationally afterwards. You will learn How to influence people without being manipulative How to build trust in the first moments of a conversation What makes someone instantly more persuasive How to tell when someone is trying to persuade you The golden methods to network and communicate without feeling awkward or fake Follow Lee: https://www.instagram.com/leewarrenspeaker https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyzgGQAJw9tsTljLJYYr_zg https://www.linkedin.com/in/leewarrenspeaker https://twitter.com/leewarrenspeaks https://www.facebook.com/leewarrenspeaker #LeeWarren #AlbertoZandi #ThrivingMinds #Persuasion #Networking #PublicSpeaking…

This week Alberto sat down with Colin Corby, a leading digital detox expert with over three decades of experience in technology, health, and behavioural change. In this conversation, they explore how constant stimulation, multitasking, and screen exposure quietly erode focus, sleep, energy, and emotional resilience. Colin explains why technology itself is not the enemy, but how it replaces movement, rest, presence, and human connection. This episode is about reclaiming control, not rejecting technology, and learning how to live and work with it without sacrificing your health. You will learn • Why constant phone stimulation increases stress and burnout • How technology kills attention span and focus • How to break phone addiction without quitting technology • How boredom silence and presence improve clarity and creativity Follow Colin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colincorby/ https://www.youtube.com/@thedigitaldetoxcoach https://www.instagram.com/the_digital_detox_coach/…

This week Alberto sat down with Gavin Stone, a former British intelligence officer with over two decades of experience working across government agencies and international intelligence operations. Gavin shares what life inside the intelligence world actually looks like, how spies are recruited, trained, and deployed, and why the real work is nothing like the movies. This episode you will learn: • How intelligence officers detect lies and stress in real conversations • Why body language should be read in clusters, not isolated gestures • How persuasion and manipulation actually work • Why people are easier to influence when emotions are activated • How governments and organisations shape narratives • How to think more critically and protect yourself from manipulation This is a rare look inside the psychology of intelligence, trust, and influence, and how these skills apply to everyday life. Follow Gavin: https://www.instagram.com/gavin_stone1/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-stone-146ab1240…

This week Alberto sat down with Dr Tali Sharot, one of the world’s leading cognitive neuroscientists, Professor at MIT and UCL, and a global authority on optimism, decision making, memory, and influence. Dr Sharot’s research challenges the idea that humans are rational decision makers. Instead, she explains how optimism bias, emotion, and anticipation shape the choices we make, the memories we form, and the way we respond to information. This episode turns complex neuroscience into practical insight that applies to work, relationships, learning, and everyday life. You will learn Why optimism is hardwired into the brain and how it affects resilience and success How emotion shapes memory more than accuracy or facts Why telling people they are wrong rarely changes their behaviour How to become more optimistic Practical ways to make better decisions and communicate with greater impact Get Tali's Book, Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always Therehttps://amzn.eu/d/ay0Q0I7 #OptimismBias…

This week Alberto sat down with Graham Davies, one of the UK’s leading communication experts, who has advised prime ministers, presidents, CEOs, senior executives, and public figures on how to speak in public and under extreme pressure. Graham’s work is focused on one core idea, communication is not about talking, it is about taking responsibility for what the audience hears, feels, and remembers. In this conversation, Graham breaks down why most people lose attention within seconds, why poor preparation destroys credibility, and why speaking is one of the most unnatural human activities we are expected to perform well without training. This episode applies to boardrooms, interviews, pitches, meetings, dates, and everyday conversations. You will learn • Why people stop listening even when the message is strong • How to structure communication so it lands and is remembered • How to use pace pauses and eye contact to hold attention • Why preparation creates confidence and spontaneity • How to manage nerves and…

Ronan Dunne is one of the most influential business leaders of the past two decades. From banking to telecoms, from CEO of O2 to leading Verizon through periods of enormous transformation, and now Chairman of Six Nations Rugby, Ronan’s career is a masterclass in leadership, adaptability, and long term thinking. In this conversation, we go far beyond titles and success headlines. We explore how curiosity shaped his career from childhood, why he believes uncertainty is not something to fear but something to allocate, and how great leaders are not defined by having the answers but by knowing how to navigate risk. Ronan shares rare insight into: • What it really takes to lead at scale inside global corporations • Why experience matters more than credentials or degrees • How to earn trust in environments that resist change • The difference between authority and influence • Why vulnerability and clarity are not weaknesses in leadership • How to build teams that outperform by embracing difference, not sameness This…

