Personal development coaches Oliver Hill and Stephen Balmer-Walters have joined forces to create a podcast to help people invest in themselves and improve their lives. Here, they explain how it all started with a round of golf
Who are you both and what do you do?
Oliver Hill – I help people and businesses to become the best version of themselves they can be. The aim is to challenge their current thinking and show them how amazing they can be. I believe everybody could be enjoying more happiness, success and a greater sense of purpose than they currently are. Eight years into the journey and I have a track record of success helping many clients change their lives, and in some cases their whole business, forever. I do this all through challenging people’s current thinking and providing them information to help them change it.
Stephen Balmer-Walters – I am a passionate business mentor with over 35 years of experience. My mission? To help you unlock your true potential! Through my unique strategies, the “4 Cornerstones of Success” and the “8 Pillars of Progression”, I empower individuals and businesses to develop a successful driven mindset, set clear long-term goals, and achieve them effectively. Whether you’re a solo professional or part of a large organisation, I’m here to motivate and support people on their journey to success.
Oliver – we last featured you in March 2021…how has everything been for you since then?
Well, in November 2021 I had a nine-day stay in hospital thanks to good old Covid. So that was fun. That was followed by 6 months recovery. So, I was knocked for six. Moments like these offer you an opportunity to rethink and reframe what you want to do or how you want to do it. Whilst I was very happy with where I had gotten to when you last featured me, I now have a hunger to do much more and reach far wider. This has resulted in me entering the American market where they just seem far more ‘ready’ for what people like Stephen and I offer.
Stephen – what can you tell us about AskStephen?
AskStephen is an interactive platform where individuals can directly engage with me, for personalised mentoring. Users can ask questions and receive video responses, gaining valuable insights and motivation tailored to their needs. It’s designed to support personal and professional growth, offering support through exclusive strategies, one-to-one sessions, and resources that empower you to achieve your goals.
How do you know each other?
Oliver – We initially met (for those who know me this will be no shock) playing golf. We clicked instantly. We started having video calls fairly regularly. Just talking about personal development. One day Stephen (who, it’s becoming clear, is the ideas man in this partnership) said “We should really record these as I bet people would love to hear what we talk about in these sessions”. I already had a podcast, creatively called The Hill Coaching Company podcast, so we started a new series which grew into a 40-episode podcast series.
What has led you to starting The Stephen & Oliver Show?
Oliver – As the podcast series grew, I felt it was a bit wrong that every episode was on the HCC podcast. I proposed a joint podcast. Stephen accepted and came up with the excellent The Stephen and Oliver Show. Which when abbreviated conveniently spells the SOS Podcast.
Stephen – It became clear to me, through feedback and discussions with mentees and clients, that people needed more guidance and content to help them become the best version of themselves. Since we cannot reach everyone through our business alone, we decided to launch a podcast to share our insights. I consider this a gift, as I truly believe in its value, and sharing it feels like the right thing to do.
Who will the podcasts be aimed at and how will they help people?
Oliver – We have a clear mission: to help as many people as we can. That being said, a large percentage of our audience are likely to be business leaders of various levels: owners, directors, partners, managers. However, it will not exclude anyone wishing to become the best version of themselves they can be. So, this is aimed at anyone who thinks they could be achieving more or doing better than they already are. It is also aimed at challenging people who think they are successful. Are you really successful or are you just financially successful? These are two very, very different things. Stephen and I both know and have worked with very financially successful people BUT they are not truly successful. Why? Because they are not as effective as they could, they have little or sometimes no clarity of purpose. Ultimately, though, they are not happy, they are not fulfilled.
What are your hopes and dreams for the SOS podcast?
Oliver – We shall be hitting some fairly meaty topics. Therefore, cliché as this might sound, if we help just one person per episode, we’d be happy with that. However, my ‘hopes and dreams’ go a lot further than this. Stephen and I have helped a lot of people but it’s still nowhere near enough. We would like to be talking to you in another three years from now about how we took our podcast from helping a small number of people (as when typing this we’re weeks into the project) to millions, worldwide. We believe it’s possible. We know what we do is incredibly powerful. We wonder what it would look like if we impacted one million people rather than a few thousand.
Visit The SOS Show where you’ll find links to the series on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music and Audible.
Featured image supplied by Oliver Hill
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