The Life of Someone Extraordinary

Tiyon L. Simpson

Every extraordinary life has a story behind it. But what makes someone extraordinary - and what can their story unlock in you? Hosted by Tiyon L. Simpson, The Life of Someone Extraordinary brings you honest conversations with entrepreneurs, experts and creators from around the world. We go beyond success and achievement to uncover the human stories behind them - the experiences, failures, beliefs, choices and breakthroughs that shaped who they became. Come for their story. Leave with a new perspective, a fresh idea, or a reason to rethink what’s possible for your own life and journey.

  1. 6d ago

    Phyllis Rosen: Why Your Job Shouldn't Define Who You Are

    American career and executive coach Phyllis Rosen joins The Life of Someone Extraordinary for a conversation about identity, purpose, career transitions, and what happens when the work that has defined you for years suddenly changes. After nearly two decades on Wall Street, Phyllis experienced one of the most dramatic transitions of her own life when she lost her career, her marriage, and her home on the same day. Sitting alone in an empty apartment during a New York blizzard, she realised she had never really stopped to ask who she was outside of her work. That question ultimately led her away from Wall Street and into a 30-year career helping professionals, executives, and leaders navigate the transitions that come with career change, leadership, disengagement, and retirement. In this conversation, we explore why people can become so deeply attached to their job titles, why workplace disengagement is about far more than simply disliking your job, and what happens when retirement removes the structure, community, status, and sense of purpose that work once provided. Phyllis also shares the story of a COO who initially resisted retirement but eventually discovered a new chapter he couldn't wait to begin. This is a conversation about reinvention, identity, purpose, and the uncomfortable but important question at the heart of every major transition: Who do you want to become next?

  2. Aug 6

    Kadeem Leslie: The Real Reason Most People Never Build Wealth

    Jamaican entrepreneur, author, real estate investor, and full-time traveller Kadeem Leslie joins The Life of Someone Extraordinary for a conversation about ownership, sacrifice, freedom, and what it really takes to build a life on your own terms. After losing his mother to cancer at fifteen, Kadeem made a decision that would shape the next decade of his life: he would become financially free by the age of thirty. He achieved that goal six years early. Along the way, he slept on a couch so Airbnb guests could rent his bedroom, built a successful real estate business while studying at university, read more than five hundred books, and eventually retired at twenty-four - only to discover that freedom alone wasn't enough. In this conversation, we explore the mindset behind ownership, the hidden cost of success, the storytelling principles that fuel his content, and why building something meaningful always begins with a decision long before anyone else believes in it. This is a conversation about resilience, discipline, purpose, and choosing to build an extraordinary life when no one is coming to build it for you.

  3. Jul 30

    Jess Kyle: What It Costs You When You Don't Say The Hard Thing

    American entrepreneur Jess Kyle joins The Life of Someone Extraordinary for a conversation about difficult conversations, chronic shame, self-awareness, and what it really takes to become someone you can be proud of when life gets uncomfortable. After spending more than thirteen years in data analytics and engineering, Jess found herself at the intersection of leadership, culture, and communication inside organisations. What she repeatedly witnessed wasn't a lack of intelligence or capability, but people's inability to have the conversations they knew they needed to have. Two life-changing performance reviews, a serious concussion, and years of personal development ultimately led her to leave corporate life and found Human First. In this conversation, we explore the psychology behind why difficult conversations feel so threatening, why our brains often mistake social rejection for physical danger, and how avoiding hard moments quietly shapes our confidence, relationships, and leadership. We also discuss perfectionism, fear of rejection, self-compassion, feedback, identity, and the surprising moment that helped Jess realise, "I actually like myself." This is a conversation about courage, communication, healing, and learning to put people first—starting with yourself.

  4. Jul 23

    Stewart Crown: The Truth About Crypto Nobody Tells You

    Australian cryptocurrency educator, trading coach, investor, and mentor Stewart Crown joins The Life of Someone Extraordinary for a conversation about money, self-worth, freedom, and what it takes to rebuild when everything you thought you knew gets challenged. Stewart entered the cryptocurrency space in 2013, long before Bitcoin became mainstream. After watching his portfolio grow significantly, he experienced the other side of the market when $250,000 became $23,000. Instead of walking away, he spent three years studying, learning, and rebuilding his understanding of markets, money, and wealth from the ground up. In this conversation, we explore the lessons behind that loss, why most people misunderstand cryptocurrency before they ever invest, and why knowledge has to come before financial success. We also discuss Stewart’s journey from a high school dropout who left school at sixteen to becoming a respected educator helping others navigate one of the world's most misunderstood industries. Beyond crypto, this is a story about identity, resilience, and transformation. Stewart shares how growing up without financial security, watching wealth arrive and disappear, facing a life-threatening illness as a teenager, and becoming a father shaped his approach to success and responsibility. This is a conversation about money, mindset, integrity, and refusing to accept the limitations other people place on you.

