The Tutor Podcast

Neil Cowmeadow

The Tutor Podcast the weekly show that’s all about the business of helping people. If you’re a tutor, a teacher or a coach, join your host Neil Cowmeadow for news, tips and insights to help you Start, Grow and Love your tutoring business. Plain English, no buzzwords and no BS. So, if you want to make more money - and make more of a difference - The Tutor Podcast will be with you, every step of the way.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Talking To Yourself

    In this episode, Neil dives into the constant, often critical chatter happening inside your head. Drawing insights from Shad Helmstetter's book, What to Say When You Talk to Yourself, Neil explores how our internal dialogue acts as the programming language for our lives. With research suggesting that up to 80% of our daily self-talk is negative and unconsciously inherited from childhood, many of us are running on outdated "mental malware." KEY TAKEAWAYS Your Self-Talk is Your Programming: Your subconscious mind acts exactly like a computer (GIGO: garbage in, garbage out). It accepts the repetitive thoughts you feed it as absolute truth, which in turn dictates your attitudes, feelings, and actions. Beware of the 80% Trap: Research indicates that roughly 80% of an average person's daily self-talk is entirely negative. This constant internal pessimism heavily influences how you behave and the limits you place on your own potential. Childhood "Malware": Much of your negative self-talk isn't even your fault; it's the result of early childhood conditioning. Well-meaning parents, teachers, and authority figures inadvertently installed limiting beliefs that you accepted without a filter. The Five Levels of Self-Talk: Your internal dialogue exists on a spectrum from the bottom of the "poo pile" to deep empowerment. Conscious Overwriting: You have the power to "reprogram" your brain. By consciously choosing to repeat positive, intentional statements, you use the same mental pathways that installed your original fears to overwrite them with self-executing routines for success. BEST MOMENTS  "Your subconscious mind works like a computer: it accepts what you repeatedly tell it for better or worse, as truth. As the computer guys say, GIGO: garbage in, garbage out." "80% of what you think and what you say to yourself is doing you down, influencing how you act, what you believe, and what results you're going to get out of life." "These were mainly credible authority figures who were effectively installing mental malware in your young brain. It's not your fault they got in." "You're just using the same pathway that the malware used to get into your system in the first place, in order to install better software or scripts now." "If you change the voice in your head from negative and automatic to positive and intentional, you can reshape your mindset, you can reshape your habits, and you can have more happiness and success in life." VALUABLE RESOURCES  www.Neilcowmeadow.com info@neilcowmeadow.com HOST BIO Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    14 min

  2. 20 APR

    What Gets You Out of Bed

    In this episode, Neil delves into the powerful Japanese concept of Ikigai your reason for getting out of bed in the morning. Reflecting on his own six decades of life and time spent teaching guitar, Neil unpacks why he continues to step into his teaching room, which he affectionately dubs "the vortex," every single day with no plans to retire.  KEY TAKEAWAYS True fulfillment in teaching often comes from achieving flow, which is a psychological state of deep concentration where time distorts and you become completely absorbed in the challenge of the task at hand. Conventional teaching that lacks an underlying rationale, like memorizing guitar chords without understanding the theory, fails many students. Building a pedagogical system that creates genuine understanding makes you a far more effective tutor. To find your ultimate career sweet spot, look for the intersection of four essential elements: what you love, what you are naturally good at, what the world actually needs, and what people are willing to pay you for. The world needs your specific take on your subject. Conventional teaching leaves gaps that only your distinct skills, personality, and knowledge can fill for the right students.  Borrowing from Japanese concepts like forest bathing, taking time to unplug, reconnect with nature, and exist purely in the present moment is essential for long-term well-being and longevity. BEST MOMENTS "The flow state is characterised by total concentration on the challenge of the task in hand... time seems to become elastic and hours flash by in what seem like minutes. This is life in my teaching room, also known as the vortex." "Ikigai is the Japanese concept that translates to a reason for being, or if you like, the reason to get out of bed in the morning." "People need what I do because conventional teaching doesn't work for them. And they need what you do. They need your take on it." "I've personally never considered retiring from teaching for more than about 10 minutes. It's way too much fun to stop doing it." "The past can't be changed. The future is yet unformed. So enjoy the present because that's all we ever truly have." VALUABLE RESOURCES www.Neilcowmeadow.com info@neilcowmeadow.com HOST BIO Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    17 min

