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Your chair might be coaching your spine into pain. We sit down with osteopath and Z Chair inventor Alex Prince to unpack why most seats flatten the spine’s natural S curve, switch off your core, and quietly load your discs through the workday. Alex shares the story of turning years in clinic—treating the same avoidable injuries—into a simple, affordable design that makes good posture the default: a sloped seat that drops the knees below the hips, cues a gentle pelvic tilt, and helps you sit tall without trying.

We trace Alex’s path from rugby pitches and a near-miss with medicine to osteopathy’s more holistic lens. Mentors who shaped his practice, the clarity he finds in long runs and open landscapes, and a family thread that frames resilience all feed into a clear mission: prevention over firefighting. You’ll learn why “active sitting” matters, how microbreaks every 20 minutes protect tissues and sharpen focus, and the counterintuitive truth that backrests can become crutches. Alex’s favourite reminder—give the body a crutch and it will lean on it—lands with practical steps you can use today.

Expect grounded, useful ergonomics: raise the hips above the knees, keep screens at eye level, plant your feet, and let posture breathe. We also explore how a sloped seat can improve presence on video calls by naturally bringing you forward, and why graded movement beats total rest when pain flares. Whether you’re dealing with back pain, managing a team, or just trying to stay sharp at your desk, this conversation offers simple changes with outsized impact. Sit better, move more, and let your environment work for you.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow for more founder stories and practical wellbeing insights, share with a friend who slouches, and leave a quick review—your feedback helps others find the show.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

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What if your team’s friction isn’t about difficult people—but mismatched “food”? We sit down with Nigel Risner, the self-styled Chief Zookeeper, to unpack a disarmingly simple idea: people are different, not difficult. From that starting point, Nigel shows how to stop serving steak to dolphins, how to read the room fast, and how to change your language so action follows naturally. He’s direct, funny, and unfiltered—and he cares about results more than applause.

Nigel walks us through the moment his model clicked, staring at labelled buckets in a zoo and realising communication is about feeding styles, not forcing messages. We talk about being responsible to the audience, not for the audience; why the best meetings prize presence over note-taking; and how small changes in pace and detail produce big jumps in buy-in. His 211 vs 212 framework nails peak performance: most days are very good, but a few tip into “boiling” when energy and clarity align. You can’t fake those days—but you can study and repeat what makes them possible.

There’s heart and grit here, too. Nigel shares the story of a brain aneurysm after a relentless travel schedule, how COVID forced a reset, and why “be where your feet are” became more than a line—it became a way to live. We riff on tennis and the inner game—play the point you’re in, serve well, and reduce interference—and translate that into everyday leadership and customer service. He also gives us four punchy values to carry forward: drink from the fountains of knowledge, swear to make today your best, steal time to help others, and, when you lie down, be grateful for dreams.

If you lead teams, speak to customers, or simply want more 212 days, this conversation is a toolkit: practical, human, and immediately usable. Listen, share with a colleague who needs clearer conversations, and subscribe for more stories that sharpen your leadership. Then tell us: which animal are you feeding first this week?

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!

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The conversation opens with a tender contradiction: how do you keep the best of your childish self while learning to say goodbye to what no longer fits? Adam Buxton joins us to trace that thread from DIY TV to Decca, from late-night Channel 4 oddities to the calming crunch of Norfolk gravel under foot. We talk about his second memoir, I Love You Bye, the bomb-blast of losing parents, and the quieter grief of habits shed. He’s frank about the relief of leaving social media and the lingering “voice” it left behind, and he gives that voice a name you’ll remember: Clickbait Wally.

We get into why he fiercely protects audio-only conversations. Cameras change how people speak; microphones invite candour and curiosity. That belief shaped The Adam Buxton Podcast intros, the walks with Rosie, and a style of interview that feels like meeting someone at a party and gently falling in love with their mind. We map the influences—Mark Maron, Monty Python, Channel 4’s late-night culture buffet—and share why good documentaries (Turn Every Page, Thank You Very Much) can rewire the way you see power, craft, and comedy.

Then the craft reveals its joy. Adam lights up about jingles and the small alchemy of turning ads into songs, where silliness meets precision. Those sketches evolved into Buckle Up on Decca and a live show that lets him fire samples, sing about unabsorbent tea towels, and savour the old dream of being in a band. There’s practical wisdom too: patience is genius; a soft answer turneth away wrath; join a band even if it’s terrible; keep going. Legacy, for him, isn’t a monument. It’s a folder of favourite work, an honest archive his children can open when they need a reminder that curiosity and kindness still count.

If you enjoy smart, human conversations about creativity, loss, and the calm hidden in ordinary moments, press play and come walk with us. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a gentler listen, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.

• Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com
• You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk
• Twitter thatchrisgrimes
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/
• FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)

Thanks for listening!