Problem Busters Problem Busters

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In this captivating episode of the Problem Busters Podcast, hosts Jon and Ollie dive deep into the extraordinary journey of their guest, Sanath de Mel, a digital nomad who transformed his life to become a humanitarian hero in Ukraine.
Sanath shares his early career as an engineer and his deep interest in cryptocurrency, exploring the potential of digital currencies and blockchain technology. This fascination with crypto laid the foundation for his future endeavors and set him on a unique path of exploration and problem-solving.
Living life as a digital nomad, Sanath cherished the freedom of remote work, allowing him to roam the globe while making a living. However, it was his unwavering desire to make a positive impact that eventually led him on an awe-inspiring mission.
The episode unravels Sanath's decision to purchase and modify a Mitsubishi L200 to deliver essential supplies in Kyiv, Ukraine. Through ingenious modifications, Sanath transformed his vehicle into a versatile resource capable of traversing challenging terrains and reaching those in need.
As Jon, Ollie, and Sanath recount his journey across Europe, listeners are taken on a virtual adventure, experiencing the trials and triumphs encountered during the testing phase. From navigating rugged Italian landscapes to braving the bustling streets of Kyiv, Sanath's modified Mitsubishi L200 proves to be an invaluable asset, highlighting the significance of innovation and adaptation during times of crisis.
The conversation then delves into Sanath's life in Ukraine before the country was engulfed in conflict. He offers insights into the local culture, the warm hospitality of the Ukrainian people, and his decision to remain when others chose to leave. Sanath's determination to assist those affected by the conflict becomes apparent as he shares his experiences fundraising and organizing initiatives to purchase and deliver essential supplies to the Ukrainian frontline.
Through Sanath's accounts, witness his resilience, determination, and selflessness in the face of adversity. His inspiring story serves as a reminder of the profound impact individuals can make, even in the direst circumstances.
Join Jon, Ollie, and their extraordinary guest, Sanath de Mel, on this episode of the Problem Busters Podcast as they explore the transformative power of crypto, the exhilaration of the digital nomad lifestyle, and the incredible journey of a man who became a true humanitarian, lending a helping hand to those in need on the Ukrainian frontline.

Liz Batalla shares how she came to realise her dream of helping women level up both individuals, groups and the organisations lucky enough to have them. This is an inspiring episode from an experienced and finely-honed leadership coach.
We learn how to set about writing a book, what you could expect to learn on Liz' Masterclasses, what issues commonly hold women back at work, and most importantly, how to support the women around you.
About the show:
Problem Busters is a show that explores solutions to the biggest and the smallest of problems. Hosts Jonathan Goodwin and Oliver Happy discuss making the world a better place with guests from far and wide.
About our guest:
​​Liz Batalla is the Founder and Executive Director of The Institute for Achievement and Excellence and the author of the book - Level up to move up. Liz helps women level themselves up and helps businesses educate and promote their female talent.
Show mentions:
A corporate and academic background2020: create the Institute for Achievement and Excellence to help women level up across 9 life areas so they can better navigate the business world and step into leadership roles. As well as assist organisations better educate and promote their female talent.Working in male-dominated environments, finding women had concerns around personal and professional progress.A common question: how to navigate this space, in order to grow professionally and personally?03:30 three things that worry women in the corporate environment. Lack of confidence, a feeling of overwhelm/imposter syndrome, a lack of flexibility in the organisation (e.g. flexible working hours).Women still tend to be the main carer at home. Having flexibility can really help.Female family members are the women I look up to (grandmothers, mum, god-mother, sisters).06:00 Anything I'd do differently if I had my time again? Starting the process of what I'm doing now, earlier i.e. I'd have set up the Institute for Achievement and Excellence earlier.Providing help as a manager or lecturer is different than running the Institute. I am able to touch many more lives due to making my knowledge and experience available via: online, self-paced masterclasses.09:00 What impact are the 3 challenges women are experiencing having on society? Monumental impace because it affects their contribution to their organisations, family and community. If they are unable to give of their best then the everyone they are in contact with never benefits fully from all she can offer.Article: McKenzie and Company (2020) - Women make up just 15% of executive-team membership, and more than a third of companies have no women at all on their executive teams.This due to not putting themselves forward as well as not being sponsored and supported into it. There are both intrinsic and extrinsic challenges.A man may put himself forward with 50-60% understanding of a role, a woman may require 90% upwards to feel confident to do the same.11:00 How can the Institute help? Assisting companies to better educate and promote their femal talent and also helping the woman herself to take responsibility and level up herself so she can rise to the occasion.12:00 The 3 forces in achieving excellence are: Identity of the individual (improving oneself), connections (relationships with self and others), status (managing one’s standard of living).3 life areas in each of the 3 forces in achieving excellence, there are 9 life areas in total.14:30 Women going through the process of a self-assessment. Easiest way to identify areas of strengths and areas for improvement.The three Cs: Courage, Confidence and Charisma.A lot of women coming into corporate environments are lacking the fundamental skills to navigate...

