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John Legend didn’t set out to become “Legend.” The name found him long before the world did. In this episode Damian is joined by EGOT winner John Legend to explore how a simple nickname evolved into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Before being a ‘legend’, he was John Stevens, a management consultant working on spreadsheets by day and hustling in studios by night. We explore how a nickname turned into a new identity, and how that identity shaped John’s behaviour, ambition, and artistry. Drawing on research from psychology, from the Proteus Effect to the Batman Effect, we uncover how stepping into a bigger version of ourselves can elevate performance long before results arrive.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why adopting a new identity can raise your standards instantly
• How John used “Legend” as a behavioural challenge, not branding
• The psychology of alter egos
• How identity influences confidence, resilience, and creativity
• Practical ways to choose and step into an identity that helps you perform

This episode is a powerful reminder that names aren’t just labels, they’re scripts. And sometimes the fastest way to grow is to choose a name that demands it.

Listen to the full episode with John Legend: https://pod.fo/e/2dda44

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Wilman is the legendary executive producer behind Top Gear and The Grand Tour, the creative force who helped turn a small, ageing motoring show into one of the most-watched programmes on the planet.

In this revealing conversation, Andy sits down with Jake to open up about the chaotic, brilliant, and often bruising journey behind the scenes. From the early days when Top Gear was “held together by accidents,” to the lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry that formed between Clarkson, Hammond and May, Andy explains how a mix of creative instinct, insecurity, and outright stubbornness shaped the show’s rise.

He also discusses the strange alchemy behind iconic ideas like The Stig, the happy mistakes that became formats, and the moments where the team’s success began to run away from them. Andy reflects on the personal cost of building a global juggernaut: the burnout, the pressure of chasing ever-bigger audience numbers, the fear of being “found out,” and the toll it took on his home life and mental health..

This episode goes far beyond cars. It’s a conversation about leadership, the dangers of unchecked momentum, the creative magic that comes from imperfection, and the deeper human truth Andy only recognised with hindsight: that success means nothing if you never stop long enough to enjoy it.

Want the exclusive story on the high-stakes Amazon deal that launched The Grand Tour? Watch Andy on 'The Room Where It Happened' with Jake.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all feel out of our depth, but the real secret is learning to stay calm anyway.

In this episode, Jake and Damian explore a universal human experience, the moments when we feel completely out of our depth, and reveal why calmness, clarity, and growth often begin right there. Drawing on powerful lessons from guests like Tom Aspinall, Petr Čech, Alex Greenwood, Nick Cox, and Alex Honnold, they uncover the mindset shifts that help us stay steady when everything feels uncertain.

They discuss the importance of naming your fears instead of suppressing them, accepting what you can’t control, and breaking big challenges into small, manageable steps. Through stories of athletes and leaders who chose discomfort, built resilience through “micro-dosed” challenge, and repeatedly stepped into the unknown, Jake and Damian show that fear isn’t a sign you’re failing, it’s a sign you’re expanding.

This episode is a reminder that the secret to feeling calm isn’t eliminating fear, but learning to move with it: acknowledge it, act despite it, and trust that confidence grows through action, not certainty.

Listen to the episodes mentioned:

Tom Aspinall: https://pod.fo/e/2d3d2e

Petr Čech: https://pod.fo/e/21c565

Alex Greenwood: https://pod.fo/e/30cbd0

Nick Cox: https://pod.fo/e/138399

Alex Honnold: https://pod.fo/e/25ce8e

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.