Andrew Audio: So what's your favourite bird? My favourite bird? Oliver Audio: That's impossible. No. Fair aside, it's impossible. Andrew Audio: Fray or aside? Is she your favourite bird? Oliver Audio: Cheers. Andrew Audio: What's your second favourite bird then? Oliver Audio: Impossible cut. Andrew Audio: must have one. Impossible question. Top 5. Oliver Audio: Top 5 is easier. Andrew Audio: See we've got somebody on the side who's refusing to be in front of the camera, it's because they're so famous they don't want to be involved. I'm like one of those, on loads of the podcasts I listen to there's a producer and you know like in the Radio One, where there's the famous DJs that have the camera on them and the producer in the background, that's me. But see our producer's going to be involved and on camera. Oliver Audio: Yeah, I am. Andrew Audio: So, you're the voice of reason in the corner. Top three. Oliver Audio: Top three. Love the wooden Kingfisher. Andrew Audio: Yep. Oliver Audio: Just because of the summer means summer's here. Andrew Audio: summers here. Oliver Audio: That's probably... I can't say number one. No, it's actually impossible. Even a top three. Like, Carmine Bee Eater. That's another one. That's one of mine. Thick-Bulled Cuckoo. That's... No. Andrew Audio: Does it have a thick bill? So why is it called the thick bill of cuckoo? What got you into bed? Oliver Audio: My dad. My dad. There's a picture of me and Kruger probably aged three with a bird book. Reading. And then it kind of just... Yeah. Every time. Andrew Audio: In front of the TV watching Sir David Attenborough with her hand behind her head going... looking at the television just fixated. Bird! Babbit! Bird! Dog! And here she is living in South Africa and living the dream. What's important to you? What's success? Oliver Audio: Success to me is being happy. I've always, this sort of dilemma I've had in the past few weeks is the center of it has all stemmed around happiness. What's going to make me happy and content? I don't want to get, you know, 30 years down the line and have followed my passion, but I'm not content. and I feel like I wanted more and I'm not happy. But I also don't want to have followed something that's not my passion Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: and then realize I'm not happy, I hate what I do. know, sure I may be successful, you know, I've made lots of money or something like that, but I'm not happy. So it's finding a sweet spot. And I think the best way to do that is to follow your passion, but to work as hard as you possibly can. Because you can become successful in any field if you put your mind to it. And if you work hard and you commit yourself fully. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: Like you, you're great example of that, actually. Andrew Audio: in your eyes. Oliver Audio: 100%. Andrew Audio: But it's interesting isn't it because through the experiences that I've had having not gone to university but then getting a professional career to a point where there was no question about it. There was the imposter syndrome of, I'm running a multi-million pound business now. How did that happen to, I need to make sure I'm doing things the right way to then go to Harvard and go to Stanford and study different things from a business perspective, right? Which I didn't do until I was in my 30s and 40s. You can always go and learn. You can always go back to school. There's never a late time to do it. You can always get accepted into university. And then when I look at what I did and starting work at the age of 18, that actually, when are you the most energized, quite happy to not even think about working 12, 13, 14 hour days, it's actually in your younger years. And if that can set the foundation for your future, there's no such thing anymore. Nobody does a job for their lives. Nobody does. Oliver Audio: the changing so quickly. Andrew Audio: Just look at what I did. started in technology, then went into recruitment and talent management, and then thought we were done. then got into holiday property and hospitality and then sold that and now on to the next iteration. And then you look at effectively, you can kind of go, like four or five different, completely different careers. And Oliver Audio: you Andrew Audio: for younger people coming through now, I actually completely agree. The ideal scenario is doing a job that isn't a job because you just frigging love it. Oliver Audio: But it's also adaptability. I would put adaptability probably close to the top of the list of most important skills that young people, young people that want to be successful can have. Andrew Audio: Do you worry, interesting thing, because obviously there is a lot of bullshit that goes around currently in business about AI and disruption and your age group and having finished college last year, do people of the younger generations worry about it, do think about it, see it as an opportunity or is it a threat? Oliver Audio: I think it's everything, it's all of this. I think there's much, know, sort of, I don't even know what you would call it, but just all this information of AI from all these opinions and, you know, everyone's got their own eye if AI is going to ruin the world. you're not going to have a job in 20 years because AI has taken every job. And then, you know, everyone, you see these teenagers online who've made millions in a week from using AI. So then it's Andrew Audio: you Oliver Audio: like, you know, okay, sure, AI removes jobs, but how many jobs are created? Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: You know, and there's so many, it's such an unstable sort of situation. in basically every way, environmentally as well. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: I saw something where it said ChatGPT uses something like, I can't remember the actual figure, but it was something stupid, like an amount of water for every prompt, or like every image, I think it was like 10 liters of water per image that you generate. Could have even been more. Andrew Audio: Yeah, and there's a lot of misinformation going around, so it's hard to work out what's clear, isn't it? And do you think it plays into whether or not people think, I'm going to go into technology, or I'm interested in gaming, should I go and get a trade? Do I get a hands-on? Do you find that people are thinking about it or not? Oliver Audio: don't know. I don't know. It's a difficult one because I feel like it can work both ways. I feel like it can certainly help people follow their passions more and make their passions achievable and allow them to turn it into their livelihood. Gaming or something like that if you're passionate about gaming having AI Can make that you know a reality but You know you look at the other side as well and it's equally as true it's Andrew Audio: Do you personally see yourself always working in South Africa? Do you see that you love to work in other places around the world? Do you think about that or is it kind of just let's see what happens? Yeah it's Oliver Audio: It's a bit of both. I love South Africa, I always will. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: I think the quality of life, especially where we live, is among a small group of places around the world. But I would definitely like to see what's out there. You can't sit in the same place and not see what the world has to offer. How did you guess? Andrew Audio: Yeah, I agree. How did you get into photography and digital content? made you? Oliver Audio: was initially my grandpa. Andrew Audio: That's cool. Oliver Audio: He's taught me a lot, actually, he really has. He was big into his photography. And then through trips down here on holiday, Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: visiting all the national parks, Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: I would borrow his or my mom's camera. take pictures so from seven years old I was you know taking and editing pictures and yeah I fell in love with it and thanks to him I think he got me my first camera when I was about 10 and has passed down many pieces of gear since then. helped my journey a lot. Couldn't have been able to do it without him. But yeah, and since then it's just manifested into a huge passion. Andrew Audio: And how does it feel when some of the content that you've put up yourself... You had over a million views on something? How many views did you get? Oliver Audio: It was 1.4. It's sitting on 1.4 million views now. Andrew Audio: How does that feel? Oliver Audio: It feels really cool. It does feel cool, but it's also, you know, what takes away from it is people achieve this, you know, every day. It's not a... It's quite random, actually, how well things perform online. And you see such random things online, getting millions and millions of views, you know. Andrew Audio: Yeah, people would probably be more interested if a bird came smashing through this and they were listening to us and they would make this go viral. Yeah, no it's cool though, well done, because that's pretty. Oliver Audio: pretty cool. Andrew Audio: And what would you say through the work you're gonna do with me and with Bailey Partners, what are you hoping to achieve apart from talk to fascinating people, well hopefully fascinating people? Oliver Audio: than 1.4 million views. Andrew Audio: I hope so. Oliver Audio: it's something, and like I was telling you earlier, views and an audience is built of consistency. with the tools that we have and what we've planned, consistency is going to be the central part of our podcast. Andrew Audio: Yeah, well I'm hoping that Oliver Audio: all of that. Andrew Audio: you're going to get the opportunity to meet some really cool people Oliver Audio: 100. Andrew Audio: working in some amazing businesses but also I'm excited about the fact that we're going to produce some content and information for them as well which will be really cool. Fly your drone in some factories and around places which should be pretty awesome. Oliver Audio: Just don't crash it. Andrew Audio: hopefully not! That wouldn't go down reputation particularly well, would it? that's cool. What's your favourite car? Of course I have to ask that. Oliver Audio: That's also a tough one, actually. It's Andrew Audio: Okay, what Oliver Audio: a very tough one. I love Koenig's eggs a lot. I love the uniqueness and the sort of, I love the brand and how it's kind of... It's very niche and you can see there's a lot of care and time put into every car that they build. mean it takes like a stupid amount of time for a car to leave their factory because of how long and how much effort it takes to create them. Andrew Audio: So your ambitions as far as cars are concerned aren't particularly high, are they? Yeah, we've just gone... I'd quite like to get a Ferrari at some point. You've gone to the next tier up in terms of... Yeah, maybe two and a half, three million. Sounds I'm talking about. Yeah, no, that's pretty cool. Yeah. Oliver Audio: I mean yeah. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: But yeah if money wasn't an objective I think they be high up on my list. What's yours? call? Yeah. A that you've owned and then B that you haven't owned. Andrew Audio: Okay, owned best, no question Ferrari 458 Speciale, followed very closely by 246 GTS Dino, but completely different. Oliver Audio: Yeah. Andrew Audio: It's just I think in terms of the pinnacle of modern classic Ferrari, it's the speciale. Everything about the car was just perfect. Biggest regret to sell that one for sure. Aspirationally, there's only one car, McLaren F1. Oliver Audio: That's your dream car. You could have any car. Andrew Audio: at any car in the world that's the McLaren, that has to be the McLaren F1. And it is obviously completely unique but I also got the opportunity to be taken around Goodwood around the circuit in the Harrods. McLaren F1 that raced at Le Mans and it kind of reinforced just how amazing, completely analogue, no ABS, so you have to drive it. Oliver Audio: it out the most. Andrew Audio: Obviously the three-seater configuration with the driver in the middle. I love that. The rawness and you can, just like Gordon Murray's doing now with his New automotive initiative. Oliver Audio: you Andrew Audio: It is built for one thing and it's the engine with the most incredible design around it, but it is all about the engine behind it. And I just think they're just sensational. I Oliver Audio: I'm sorry. Andrew Audio: think they're like 20 million now. So this podcast better go a way. Oliver Audio: That's my conjecture. I don't know if you've seen that McLaren Speedtail, also has that three seater. Andrew Audio: Is that, the Speedtail does it? I know Gordon Murray's done, he's done a three seater again, hasn't he? Where a few others recently said, you can't do it, it's not gonna hit all of the crash regulations and stuff and he's produced it. I didn't know that the Speedtail was... Oliver Audio: Speedtail has that same driving position as the F1. Andrew Audio: Like the know it's a debate. Oliver Audio: I do like it. do like it. Andrew Audio: But he's not quite so sure. Oliver Audio: I like the, I actually saw a video the other day on the Luso. And they were saying how incredible of a Ferrari it is. Andrew Audio: Yeah, so we had a Lusso for a couple of years, 18 months. Really? Sensational coal. Yeah. Sensational coal, apart from the electrical issues. Really? Yeah. But it was amazing. Interesting. But I think the difference that I see between, it's like the FF, F12 Lusso is that the FF... was the first that they did of that design. So it's a little simpler, so it's a little cleaner. And then now you can get Apple CarPlay in it and then you've got the raw V12 engine and you can use it. And it's easier to work on and of course you then go F12 and there's so much more tech, so many more electrical things that can go wrong. Oliver Audio: So do you prefer the older Ferrari design? As Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: opposed to this new huge iPad in the middle? Andrew Audio: Yeah, think so. I can't. Yeah, Oliver Audio: everywhere. Andrew Audio: I just don't think they've got the same level of emotion as like the electric BMW that we've got now. Don't get me wrong. It's a great car. And I love the fact with a car like that, that you haven't got to go to a petrol station and that you can plug it in at home and it's ready the next day. But it is, it's a function. Oliver Audio: Yeah, there's no immersion. It's not a driving experience. Andrew Audio: No. It's like using your phone, your computer, but it does it well. But the rawness of, I don't know, it changed massively, I think, didn't it, around the 2015, 2016 point where they started to be put under pressure to put a lot more hybrid technology. So I think I prefer a car that you can drive. that you can have a bit of a loose tail and know you have to catch a slide and that it will catch you out if you run out of talent. I think that's fun. Yeah. Oliver Audio: For sure. There have been some incredible hybrids produced over the years now. LaFerrari, Andrew Audio: Yeah, absolutely. Oliver Audio: McLaren P1, was it, the Holy Trinity? Yeah, 9.8. Porsche 918. Andrew Audio: Yeah, 918, got a friend who's got one of those amazing car. P1 and Laf. Oliver Audio: Alright, I'm trying to do cheers. Andrew Audio: I would... number one would have