Repair Cafe Portsmouth founder Clare Seek opens the Problem Busters' eyes to the Right to Repair. We learn about the growing, global community of Repair Cafes and most importantly - how to start one in your town.
About the show:
Problem Busters is a show that explores solutions to the biggest and the smallest of problems. Hosts Jonathan Goodwin and Oliver Happy discuss making the world a better place with guests from far and wide.
About our guest:
Clare Seek is all about building community for people and planet. Based in Portsmouth, a city in south west England, she is the founder of Repair Cafe Portsmouth, Green Drinks Portsmouth and other community-based projects besides. Clare lives in Portsmouth UK with her family.
Show mentions:
02:00 A bit about Clare and how a move into motherhood coincided with an interest in the environment and our impact on the planet.Repair is at the heart of walking more lightly on the planet.The sheer existence of my children had a lot to do with my becoming interested in treading lightly, and my community04:00 Why Repair Cafe? Started in the Netherlands by a woman who initiated what has become a global movement.What is a Repair cafe? A place that brings together people who fix things with people who have things to fix.05:30 The setting up of a Repair cafe. 200 people showing interest within 1 day!Portsmouth is an island city, one of the most densely populated areas of the UK outside of London.4 months later, we ran our first Repair Cafe.Starting with people who could repair and fix each other's stuff.07:30 What is next for Repair Cafe Portsmouth? We are a pop-up event, we hold it once or twice a month. We've had to stop advertising because we are at capacity.Opening up a space permanently, taking it to the next stepThe library of things concept - we will work it in with that.09:00 Campaign - The right to repair. A global campaign.Most of the carbon in electronics happens before the first use of the item.The right to repair campaign is focusing on manufacturers and policy makers to provide goods that are designed to last longer, can be fixed, have manuals and spare parts available.Right to repair as a justice issue - lobbying to create a fairer way to consume goods and services.11:00 Petition - The restart project. And changing where tax is applied.12:00 Shifting culture from wastage to consumers being able to repair.In France - they have a system that shows on products how repairable they are. Consumers are better informed.[13:00 Jon Coughs]The UK is the second biggest producer of e-waste per capita in the world. It's shocking.14:30 Why is the UK so high on the e-waste scales? We have an appetite for the latest gadgets, Norway is ahead of us, we are second.16:00 There is a pressure in our culture to have the latest thing and the best tech for that.17:00 What do kids learn in school about sustainability? Very little. However, thankfully coming generations are taking more of an interest in the environment anyway.There is very little in schools that leads kids down a repair career path, although elements of sustainability are sprinkled through other career paths.Concept - a href="https://therestartproject.org/petition-right-to-repair/"...

Candice Gasper of Valley Mill Microgreens shares her story from bright-eyed environmental science graduate, to corporate, to ultimately becoming an Urban Farmer. She explains what urban farming is, what microgreens are (and why they are such a great way to get nutrients from your veggies) and how anyone, with as little as a sunny windowsill of space, can grow their own food.
It's a great time to talk to Candice as her startup Valley Mill Microgreens is still in its first year, so we talk about the joy of working for yourself and soak up her enthusiasm for growing.
