Students Aren’t Defiant, They’re Disconnected with Shaun Weatherhead

Here’s another episode of Live & Linking, and this week I’m joined by Shaun Weatherhead, founder of Fierce & Fearless and author of Students, They’re Not Defiant, They’re Disconnected. Shaun works with young people across schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision, helping them recognise who they are, what they can offer and where they belong. We had a really interesting chat about why some young people can be labelled as disengaged or difficult when there may be a lot more going on underneath.

We talked about belonging, identity, social media and the pressures young people face today. Shaun shared the story of a student who was being disciplined for being late, only for it to become clear that he was taking his younger brother to school before arriving himself. We also heard about a young man who had taught himself to play the piano while dealing with the loss of his granddad. Nobody at school knew about his talent until someone took the time to ask a question and give him a safe space to show it. That story really brings home Shaun’s message about seeing the person rather than simply judging the behaviour.

And, of course, because this is Live & Linking, we finished with a bit of LinkedIn. Shaun and I looked at one of his posts about identity, belonging and what young people wear, and talked about why personal stories can create such a strong connection on LinkedIn. There’s plenty to take away from this conversation, whether you work with young people, you’re a parent, or you simply want to get better at understanding the people around you.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to Live & Linking
01:17 – Meet Shaun Weatherhead
04:33 – Shaun’s book and the idea of disconnection
11:16 – The student who was late for a reason
16:54 – The question every adult can ask
20:41 – The young pianist
25:08 – The impact of music
28:02 – Roast My Post
30:03 – Identity, belonging and LinkedIn
34:13 – How to contact Shaun

Guest contact details

Email: info@fierceandfearless.co.uk
Website: www.fierceandfearless.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-weatherhead-197748158

LinkedIn Isn’t Just a Job Site: Building Relationships with Gus Bhandal

This week on Live & Linking I’m joined by Gus Bhandal, Founder of The M Guru and a marketing strategist with 30 years of experience. Gus knows LinkedIn inside out, so naturally we had plenty to talk about. We started with something I think a lot of people get wrong: LinkedIn isn’t just a job site. It’s a place to build your personal brand, start conversations and develop relationships with people who might eventually become customers, suppliers, collaborators or simply good connections.

We got into the practical stuff too. Gus shared his four-step approach to LinkedIn: optimise your profile, curate your audience, create useful content and engage with other people. We talked about why your headline and About section matter, why commenting is such an underrated way of getting noticed, and why you should think about LinkedIn like a networking event. We also covered content consistency, with Gus recommending at least one useful post a week rather than going mad for 30 days and then disappearing. There was even time for an unexpected visit from Andrew and Pete to talk about Atomicon.

And then we roasted one of Gus’s LinkedIn posts. A simple, funny comment on a post about LinkedIn becoming a dating site ended up generating around 13,000 impressions. It was a great example of the point we’d been discussing all along: you don’t always need to create huge amounts of content to get noticed. Sometimes joining the right conversation is enough. If you want practical ideas for using LinkedIn more confidently, building genuine relationships and letting a bit more of the real you come through, this is well worth a listen.

TIMESTAMPS

00:23 – Welcome to Live & Linking
01:26 – Meet Gus Bhandal
02:16 – What LinkedIn is really for
05:12 – Where to start with an old profile
07:37 – Gus’s four-step strategy
08:18 – The power of commenting
09:09 – LinkedIn as a networking event
15:03 – Creating consistent content
16:13 – Content albums
32:06 – The Squeeze membership
33:11 – Roasting Gus’s post
34:07 – The LinkedIn dating site post
36:28 – Wrapping up

Watch the show on YouTube

Connect with Ashley:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-leeds-15-minute-guy/
Website: https://just.15mins.day
Live & Linking Hub: https://just.15mins.day

Guest contact details

Gus Bhandal
Email: mguruuk@themguru.co.uk
Phone: 07958 477 890
Website: https://www.themguru.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mguruuk

In this episode of Live & Linking, I’m chatting with Ross Kelway, Creator & Director of That Honest Car Guy. Ross helps people choose and buy their next car without actually being a car dealer. He works as a car-buying concierge, helping people work out what they really need, find the right options and take away some of the pressure that comes with buying a car. And as we both love cars, there was plenty for us to talk about.

We get into why buying a car can take 20 to 30 hours once you include all the scrolling, searching, travelling around and looking at cars that turn out not to be what you expected. Ross explains how he starts with a one-hour conversation about your lifestyle and what you actually need from a car before narrowing down the choices. We also talk about EVs, hybrids, petrol and diesel, cash versus finance, buying privately and why the pressure of needing a car can so easily lead you into buying the wrong one. There are a few car stories along the way too, including Ross’s Mitsubishi Lancer purchase, which clearly didn’t go according to plan.

And of course, because this is Live & Linking, we couldn’t finish without talking about LinkedIn. Ross admits he doesn’t particularly enjoy putting his face on posts, but he understands that people need to know who they are dealing with, particularly when his business is built around trust. We talk about showing up, being visible and getting comfortable with putting yourself out there. If you’re thinking about buying a car, love talking about cars, or simply want a good honest conversation about making better decisions, there’s plenty here for you.

Timestamps

00:13 Introduction to Ross
01:33 What does That Honest Car Guy actually do?
03:29 The 20 to 30 hours involved in buying a car
04:25 How Ross works with clients
06:58 Ross’s worst car purchase
10:55 The biggest mistake people make
13:51 EVs and hybrids
17:39 Cash versus finance
20:17 Buying a car today
23:30 The £7,000 car question
25:10 Ross’s favourite classic cars
27:10 Talking LinkedIn content
27:45 Why Ross needs to show his face
31:11 Where to find Ross

Guest contact details

Ross Kelway
Role: Creator & Director
Business: That Honest Car Guy
Email: thathonestcarguy@gmail.com
Phone: 07421 509795
Website: www.thathonestcarguy.co.uk
LinkedIn: Ross Kelway on LinkedIn
Instagram: That Honest Car Guy on Instagram
Facebook: That Honest Car Guy on Facebook