  3. 13 APR

    LOCUS OF CONTROL

    In this episode, Neil delivers a straightforward, fluff-free dive into the psychological concept of the Locus of Control. He challenges listeners to examine whether they are governed by external factors such as the demands, opinions, and expectations of others or by their own internal standards. Neil pulls no punches, explaining how an external locus of control makes you vulnerable to "energy vampires" and people looking to exploit your time.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Understand the difference between an external locus of control (people-pleasing, seeking validation) and an internal locus of control (living by your own rules and standards). You must put your own interests first. If you don't, others will naturally view you as a resource to be exploited for their own agendas. Protect your time and focus from people who intrude on your day just to complain. Often, they don't want a solution; they just want you to join their "misery fest." True ownership means being able to respond to your problems and steer your own ship, rather than acting as a victim of external circumstances. Define what success and happiness look like for you, and hold yourself to those standards regardless of what the rest of the world thinks. BEST MOMENTS "I'd recommend hugely that you please at least yourself. Because if you do that, you can be sure that at least one person is happy." "The truth is that other people are unlikely to put your interests first because, to other people, by and large, you're just a resource to be exploited to serve their purposes." "They usually don't want the problem fixed. They just want to bitch about it. They want you to join in the misery fest so that they feel strangely normal." "Breaking the word up into two parts gives 'response-able,' meaning able to respond. Owning something, especially a problem, sounds rather more like you're stuck with something." "You know what's most valuable to you and you don't give a wet slap about whether the rest of the world likes it or not." VALUABLE RESOURCES www.Neilcowmeadow.com info@neilcowmeadow.com HOST BIO Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    12 min

  4. 6 APR

    Focus on The Process

    Neil tackles the frustrating disconnect between a student's desire for instant mastery and the harsh reality of gradual skill acquisition. Using the relatable example of aspiring guitarists who mistakenly believe musical prowess is an innate gift rather than a cultivated skill, Neil dismantles the myth of overnight success. KEY TAKEAWAYS Humans are often emotional and prone to believing irrational things, which leads to intense frustration when progress isn't immediate. Mastery is achieved through a daily process and practice, not through a magical, innate gift. People typically only witness the outcome of success and completely miss the countless "micro-progressions" required to get there. Achieving a seemingly superhuman level of skill is simply the result of systematically stacking useful habits on top of one another over time. To change your life's trajectory, you must examine your daily rituals, replace unproductive routines with positive habits, and strictly execute them on your daily schedule. BEST MOMENTS "Most of us, man, women, child, or four-wheel refrigerator, we're not rational. We're emotional, fragile, defensive, and prone to believing stupid things." "Building a skill or an understanding of something takes time and attention. It is, as I say, a process, a daily practice." "Whatever a person is doing now that makes them appear superhuman is the result of a stack of useful habits being built one on top of another." "What I suggest is that we get rid of the idea of talent as a placemarker world and replace it with the idea of a process to generate success." "If it ain't on your schedule every single day, that's probably the single biggest reason why your life is not going according to plan." VALUABLE RESOURCES www.Neilcowmeadow.com info@neilcowmeadow.com HOST BIO Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    14 min

  5. 29 MAR

    Hunting For Treasure

    Neil explores the transformative power of ‘peripheral learning’. Drawing from his diverse background as a guitar teacher, property investor, and author, Neil challenges the traditional expert path of knowing ‘more and more about less and less’. Instead, he advocates for a scenic route to mastery, sharing how insights from gym training and anatomy revolutionised his guitar technique after two decades of struggle.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Focusing solely on your immediate field can lead to stagnation; true progress often comes from outside your ‘expert’ bubble. Pay attention to moments of curiosity (the "Ooh, that's funny" moments), as your intuition often recognises valuable connections before your conscious mind does. Techniques from unrelated fields, like using weightlifting anatomy to improve music pedagogy, can solve long-standing professional plateaus. Skills like NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) have applications across teaching, sales, parenting, and even overcoming phobias. There is almost always a valuable insight to be found in any new subject if you are willing to look for it with an open mind. BEST MOMENTS "Know more and more about less and less. I advocate taking a more scenic and wide-ranging route to life." "That intuition is your gut brain waving its little gut brain arms at you because it's made a connection somewhere it just can't express it in full yet." "None of my mainstream guitar tutorial books mentioned anything about physiology and mechanics. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero." "Ask yourself this: What is it in this that I can steal, borrow, adopt or adapt that'll make me a better teacher, investor, businessman, mentor, or parent?" "See yourself as Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, or Allan Quatermain hacking through vines and undergrowth in search of treasure to bring back to your tribe." VALUABLE RESOURCES www.Neilcowmeadow.com info@neilcowmeadow.com HOST BIO Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    11 min