We talk about the state of food, why the world needs more Farmer's markets, and how wonderful it is to connect directly to those who grow what we eat.
Candice describes the foraging movement and gives us step by step instructions on how to germinate your own seeds, and grow your own food.
About the show:
Problem Busters is a show that explores solutions to the biggest and the smallest of problems. Hosts Jonathan Goodwin and Oliver Happy discuss making the world a better place with guests from far and wide.
About our guest:
Candice Gasper is an Urban Farmer and is the founder of Valley Mill Microgreens. An Environmental Scientist by trade, she has worked in both the corporate world and scaled urban farming but these days is enjoying the life of a startup founder. She lives with her partner in Baltimore USA and is passionate about educating people about nutrition and the joy of growing your own food.
Show mentions:
A childhood outside, and choosing to study environmental science.A career in sales for environmental consulting  and green construction.02:00 Volunteering at the neighbourhood farmers market. One of the only place you can meet local farmers in a city.Food justice and food equity - and how access to food affects people03:30 getting my first part time job on a women-owned microgreen farm.Saving up, losing my job and then going full time as a farmer05:30 Hydroponics and how they work. Pros and cons.Learning what it's like to work in a large scale production facility.07:30 Starting up my own business growing in my back yard. And the pride to get to here. The love of what I do.10:00 Microgreens - what they are and why they are so cool. They can be added to any dish. You can sneak them in and get nutrient density into any dish. They are packed with flavour.Microgreens are nature's multivitamins12:00 Anybody can grow microgreens, all you need is a sunny windowsill, a container, some water, some soil and some seeds.12:30 Urban farming allows people to be more connected to their food.It's just neat to see my peers doing this and just right down the street, not in the middle of nowhere or far away. Saving on carbon emissions by not having to truck food into the city.There is really nothing cooler than getting to know your farmer14:30 There is a lot of healing in growing - it teaches you patience. 50% percent of plants will die, and you learn how to care for them.The quality of food that is readily available not being great in many cities.Is soil quality deteriorating due to constantly farming them?16:30 Cover crops are something you can plant between seasons that will extract nitrogen out of the air and regenerate the soil.Mass production leads to no breaks in the growing season and leads to less nutrients in the soil and therefore in the food.Microgreens grow so fast - they are only growing 2-3 weeks at most and they really don't need fertiliser.18:30 how to get started growing microgreens in your own home.Kale microgreens have the cutest miniature kale leaves when they grow21:30 There is a certain level of acceptance of failure...

Nathan Ranklin has lost 18.5 stone, over 200kg and half his body weight. He talks the Problem Busters through what it's like to be a "big kid" growing up, how he took control of his weight (and kept it off), and most importantly - how he's helping others do the same.
This is an honest and empowering look at a global issue which affects many in our lives at any given moment. Nathan has a disarming yet straight up style and therefore delivers a punchy and important message in an easy to digest way.
We talk diet, lifestyle and modern food. Nathan explains how listening to those who have an addiction to food (or anything else) is the single most important step.
About the show:
Problem Busters is a show that explores solutions to the biggest and the smallest of problems. Hosts Jonathan Goodwin and Oliver Happy discuss making the world a better place with guests from far and wide.
About our guest:
Nathan Ranklin is a 1:1 Diet Consultant for Cambridge Weight Plan. He lost 18 and half stones in 14 months, and won the male slimmer of the year 2020. Now he is here to share his gift with the world - the ability to take charge of your weight.
