Making the Podium Topodium Group

Welcome to the Finale of Making The Podium's Series 2! We've been offered 9 incredible stories and viewpoints, and it's time to look back at the best tales and insights.
Returning from our previous series review, Topodium Group's Ryan Grimshaw & Charlotte Owen weigh in on the storytelling, product innovation, and outlooks on Nature vs Nurture that we've heard throughout the series.
This episode covers:
Our highlights from the 9 fantastic episodes of Series 2An overview of the diverse positions on Nature vs NurtureRiding the line between branding & marketingHow we can take steps to professionalise the kids’ care & activities sectorGet in touch: hello@topodiumgroup.com
Links & references at: https://topodiumgroup.com/

Offering superlative experiences to families at health clubs demands the ability to make every experience truly magical, a fact Stephanie Holland channels from her time on Disney Cruises.
Taking forward many key tenets that helped to ‘preserve the magic’, Stephanie’s work at David Lloyd clubs is revolutionising their spa offerings and approach to activities for kids and families.
Join us on Making The Podium to learn how Disney’s ‘guest recovery’ turns complaints into advocates, why it’s essential to foster a community with your members, and how to create experiences that engage all the senses.
This episode covers:
The Disney Cruise values that underlie Stephanie’s current ethos, from preserving the magic to guest recoveryCreating a more varied offering to keep the community of members engaging with the clubHow David Lloyd listens to feedback and caters to families’ needsThe lasting memories that kids take from activities, and the enthusiasm required to run youth classesGet in touch: hello@topodiumgroup.com
Links & references at: https://topodiumgroup.com/

From setting up football teams aged just 14, you’ll struggle to find a more passionate lover of the game than Neil Cassar, who became the youngest county FA CEO when he took the role with the Hampshire FA in 2006.
The scale and growth of the organisation, with its nation-leading facilities and touchpoints with local stakeholders, is in large part due to Neil’s ability to keep community and sustainability at the heart of everything they do.
With his innovative mindset, this episode of Making The Podium is a masterclass for any sport on thinking outside the box and bringing sporting bodies closer to the community with whom they engage.
This episode covers:
The expansion of Hampshire FA’s hubs as some of the country’s leading facilitiesNeil’s route to becoming the youngest CEO of a county FAThinking outside the box in creating unique initiatives to help engage the communityHow FAs around the country are responding to the recent decline in touchline behaviour from parents in the youth gameGet in touch: hello@topodiumgroup.com
Links & references at: https://topodiumgroup.com/

The parallels between sport and business run deep and broad, and with experience as a goalkeeper and business founder alike, Skye Eddy combines the best of both worlds.
Spurred on with entrepreneurial pursuits by those around her at an early age, it’s fitting that Skye would go on to create Soccer Parenting, a community that’s quite literally changing the game around youth football coaching in the US.
Hear why the growth mindset of a goalkeeper is perfect for progress, how Skye’s season in Italy with Tavagnacco Femminile led her to take control of her career path, and why in the sporting world, community is everything.

This episode covers:
Skye’s exciting career, and how it demonstrated her ambition to chase her dreamsHow a goalkeeper’s growth mindset translated into creating the Soccer Parenting communityThe importance of her reliable network of positive contributorsSolving problems by focusing on creating the desired outcome rather than fixing undesirable situationsCatalysing a change in the conventional parent-coach relationshipGet in touch: hello@topodiumgroup.com
Links & references at: https://topodiumgroup.com/

When Chris Rees created a feasibility project for a college assignment, it was the humble seed that’s grown into ReesLeisure, where he’s running events for thousands and raising millions for charity.
From the Southampton Marathon to the innovatively named and inclusive ‘Try Tri’, Chris’ prerogative has been to benefit an expanding community with his network of sporting events, involving a city-wide community in an emphatic celebration of the area.
Listen to this week’s Making The Podium for more on how Chris combines confidence and vision to earn buy-in for new ideas, where he lands on entrepreneurialism as nature vs nurture, and the value in coordinating events with local councils & communities.
This episode covers:
How Chris composes his innovative, large scale local eventsBuilding the confidence & vision to pitch bold, novel ideasChris’ use of sporting events to bring awareness & footfall to local areasCreating multiple touchpoints with the communityGet in touch: hello@topodiumgroup.com
Links & references at: https://topodiumgroup.com/

Very few brand names have been able to hack attention like Fun With Balls. Starting life as a mixed reality console backed on Kickstarter, the company now titled LYMB.iO are accelerating the gamification of sports with their truly unique and innovative experience.
Founder & CEO of LYMB.iO Markos Kern joins Chris this week to break down their ‘ballsy’ approach to marketing & how it all starts with an incredible product, as well as dealing with the complexity of pitching something unlike any existing products, and whether the entrepreneurial spirit is rooted in nature or nurture.
This episode covers:
Markos’ tech-focused early career as a visual designerEntrepreneurship: nature or nurture?Obtaining funding while pitching a unique conceptEvolving sport for modern attention spans through gamificationThe trick to attention hacking your target market
Get in touch: hello@topodiumgroup.com
Links & references at: https://topodiumgroup.com/