This week Alberto sat down with Dr Mark Jinks, a leading longevity and performance medicine doctor working at the intersection of modern science and preventative health. With a background spanning the NHS, sports medicine, and functional medicine, Mark explains why traditional healthcare focuses too late on disease, and how longevity is really about extending healthspan, not just lifespan. They explore how energy, cognition, hormones, nutrition, sleep, movement, and recovery all interact, and why small daily choices compound into radically different outcomes over time. Mark breaks down complex concepts like inflammation, insulin resistance, muscle loss, NAD, and biohacking into practical ideas anyone can understand and apply, without needing extreme protocols or expensive interventions. This conversation reframes health as a long term strategy, not a reaction to problems, and shows how to build a body and mind that stay strong, capable, and resilient for decades. You will learn Why longevity is about quality…

This week Alberto sat down with Dr Rachel Gow, leading nutritional neuroscientist, researcher, author, and founder of Nutritious Minds Trust. Dr Rachel explains why we have been taught to think about food only in terms of weight, calories, or appearance, while completely ignoring its impact on the brain, mood, focus, and emotional regulation. Drawing from decades of clinical research and personal experience as a mother, she reveals how what we eat directly shapes neurotransmitters, brain structure, inflammation, and long term mental health. They explore how ultra processed foods, sugar, alcohol, and nutrient deficiencies quietly impair attention, motivation, emotional stability, and resilience, and why many mental health conversations ignore the biological foundations of the brain. This conversation bridges neuroscience, nutrition, psychology, and real life application, offering simple but powerful ways to support brain health at any stage of life. You will learn How food directly affects dopamine,…

This week Alberto sat down with Vinny Raval, one of the UKs leading speech coaches whose work blends acting, speech and language therapy, and over fifteen years in the field with deep experience coaching CEOs, founders, actors, politicians, and senior executives. Vinny transforms the way people communicate by teaching them what to say, how to say it, and how to say it with confidence, clarity, and impact. In this conversation Vinny breaks down the real reasons so many people struggle to express themselves at home and at work, why we speak too fast, why we do not finish sentences, why we listen to respond instead of listening to understand, and why our tone and body language matter more than the actual words we use. We explore the science behind intonation, pace, pauses, and clarity, how to use storytelling and vocal range to influence others, how to manage nerves before speaking, how to improve your voice at any age, and how small daily exercises can radically transform the way you are perceived. For the…

This week, Alberto sat down with Caroline Dubois, world champion boxer, the younger sister of heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois, and one of the most extraordinary young athletes of her generation. This is the story of a GOAT in the making. Caroline’s story is unlike anything you have heard before. She started boxing at nine years old in a gym that did not allow girls, so she entered under a fake name, pretending to be a boy, driven by a desire to be seen by her father and to claim her place in a male dominated sport. On top of that, she grew up carrying the weight of the Dubois name. Instead of letting the expectations and comparisons break her, she learned to turn them into fuel. In this conversation, she opens up about how she navigated the pressure of being Daniel’s sister, how she refused to live in his shadow, and how she converted that pressure into motivation, focus, and an even higher standard for herself. Since those early days she has become a world champion, and carried the weight of…

This week, Alberto sat down with Victor Lugger, the entrepreneur behind two of Europe’s fastest growing companies, Big Mama and Sunday. He built a hospitality group now valued at over $310M, and then launched a FinTech company processing billions a year, all while raising a family and staying sane through the pressure. In this conversation, Victor opens up about the truth behind building a company from zero, why success is never linear, how ambition develops over time, and how much of entrepreneurship comes down to resilience, timing, and who you choose to build with. He shares the emotional and psychological journey behind scaling restaurants across countries, raising twenty five million in the US, navigating co founder relationships, and learning to balance family life with two high pressure roles. You will learn • How to build a company when you have no industry experience • How ambition grows with results and why early wins matter • How to choose a co-founder and build a team that scales with you • How…

This week, Alberto sits with TJ Power, a world leading neuroscientist, best selling author, and the creator of the DOSE framework. His work investigates how dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins influence mental and physical health, particularly in the context of our digitally driven lifestyles. TJ’s framework is designed to unlock your best life, to live with purpose, intention, focus, and a positive mindset. This episode also unpacks why phones, alcohol, porn, and sugar, severely erode attention, mood, and drive, and how to reset your baseline with simple habits you can start today. You will learn: • How dopamine actually works • Why chasing dopamine peaks lowers motivation • How to run a 7 day reset • How things like sleep, morning light, protein, movement, nature, and real connections support healthy brain chemistry This conversation is a clear path back to focus, energy, and calm. You can purchase TJ’s book, The DOSE Effect, here: https://geni.us/doseeffect Follow TJ Power:…