to be the laugh. I'd have to go for the laugh. Oliver Audio: Which is the fastest actually. Andrew Audio: think it is the LaFerrari. I could be wrong because it might be the P1. I know the 918 I think is the heaviest. But if you were doing a what could you buy now and know over the next 10 years that you're going to have the least amount of problems. Oliver Audio: You get Porsche. Porsche. Any day. Andrew Audio: and park it up, use it occasionally, it will start. Oliver Audio: every time. Andrew Audio: P1, amazing looking vehicle. Oliver Audio: That was my dream call for about five years. Andrew Audio: So Ron Dennis stood with his arm round Kate at the launch of the P1 when I was offered one and wanted to show the interior of the prototype and the team ran over going, don't open the door. Because Oliver Audio: Wow Andrew Audio: they're like, there is no interior. That was quite funny and we have the photo of that, so that's quite funny. But no, it's a good question. Probably, it would probably have to be the LaFerrari. LaFerrari. Yeah. What about you? It will be. Oliver Audio: gorgeous car I would be the same. I've changed over the last few years it's just such a good looking car. Andrew Audio: It's timeless. Oliver Audio: I would say it is one of the best looking cars ever made. Andrew Audio: Yeah, I agree. Oliver Audio: which you can't say anymore about some of the new Ferraris. Andrew Audio: So what are you looking forward to achieving over the next five months working with us before you make a uni or no uni decision or uni pause? Possibly. Oliver Audio: Unipause. Well, we'll see. grow this. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: Become the next Stephen Bartlett. I have Stephen Yeah. Andrew Audio: Don't want to be. Modern wisdom maybe. Oliver Audio: No, want to grow it. I want to create an audience. I want to get clients for Bailey Partners. Andrew Audio: think what genuinely what I'm looking forward to is I was, you know, in terms of time, people having the opportunity to learn from leaders and podcasts and all of those things. It's not been that long. It's years as opposed to decades. And I really like the idea of like the clients, YPO members that are no amazing people in business but also in sports and the charity sector and those things that are at a level from an aspirational perspective that other people could realistically achieve with hard work, the right idea, yes of course there's the randomness, being in the right place at the right time, luck. But talking to people like that who have achieved something but that others can go, I could do that. And I'm looking forward to talking to people at that level. So it's not podcast. Oliver Audio: people. Andrew Audio: Yeah, it's not podcast is talking to another podcaster or somebody that's made a billion or whatever. It's a real level. Yeah. That's Aurora level and talking about their journeys. what I'm also hoping through Oliver Audio: genuine. Andrew Audio: the production, you're going to meet a number. of people and you're going to get the opportunity to talk about their career, their decisions, whether or not they went to university, they did, what did they do, if they didn't, why. And I can tell you that the majority of people that I know from a business success perspective that have got multiple businesses or have exited different things, loads of them didn't because they didn't actually have the time. They had the intellect level to go to uni. of course. But they came up with an idea. and a few of them started and went, Oliver Audio: and it takes. Andrew Audio: my god, and it took off and it was a no-brainer. So that will also hopefully help you. Oliver Audio: Exactly, I mean I'll be getting the best advice for free and so will everyone watching the podcast. That's the whole point. It's Andrew Audio: Definitely, Oliver Audio: free advice from people who've made it. They're sharing their secrets. Andrew Audio: and you'll find that most of them it's genuinely it's not about the money. Oliver Audio: No. Andrew Audio: There's a obsession about want needing to be busy to coming up with an idea and proving that it worked and purpose and you won't believe from a Just I think a human nature perspective that that purpose piece is really important. Just like, you Oliver Audio: 100 percent. Andrew Audio: know, we're still ingrained in the way that people went from a cave. They went out to go on hunt and they could be gone for days and days and days and they went out with a purpose and came back and hopefully had achieved something. You lose that identity, people desperately go searching for it again. And that purpose in business, life, family, it's so important. I find it really bizarre when people go, when I retire. Oliver Audio: Yeah, do you think anyone can be an entrepreneur or do you have to be cut out for Andrew Audio: It's a really good question. think... Anybody can achieve a certain level of success, and I don't mean financial success. Success could be working in a corporation and getting to a great level and having a great job, being a great provider for your family or for yourself or whatever. Anybody