Easter is almost upon us, the clocks have sprung forward, and there’s that unmistakable sense that the year is gathering pace. It’s a good time to revisit your priorities. Are you spending time on the things that truly matter, or just the things that shout the loudest?
Business of Endurance Podcast
Kurt Madden: Imagine standing on the start line of your very first Ironman and the 3rd in history in Oahu in 1980 – no high-tech gear, no fancy nutrition plans, just raw endurance and a relentless drive to push human limits. Now, fast forward 44 years, and that same athlete has just completed his 50th Ironman in Kona in 2024.
Kurt Madden, also known as Coach K or Mad Dog, is an endurance sports pioneer, a champion Ultraman, and a world-class triathlon coach. In this episode, we dive deep into his journey: what led him to that historic start line in 1980, the lessons learned from five decades in endurance sports, and the business and life principles he’s extracted along the way.
We’ll explore what it takes to endure – both as an athlete and as a coach, why he is devoted to helping others achieve their peak performance, and how AI is about to change the future of coaching. Whether you’re an aspiring triathlete, a business leader, or someone looking for the mindset to go further, this episode will inspire you to redefine your own limits.
What I’ve Been Reading
I don’t normally reach for fiction, but sci-fi has this brilliant ability to act as a time machine – not just into imagined futures, but into possible ones. Freedom™ is the second part of Daniel Suarez’s gripping tech-thriller series (following Daemon), and it’s a wild look at what could happen if AI took the reins of society. But unlike most dystopian tales, this one poses an even more unsettling idea: what if it actually made things… better? The lines between chaos and order, control and liberation, are constantly blurred. It’s a fast-paced, thought-provoking read that lingers long after you’ve finished it.
TED Talk I’ve Found Interesting
“If you had all the time in the world, what would you do?” Laura Vanderkam flips the typical time-management conversation on its head in How to Gain Control of Your Free Time. Rather than trying to squeeze more into our days, she suggests we zoom out and realign around what really matters.
Her take on how we perceive time, and how we can reclaim it is refreshing, grounded, and practical. Worth the 11 minutes, especially if your calendar currently looks like a game of Tetris.
Podcast I’ve Been Listening To
The conversation with Alistair Brownlee on The High Performance Podcast touches on many great topics, but one in particular stood out: the difference between confidence and self-belief. Confidence can be fleeting – a result, a performance, a comment. Self-belief runs deeper. It’s who you know yourself to be when no one’s watching. Brownlee talks about how building belief through hard-earned experience is the foundation for anything meaningful – on the start line or in the boardroom.
What I’ve Been Watching
Bowie didn’t just make music – he built worlds. What struck me most in this documentary, Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World, wasn’t just his genius, but how completely he leaned into reinvention. He wrapped stories around his sound, created personas before branding was even a thing, and made his own evolution part of the show. Reinvention wasn’t a side effect of success – it was the method. If you’re thinking of pivoting, rebranding, or shaking things up… this is your reminder that change can be an art form.
Quote of the Week
“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”
Tech I’ve Found Interesting:
The latest updates from both ChatGPT and Gemini are making AI tools far more powerful when it comes to research. With Deep Research, you can ask a complex question, and instead of generic answers, you’re now getting responses that are deeply sourced and multi-dimensional – almost like having a team of researchers in your pocket. Whether you’re diving into strategy, health, tech, or even planning a speech, it’s worth playing with. But here’s the key: treat it like a conversation, not a search bar.
The Trusted Team
David Bowie didn’t wait for the world to ask for Ziggy Stardust – he created something the world didn’t even know it needed. That kind of bold creativity, paired with deep self-belief, is the thread running through this week’s Friday Footnotes. Whether it’s building a business, telling your story, or standing out in a noisy world, those who magnetise the right people aren’t always the loudest – they’re just the clearest about who they serve and why.
On 30th April, I’m running a live session called The Ideal Client MAGNET – a fast-paced, practical webinar for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to get better at attracting not just more clients, but the right ones. We’ll look at why your message might not be resonating, what needs to shift, and how to use tools like AI to communicate your value more powerfully and consistently. It’s free to join, but spaces are limited – if that sounds useful, you can register here.
There’s something powerful about this time of year – the sense that the year still has plenty left to offer, but also that it’s already moving. So maybe this is the weekend to pause for a moment. Listen in. What’s the next version of you trying to say?