This week Alberto sat down with Bianca Bustamante, the twenty year old driver who is now the future face of F1. Born in Manila and raised in a working class family, she fell in love with karting at three. At six she asked to be homeschooled to train more. Her father worked three jobs to keep her dream alive. She became the best in her country but the international costs were astronomical. So she moved to the US, and learned all she could about personal branding. Her hope was that her social media channels would help fund her driving career. Years later she has millions of followers, sponsors, and is now signed by McLaren for F1 Academy, and working to become the first woman of her generation to reach F1. She is rewriting the racing history by fighting all the odds in a sport where only 1.5 percent of drivers are women, and largely built for the rich and elite. Now the face of major outlets like Forbes and Vogue, her story is the blueprint for achieving your dreams when the door is closed. You will learn: •…

What happens when the dream job nearly breaks you? This week on Thriving Minds, Alberto sat down with Celebrity Chef, Thomas Straker, the chef, founder, best selling author, and digital powerhouse behind the Straker’s restaurant group and global ‘All Things Butter’ brand. From burnout in fine dining to millions of views on Instagram, Thomas reveals the full story of how he rebuilt his relationship with food, found freedom through content, and became one of the most watched, and talked about, chefs on the internet. In this raw and revealing conversation, he opens up about self-worth, criticism, building a business, and staying grounded when the spotlight finds you. You’ll learn: 🟠 What the world of fine dining gets completely wrong 🟠 How Thomas built a viral food brand while running restaurants 🟠 Why content is every founder’s unfair advantage 🟠 The truth about burnout, ego, and starting over 🟠 How to stay true to your vision, even when others doubt you This isn’t just a story about restaurants. It’s a story…

What if your gut is running the show, not your brain? This week on Thriving Minds, Alberto sat down with Dr. Megan Rossi, one of the world’s leading gut health experts, bestselling author, and founder of The Gut Health Doctor. With 70-80% of your immune system based in the gut, and powerful links to mood, memory, energy, and inflammation, your gut health may be affecting you more than you think. In this expert-led, myth-busting episode, Megan breaks down how your microbiome works, the truth about probiotics, and the small daily changes that can transform your health from the inside out. You’ll learn: How gut health impacts your skin, sleep, anxiety, and immune system The biggest gut health myths most people still believe How to know if your gut is in trouble, and how to repair it The truth about probiotics, antibiotics, and the microbiome Simple ways to eat and live for long-term gut health This is more than digestion, this is the foundation of your health. Follow Dr. Megan Rossi & The Gut Health Doctor…

What happens when you outgrow the identity the world gave you? This week Alberto sat down with Caspar Lee, one of the first YouTubers to build global fame, make millions, and become an online legend. After achieving success most dream of by his early twenties, Caspar walked away from the internet spotlight and rebuilt himself, from burnout and identity loss to business, clarity, and purpose. Now a successful entrepreneur and co-founder of several companies, Caspar reveals the personal and professional lessons behind his pivot from content creator to entrepreneur. This episode dives into the rise, the crash, and the rebirth, and what it really means to evolve. You’ll learn: How Caspar built YouTube global success before 25, and what he’d do differently now The truth about fame, burnout, and mental health behind the scenes What it really takes to go from creator to successful entrepreneur His biggest business mistakes, and how he turned them into wins How to reinvent yourself when the world won’t let you…

Why do we feel anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected, even when life looks fine on the outside? This week, Alberto sat down with Jamie Clements, world leading and pioneer breathwork expert, mental health advocate, and founder of The Breath Space. They explore why so many people today feel stuck in survival mode, and how reconnecting with the body through breath can transform not just your mind, but your entire life. Jamie shares how breathwork helps regulate anxiety, unlock emotion trapped in the body, and create space for clarity, healing, and self-trust. Whether you're facing burnout or simply want to reconnect with yourself, this episode offers a practical path forward. You’ll learn: How to use breathwork to regulate stress and calm the nervous system The truth about trauma stored in the body (and how to release it) Why most people breathe incorrectly, and how to fix it The link between your breathing, your emotions, and your energy What a daily breathwork practice looks like (and how to start simply)…