can do that. And that comes through graft, without a doubt. Where... Where I get frustrated now is that there are a lot of people that think, well, they've, you you drew reference to AI and people that really quickly make tens, hundreds of millions because they were, they were either lucky on something probably and they got it and everyone's like, well, I want to be like that. I find few people that are entrepreneurial successful or success as an entrepreneur that don't work obsessive hours and there is a I guess the best way that I can answer that question is it takes a particular type of person to be obsessive about something to make it a success. And if you're the kind of person that wants to go to work, wants to get in your car, wants to drive home and switch off, that's probably indicative of the fact that you haven't got that obsession. And there's nothing wrong with that. There are times, believe you me, I can't, think I told you about when I was working in the yoghurt pot factory and Oliver Audio: you Andrew Audio: somebody was working there for 20 years. Oliver Audio: Yeah. Andrew Audio: And at that time, right, I was 18, had just finished A Levels and at that time I couldn't compute it. But I actually have a lot of respect for people that can go, that's my job and that's my life. And be content. Oliver Audio: and be content about going back to what we were talking about earlier. If you're happy and content about what you're doing, that's success. That's my definition of success. Andrew Audio: And if you're, so it's such a good question, which I guess is why I'm struggling to answer it. The majority of people I know that have a business or businesses that they've created, that they've bought, that they've rolled up, work doesn't stop. So you don't switch off. We don't switch off as a family. When we go on holiday we don't switch off, there's always an idea. If we're not doing one thing, another idea is coming up about something else. And that mindset I think is maybe a bit spectrum. Maybe, I mean I know I'm certainly something, I don't think you can necessarily put me in a box. Oliver Audio: No, but... Andrew Audio: But if I'm in a box, I'll probably burst out of it because I've had an idea about something. that makes sense. Oliver Audio: Is that just that entrepreneurial knack Andrew Audio: I think so. Oliver Audio: that some people have? Andrew Audio: I think so. What's your gut feel at the moment? If you were like, I've got to make a decision today. For Oliver Audio: This is for the future. Andrew Audio: the future for you. Are you going to go to university next year not? You've got to answer the question now. Oliver Audio: If I had to answer it now based off this past week, I would say no, not next year. That's what I would say. Andrew Audio: And you know, that's the thing I guess I'm saying, it's never too late. Oliver Audio: No, exactly. that's what I was... Andrew Audio: for too late. Oliver Audio: So, that guy I was talking about earlier, Steph, he said, you know, go and follow what's happening now. You've got a lot on your plate. Follow it. You know, just keep going. Follow your nose. And then if you run into a stage where, you know, you've lost a bit of momentum and you feel like, you know, a degree would help, go to a degree. Andrew Audio: Go and do it. Because the degree that you might want to do in a year, two years, three years, whenever could be something completely different to Oliver Audio: No. Andrew Audio: what you think you might want to do now. But there's also no harm, genuinely, if you're like, well, I love wildlife, I love birding, Oliver Audio: Allah Andrew Audio: I'd love to know more about them. There's no harm in going, so I'm going to do that. But if you Oliver Audio: For a year or two? You never know where it Andrew Audio: If you've got the, which I see, the drive, the ambition, the want and certainly no fear of working hard at all and you've got that, I just want to see where all of this stuff could go. Oliver Audio: There's no point in putting it to waste. No. It is my calling. I know that for sure. So it would be a pity to throw it away. But that changes. My opinions and like I've said, the past week has been It's been paramount in... informing my opinions that I have now and sort of the direction where I think I should be going. And there's nothing that says I can't completely do a 180 in another week. Andrew Audio: There shouldn't be any pressure at all. It's exciting My hope with the organisations that we're going to work with and some of the leaders that we're going to work with that actually through the digital content work that we're going to do is that actually there are a number of them that are going to say, you do this for us and could you help us with this piece of video and my god that's incredible what you've done with the drone and the photography and could you do more and of course if I see this as an opportunity for you to define potentially what from a business perspective you could do that allows you to combine business success with the passion of the clear talent you've got with photography and all of those