North Star Conversations | Unlock Your Potential, Performance & Purpose

Will Polston | Business Strategist & Performance Coach
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Semiweekly

Join Will Polston, Business Strategist & Performance Coach, on North Star Conversations the go-to podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs looking to unlock their potential, elevate their performance, and align their business and life with true purpose. Hosted by Will Polston bestselling author, entrepreneur, award winning business strategist and performance coach this weekly show blends solo episodes and in-depth conversations with world-class thinkers, founders, and change-makers from around the globe. Whether you're scaling a business, shifting your mindset, or seeking more clarity and fulfilment, each episode delivers actionable insights. Rooted in Will's North Star mission to help you move from excuses to results and live a life you love, this podcast is designed to help you create lasting impact not just for yourself, but for your family, your team, your community, and the world. Tune in and discover what's possible when you align with your North Star.

  1. 1d ago

    Why You're In A Relationship With Your Business (And How To Make It Healthy) - Will Taylor | EP 283

    Episode Notes In this episode, I sit down with Will Taylor, a psychotherapist and coach who takes founders into couples therapy with their businesses. We talk about the language founders use about their companies ("I've fallen out of love," "it's my baby") and why it mirrors the way people talk about relationships. Will shares how a volunteer role at a children's hospice started his journey, and how losing his brother at 14 taught him to hide his feelings. We explore how childhood messages become the rules we run our businesses by. Will also explains transactional analysis (parent, adult and child) and why the question isn't "do I want a successful business?" but "whose version of success is that?" Don't miss the opportunity to take the first step towards a more fulfilling life. Book your complimentary clarity call today and discover how Will Polston can help you achieve the success you deserve. 💡 https://willpolston.com/book-a-call/ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / 00:00 - Introduction: two Wills 00:55 - Couples therapy for founders: "I've fallen out of love with my business" 03:15 - The empty-nest parallel, and the children's hospice that started his career 05:45 - Losing his brother at 14, and being told not to show his feelings 07:27 - Childhood voices and how they shape how we show up 10:02 - Anxiety, depression, and naming feelings accurately 13:22 - NLP, Erickson and Satir, and what an unhealthy relationship with your business looks like 16:18 - Anxious attachment, "work hard" as a script, and the gears-in-a-car analogy 18:24 - The business as a container for your story: whose version of success? 20:26 - Transactional analysis: parent, adult, and child 24:50 - The abandonment trigger, and not treating the feeling as truth 29:59 - Are entrepreneurs "free children"? Be More Pirate, and burgers in the Sahara 34:44 - "I need to divorce my business": living by someone else's rules 37:45 - Seasons of business, and scoring how you feel from 1 to 10 42:32 - The letter exercise: writing to your business, and its reply 45:32 - What changes afterward: owning the business you want 48:05 - Business partners, family businesses, and whose North Star you follow 50:29 - How to connect with Will, and the question he wishes people asked: "Why?" \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / Relevant Links For the Viewer and Citations Website - https://www.willpolston.com Instagram - https://instagram.com/willpolston Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/willpolstonmih LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/willpolston/ Twitter / X - https://x.com/willpolston TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@willpolston Learn more about Will Taylor here: https://www.willtaylor.co.uk/  About Me: I am dedicated to helping individuals and businesses unlock their true potential through expert coaching and training programs. I'm passionate about empowering others to achieve their dreams and live a life they love. Subscribe for more insights and tips on personal development, productivity, and achieving your goals. Let's embark on this journey together!

    Why You're In A Relationship With Your Business (And How To Make It Healthy) - Will Taylor | EP 283

  2. 4d ago ·  Bonus

    Why Most Mindset Advice Fail - Shari Teigman

    Originally aired: September 2025 Episode Number: 253 You can have the perfect strategy and still stay stuck if your mindset isn't ready to grow. Real progress happens when you stop copying other people's methods and discover what works for you.  In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, seasoned performance coach and visionary business strategist Shari Teigman explores the hidden mindset barriers that hold people back in business and personal development. Discover how to recognise the signs of being stuck, challenge your assumptions, and build a mindset that evolves alongside your ambitions. Listen to the full episode here: https://kite.link/shariteigman

