North Star Conversations | Unlock Your Potential, Performance & Purpose

Originally aired: April 2025
Episode Number: 231
Business failures can teach you some of the most valuable lessons in entrepreneurship, forcing you to reflect, adapt, and rethink your approach.
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, and keynote speaker James Ashford shares how his first business failure taught him the importance of financial discipline, strong systems, mentorship, and building a company that isn't dependent on you. Discover how learning from setbacks, investing in personal development, and simplifying complex ideas can help you turn difficult experiences into the foundation for your next chapter.
Listen to the full episode here: 
https://kite.link/jamesashford

Originally aired: April 2025
Episode Number: 229
The toughest moments in life can force you to question everything and create a completely new path. What matters is how you choose to respond and what you build from the experience.
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, entrepreneur and professional photographer Carmel Jane shares how overcoming major personal challenges forced her to rethink her business, embrace support, and build something that could grow beyond her own time and effort. Discover how resilience, surrounding yourself with the right people, and learning to delegate can transform a self-employed career into a scalable business built for long-term growth.
Listen to the full episode here: 
https://kite.link/carmeljane

Episode Notes
In this episode, I welcome back Matt Essam, a business strategist who works with award-winning creative studios, for his second appearance on the show. We talk about the last 16 months since his first episode - including the moment he realized he'd built a product chasing what the market wanted rather than what actually energized him, the "energy of obligation" that told him something had to change, and the sabbatical that followed. Matt shares what he's learned about courage versus confidence, why he believes business is the ultimate spiritual endeavor, and the radical (and surprisingly effective) advice he gives stressed-out clients: take a holiday.
Don't miss the opportunity to take the first step towards a more fulfilling life. Book your complimentary clarity call today and discover how Will Polston can help you achieve the success you deserve. 💡 https://willpolston.com/book-a-call/
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Video Chapters
00:00 - Introduction: welcome back
00:22 - Where they've recorded across the world
01:16 - What's changed in the last 16 months
01:43 - The tension between coaching energy and market demand
02:40 - The "energy of obligation" and realizing something had to change
03:19 - Zooming out and realizing it's bigger than a client issue
04:09 - Why he pursued the lead gen challenge despite knowing better
05:32 - Blue ocean vs. red ocean, and defining his "creative" niche
06:47 - Realizing the strategy didn't scale to a mass market
09:03 - The lesson: riches are in the niches
09:44 - What the experience did for his identity
11:10 - The mountain moment: sitting on a snowboard and feeling the incongruence
12:33 - A friend's sudden death and the Steve Jobs mirror question
14:09 - The two-doors analogy: letting go of the old identity
15:18 - Significant emotional events as a loss of identity
15:45 - Creating, not finding, your North Star
16:16 - Letting go of "good" to pursue "excellent"
17:28 - The difference between a sabbatical and procrastination
18:10 - Listening to the body before burnout hits
18:35 - Where the concept of "courage over confidence" was born
19:29 - Why confidence can't exist without courage
20:34 - Setting - or not setting - an end date for the sabbatical
21:15 - Designing his ideal next chapter: five clients, two days a week
22:32 - What he's done differently on sabbatical
23:13 - Rediscovering connection to people and nature
24:16 - The value of unstructured time and a "clear horizon"
24:54 - The default diary lesson from years ago
26:05 - Will's own story about a summer with no responsibilities
28:05 - Slowing down: the difference between rushing and strolling through London
28:44 - Planning in campaigns instead of multi-year plans
29:48 - Staying laser-focused on one goal at a time
31:06 - Setting goals in stone, methods in sand
32:18 - Defining his life mission: helping people live up to their potential
34:17 - How unlocking business potential unlocks life potential
34:47 - "You are the business" - why the person changes everything
35:52 - Why business tests every area of life
36:39 - What ultra-successful people actually want once they've "made it"
37:07 - Leaving things and people better than you found them
37:59 - Advice for people who can't afford to take a sabbatical
38:37 - The client who took a holiday during a crisis - and it worked
39:45 - Giving your best vs. giving your all
40:48 - Distinguishing intentional change from self-sabotage
41:39 - The gym experience that wrecked his nervous system
44:35 - Head, heart, and gut alignment
45:49 - The three things to start being more courageous
46:13 - Forward-projecting three, five, ten years ahead
47:14 - Realizing he didn't want the life of the people ahead of him
48:51 - Tim Ferriss's fear-setting exercise, explained
51:03 - Using micro actions to build courage: the talking-to-strangers experiment
52:31 - The "talk forever drill" for building conversational confidence
55:19 - Breaking fear down into the smallest possible next step
59:24 - How to connect with Matt
1:00:53 - Being the "bullshit man" of LinkedIn
1:01:02 - Final reflection: the question he wishes people asked him
1:01:55 - Closing remarks
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Relevant Links For the Viewer and Citations
Website - https://www.willpolston.com
Instagram - https://instagram.com/willpolston
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/willpolstonmih
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/willpolston/
Twitter / X - https://x.com/willpolston
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@willpolston
Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: search "Matt Essam" (please confirm exact spelling and handle)
About Me: I am dedicated to helping individuals and businesses unlock their true potential through expert coaching and training programs. I'm passionate about empowering others to achieve their dreams and live a life they love. Subscribe for more insights and tips on personal development, productivity, and achieving your goals. Let's embark on this journey together!

Originally aired: March 2025
Episode Number: 228
Boxing can build far more than physical strength. It can teach discipline, confidence, respect, and the character to face challenges head-on.
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, former professional boxer, boxing coach, and founder of the Box2Burn gym Billy Long shares how boxing became a powerful vehicle for personal growth, family values, and community impact. Discover how one passion evolved into a mission to help young people develop confidence and discipline, while creating an environment where camaraderie, resilience, and self-respect can shape lives both inside and outside the ring.
Listen to the full episode here: 
https://kite.link/billylong

Originally aired: March 2025
Episode Number: 227
Sometimes the biggest wake-up call is realising that your income depends entirely on you. True freedom comes from building something that can grow without you being there every step of the way.
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, children's entertainer turned business mogul Toby Burns dives into the moment a broken wrist forced him to rethink his career, his relationship with money, and what he really wanted from life. Discover how moving beyond trading time for income, investing wisely, and creating more flexibility can help you build a business that supports not just financial success, but freedom, family, and meaningful experiences.
Listen to the full episode here:
https://kite.link/tobyburns