Michael Stirling - FIFA World Cup and Corporate Supremacy

June 09 2010 - posted in inspirational speakers
With the World Cup starting on Friday, have you ever wondered about the sheer scale of the sponsorship deals that surround what has been unoffically been called, 'The Greatest Show on Earth'? Inspirational Speakers Michael Stirling gives us insight into a few facts surrounding this aspect of the World Cup...

The FIFA flagship event, the World Cup, kicks off on 11th June in Johannesburg. The hosts South Africa will play Mexico in the first game of the world's most popular global sporting event. The World Cup is not only about the excitement of seeing who is the World Champion but also of corporate supremacy. The extravaganza that occurs once every four years and lasts one month attracts many of the world biggest brands, Adidas,…

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Sarah Storey Blog

May 20 2010 - posted in inspirational speakers After my Rudy Project TT win on May 9th, I headed to the south of France to get a final week of miles in prior to the specific preparation I am doing this week for the National 10 mile Time Trial on Sunday 23rd May.

I joined up with Stef and Helen Wyman who were already in the town of Limoux and spent some of my time training with Helen and getting some advice on improving my descending skills.
When I arrived the Aude region was preparing for the arrival of 18 women’s pro teams for the biggest women’s stage race on the calender, the Tour de L’Aude and for me, having aspirations to ride the race one day, it was fantastic to ride on the roads used over the past 26 years of the race history. With the race known for it’s…

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Day Out in Dottignies!

April 12 2010 - posted in inspirational speakers


After my first win for my new team Horizon Fitness, in the 1st round of the Rudy Project, I headed out to our Belgium team house to prepare for the GP Dottignies. Our Director Sportif, Stefan, had arranged for me to ride on a guest place with a Danish team called Team OCK. It was to be a small team of 4 riders for the race, but they were a fantastic group to work with and we had fun with our preparations.

I headed over to Dottignies to join up with the team and do what proved to be an all important recce of the race course. The route, for both the starting loop of 50km and the 7 laps of the 10km finishing circuit, took us through some narrow lanes and also along some very poor road surface. I began to panic…

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Mountaineer, Adventurer & Inspirational Speaker Nigel Vardy blogs on experience climbing in Nepal

February 19 2010 - posted in inspirational speakers




In 2002 I wandered past Ama Dablam and stared in awe at her beauty. It was only three years since I had suffered severe frostbite and was on my way to climb Island Peak – ‘enough of a challenges for now’, I thought. Time passed, expeditions came and went and then one day…

I was sitting in Papua after climbing Carstenz Pyramid with Sibusiso Vilane, one of South Africa’s most prominent climbers. He had been up Everest twice, almost completed the seven summits and wanted a new challenge. Unbeknown to me we had briefly met during my Island Peak trip and almost without a word, agreed that…

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Nigel Vardy blogs on… Telemarking!?

January 26 2010 - posted in inspirational speakers Nigel Vardy blogs on... Telemarking!?

When someone says “I’m going Telemarking”, most people scratch their heads and look confused. When you explain that it a form of skiing, they look even more lost. When you tell them that you ski at almost downhill speeds, but with your heels free, they call you strange.

When you tell them that you do this without any toes they call you mad! Well, perhaps I am, but Telemark skiing has become my norm, no matter how difficult it is and how much it hurts.

I abandoned Alpine skiing years ago, after losing my toes through frostbite. I wanted…

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My Olympic and Paralympic Dream - by Sarah Storey

December 16 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers

As athletes we are all always assessing and evaluating our progress in both training and competition to ensure that we move forward in the most productive and successful way. The process of doing this is immensely satisfying, whether to try a different approach when things aren’t going quite so well, or to be in the privileged position of being ahead of schedule. Regardless of the situation, the process also allows you to be brutally honest with yourself and even when things are going badly it gives you the chance to think of alternative ways of getting the result that you are after.

In swimming and cycling I have had my fair share of ups and downs, both with illness or injury and also when the coach at the club…

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Business Card Etiquette - By Nicholas Boothman

December 15 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers It’s staggering how many people attend business parties at this time of year and forget to take their business cards.

I attended a launch for a book on leadership last week. Eighteen people asked me for my card. When I asked for their card in return seventeen shrugged and made excuses and went off to borrow scraps of paper from the waiter to write down their own information. Only one managed to find a card.

Treat It with Respect

We can learn a lot from Japanese business card rituals. The first thing that Japanese business men and women do is exchange cards, and the key to what follows can be summed up in one word: respect. Accept the card as if it were a gift—which it is. Hold it with both hands and…

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Sarah Storey - Paracycling World Track Championships 2009 – post event blog

November 18 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers Paracycling World Track Championships 2009 – post event blog

It’s almost two weeks since the start of the Paracycling World Track Championships and I must apologise for the delay in writing the post event blog.

The end of the Championships marked the end of a long and successful season and as a reward for the hard work, I took my husband Barney to the city where my sporting career started. Barcelona. It was a truly memorable and nostalgic trip back and I was delighted to be able to walk the streets of the Olympic Village, step back into the Food Hall [now a shopping centre and supermarket!] and take a stroll along the promenade of the International Zone where all the nations flags had stood watching over the athletes. [Continue Reading]

Sarah Storey - Paracycling World Track Championships 2009 – pre event blog

November 03 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers It doesn’t seem five minutes since my pre event blog before the World Road Championships back in September, but there are now just a few days until we start the World Track Championships and what makes the event even more exciting is that it is being held at home, in the National Cycling Centre at the Manchester Velodrome.

