Who is our guest?

Andrea Springthorpe is an inspiring figure with a multifaceted professional journey deeply rooted in physical activity and fitness. Starting her career in sales and marketing, Andrea found herself unfulfilled and longing for a change. At 28, she took a bold step by quitting her job to pursue a degree in Exercise, Physical Activity, and Health as a mature student at the University of Huddersfield. This decision was a turning point, leading her to explore various domains of physical fitness but ultimately recognising that her heart was not in becoming a PE teacher. Instead, Andrea embarked on an entrepreneurial path and established 'Fit for Force,' a boot camp business aimed at preparing individuals for the physical assessments required in the forces. Her venture was born out of a desire to fill a gap in the fitness preparation for those entering the forces, and it has been successful and ongoing since 2011.

Beyond running boot camps, Andrea's journey took another significant turn when she joined Legacy Sport, where she climbed up to become one of the directors. In her role at Legacy, she handles a mix of finance, operations, sales, and marketing, drawing from her rich background to bring value to the organisation. On a personal level, Andrea places immense value on physical activity, not just for its physical benefits but for its mental health benefits as well. As a mother, she views herself as a role model to her daughter, Sophia, emphasising the importance of being active and healthy. Through her journey, Andrea exemplifies resilience, adaptability, and the pursuit of passion, making her a compelling character in the narrative of fitness and personal growth.

What do we discuss?

· Andrea's Unique Journey into Fitness

· The Birth of Fit for Force and Transition to Legacy Sport

· A Day in the Life at Legacy: Roles and Responsibilities

· Leveraging Sales and Marketing Skills in the Fitness Sector

· Challenges and Changes in the School Fitness Sector

· The Personal Significance of Physical Activity

· Promoting Physical Activity Among Children and Parents

· Inspirational Role Models and Leadership in the Sector

· The Power of Collaboration and Networking

· Leadership Style and Development at Legacy

· Challenges and Achievements: A Reflection

· Improving Activity Levels: Insights and Recommendations

Who are our guests?

With over 25 years of experience in fostering a culture of inclusivity and engagement in sports, Louise Assioun and Sue Morrison stand out as true champions of making physical activity accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Louise, with her rich background in physical education and a level 4 tennis coaching accreditation, spearheads the Team GB Visually Impaired Tennis team, offers invaluable expertise to the Battle Back program, and consults on various projects, including content creation for the LTA’s Coach Education department. Her dedication shines in her work to inspire and develop skills in others, ensuring physical activities are a source of joy and camaraderie for all. Similarly, Sue Morrison’s journey in coaching across a plethora of sports, from tennis to multisport, especially for children and those with disabilities, reflects her deep-seated commitment to nurturing a lifelong love for sports. Her innovative approach in creating activity programs and designing equipment highlights her dedication to broadening the reach of sports, making it possible for individuals from different backgrounds and abilities to find delight and fulfilment in being active. Together, Louise and Sue embody the spirit of inclusivity and passion for sports, making significant strides in bringing the joy and benefits of physical activity to everyone.

What do we discuss?

· Louise's Journey: From PE Teacher to Disability Sports Coach

· Sue's Path: 40 Years of Coaching and Inclusion

· The Power of Sport: Personal Stories of Impact

· Championing Activity: Strategies for Inclusion and Engagement

· Overcoming Barriers: Ensuring Access to Physical Activity for All

· The Journey to Support and Innovation in Inclusive Sports

· Introducing Innovative Training Workshops for Schools

· Creative Solutions for Inclusive Physical Education

· Adapting to Lockdown: Virtual Support and Community Engagement

· LUSU TV: A Resource Hub for Inclusive Activities

· Harnessing Creativity for Inclusive Sports Activities

· Empowering Educators with Inclusive Training Techniques

· Recommendations for Further Learning and Inclusion

Who’s our guest?

Mike Michalowicz is the entrepreneur behind three multimillion-dollar companies and is the author of several business books, including Profit First, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan and his newest book, All In. Mike is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and a business makeover expert for MSNBC. He regularly travels the globe as an entrepreneurial advocate.

