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A weekly show full of BIG ideas, small words and short sentences, featuring people who have changed the world by making complicated things simple. From artists to astronauts, scientists to storytellers, preachers and poets, Ten Words looks at some of the world's most quotable people to discover what their words really meant. Part biography, part storytelling masterclass, Ten Words is a fun and fast-paced podcast for anyone interested in the power of words or improving their own communication ...
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"**Scenes that can only be performed, they can't be read**". Aaron Sorkin was the inspiration behind this podcast. And his stories have influenced my life over the last twenty years. So in this extended edition, I look behind the scenes at the five scenes which Aaron Sorkin says he is most proud of writing. And for good measure, I add in two scenes…
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"The story doesn't really begin until you've introduced the intention". He wrote some of the greatest shows that have ever been aired on TV, he has the highest grossing American play in history and he got nominated for an Oscar for his first play, which he wrote on the back of cocktail napkins while he was working in a bar. He's Aaron Sorkin, and t…
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"Nothing stays the same and it can't remain the same". He's been in broadcasting for over 65 years and is regarded by his friends as a 93-year old trapped in a teenagers body. He's the only presenter to win a BAFTA for shows in black and white, colour, HD, 3D and 4K. This episode is devoted to the man who taught us all about the natural world and h…
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"Enjoy the journey of life and not just the end game". He's played a dragon, a sorcerer, a detective, a whistleblower, a coding breaker and an inter-galactic evil genius - and in his first ever stage performance in the nativity as Joseph on at primary school, he pushed Mary off stage because she was taking too long. So what makes Benedict Cumberbat…
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"Take the things that you love and build on them." What does Academy award-winning DJ and producer Mark Ronson have in common with marketing hustler Gary Vaynerchuk? Both of them believe that the future belongs to the DJ's. "Life is not about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself". Bob Dylan In this episode I take a look at inspirational a…
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"You can change the world just by sharing your story". This episode marks a watershed moment for me as I take a new career path, inspired in part by many of the conversations we've had on this podcast. In this episode, I look back at a few of my favourite quotes, and look at the ten words (and the three words!) which have changed my life. If you ar…
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"There is no 'I' in team (but there is a 'Me')". Before Sir David Brailsford took over as performance director for Team GB cycling, they had won 1 gold in 76 years. At the Beijing Olympics they won 8 gold medals with a further 17 at the paralympic games and 59 world championships over the next decade. What exactly did Sir Dave do? And what can we l…
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"It's really important to remind ourselves that impossible things happen". He's flown further and faster than almost any other human. Astronaut Chris Hadfield was the commander of the International Space Station, has travelled 62M miles, is the US Navy AND Air Force's all-time top test pilot and has orbited earth 2336 times. What Chris Hadfield has…
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"We can't save the world by playing by the rules". In August last year, hardly anyone knew who Greta Thunberg was. A few months later, she's inspiring millions of people to campaign governments around climate change and has been nominated for a Nobel prize. What did Greta do to become so influential in such a short period of time? And what can we l…
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"You can change the world just by sharing your story". In 1997 Steve Jobs took back the reigns of Apple when the company he founded was just three months away from bankruptcy. Fourteen years later Apple become the world's largest brand and went on to become the first trillion dollar company. Beyond the hype, the myths and the cliches, what was it t…
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"I'm a dreamer, don't tell me not to dream..." Martin Garrix went from his bedroom to playing in front of 100,000 people in less than two years. At just 22, he is already the world's #1 DJ for 3 years running, but his unprecedented rise to success has not pleased everyone. So what is the secret to his success and what can we learn from it? Perhaps …
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"Laws of work: Show up. Shut up. Do your job". David Mamet is a Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright, screenwriter and director known for such works as 'American Buffalo,' 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' 'The Untouchables' and 'Phil Spector.' His trademark rapid-fire dialogue are studded with obscenities and explore the power relationships and corporate corrup…
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"It's only with the heart that one can see rightly". Antoine de Saint-Exupéry accidentally wrote one of the best selling books of all time. Since publishing "Le Petit Prince" in 1943 it has achieved almost mythical status having been translated into over 200 languages and has been voted the greatest book of the 20th century. It continues to sell al…
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"What's your motivation? What's great? What's missing? What's preventing this?" He's one of the top business coaches in the world worth over $6Bn who left an abusive home, to work as a janitor on $40 a week. What was the one thing which changed his life, and what can we learn from the way that he communicates to over 200,000 people every year? In t…
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"You can change the world just by sharing your story". What started out as a bit of fun earlier this year has taken on a life of its own. Around 20,000 people now listen to the Ten Words podcast each week, to look behind the scenes and who said what and why. So in this episode, I review the story so far and pick my highlights from the first 20 epis…
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"God, let it be with me just as you say". He's a poet, pastor, preacher, philosopher and storyteller. He's the author of 40 books but is best known for The Message. A translation of the bible which took him over 20 years to write and has sold over 17M copies, making him one of the most important (yet largely unknown) authors of our generation. In t…
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"I don’t practice. Practice is for beginners. I rehearse". Yuja Wang is regarded among classical music aficionados as being one of the most important artists of our generation. So wide is her appeal and influence on artists of all genres that Red Bull even sponsored her for a documentary about the art of performance. A child prodigy from the age of…