Since arriving home from my double gold in Italy, I have been gradually including more and more track training into my schedule. Two weeks ago I rode in the Senior National Track Championships and successfully defended my able-bodied National Individual Pursuit title. This was a huge surprise to me as once again two of the main pursuiters in the country chose not to ride, and I was delighted to take my opportunity…

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Creating Excellence Through People

October 29 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers Today we have had the pleasure of announcing our new service - Creating Excellence Through People.

We recently consulted a number of speakers and buyers in the speaker market with a view to developing a new service, and the feedback we received has changed our thinking and direction: lesson one...use your contacts to test and refine your ideas rather than sit in an ivory tower.

We recognise that the marketplace in terms of business environments is in a state of real flux with corporate teams being disbanded, and plans for new teams with different skill sets being developed. This means that new team…

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Sarah Storey Blog

October 23 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers Wednesday 21st October saw me win myself an early birthday present as I regained my National title in the able-bodied women's 3000m Individual Pursuit. With my 32nd birthday coming up next week, I was delighted to overturn 18-year-old Hannah Mayho in the final, which was held as the last event of a busy schedule on Day Two of the National Track Championships.

Going into the event, I had hoped to have opposition from the 3 girls who are current team pursuit world champions, but for one reason and another they didn't sign on and it was left for several younger riders and I to battle it out over the 2 rounds of the competition.

In the afternoon qualifying ride, as defending champion, I had the luxury of going off last…

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Life After Athletics

October 05 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers

Having been an international athlete for 11 years, I had plenty of time to consider life after athletics and that joyous thought of not having to get up for training.
To be truthful the reality is somewhat different to the happy thoughts of not training.  At first it was great, same as every post-season break, attempt to eat my body weight in chocolate and drink a years worth of alcohol.  The difference this time is there is no starting training again.  After such a long career that is the strange part.  I do have the remedy though, a new pair of rugby boots.  So look out Maldon RFC.
As for my future, I am still very busy working as a [Continue Reading]

Sarah Storey Blog

September 25 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers

“It’s been an interesting couple of weeks for me since the Paracycling World Road Championships were held in Italy. I’ve now fully recovered from the crash I had just a couple of days before the event started and have raced again in the Women’s National Time Trial Series here at home. It wasn’t until I raced again that i realised how affected by the crash I had been out in Italy and after beating a quality women’s field by 2 minutes and 30 seconds, I think I could have ridden a good deal faster in Italy if the crash hadn’t happened.

Another interesting point has been watching the World Championships Road Time Trial at the able-bodied World Championships. The event is being held a few miles…

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Andy Mouncey Blog - My Son, The Networker

September 10 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers

Tom (2) has an ever-increasing following in our village of people who smile and greet him, ladies who want to take him home, and blokes who drive Big Trucks. As far as we can tell, he has done this simply by smiling and waving at everyone he meets while looking very cute!
Now most of us are way beyond help re this latter factor (!) but here’s a thing I’ve noticed: When he’s locked on, he’s really locked on. It might only be for three seconds sometimes, but in those three seconds you are in the Tom Tractor Beam! Complete and utter sincerity projected right atcha at 20 zillion watts!
All of which leads me to conclude that my efforts at doing the Sexy Domesticated Dad routine to grow my network are woefully inadequate……

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Sarah Storey OBE – 12 months since Beijing (sent from Team Hotel at the World Road Championships)

September 10 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers

Cast your mind back 12 months… Can you remember exactly what you were doing on September 8th, 10th and 12th 2008?

It could be tricky trying to remember the specifics, unless, that is, you were marking an anniversary of some kind! For me, remembering what I was doing from 8th to 12th September 2008, will never be hard, as it is the week my life changed and I proved myself as a Paralympic cyclist after so many years as a Paralympic swimmer!
Sitting here twelve months on from that life-changing week, I glow with pride, shiver with goose bumps and look forward to my next race and the opportunity to prove I have improved since the Games in Beijing.

So much has happened since we landed back on home soil after the Games. To…

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Sarah Storey OBE – World Road Championships, final preparation.

September 02 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers

Sarah Storey OBE
Whilst the whole training year is always geared up with the major competitions in mind, the specific training and preparation for a major Championships starts in the final month before the event. This year the Para-cycling World Championships have been split into two events, with the Road events starting in Bogogno, in northern Italy on 10th September and the Track events being held on our home track in Manchester from 6-8th November.

More about the track in a few weeks time, as for now all eyes are on the 9.7km circuit in the Piedmont region of Italy.

Specific preparation for the World Road Championships…

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Inspirational Speaker Sarah Storey’s Blog - Beijing Smart Talks

July 15 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers

Returning to Beijing so soon after the Games last year was an emotional experience and as I walked through the terminal to meet my hosts from the British Council, the memories came flooding back. It was surreal to think I was back in the city that has changed my life even more than the previous Games I attended as a swimmer.
For this trip I was visiting to recount the experience from last year and also share my story of getting to the top of the podium in two sports. My overnight flight had been relatively short for the distance travelled, just 7 hours and I arrived and was ready for a trip to the Summer Palace before the work of the trip started the following day. One thing I had not appreciated on previous trips was the lack of local…

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Blog From Jim Lawless

April 30 2009 - posted in inspirational speakers

STOP SELLING! Start solving problems.

We’re well into the 21st Century. “Salesmen/women” exist in only small pockets now. Darwin’s laws in action.

Those who are still “selling” are in trouble. In 2009, they may die out. There is a new mindset. “Features, benefits and objection handling” are still in there - but they are buried deep and barely visible within a new framework. If these elements plus a few “closing techniques” plus some half remembered NLP “mindtricks” multiplied by the number of calls per week made make up a cornerstone of your strategy for claiming an increased share of a market with decreasing total spend - I wish you luck. You will surely need all you can get.

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