Mike is a dynamic, energetic and passionate individual, often described as a source of inspiration by his peers. As a business leader, author and speaker, he is dedicated to eradicating entrepreneurial poverty and helping small businesses thrive. He understands the hard work and dedication that goes into running a business and the importance of physical health in maintaining balance. Mike is an advocate of regular exercise, not just for its physical benefits, but also for the positive impact it has on mental well-being. An approachable and engaging personality, Mike believes in the power of people and constantly works towards enabling others to reach their full potential. His daily practices revolve around contributing to his personal growth as well as the growth of others. He is highly focused on bringing about change and improvement in any environment he is a part of.

What do we discuss?

· The importance of physical activity

· Physical activity and business leadership

· Promoting physical activity in teams

· The impact of flexibility and health on business

· The power of training camps: A new approach to recruitment

· The importance of education in recruitment

· The power of measurement: Scorecards and improvement

· The art of caring: Transforming underperformers into top performers

· Top tips for small business leaders

Who is our guest?

With over 40 years of experience in marketing communications and customer relationship management, Richard is the director at Customer Plus, a leading consultancy that helps businesses improve their customer experience and loyalty. He is also a certified NPS practitioner and an accredited C-me colour profiling activator, which enables him to deliver effective and engaging workshops and training sessions for clients across various sectors.

What do we discuss?

• Career Journey and Business Ventures
• Role and Services of Customer Plus
• Passion for Sports and Physical Activity
• Introduction to Customer Journey Mapping
• Understanding Customer Satisfaction Surveys and Net Promoter Score
• Importance of Prioritising Customer Experience
• The Discrepancy Between Promotion and Delivery
• Common Mistakes in Customer Experience
• The Fitness Analogy: Long-term Commitment in Customer Experience
• The Importance of Consistency in Customer Experience
• The Role of Customer Experience in Brand Perception
• The Challenge of Enhancing Customer Experience
• The Power of Choice in Customer Experience
• The Role of Enjoyment in Customer Experience

Who’s our guest?

Kay Batkin is the Network Director at Youth Sport Trust. Inspired from an early age to work in sports education, her professional journey began with the aspiration of becoming a PE teacher. However, after a chance conversation with her own PE teacher, she decided to broaden her horizons and studied Sport and Recreation Development at Leeds Beckett University. After graduation, she found herself thrown into local authority roles managing school improvement and sports development. Within her career, her leadership roles have taken her from managing pivotal sports programmes and competitions to building communities and networks within educational landscapes.

In her 14 years at Youth Sport Trust, she has contributed significantly to programmes, where she shares her passion for transforming children's lives through sports and talks about Youth Sport Trust's long-term strategy for using physical activity as a key facet of child education.

Beyond her role as an executive, she is also a fierce advocate for the benefits of physical activity and good health. She strongly supports the idea of schools leading the way in instilling a culture of physical health through initiatives like fitness-based after-school programmes. She believes in the power of sport not just as a competitive platform, but also as a tool for positive social change.

Stay tuned for more such engaging conversations on the Active Code Podcast!

What do we chat about?

Kay Batkin's Professional Journey

Kay's Role at Youth Sport Trust

The Current Landscape for Children and Young People

The Impact of Physical Activity on Kay's Life

The Future of Youth Sport Trust

The Evolution of Health Issues and the Role of Physical Activity

The Long-term Goal: Daily Physical Activity for All

The Challenge: How to Implement the Goal

The Collaborative Approach to Policy Making

The Manifesto: Key Asks for Youth Wellbeing

The Importance of Physical Education in Schools

The Need for Accessible Play Opportunities for Young People

The Role of Activity Providers in the Strategy

The Importance of Collaboration in the Sector

The Impact of School Games on Youth Engagement

The Upcoming YST Conference: Change Their Score, Change Their Future

Our latest Active Code Podcast had the pleasure of hosting CMXSC’s Founder and Director, Chris Michaelides, a passionate entrepreneur with a deep-seated love for sports.

Chris shared insights on his personal and professional journey, revealing how he navigates the challenges of being a business owner while emphasising the transferable skills he absorbed from his passion – sports.

Who is our guest?

Chris is a passionate director who strives to positively impact and engage as many children as possible through physical activity. He is the founder and director of CMXSC Ltd, a company that provides specialist primary physical education, Ofsted registered childcare in the form of wraparound care provision and active holiday camps for children and consulting services in sports and education.

