North Star Conversations | Unlock Your Potential, Performance & Purpose

Episode Notes
In this episode, I sit down with Perry Gladstone, a serial entrepreneur who built one of Canada's largest snowboard brands, became friends with Tony Hawk through skateboarding, launched a television network in Israel, competed as a national-record-holding free diver, and now coaches elite performers and business leaders through identity transitions. We talk about the belief that's carried him through every reinvention - "I will figure it out when I get there" - and what happens when that belief meets its limits: a paragliding accident that nearly killed him in front of his pregnant wife, a free diving blackout that ended his competitive career, and the collapse of his identity when a scandal ended his skateboarding business overnight. Perry shares his framework for navigating the "transition trap," why every major decision ultimately comes down to identity, and the powerful question he wishes more people asked themselves.
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
00:05 - Where in the world: Toronto
01:17 - Curiosity from a young age, and the school play story
03:22 - Being a "quick start," not a planner
04:07 - His foundational belief: "I will figure it out when I get there"
04:56 - The origin story: his parents' three different versions of the same event
07:50 - When has "I'll figure it out" not worked?
08:16 - The paragliding accident that nearly killed him
09:43 - Failing big, more than once
10:29 - Every decision eventually comes down to identity
13:13 - Building the muscle of survival through failure
13:52 - Teenage obsessions: skateboards and the surf culture ideal
16:23 - Becoming friends with Tony Hawk through hardware sales
18:51 - Waking up surrounded by skateboarding legends
19:43 - The transition into snowboarding
21:13 - Sneaking onto mountains before snowboarding was allowed
21:24 - Stacy Peralta's mentorship and life-changing advice
25:00 - Starting Limited Snowboards from nothing
25:51 - Selling the business, losing his marriage, and identity collapse
26:32 - The pro rider scandal that ended his skateboard career
28:45 - "So I guess you're out of the industry" - the comment that cut deep
30:42 - Does he believe in luck?
32:00 - Who are you when the thing that defines you is gone?
33:15 - Disruption and leveraging existing infrastructure
34:15 - Will's "mastery spiral" concept
36:32 - The trap of everyone around you still expecting the old identity
37:11 - The shift into music, guitar, and a record deal
38:02 - Making skateboard videos and shaping "reality" through editing
39:30 - Selling the snowboard company and starting a film company
41:21 - The Israel Global Television Network story
44:22 - An "embarrassment of riches" - doors opening everywhere
45:43 - North Star thinking and the value of the journey
46:24 - Wanting to know what's possible, and how far he can take something
47:01 - What is free diving?
47:54 - Competing in depth, time, and distance
48:15 - His national record: 6 minutes, 1 second
48:41 - The training accident that ended his free diving career
51:18 - Chasing flow state through extreme sports
53:20 - Where he finds flow state now, as a father
55:23 - The identity work he does with elite performers and leaders
58:35 - The real question leaders need to ask themselves
1:00:08 - The "transition trap" explained
1:02:47 - What comes first: knowing the next chapter, or knowing who you are?
1:03:17 - His book: Fast and Hot
1:03:49 - How to connect with Perry
1:04:17 - Who are you now?
1:05:09 - Now working with people who can change history
1:05:49 - Knowing when a risk has gone too far
1:08:00 - Who is he becoming over the next 3-5 years?
1:09:31 - Final reflection: the one question he wishes people asked
1:11:04 - 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
Check out Perry's website: https://perrygladstone.com
Get Perry's book, "Fast and Hot: How to Open Hearts, Win Minds, and Create a Better Business and a Better Life"
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: February 2025
Episode Number: 224
Success doesn't always begin with a clear passion or a perfect plan. Sometimes it comes from being willing to learn, take opportunities, solve problems, and keep moving forward when the path becomes difficult.
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, award‑winning accountant‑entrepreneur and owner of the Pocknells Group John Holliday shares the unconventional journey that took him from wanting to become a professional footballer to building and leading a successful accountancy practice. Discover how embracing risk, developing a problem-solving mindset, and learning through difficult experiences can turn unexpected opportunities into lasting growth, and why continually challenging yourself may be the key to building a career and business that keeps evolving.
Listen to the full episode here:
https://kite.link/johnholliday

Originally aired: February 2025
Episode Number: 223
Building long-term financial security often means making decisions that don't deliver an immediate reward. The choices we make with money today can shape how much freedom, stability, and opportunity we have years from now.
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, world and five-time British Hairdressing Champion Craig Hubert shares the importance of delayed gratification, strategic decision-making, and developing habits that allow wealth to compound over time. Discover why thinking beyond instant rewards, paying yourself first, and consistently investing even small amounts can create greater financial independence, while giving you the freedom to take risks and build the future you want.
Listen to the full episode here: 
https://kite.link/craighubert

Episode Notese
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Andrew Threadgold, a former GP turned entrepreneur who has built a portfolio of over 100 properties and now owns four businesses across healthcare, hospitality, and facilities management. We talk about growing up on a council estate near Manchester, the moment a well-intentioned favor for a grieving family triggered an 18-month GMC investigation that pushed him out of medicine, and the property deal that started with £50,000 borrowed from his father-in-law. Andrew shares his philosophy on personal growth over money, the real difference between mentors and "gurus," and why he believes most people never wake up to what they actually want out of life.
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
00:31 - Growing up on a council estate near Manchester
02:58 - Medicine as an escape from poverty, but ultimately limiting
07:46 - Was medicine ever about helping people, or just an escape route?
10:35 - The moment he decided he was done with medicine
10:46 - The cremation form favor that changed everything
13:10 - Referred to the GMC and 18 months of investigation
15:34 - Taking the warning, and vowing never to rely on medicine again
17:13 - Blind panic, and considering a hedge fund career
19:22 - His first property: borrowing £50,000 from his father-in-law
20:53 - Building a property portfolio and starting a podcast for access
21:08 - Leaving medicine and buying four businesses in six months
22:15 - Why none of his businesses are really about making money
23:26 - Personal growth as his real purpose, and avoiding "gold medal syndrome"
24:53 - What the next 5-10 years of growth look like for him
26:49 - Measuring impact vs. measuring meaning
29:24 - Twenty years of contribution before doing something for himself
30:22 - Why growth and contribution shouldn't be either/or
33:15 - Mentoring medical professionals into their next chapter
33:47 - Why medics are easy targets for unscrupulous "gurus"
36:11 - Mentorship as the best ROI he's ever had
37:38 - The real difference between a mentor and a guru
40:05 - Will's own Tony Robbins and Jim Rohn story
43:17 - How to evaluate any coach, mentor, or educator
44:55 - Advice for anyone stuck in a job they don't love
47:13 - How to connect with Andrew
47:33 - Final reflection: "Why did you leave it so long before you woke up?"
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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 Andrew on Instagram: @Andrew_threadgold
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: search "Andrew Threadgold"
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: February 2025
Episode Number: 222
Real leadership begins when we stop deflecting responsibility and develop the self-awareness to look at our own contribution.
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, organizational psychologist, executive coach, and founder of Gallaher Edge Dr. Laura Gallaher explains how radical self-acceptance can reduce defensiveness, strengthen accountability, and create greater psychological safety within teams. Learn why taking responsibility doesn't mean taking blame, how understanding your own triggers can transform difficult conversations, and why leaders who are willing to look in the mirror can build stronger teams, deeper trust, and better performance.
Listen to the full episode here:
https://kite.link/drlauragallaher