    Why Most Mindset Advice Fail - Shari Teigman

  3. 6d ago ·  Bonus

    Why Luxury Won't Make You Happy - Aaron Peters

    Originally aired: September 2025 Episode Number: 252 The people around you shape what you believe is possible, but success means little if you sacrifice your happiness to achieve it.  In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, entrepreneur and networking expert Aaron Peters explores how your environment influences your ambitions, beliefs, and definition of success. Discover how surrounding yourself with driven people can expand your vision, why money and material possessions don't always lead to happiness, and how having the courage to leave a comfortable career can open the door to a more fulfilling life. Listen to the full episode here:  https://kite.link/aaronpeters

    Why Luxury Won't Make You Happy - Aaron Peters

  4. Oct 29

    The Viral Comedy Creator: How Daily Uncomfortable Action Built An 11 Million Following - Niall MacMillan | EP 282

    Episode Notes In this episode, I sit down with Niall McMillan, the silent, face-pulling creator whose videos reach 300 to 400 million views a month across around 11 million followers. We talk about how a six-figure corporate career and an "is this it?" moment led him to self-help, and why he committed to posting every day, a streak now past seven years. Niall shares how his NPC-in-viral-videos niche (and the milk) happened by accident, and why he's an entrepreneur with a huge audience, no product, and a very small email list. He opens up about quitting his job the day his wife got the all-clear after breast cancer, and losing his 7.2M-follower TikTok account two weeks later. We also cover how he got it back, why community matters more than followers, and the question he asks everyone: "How can I be of value to you?" Don't miss the opportunity to take the first step towards a more fulfilling life. Book your complimentary clarity call today and discover how Will Polston can help you achieve the success you deserve. 💡 https://willpolston.com/book-a-call/ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / Video Chapters 00:00 - Introduction: 300-400 million views a month 01:03 - Where you know his face from 02:33 - From acting to a six-figure corporate career, and "is this it?" 03:40 - Stumbling into self-help, and why The Secret was his first book 05:28 - Making videos nobody watched to scratch a creative itch 06:28 - Self-publishing a book and committing to post every day 07:10 - Seven years, every single day 11:10 - Why he'd never stop posting 12:34 - Finding his niche: the NPC who inserts himself into viral videos 13:31 - Fire bullets, then cannons 14:09 - Posting for the other end of the phone: what value are you giving? 15:15 - How the milk happened 16:48 - The Arla brand deal 17:06 - 11 million followers, and what a million really gets you 19:53 - "I am the product, but I have nothing to sell" 21:15 - Build a list and sell to it 22:10 - Quitting his job nine months ago 22:31 - His wife's cancer and the all-clear day he quit 23:14 - Losing 7.2M TikTok followers two weeks later 23:59 - Why getting out to events changed everything 25:04 - How platforms pay, and the reality of brand deals 26:16 - Lessons from nine months in business, and the risk of rented space 27:25 - Why the pressure of a huge audience never got to him 28:40 - Playing a character, and why negativity doesn't land 29:36 - Dapper Laughs, Mr. Bean, and British comedy 32:12 - Overcoming "what if people don't like me?" 32:47 - The daily uncomfortable action (a pound a day) 33:10 - Bulk filming and manufacturing your "flow day" 35:28 - Why being human beats AI content 36:29 - Handling hate: kill them with kindness 39:21 - Being recognized in public 40:26 - Will's early videos: from ridicule to "how did you do it?" 42:14 - His "work tray" of 800 videos, and copying what works 44:43 - Humpty Dumpty, AI for productivity, and outlier modelling 47:01 - The day TikTok banned him: an AI moderation mistake 49:12 - The human-to-human video that got his account back 50:29 - The value of community for creators 51:04 - 80% of his job is events: solve problems for people 51:48 - His dream now: helping "golden Buddhas" see their gleam 53:12 - His North Star: everyone fulfilled 54:19 - Where the joy comes from: two weeks between stage two and stage four 56:34 - How to connect with Niall 57:19 - Final reflection: "How can I be of value to you?" 58:29 - Take action: a free 20-minute call 59:34 - Closing remarks \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / Relevant Links For the Viewer and Citations Website - https://www.willpolston.com Instagram - https://instagram.com/willpolston Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/willpolstonmih LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/willpolston/ Twitter / X - https://x.com/willpolston TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@willpolston Check out Niall's website (content, talks, book): https://www.niallmacmillan.com Find Niall on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: search "Niall McMillan" About Me: I am dedicated to helping individuals and businesses unlock their true potential through expert coaching and training programs. I'm passionate about empowering others to achieve their dreams and live a life they love. Subscribe for more insights and tips on personal development, productivity, and achieving your goals. Let's embark on this journey together!

