The Not So Breakfast Show

Send us a textEpisode 245 - Hustle Culture: Is Working Harder Still Worth It?Episode SummaryIsh wins the Exercise New Zealand Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Fitness Industry (and wasn't even there!), while Sacha hustles across the South Island. This leads to a deep conversation about hustle culture, rise and grind mentality, and whether working harder actually gets you ahead anymore. Plus: AI end of the world chat, and why the younger generation wants their technology separated again. 

Send us a textMidweek Mini - What's The One Thing For The Week?Why One Thing? – You have 52 opportunities in a year to get one thing nailed each week. Clarity breeds genius.Focus vs. Urgent – The one thing for the week isn't necessarily the most urgent thing—it's the meaningful longer-term thing that needs attention.The Exercise – Dump everything that needs doing on paper, then identify the overarching focus that sums up what success looks like for the next 7 days

Send us a textThe Not So Breakfast Show - Bad Words & Breaking PointsSometimes you reach the end. The absolute end. Sacha is moving house, dealing with impossible transactions, and has just discovered the movers left three massive items behind. Ish is surprisingly recharged from mini-breaks and witnessing his co-host process what happens when resilience runs out. This is a raw, real conversation about those moments when life is genuinely hard—and how to hold onto the "but it's worth it" part.Key Topics DiscussedWhen You Reach The EndRecognising you're at your breaking point (and that's a skill)Over-the-top emotional responses when resilience is at an all-time lowThe ability to recognise you're losing it while staying (relatively) calmLife Is Hard, But It's Worth ItThe mantra that's getting Sacha through:Acknowledging that yes, life IS hard right nowFocusing on what's coming on the other sideMaking the learning about yourself worth itAsking: "How can something horrible be useful? What am I learning about myself?"Memorable Quotes"Would it be all right if everybody just today, just on this day, just did their jobs? Is it too much to ask of the people around me to just do the job that I coincidentally have paid you a lot of money to do?"Key Lessons for LeadersRecognise Your Breaking Point: The ability to identify when you're at the end is itself a valuable skillReframe the Narrative: "Life is hard, but it's worth it" - hold onto the second partFind the Learning: Ask "What am I learning about myself right now?" even in horrible situationsControl Your Controllables: Change your clothes, drink water, take micro-pausesNotice Small Joys: Small moments that don't require coordinationThe Not So Breakfast Show - A podcast for leadership and career developmentSometimes the best episodes come from the worst days.Life is hard, but it's worth it.

Send us a textMWM: Hope Is Not a Strategy Every time you find yourself saying "I hope sales improve" or "I hope that changes," recognise that hope isn't a strategy - you're just gambling with other people's lives and your business outcomes. Join Ish and Sacha as they unpack this famous business school line (spoiler: Sacha didn't coin it, but she uses it brilliantly).The Recognition Tool:Every time you say "I hope..." ask yourself: Am I taking enough action?Hope is good - we need optimism and the promise of a better dayBut hope alone isn't a plan - you need to DO something about your situationDon't lie around waiting to be rescuedThe Whitewater Rafting Wisdom: You must participate in your own rescue. It's a powerful metaphor for life. What are you doing about the mess you find yourself in? You don't control the cards, but man, you've got to play them.The Reality: Both Ish and Sacha are positive, optimistic people. Hope is important. But it's just a starting point. You need to assist in your own rescue - make yourself rescuable by doing everything in your power to improve the situation.Want Help With Your Team?Hit up Ish and Sacha to crash your staff meeting - they'll drop in online for 5-10 minutes of inspiration and knowledge on any of these topics. (And maybe drop some intellectual property that you'll swear was Sacha's by the time they're finished.)

Send us a textThe Working Genius ModelEpisode OverviewIsh has just been certified in the Working Genius model and is excited to share this powerful framework for understanding team dynamics, project workflows, and personal energy. In this episode, he unpacks the model live with Sacha, who's just received her results and is wrestling with what it means to not be naturally gifted at something. Spoiler: it's not about skill, it's about what gives you energy and joy.Key Topics DiscussedUnderstanding Working GeniusIt's a ranking, not a rating - everyone is a "six-letter person"The model identifies what brings you joy and energy, not just what you're skilled atThree categories: Genius (naturally gifted, energising), Competency (capable but neutral), Frustration (draining, even if you're good at it)Every job is also a "six-letter job"Wonder (W): Pondering the possibility, asking the right questions "What opportunities exist here?""What questions should we be solving?"Invention (I): Creating original ideas and solutions Coming up with new approachesNot innovation (that's all six working together), just inventingDiscernment (D): Evaluating ideas and providing insightNatural instinct for what will workAssessing viability and processGalvanising (G): Rallying people to action Getting buy-in and momentumCreating enthusiasm for the projectEnablement (E): Providing support and assistanceHelping others complete their workSupporting the team's needsTenacity (T): Ensuring completion and follow-through Doing the workPushing through to finishBOOK ISH NOWIf you would like to have Ish do the Working Genius module and assessment with your team, email him at [email protected]  https://ishcheyne.com/