Show mentions:
02:00 Growing up as a "big kid", being isolated as a result of my sizeIssues with food: comfort, binge and secret eater.For me, food was just there as my best friend - I'd just turn to it.Being a secret eater, it's hard for friends and family to monitor - as they don't see the eating03:00 First realisation of being big at Alton towers, being taken off the ride at age 12. Doctor at 14 saying if you carry on like this, you would make it to 30.As a teenager I was still quite active, running about.05:00 At 18, sitting down and doing nothing, I piled the weight on. There is always a reason to eat in the office. I was a yes man to eating.Being a binge drinker as well as a bing eater.At 20, diagnosed with sleep apnea. The fat around my throat limiting my breathing when I lay down at night to sleep.Being on a machine to sleep all through my 20s.At 26 being bed bound for a few days - the doctor turned around and said the weight you are, what do you expect? This was when the hard reality really set in.At 29 - went to Budapest, was quite sluggish this time. I wasn't the same, I was always tired. I needed a machine to stay alive at night time. Having to shop online or at big shops.09:00 the moment I had an intervention from a Jamaican woman I sat down next to.I ran away for 4 months, but this woman was so persistent, she kept catching me in all the worst moments. Catch me having naughty meals.Eventually I gave in and went to her house on 22 March 2019.I weighed 36.9 stone (239 kilos).She promised me that I would never see that weight again, that she promised I would go down to a L size shirt size. How could she change my life in a week?I did the 1:1 diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.I hated it, hated everyone around.13:00 I had tried a lot of diets before, but there was no one really there. Even through the doctors. No real structure. This was the first time I had someone on my ass the whole time.A week later I came back, I didn't feel like I can lost any weightTo my surprise I lost 17 pounds (just over a stone, 7.7 kilos).Next week, another 10 pounds (almost 2 stone in 2 weeks!)I was hooked, the calculations were done. That was it, there was no turning back.I'm thinking I have a second chance here.The result - in 14 months straight, lost 17.5 stones (107 kg).How I did it, a lot of walking then I started the gym afterwards.The 1:1 diet is a combination of meal replacements and a healthy meal plan. It's all calculated for you, then I had to make myself...

Life Coach Kapil Pankhania takes the Problem Busters through finding a coach, how to make the most out of being coached, and how to coach and mentor those in your team.
Kapil has a refreshingly open and honest way of talking about coaching. He explains the difference between mentoring and coaching, tells his story and answers common questions about how both life coaching and coaching in general can benefit us.
About the show:
Problem Busters is a show that explores solutions to the biggest and the smallest of problems. Hosts Jonathan Goodwin and Oliver Happy discuss making the world a better place with guests from far and wide.
About our guest:
Kapil Pankhania is a life coach from North London, currently working with Ollie at Form3. Kapil has a background in Finance and technology.
website: www.kapil.coach
Show mentions:
Realising that coaching was a good route to becoming a better person, both professionally and personallyApp: SpotifyArriving at coaching as an ideaLooking for a workshop and running into Becky, who was running the workshop.Life Coach: Becky Balzano became my first coachThe benefits of coachingCoaching as a way to become more self-aware05:00 Overcoming the excuse of "I have no time", and the importance of finding time for myselfThe value of putting time aside for myself every morning, for journaling, reading and plugging awayBecoming aware of where you are spending your timeIdentifying where time is not being spent well, and substituting it for something more valuable07:00 The emotional aspect of coaching. Digitised world, rare to have a time to have a proper conversation, about you.The value of saying things out loud - taking a big breath of fresh air.09:00 Listening but also being present in the conversation. Really understanding where they are at before suggesting solutions.Coaches are not perfect, we are all humans.Trying not to relate to the client, but remaining separate in order to focus entirely on them and their challenge.12:30 Advice to people who are looking for a coachLook for a coach you can trust, who is a good listener and is non-judgementalSuggest a first discovery session to see if you will work well together.15:00 Figuring out what coaching is to you - and what each person wants to get out of the process.The importance of momentum and impact18:30 What to expect from your first discovery session with a coach20:00 How to get the most out of working with a coachInsight: The goal presented initially is not always the ultimate goalThe importance of picking a place to start - the first challenge to tackleWrite down as much as possible before the sessionTake notes as you go, so you have something to refer back to24:00 The value of being accountable for your actions - of committing to take action. Playing back in next session on which actions you've taken.The value of taking action between sessions26:30 What I've learned from coaching people28:30 The importance of just letting people speak.The importance of reading body language31:00 The difference between mentoring and coaching.The value of asking good questions33:30 Advice for Managers wanting to coach their teams betterDemonstrating the power of coaching is...