    The Viral Comedy Creator: How Daily Uncomfortable Action Built An 11 Million Following - Niall MacMillan | EP 282

  5. Oct 26 ·  Bonus

    Why You Should Learn from the Top 1% - Barry Garapedian

    Originally aired: August 2025 Episode Number: 251 Success leaves clues. Instead of figuring everything out on your own, learn from the best, take action, and build the habits that lead to extraordinary results. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, seasoned Wall Street veteran and mentor Barry Garapedian shares how studying top performers helped him become a leading wealth manager and build a successful career. Learn how to learn from people who are already achieving what you want, build confidence through small daily wins, turn failure into valuable lessons, and focus on consistent actions rather than results alone. Listen to the full episode here: https://kite.link/barrygarapedian

    Why You Should Learn from the Top 1% - Barry Garapedian

  6. Oct 24 ·  Bonus

    Why You Haven't Manifested What You Want Yet (And What to Do Instead) - Esther McCann

    Originally aired: August 2025 Episode Number: 247 Sometimes, the key to creating the life you want is to let go of pressure and start becoming the person you want to be. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, manifestation coach and author Esther McCann shares how to consciously create a life you love by shifting your mindset, releasing limiting beliefs, and taking small, intentional steps towards your goals. Learn how journaling, practising gratitude, and daily reflection can build self-awareness, reduce resistance, and help you move towards your desired future with greater confidence and ease. Listen to the full episode here:  https://kite.link/esthermccann

    Why You Haven't Manifested What You Want Yet (And What to Do Instead) - Esther McCann

  7. Oct 19 ·  Bonus

    Why Financial Freedom Alone Won't Make You Happy - Jason Graystone

    Originally aired: July 2025 Episode Number: 246 Financial freedom means little if you have no purpose or control over your own life. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, entrepreneur, investor, and author of "Always Free" Jason Graystone delves into the three freedoms: freedom of mind, money, and movement. Discover why financial independence alone doesn't guarantee fulfilment, how other people's expectations can pull you away from what matters, and why understanding yourself is the first step towards creating a life of genuine freedom and purpose. Listen to the full episode here: https://kite.link/jasongraystone

    Why Financial Freedom Alone Won't Make You Happy - Jason Graystone

  8. Oct 17 ·  Bonus

    Why Your Team Isn't Performing And How to Fix It - Michael Bernoff

    Originally aired: July 2025 Episode Number: 244 Real growth begins when you stop blaming your team, identify where you need to improve, and learn how to bring out the best in others. In this episode highlight of North Star Conversations with Will Polston, personal development legend and author of Average Sucks Michael Bernoff explores the mindset shift required to become a more mature business owner, build a stronger team, and communicate in a way that inspires people to improve. Discover why admitting what you're not good at can unlock growth, how to turn employees into a voluntary army, and why effective communication starts with knowing the response you want to create. Listen to the full episode here: https://kite.link/michaelbernoff

    Why Your Team Isn't Performing And How to Fix It - Michael Bernoff
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out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Join Will Polston, Business Strategist & Performance Coach, on North Star Conversations the go-to podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs looking to unlock their potential, elevate their performance, and align their business and life with true purpose. Hosted by Will Polston bestselling author, entrepreneur, award winning business strategist and performance coach this weekly show blends solo episodes and in-depth conversations with world-class thinkers, founders, and change-makers from around the globe. Whether you're scaling a business, shifting your mindset, or seeking more clarity and fulfilment, each episode delivers actionable insights. Rooted in Will's North Star mission to help you move from excuses to results and live a life you love, this podcast is designed to help you create lasting impact not just for yourself, but for your family, your team, your community, and the world. Tune in and discover what's possible when you align with your North Star.

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