Motivation, Innovation and Inspiration

TRIBEathlon Podcast

Episode 47: After competing for Great Britain in the pool for nearly 10 years; a career that saw him rise to being Double Commonwealth Champion, British Record holder, Commonwealth Record holder, World Medallist, European Medallist and Olympic Finalist, Chris Cook hung up the trunks and retired from international swimming and now works with businesses, performance teams, schools and organisations to assist them in pursuit of their goals, inspiring a world class mind-set and encouraging people to follow their passion.

Chris has built an impressive reputation as a motivational speaker and is also the director and owner of Swim Buddies Swimming Academy. In this interview with Chris, Sid and I wanted to learn about what it takes to have a Double Olympian mindset, and how he's transitioned from both the pool to business, and the pool to stage.

What I’ve Been Reading for Fun

Whilst on holiday at half term I listened to the witty and insightful The World of Cycling According to G by Geraint Thomas. Not so much an autobiography, but more a story woven around the practicalities of a life on a bike. Tour de France 2018 winner, double Olympic gold medallist and multiple world champion, Thomas provides a hilarious synopsis of what a love of cycling and a life on tour can be like. For light-hearted cycling stories and advice, I’d definitely give it a go.

What I’ve Been Reading for Work

One of the books that I listened to on my think week was The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time by Jim McKelvey as it really makes you think about what makes a business unique. It gives a wonderful insight into the success behind the business he founded, Square, but also into the story and success behind IKEA, Southwest American Airlines and The Bank of Italy, which later became the Bank of America. There are some great business lessons from this book, whether you are thinking of founding or growing a business.

Quote of the week

Chris Cook talked about the amazing Jim Rohn in the TRIBEathlon podcast, so it only seemed right to include a quote from the man himself.

“Happiness is not by chance, but by choice.”

• Jim Rohn

Finance Theme I’ve Been Considering

At Efficient Portfolio we say we want to create a better future through inspirational financial planning but that isn’t just about the money; it’s also about improving people’s health and wellbeing too.

A few years ago I wrote a blog article How to Beat Hayfever Without Drugs and since adopting this approach, I have pretty much eliminated the need for the homeopathic remedies too. So, it is worth trialling yourself if you are suffering at this time of the year, because I know it can be miserable. Just like investing, the compound effect you can have on your health can lead to incredible benefits.