  6. 23 MAR

    Haters and Crabs

    In this episode, Neil dives into the universal challenge of dealing with ‘haters and crabs’, those who criticise, doubt, or try to pull you down as you strive for growth and self-improvement. Neil explores the psychological reasons behind this behaviour, explaining that critics are often reflecting their own insecurities and fears rather than providing objective feedback. He offers practical strategies for navigating these social pressures, including working in ‘stealth mode’, reframing negative comments as a sign of success, and prioritising self-satisfaction over external approval. KEY TAKEAWAYS When you improve yourself, you effectively ‘murder’ your former self, which can unsettle those who liked you exactly as you were. People who tell you that you have ‘ideas above your station’ are often expressing their own regret for not taking similar risks. Just like crabs in a bucket, some people will instinctively try to pull back those who are climbing toward a better life to maintain their own comfort. If you are sensitive to criticism, consider working in ‘stealth mode’, not telling others about your projects until they are already successful. In the world of social media, receiving negative comments or trolls is simply evidence that your message is being seen by enough people to provoke a reaction. BEST MOMENTS "You have to murder your former self as a necessary measure to make space for the new self to occupy." "The person who says you have ideas above your station is really saying, 'I wish I had the nuts to break out of the status quo of my life.'" "No matter how fabulous your latest enterprise is, someone will criticise or comment negatively. Get over it and understand that it's not about you." "Nobody ever erected a statue of a critic." "Never retreat, never explain, get it done and let them howl." VALUABLE RESOURCES www.Neilcowmeadow.com info@neilcowmeadow.com HOST BIO Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    12 min

  7. 16 MAR

    Dump, Divide, Diarise

    Today, Neil shares his personal ‘Dump, Divide, Diarise’ system - a synthesis of methods he’s refined over 27 years in business to help tutors, coaches, and mentors eliminate mental overload. Neil breaks down how to transition from a state of ‘chaotic evil genius’ to streamlined productivity by externalising every thought onto paper and categorising it into actionable buckets. Whether you are struggling with a ‘ragbag’ of a mind or just looking for a no-BS way to manage your weekly goals, this episode provides a tactile, simple, and effective roadmap to reclaiming your time and focus. KEY TAKEAWAYS Start by ‘vomiting’ every single thought, business, personal, financial, or health-related, onto a large piece of paper without editing to move ideas from a slippery, elusive state into a concrete form. Organise your brain dump into four specific lists: Outgoing Contacts, Actions, Rubbish, and Stuff to Worry About Later. When dividing actions, separate ‘your stuff’ (high-value, fun, high-income potential) from ‘other people's stuff’ (low-skill, technical, or low-income tasks) that can be delegated to a PA or automated system. Use a weekly organiser to assign specific sequences to your days, ensuring that outgoing contacts and personal actions are scheduled and completed before the week ends. Actively discard ‘rubbish’ thoughts through a physical ritual (shredding or burning) and store long-term worries in a separate notebook or ‘worry doll’ to keep your mind free for more interesting tasks. BEST MOMENTS "Your job here is just to get the stuff out of your head, where it is formless, elusive and slippery, and get it out into the real world into some kind of concrete form." "I'm currently working on formatting my organizer system as a planner for 'chaotic evil geniuses.'" "If it's low skill and we can give it to just about anybody to do, then we can focus on better uses of our time." "Transfer each piece of mental junk onto the dustbin page, to expunge the garbage from my mind completely." "The 'worry about it later' page can keep the worry warm for you whilst you or I get on doing more interesting things." VALUABLE RESOURCES www.Neilcowmeadow.com info@neilcowmeadow.com HOST BIO Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    14 min

  8. 9 MAR

    Brutal Self-Honesty

    Today, Neil challenges listeners to confront the lies they tell themselves. He argues that self-deception is a universal human trait that often keeps people stuck in unproductive patterns, whether in business or personal life. Neil introduces a set of five ‘brutal’ coaching questions designed to strip away these illusions and reach the ‘bedrock of reality’. By practicing this intense self-accountability, tutors and coaches can finally make the difficult decisions, like ending stagnant partnerships or launching long-delayed projects, necessary to truly thrive. KEY TAKEAWAYS Everyone lies to themselves to confirm their own biases and stay ‘right’, even when they are demonstrably wrong. Staying in failing relationships or unproductive business projects for years is often a direct result of avoiding the truth. A good mentor or coach accelerates progress by refusing to ‘pussyfoot around’ your justifications and bringing ugly truths to the surface. Once you reach the reality of a situation, you gain the clarity needed to take decisive action, such as publishing a book or ending a stagnant partnership. BEST MOMENTS "I just want to tell you that you’re lying. That you always lie." "We are the easiest person in the world to lie to. We can’t really help ourselves; it’s part of the human condition." "This takes real courage. This kind of self-accountability and self-exposure leaves us raw and vulnerable." "The mentee always, always already knew the answers. They just didn't want to think about them very much." "Peeling away one layer of your inner nonsense at every step until you hit the bedrock of reality." VALUABLE RESOURCES www.Neilcowmeadow.com info@neilcowmeadow.com HOST BIO Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS! This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

    10 min
See All (420)

4.3
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

The Tutor Podcast the weekly show that’s all about the business of helping people. If you’re a tutor, a teacher or a coach, join your host Neil Cowmeadow for news, tips and insights to help you Start, Grow and Love your tutoring business. Plain English, no buzzwords and no BS. So, if you want to make more money - and make more of a difference - The Tutor Podcast will be with you, every step of the way.

Information

  • Creator
    Neil Cowmeadow
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    420
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Neil Cowmeadow
  • Show Website
    The Tutor Podcast

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