Stay tuned for more such engaging conversations on the Active Code Podcast!

What do we chat about?

During the episode, we dive into:

• Chris’ professional journey and love for sports
• Importance of physical activity and sports
• Balancing family life and physical activity
• Chris’ fitness routine
• Lessons from sports translated into business leadership
• The competitive nature of leadership
• Inspirational leaders and their impact
• Rapid growth and challenges in business
• Understanding the power of saying ‘Yes’ and ‘No’
• Self-reflection and improvement as a leader
• The importance of communication and presence
• The art of listening and understanding
• Developing leaders within your organisation
• Overcoming challenges as a business owner
• Proudest moments in life and business
• Recommendations for enhancing leadership skills

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

The Active Code: “Invest in people that put children’s needs first and business needs second”.

We’re excited to welcome Matt Ogle, Founder and Director of S4A, to The Active Code.

Matt set up S4A when he was just 15 years old and has sent led his passionate team to help inspire children through creativity, sports, and play. As a leading provider in the Buckingham, Northampton and Oxfordshire regions, Matt is perfectly positioned to offer advice and support to leaders during this episode.

Matt Grew up being predominantly sports centred at the start of his journey and has evolved over the years into an Ofsted-accredited, trusted, well-established care provider offering a range of services, including wraparound care in many schools, PE lessons, holiday clubs, the HAF programme, SEN support, our football development centre.

Who is Matt Ogle?

S4A (Sports4All) are specialists in active and creative childcare, providing wrap-around care and clubs as well as holiday clubs. Their aim is to provide an environment for children that allows them to pursue their interests, with a key focus on sport. The company works with the county council to provide support for schools, as well as directly with parents, where they operate primarily as an e-commerce business, relying on online bookings to take on new customers.

Matt Ogle is the founder and director of S4A, and is one of the creative, business minds behind S4A’s success, having created the organisation at the young age of 15. Matt has grown the company from humble beginnings, with the primary focus always being on giving the best care out there. Over the years, Matt has been presented with a range of huge growth opportunities for the business since 2007 which has allowed him to keep investing in his business for long-term growth and reward.

What do we chat about in the episode?

During the episode, we dive into:

· How Matt started his business at the young of 15.

· The impact flexible working hours and timetables can have.

· How to employ and develop the right people.

· The struggles and solutions to running a successful childcare service.

· How to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

We’re excited to welcome Rafe Turner, Partnership Executive at CIMPSA, to The Active Code.

As the sector’s chartered professional body, CIMSPA works on behalf of the whole sport and physical activity sector – supporting, developing, and enabling professionals to succeed and, as a result, inspiring our nation to be more active.

CIMSPA helps to nurture talent, develop careers, inspire professionalism, and set clear regulatory standards for success, continuing the development of a modern, prosperous and respected sport and physical activity sector.

Who is Rafe Turner?

Rafe Turner has more than enough experience as he is a Partnership Executive and Skills Hub Manager, with prior experience fostering relationships with partner organisations. Additionally, Rafe has over 10 years in the Sport and Fitness sector, making him a knowledgeable individual.

Rafe is an evolving leader, driven to enhance society and develop personally to make a positive difference for individuals, groups and communities.

Rafe’s role with CIMSPA has been instrumental in supporting thousands of coaches receive training, guidance and support to succeed in a sector that has previously struggled to keep it’s best people.

Rafe isn’t a stranger to strategic operations within organisations. He led a national team of 15 to design and deliver projects that contributed to organisational strategic objectives while serving out a national network of youth volunteers, using the diversity of strengths and perspectives in the group to drive high performance.

Since his recent promotion to Skills Hub Manager, Rafe has been organising and creating Sport & Physical Activity Skills Hub in Worcestershire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire.

What do we chat about in the episode?

As an avid reader of personal development books, Rafe not only recommends some top reads on this episode, he also shares top tips and vulnerabilities on:

· Work-life balance

· Traits of a great leader

· Supporting team development pathways

· The struggles during his career so far

· How CIMSPA are putting the workforce and sector on the map

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.