things. Oliver Audio: It's... yeah, that's good point. But I'm also... I'm naturally a people pleaser. By nature. So is my mom. That's where I get it from. Andrew Audio: Yeah. So I think... Oliver Audio: The only thing that I worry about with things like that is I say yes to everything. Even if I don't necessarily have the capacity or the drive to do it. And then I end up in tricky situations where I've got too much on my plate. Andrew Audio: Okay, now that's trainable. That's totally trainable. So the answer, the short answer I can give you, and actually it was a book that I read, is that a very, very successful individual got to a point that he'd get phone calls, would you like to be involved in this? Could you help with this? And very much a people pleaser. And he decided he built a belief system for himself and everything that was a phone call, he said no to. And he said, I'm not saying no to you for sure, but I don't say yes to anything on a phone call. Oliver Audio: you Andrew Audio: And the amount of things that then didn't come back, because it's very easy for someone to pick up the phone and say, would you do this? And the moment he started saying no to everything that was a phone call. Oliver Audio: It would almost act as a filter. Andrew Audio: it acted as a brilliant filter. So then the things that were serious ended up as a face-to-face conversation or a further conversation that would then lead to the yes of good projects. And I've taken a lot from that. Yeah. A huge amount because I won't just go, yeah, sure. I'll go, no, I'm not going to say no now. We need to have a further discussion about this. Oliver Audio: It's about recognising the phone call. Andrew Audio: Yeah, your time has a value and it's too easy to say yes, especially when you're a people pleaser. And if you find your own filters, that's trainable. Can't, it's great question, still can't answer for sure about the entrepreneurial thing. Don't think it can be entirely trained. I think in one way or another, most people that are unhinged, obsessive, obsessive compulsive, OCD, can't sit still. And I think there's a trait and a trend to the kind of person I certainly know when I go into a room and go, yeah, you're a bit like me or no, you're a lot of people better than me. Oliver Audio: the entrepreneur. Andrew Audio: Absolutely. But the saying no to things is trainable. Oliver Audio: Yeah, that's something I do need to learn. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: But saying yes to many things isn't necessarily a bad thing. Andrew Audio: opens. Oliver Audio: Exactly. It's got me into many good situations as well. Saying yes to things that I found daunting or perhaps didn't even want to do at first, like Africa Geographic, Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: my previous job. I was very hesitant at first, but I said, you know what? let's give it a try. And I was contacted, what drove me to saying yes, I was contacted by one of their employees. And she said there's a vacancy at African Geographic. Andrew Audio: Isn't the backstory to that, that Kate and Freya saw it and you said, no no, and then Oliver Audio: So I was... Andrew Audio: they were pushing and then you got contacted by them? Oliver Audio: It was a coincidence. Andrew Audio: that the personal lack of confidence of over ability versus the way that other people see you? Oliver Audio: I don't know. I don't know with this situation and I feel like it's tough to judge because I just come out of school. Yeah. And I was... I didn't have confidence but it was also just very unfamiliar. Very, very unfamiliar and I was telling you earlier, familiarity is sometimes something I struggle with. If I'm not familiar with something I... you know I tend to veer away from it. Andrew Audio: Yeah Oliver Audio: That's another thing that can be taught and improved. Andrew Audio: Self confidence is really important. Most people to some extent or another have fears around letting other people down, a fear of failure, they feel like they're an imposter in whatever situation and that's hard to get past. Oliver Audio: It is very hot. Andrew Audio: But that's also where I always think from a leadership perspective and you know the clients we're talking with, it's amazing how many businesses you go into and teams or staff members at whatever level in a business, it's not even that they necessarily, of course, money quite often comes up and it's very easy answer for people to say, well, I want more money. Most of the time, what people want is a recognition or a thanks for what they're doing. And it's amazing how simple that can be. Fucking Oliver Audio: Small confidence. Andrew Audio: well done. You did a really good job. It does. And you shouldn't Oliver Audio: Confidence builder. Go a long way. Andrew Audio: you shouldn't underestimate just what you bring to the party in terms of things like this and the knowledge you've got and the experience and you might just be out of school. You said you picked up camera from the age of 10. Nine years experience behind the lens. That's nine more years than I've got. how many people working in the work environment can go, yeah, well I did that for nine years. And that's practical experience that you're bringing. So I'm not surprised that Africa Geographic snapped you up to do that. Oliver Audio: Yeah, I mean, wish I'd done more behind the lens. Andrew Audio: Do you Oliver Audio: Let's go. Andrew Audio: Do you worry as a younger male, certainly younger than me, do you worry about male mental health? Do you think people talk enough? Because I don't. Oliver Audio: It's a very good topic. Also having mental issues myself, anxiety The only reason I was able to overcome it was because I spoke and I reached out in my case to my family. And it was easy in my case because I was young. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: and I was constantly surrounded by my family and not everyone's that fortunate. Andrew Audio: No, they're not. Oliver Audio: Oftentimes it's someone that's alone and loneliness can be a huge driver in mental health and it can it far more than when you're with someone or with a family. And it's definitely Something that's not spoken about enough. It's definitely not. Andrew Audio: And I agree completely, you you know I've been very open about the fact that I struggled with my mental health and I do. many people do. I don't believe, that's it, I don't believe it's, I'm fixed. Oliver Audio: It's something that unfortunately stays with you. It's not an illness that you can treat. If you Andrew Audio: That's fucking horrible. Oliver Audio: can't treat it, you can learn to live with it. Andrew Audio: Live with it, manage it. Oliver Audio: Exactly. And take control of it. Andrew Audio: Yeah. And what you learned that works for you. Oliver Audio: Well, other than my medication, which has changed my life. actually diving in head first Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: and confronting it at face value and asking yourself what is the issue here? What is causing me anxiety? What's making me feel sad and down about myself? Why is my confidence low? And then laying it out and then seeing what you can do to try and fix each individual thing. Not trying to, you know, look at it all in one big ball of, you know, discomfort and sadness and everything and try and take on this mammoth thing that feels impossible. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: The only way to do it is to attack it. you know, piece by piece and try and solve you know, each individual aspect one by one Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: until you've managed to overcome the greater thing. Andrew Audio: And it's interesting, isn't it, because I'd like to know how you would communicate to people of your generation, how you could encourage people to talk, to make sure, because as you say, not everyone's got necessarily a supportive family or someone to turn to. And I hope that's what I try to ensure that mentees that I work with, that rather than it being, okay, I'm going to help you do something magnificent with your business because I've got a network that I can open and yeah, that's absolutely part of mentoring but the crux of the start of the relationship with the mentee to me is all about who they are, what makes them tick, what is their background, what's their lifestyle work, when did they last have health checks, how are they feeling and people don't... necessarily open themselves up internally to go, am I alright? Am I actually okay? And then I try and get people, I'm doing a biohacking course now to get a certification specifically when it comes to HRV status, sleep patterns, all of those things so that you can start to look at trends because all of those things affect not just performance. Oliver Audio: An incredible amount. incredible amount. Sleep is... I struggle so much if I haven't slept. I'm more anxious. I can't focus. My mind goes all over the place. My mood goes all over the place. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: And funnily enough, similar with appetite if I haven't eaten. It's the same. Proper hangriness. Andrew Audio: Like Freya? No, what would you... Okay, imagine yourself in a position that you didn't have such an amazing supportive family to turn to to get help from. Because Oliver Audio: you Andrew Audio: it's not a laughable matter, it really? What would you advise or recommend or tell somebody that they should do? Oliver Audio: That, it's a very difficult situation and I personally haven't experienced it. Having no one, absolutely no one to turn to is probably the worst case scenario in my eyes. Because then you are literally battling with yourself. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: And it really is just trying to, like I said earlier, try and deconstruct what it is that you're struggling with. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: and not getting stuck up on the same things and not beating yourself up about the way you're feeling because a lot of people do. They get angry at themselves for having mental health issues and that just spirals it even further. Andrew Audio: I do worry that people, I'm not saying everyone should be in an office all the time because it's not needed, but I do worry when we're in a world where it's so much easier for people to work from wherever they are, that people are isolated, they do start to overthink, they're not in a team environment. Do you find, because for me running... for years has been a massive release for me and I genuinely fit into that run off the crazy. Does your cricket and team sports help you? Oliver Audio: Exercise is great. Exercise is absolutely incredible. And not necessarily even just sport, but having a team. Sport is a really good one and a really common one because it's not, you're not working towards you know, a project or anything like that, you're playing a sport. And you're working together, you know, to win in your sport. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: Whatever, it's not... It has no consequence if you lose. The only reward you can get is, you know, that team spirit and, you know, the ability to work and function as a team, which is incredibly valuable. And having something like that can really build a sense of worth. Because you can feel like you play a role, you are part of a team. You play a role and you can achieve something. Which Andrew Audio: Yeah, all right, great. Oliver Audio: is, you know, essentially I would say the best way to counter something if you're by yourself. Andrew Audio: Yeah. Oliver Audio: Something that you're struggling with. Andrew Audio: Yeah, it's hard isn't it? Oliver Audio: something and try and achieve something. Try and achieve something that means something to you. Even if that's diving into your passions for a while and trying to achieve something that you've never been able to. And that sense of achievement can boost your confidence and help you self-reflect. and try and conquer whatever you're struggling with. Andrew Audio: Yeah. I mean, I think that's really good advice. I think it, and I couldn't agree more, that you have to find a channel of release in whatever that might be. And the focus is actually getting yourself out and doing something and doing something that you love in one way or another. There's no doubt that some of it is distraction techniques, so you're not overthinking situations. Oliver Audio: 100%. Andrew Audio: definitely. But it's so important because I know very few people who, if they're really honest, in one way or another, they don't battle with some component and they don't even necessarily know what it is. And I'm excited for us because we're going to talk to somebody that has gone from just working extremely hard as a family to being now a McLaren. backed professional racing driver coming from nothing, right, to people that have created businesses from nothing, to people that are involved in mental health, be it platforms, communication, through to, you know, a lovely wonderful friend who's found her passion in running a phenomenal charity that's actually helping. women in Africa and all of those different things are related to the purpose of people finding something that they love. Exactly. Also supporting communities, people, whatever. Yeah. And it's a topic I'm going to bring up. You've got to remind me as well that we've got to bring up with everyone to discuss. Oliver Audio: And it ties back perfectly into what makes you happy. And happiness is the counter to many mental health issues and struggles. we've just brought it full circle back to your passion and enjoying what you do on a day-to-day basis. I mean it definitely, that says enough. Andrew Audio: Yeah, it Oliver Audio: I'm not saying enough. Andrew Audio: does. So what's your favourite food? Oliver Audio: Oof. Let's see, we're have to narrow it down here, sweet or savory. Andrew Audio: throwing it back at me, savoury. Oliver Audio: Savory. I love biltong. Biltong. Andrew Audio: Do you now? Okay. Oliver Audio: Chili? a South African in me, but I love biltong. Andrew Audio: chilli spice knot Oliver Audio: Any biltong. Any biltong. Any biltong. Okay. Andrew Audio: can't be too fatty for me. I don't like it it's too fatty. I don't like having to spit out fatty bits. Oliver Audio: No. It's yours. Savory. Andrew Audio: Savory. It's going to be somewhere between one of Kate's Indian meals, a chicken tikka, or Oliver Audio: Yeah. I love war. Andrew Audio: the dal that she makes, which I think you've had, which is knockout. Oliver Audio: I don't care at all. Andrew Audio: Or Mexican. Oliver Audio: Fajitas Chili Sting That So much good food Issue Andrew Audio: Yeah. Sweet. Oliver Audio: I can't say another South African dish, actually. I was going to say mok tart. Because I absolutely love it, but I can't. I'm going to go with a creme caramel. Andrew Audio: That's why Freya made you a creme caramel, isn't it? Baked. Has to be baked. Baked cheesecake. Oliver Audio: Absolut. Like cheesecake. Andrew Audio: Has to be a baked cheesecake. And actually, properly baked, plain cheesecake. Really? Yeah. Just Oliver Audio: unexpected. Andrew Audio: the best. Gotta have a good crunchy base. Can't be burnt. Crunchy, big thick crunchy base. And it's got to have that really good cheesy, ideally served at room temperature, not that I'm picky or anything.