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"Life is a grand adventure, so keep writing and reading". His films have grossed over $9Bn, he has won two Academy Awards and is regularly referred to as "the nicest man in Hollywood". In this exciting episode of the Ten Words podcast I look beyond Tom's filmography and focus on how he approaches the creative process of reading, writing and film ma…
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"Connection is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives". Brené Brown is a Texan researcher storyteller, and she is one of the most reluctant public speakers you will come across. Ironic considering that she's now a global phenomenon around the topic of vulnerability, the author of several New York Times best selling books and the star of one of…
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"There's no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing". This is not just the story of how I fell in love with a 'brand' in 3 minutes, but a tale of passion, purpose, love, loss, tragedy and adventure. In this special episode I dig deep into the archives to discover the real story behind Thomas Burberry in an effort to try and understand what made…
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"Happiness and confidence are the prettiest things you can wear". After a short break Ten Words returns with an epic 80 minute episode on one of the world's most influential women (TIME) and a singer who many (including Rolling Stone Magazine) also call, one of the greatest song writers of all time. In this episode we look at the attitude that made…
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"I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends". Containing just 272 words, the Gettysburg Address packs more greatness into two minutes than any other speech ever given. (Including MLK’s I have a dream speech IMHO). What was it that made this ten sentence speech so powerful? What exactly did America’s 16th President Abraham Lincoln say on 19th …
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"Violence is one of the most fun things to watch". He is obsessed with cinema and loves plundering the history of film like some kind of pirate director. He's a big believer that good artists copy but great artists steal and thinks that the comic book violence in his films has no real connection to reality. It's not like he hasn’t thought that thro…
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"Only mediocrity is safe from ridicule. Dare to be different". She's "The Queen of Burlesque", an American vedette, burlesque dancer, model, costume designer, entrepreneur, singer and actress. She's a 'glamour evangelist' and repopularized burlesque performance after creating a persona modeled on Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Page. She ha…
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"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn". Maya Angelou was a civil rights activist, writer, poet, performer and responsible for some of the most famous quotes you've ever heard. In this episode I dig into her past to try and discover what made her such a prolific writer and despite her traumatic childhood, how did she manage to inspire so ma…
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"Good". He's an ex-NAVY S.E.A.L. and one of the scariest people you're likely to come across. His mindset and his attitude towards getting things done has now been turned to the business world and he's shaking things up as much inside companies, as he did on the battlefield. He's Jocko Willink and he doesn't need ten words. He only needs one. So in…
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"Growth. Love. Happiness. Fun. Belief. Enjoy your life (it's short)". She’s a worldwide sensation – and it's not without good reason. Her music is bouncy and uplifting, her looks are stunning, she is worth over $350M but the most intoxicating aspect about Queen Bey is her empowering stance on life. She wasn't handed her position as one of the most …
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"The road less traveled is less traveled for a reason". In this episode we dive into the mind of a comedy legend in order to see what makes him tick and discover his secrets to successful storytelling. We also hear some surprising insights into his about work-life balance. He's a writer, comedian, actor, director and producer who is worth over $670…
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"The stories that we love will live in us forever". In this raw and 'unpolished' episode of the Ten Words Podcast I go on a personal and professional journey with J.K. Rowling to uncover what drove her success, how she coped through the darker days and what inspired her to be a writer. I talk about her commercial success and the demons she's strugg…
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"A good human plus a machine is the best combination". Garry Kasparov is a former World Chess Champion, writer, and political activist. He is widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time, but it was his famous matches against the IBM super-computer Deep Blue in 1996-97 where he wrote his name into history and brought conversations aroun…
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"It's failure that gives you the proper perspective on success". She's one of the most respected people on television and one of the world's most successful comedians but it wasn't always like that. Six years after having the title role in one of America's most successful sitcoms, her show was dramatically axed when she "came out" on her show. Elle…
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"To achieve good results, work all night and eat soup". Cedric Villani is the Field's Medal winning maths professor from Paris who changed the world by discovering a new theorem (by accident). He has since dedicated his life to communicating the beauty of mathematics and insists that "to achieve good results, work all night and eat soup". He is a b…
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"Buy Less. Choose Well. Make it Last. Quality Not Quantity". In this extended bank holiday edition we chat about the Dame of British Fashion, the lady responsible for founding the punk movement who believes that fashion really can change the world. Conscious to not turn this episode into just 'another' biography about one of fashions most loved cha…
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"Fired Up? Ready to Go". x2 For the first official episode of the Ten Words podcast we are taking a closer look at the skinny kid with the big ears (who's not from Kenya) and managed to defy all the odds to become the 44th President of the United States. Widely regarded as one of the greatest speakers of recent generations, this episode takes a dee…
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Welcome to the Ten Words podcast. The weekly show full of BIG ideas, small words and short sentences. In this initial extended episode (1 hour!), I want to introduce you to the Ten Words podcast, and explain where it came from, why you should care (!) and what makes it so special and unique. This inaugural episode also features me experimenting wit…
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