  5. Jul 16

    Neetu Rishi: The Woman Who Turned Reinvention Into Influence

    Indian born, American residing entrepreneur, keynote speaker, author, transformation coach, and Mrs India Elite Universe titleholder Neetu Rishi joins The Life of Someone Extraordinary for a conversation about confidence, reinvention, visibility, and what it takes to become the person your ambitions require you to be. When Neetu arrived in America, she applied for 71 jobs. Only one responded. She started again from the ground up at $10 an hour while people questioned why she had left behind the corporate success she had built in India. But that chapter became part of a much bigger transformation - one that would eventually see her build two businesses, represent her country on international stages, and dedicate her work to helping others discover their own confidence and potential. In this conversation, we explore the difference between performed confidence and true self-belief, the identity shifts required to reinvent yourself, and how cultural change, rejection, and starting over shaped Neetu’s approach to transformation. We also discuss building a personal brand around your own story, the power of amplifying strengths instead of focusing only on weaknesses, entrepreneurship, parenting, leadership, and the daily practice of becoming someone new without losing who you are. This is a conversation about courage, visibility, resilience, and the quiet work behind every extraordinary transformation.

  6. Jul 9

    Yetunde Hofmann: The Missing Skill Every Great Leader Needs

    Nigerian-British leadership adviser, executive coach, author, speaker, and entrepreneur Yetunde Hofmann joins The Life of Someone Extraordinary for a conversation about leadership, identity, and what it really costs to build a successful career without losing yourself in the process. After more than three decades in senior leadership roles at global organisations including Unilever, Imperial Brands, and Allied Domecq, Yetunde reached the top of the corporate world. But behind the success, status, and influence, she realised she was slowly losing the very values that had guided her throughout her life. In this conversation, we explore the racism she experienced throughout her career, the courage it took to walk away from executive leadership with nothing else lined up, and the difficult valley that followed as she rebuilt her life and purpose from the ground up. We also discuss love-based leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship, the lessons hidden inside rejection and burnout, and why seeing the person beyond their behaviour has shaped every stage of Yetunde's journey. This is a conversation about courage, compassion, reinvention, and discovering that some of life's greatest lessons are found not at the summit, but in the valley.

  7. Jul 2

    Becky Farrar: From Dance Academy Owner To Starting Over

    British entrepreneur, speaker, and creator of The FEAR Theory™, Becky Farrar joins The Life of Someone Extraordinary for a conversation about identity, fear, and what happens when the version of yourself that built your success is no longer the person you are becoming. After more than twenty years building Strive Dance Academy in the UK, Becky found herself facing a question many successful people quietly avoid: what do you do when the thing that works no longer feels like yours? What followed was a three-and-a-half-year transition from dance academy owner to speaker, facilitator, and entrepreneur, as she began building an entirely new chapter from scratch. In this conversation, we explore the self-doubt that shaped her approach to teaching, the visualisation exercise that revealed a future she could no longer ignore, and the difficult process of stepping away from an identity she had carried for nearly two decades. We also discuss The FEAR Theory™, Becky's framework for navigating growth and uncertainty, the challenge of building a personal brand in midlife, and why the opinions of others are often the rain we cannot stop. This is a conversation about reinvention, self-leadership, and the courage required to outgrow a life that once made perfect sense.

  8. Jun 25

    Erik Truxon: Brain Surgery Forced Me To Build This Business

    American entrepreneur and commercial electrical contractor Erik Truxon joins The Life of Someone Extraordinary for a conversation about resilience, integrity, and what happens when life forces you to build a new path. As the founder of Just It's Electric, Erik has spent more than 30 years building a successful commercial contracting business through relationships, consistency, and an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing. But his entrepreneurial journey wasn't carefully planned. It began after brain surgery at the age of 32 left him without a job and facing an uncertain future. In this conversation, we explore the childhood passion that became a lifelong career, the decision to bet on himself when every other option disappeared, and the values that have shaped both his business and his life. We also discuss mentorship, leadership, long-term relationships, and why Erik believes integrity is worth more than any contract. From walking away from major clients to proving that not all money is good money, this is a conversation about character, resilience, and building something that lasts when your values matter most.

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About

Every extraordinary life has a story behind it. But what makes someone extraordinary - and what can their story unlock in you? Hosted by Tiyon L. Simpson, The Life of Someone Extraordinary brings you honest conversations with entrepreneurs, experts and creators from around the world. We go beyond success and achievement to uncover the human stories behind them - the experiences, failures, beliefs, choices and breakthroughs that shaped who they became. Come for their story. Leave with a new perspective, a fresh idea, or a reason to rethink what’s possible for your own life and journey.

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