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Dudley 'Tal' Stokes was the captain and founding member of the Jamaican bobsled team the hit Disney movie Cool Runnings was based on.

He competed at the 1988, 1992, 1994 and the 1998 Winter Olympics, and after his competitive career, became a coach and the president of the Jamaican Bobsleigh Federation.In this conversation, we talk about Tal's upbringing, his time in the army, the true story of Cool Runnings - and whether there could be a sequel - and much more.

Patreon: Support the show by becoming a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/startinglinepod for just £5 a month

Website: https://www.startinglinepod.com

Contact: If you have guest suggestions or would like to talk about sponsorship opportunities, please email hello@startinglinepod.com

*About The Starting Line Podcast*

The Starting Line Podcast, hosted by award-winning serial entrepreneur, PR expert, and best-selling author Rich Leigh, is all about drive, ambition and curiosity.

Speaking to entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers, guests open up about positivity, success, resilience, perseverance, mistakes and more. Go back and enjoy series one guests including Levi Roots, James Cracknell OBE and Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells.

*About me, Rich Leigh*

Your starting line doesn't have to define you.

My upbringing wasn't great.

But I remember thinking - I have to, and I CAN - break the cycle. That single thought changed my life.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house without a penny to my name, determined to rewrite my story.

By 30, I was a successful PR agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities.

Using that influence, I helped to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful conversations with the world's most influential entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers.

*Follow The Starting Line on social media:*

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startinglineshow

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/startinglinesho

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/startinglineshow

Facebook: https://facebook.com/startinglineshow

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startinglineshow

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You know he loves a Chinese. You know he loves a bosh.

In this interview, filmed at Chariots fish and chip shop in Romford (NOT ESSEX RICH, you blithering idiot), you'll get to know the real Big John.

He dismisses the idea of being an influencer, and that's one of the reasons I wanted to have this conversation - I'm intrigued by somebody that became well-known as he approached 50, and how it's changed his and his family's lives.

In John's words: 'I'm just a normal bloke who's got a bit of a following, who can resonate with people. There are hundreds of thousands of people just like me."

Enjoy this interview, where we talk about everything from being paid to travel the world, famous friends and fans - including Conor McGregor, what he did before becoming well-known and the most surprising answer to the dinner party question I've ever heard.

Patreon: Support the show by becoming a patron at: patreon.com/startinglinepod for just £5 a month

Website: startinglinepod.com

Contact: If you have guest suggestions or would like to talk about sponsorship opportunities, please email hello@startinglinepod.com

*About The Starting Line Podcast*

The Starting Line Podcast, hosted by award-winning serial entrepreneur, PR expert, and best-selling author Rich Leigh, is all about drive, ambition and curiosity.

Speaking to entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers, guests open up about positivity, success, resilience, perseverance, mistakes and more.

Go back and enjoy series one guests including Levi Roots, James Cracknell OBE and Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells.

*About me, Rich Leigh*

Your starting line doesn't have to define you.

My upbringing wasn't great.

But I remember thinking - I have to, and I CAN - break the cycle. That single thought changed my life.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house without a penny to my name, determined to rewrite my story.

By 30, I was a successful PR agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities.Using that influence, I helped to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful conversations with the world's most influential entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers.

*Follow The Starting Line on social media:*

Instagram: instagram.com/startinglineshow

Twitter: twitter.com/startinglinesho

TikTok: tiktok.com/startinglineshow

Facebook: facebook.com/startinglineshow

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/startinglineshow

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This week’s conversation is with American writer, producer, director, voice actor, and radio personality Lazlow.

In a fitting request, I was asked that this episode was audio-only.

Alongside his radio work, Lazlow is perhaps best known for his in-game radio shows and ads across the Grand Theft Auto series, lending his writing and vocal talents across eight games since GTA3 (as well as appearing, motion captured, in GTA5).

Lazlow worked with Rockstar Games for almost 20 years, across 17 games, also writing for the Red Dead Redemption series.

We sat down to talk a few weeks ago, the day after Lazlow had talked at the Podcast Show 2024 in London, where he had been discussing his new audio fiction series, A Better Paradise.

Created and written by former Rockstar colleague Dan Houser and directed by Lazlow, the series is set in the near future and tells the story of the ill-fated development of an ambitious but addictive game-world.

Starring the Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln, Paterson Joseph - you’d probably know him as boss Alan Johnson in Peep Show - Rain Spencer and Shamir Anderson, the first two episodes are available wherever you listen to your podcasts at the time of recording this.

Patreon: Support the show by becoming a patron at: https://www.patreon.com/startinglinepod for just £5 a month

Website: https://www.startinglinepod.com

Contact: If you have guest suggestions or would like to talk about sponsorship opportunities, please email hello@startinglinepod.com

*About The Starting Line Podcast*

The Starting Line Podcast, hosted by award-winning serial entrepreneur, PR expert, and best-selling author Rich Leigh, is all about drive, ambition and curiosity.

Speaking to entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers, guests open up about positivity, success, resilience, perseverance, mistakes and more.

Go back and enjoy series one guests including Levi Roots, James Cracknell OBE and Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells.

*About me, Rich Leigh*

Your starting line doesn't have to define you.

My upbringing was rough. I'm sure I'll fill in the blanks sometime.

But I remember thinking - I have to, and I CAN - break the cycle. That single thought changed my life.

At 17, I dropped out of school. At 18, I became a father for the first time, and left the chaos of my family council house without a penny to my name, determined to rewrite my story.

By 30, I was a successful PR agency owner with a #1 best-selling book. We were working with some of the UK’s leading brands, entrepreneurs and celebrities.

Using that influence, I helped to raise more than a million pounds for sick children.

Hosted by me, Rich Leigh, The Starting Line Podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, featuring powerful conversations with the world's most influential entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, philanthropists and thinkers.

*Follow The Starting Line on social media:*

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startinglineshow

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/startinglinesho

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/startinglineshow

Facebook: https://facebook.com/startinglineshow

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startinglineshow

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