North Star Conversations | Unlock Your Potential, Performance & Purpose

Episode Notes
 
In this episode, I welcome back James Ashford, founder of GoProposal and author of Grow Fast, Exit Big, 18 months after the conversation that became my most downloaded episode of 2025. We get into the practical side of the journey: why every fix and every growth spurt starts with foundations, and why the question that changed everything for James was "who do I need to be?" rather than "what do I need to do?". James shares the marketing that outperformed a £100K video, how to build a team culture where stars can flourish, and why retention matters more than sales. We also cover what he'd do differently now with AI, the art of fulfillment versus the science of achievement, and the one question he wishes people had the courage to ask.
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 - Welcome back, 18 months on
02:47 - Why he wanted to be an entrepreneur, and the business that collapsed
06:13 - Copying a business without foundations, and the Tony Robbins "cheat code"
09:46 - Sharing what you know: the gym story and defining an expert
12:45 - Why sales problems often aren't sales problems
14:38 - Building GoProposal and the purpose behind the exit
17:43 - Life after exit, painting, and finding your North Star
24:19 - Foundations: why every fix and every growth starts below ground
27:07 - Covid as the storm that tested the foundations
28:16 - Beliefs at the crux: what top entrepreneurs believe
30:14 - Kids as the test, "the bad news is you're the problem," and "Who do I need to be?"
33:14 - Personal growth as scaffolding for the business
34:38 - Principles vs. tactics: selling to help, not to hit quota
35:49 - Giving away the recipe: Gordon Ramsay marketing and the beef pie
39:43 - Building culture: seeing the overlooked and spotting stars
44:21 - "Stab me in the belly, not in the back," and why he backs the underdog
46:54 - Wins, hiring on character, and great culture
50:00 - Feedback with love: coaching, modeling, and the footballer's brother
56:02 - Ted Lasso, and the best you can be
1:00:03 - Who believed in him: his brother
1:02:11 - The car boot sale business, and the video that changed a decision
1:05:51 - Content marketing: how the videos helped win the sale to Sage
1:09:35 - Writing a book to enter a market, and speed vs. embarrassment
1:12:07 - Resourcefulness: "no such thing as a lack of resources"
1:13:50 - The free event video that beat a £100K one, and the relevancy curve
1:19:08 - Three marketing principles: document what clients ask
1:25:01 - The 100 videos in 100 days challenge
1:26:46 - Email isn't dead: write to one person, remove the branding
1:31:20 - You're always selling: ethical, consultative selling
1:37:24 - Commission: the footballer and the goalkeeper
1:38:33 - What true business development means
1:40:03 - Retention and the two triangles of sales and marketing
1:43:46 - Sales culture, rolling bonuses into salary, and hiring at the top of the range
1:47:21 - Low bar, high ceiling, and getting to the "aha" faster
1:51:52 - AI: build a fortress, do the unscalable, and people still win
1:58:03 - Hero and guide: the Rain Man example
2:01:31 - The art of fulfillment vs. the science of achievement
2:04:13 - Allowed to do nothing, and leaning into fear
2:08:37 - Mashed potato and the Michelin star recipe
2:12:11 - Good enough is not good enough: revisit every recipe
2:14:08 - How to connect with James, and the new podcast
2:15:00 - Final reflection: ask a courageous question
2:17:14 - Parenting: "you'll figure it out"
2:19:42 - 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 James's website: https://www.jamesashford.com
Connect with James on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok: search "James Ashford"
Get the book, Grow Fast, Exit Big: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grow-Fast-Exit-Under-Months/dp/1781339872
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: October 2025
Episode Number: 257
Sometimes, the biggest obstacle to moving forward isn't our circumstances, but the beliefs we've carried with us for years.
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, renowned healer, hypnotherapist, and YouTube creator Julie Poole shares how our inner thoughts and subconscious programming influence everything from financial success to personal fulfilment. Discover how uncovering hidden beliefs, developing a healthier relationship with money, and taking responsibility for your own growth can shift your perspective, unlock new opportunities, and help you turn your ambitions into reality.
Listen to the full episode here:
https://kite.link/juliepoole

Originally aired: October 2025
Episode Number: 256
Staying in the wrong relationships, friendships, or routines can quietly drain your happiness. The key isn't cutting everything out, it's making more room for what genuinely brings you joy.
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, pioneer of longevity architecture and founder of MAVI Kas Bordier shares how to build healthier relationships, recognise patterns that hold you back, and become more intentional with your time and energy. Discover why investing in your relationships can have a life-changing impact, how to identify the people and activities that truly fulfil you, and why delegating tasks you dislike can create more space for what you love.
Listen to the full episode here: 
https://kite.link/kasbordier

Episode Notes
In this episode, I sit down with Will Taylor, a psychotherapist and coach who takes founders into couples therapy with their businesses. We talk about the language founders use about their companies ("I've fallen out of love," "it's my baby") and why it mirrors the way people talk about relationships. Will shares how a volunteer role at a children's hospice started his journey, and how losing his brother at 14 taught him to hide his feelings. We explore how childhood messages become the rules we run our businesses by. Will also explains transactional analysis (parent, adult and child) and why the question isn't "do I want a successful business?" but "whose version of success is that?"
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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00:00 - Introduction: two Wills
00:55 - Couples therapy for founders: "I've fallen out of love with my business"
03:15 - The empty-nest parallel, and the children's hospice that started his career
05:45 - Losing his brother at 14, and being told not to show his feelings
07:27 - Childhood voices and how they shape how we show up
10:02 - Anxiety, depression, and naming feelings accurately
13:22 - NLP, Erickson and Satir, and what an unhealthy relationship with your business looks like
16:18 - Anxious attachment, "work hard" as a script, and the gears-in-a-car analogy
18:24 - The business as a container for your story: whose version of success?
20:26 - Transactional analysis: parent, adult, and child
24:50 - The abandonment trigger, and not treating the feeling as truth
29:59 - Are entrepreneurs "free children"? Be More Pirate, and burgers in the Sahara
34:44 - "I need to divorce my business": living by someone else's rules
37:45 - Seasons of business, and scoring how you feel from 1 to 10
42:32 - The letter exercise: writing to your business, and its reply
45:32 - What changes afterward: owning the business you want
48:05 - Business partners, family businesses, and whose North Star you follow
50:29 - How to connect with Will, and the question he wishes people asked: "Why?"
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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
Learn more about Will Taylor here: https://www.willtaylor.co.uk/ 
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: September 2025
Episode Number: 253
You can have the perfect strategy and still stay stuck if your mindset isn't ready to grow. Real progress happens when you stop copying other people's methods and discover what works for you. 
In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, seasoned performance coach and visionary business strategist Shari Teigman explores the hidden mindset barriers that hold people back in business and personal development. Discover how to recognise the signs of being stuck, challenge your assumptions, and build a mindset that evolves alongside your ambitions.
Listen to the full episode here:
https://kite.link/shariteigman