What if being a little more selfish could actually make you a better leader?

In this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Darren Jamieson sits down with Gary Parsons, founder of The Selfish Thinking Company, to explore why leaders need to protect their energy, set stronger boundaries and stop glorifying burnout.

They dive into hustle culture, four-day working weeks, hybrid teams, delegation, vulnerability, mental health, making mistakes and why stepping back can sometimes be the smartest way to grow a business. Gary also shares his own experience of rapid growth, burnout and learning to trust the people around him.

Expect honest stories, sharp insights, plenty of laughs and a few unexpected conversations about horse riding too. 

About your guest:

Gary Parsons is the founder of The Selfish Thinking Company and a professional speaker, mentor and trainer specialising in leadership, mental health and workplace wellbeing. Drawing on his experience of rapidly scaling a people consultancy while experiencing severe depression and burnout, Gary helps leaders establish healthier boundaries, empower their teams and build sustainable organisations. He is also involved with the Professional Speaking Association and campaigns on behalf of people with visible differences through Changing Faces and Facial Palsy UK. You can connect with Gary here:

Website: https://garyparsons.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyparsonsuk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GaryParsonsUK/

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@garyparsonsuk

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

What if being a little more selfish could actually make you a better leader?
In this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Darren Jamieson sits down with Gary Parsons, founder of The Selfish Thinking Company, to explore why leaders need to protect their energy, set stronger boundaries and stop glorifying burnout.
They dive into hustle culture, four-day working weeks, hybrid teams, delegation, vulnerability, mental health, making mistakes and why stepping back can sometimes be the smartest way to grow a business. Gary also shares his own experience of rapid growth, burnout and learning to trust the people around him.
Expect honest stories, sharp insights, plenty of laughs and a few unexpected conversations about horse riding too.&nbsp;
About your guest:
Gary Parsons is the founder of The Selfish Thinking Company and a professional speaker, mentor and trainer specialising in leadership, mental health and workplace wellbeing. Drawing on his experience of rapidly scaling a people consultancy while experiencing severe depression and burnout, Gary helps leaders establish healthier boundaries, empower their teams and build sustainable organisations. He is also involved with the Professional Speaking Association and campaigns on behalf of people with visible differences through Changing Faces and Facial Palsy UK. You can connect with Gary here:
Website: <a href="https://garyparsons.uk/">https://garyparsons.uk/</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyparsonsuk/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyparsonsuk/</a>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GaryParsonsUK/">https://www.facebook.com/GaryParsonsUK/</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/garyparsonsuk/">https://www.instagram.com/garyparsonsuk/</a>
TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@garyparsonsuk">https://www.tiktok.com/@garyparsonsuk</a>
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/</a>
Engaging Marketeer: <a href="https://engagingmarketeer.com">https://engagingmarketeer.com</a>
Engage Web: <a href="https://www.engageweb.co.uk">https://www.engageweb.co.uk</a>

Described by one detractor as an 'angry receding man', Darren Jamieson hosts the Engaging Marketeer Podcast where the Liverpool Comedy Festival winner delivers his own brand of business and marketing content. With a mixture of personal stories, detailed advice, step-by-step processes, angry explosive rants and thought-provoking interviews, Darren offers a very different take on business and marketing that provides insights for new startups and experienced business owners alike.

Described by one detractor as an 'angry receding man', Darren Jamieson hosts the Engaging Marketeer Podcast where the Liverpool Comedy Festival winner delivers his own brand of business and marketing content. With a mixture of personal stories, detailed advice, step-by-step processes, angry explosive rants and thought-provoking interviews, Darren offers a very different take on business and marketing that provides insights for new startups and experienced business owners alike.

Engaging Marketeer

Described by one detractor as an 'angry receding man', Darren Jamieson hosts the Engaging Marketeer Podcast where the Liverpool Comedy Festival winner delivers his own brand of business and marketing content. With a mixture of personal stories, detailed advice, step-by-step processes, angry explosive rants and thought-provoking interviews, Darren offers a very different take on business and marketing that provides insights for new startups and experienced business owners alike. The Engaging Marketeer Podcast debuted at #1 in the Marketing chart on Apple Podcasts.

Described by one detractor as an 'angry receding man', Darren Jamieson hosts the Engaging Marketeer Podcast where the Liverpool Comedy Festival winner delivers his own brand of business and marketing content. With a mixture of personal stories, detailed advice, step-by-step processes, angry explosive rants and thought-provoking interviews, Darren offers a very different take on business and marketing that provides insights for new startups and experienced business owners alike. The Engaging Marketeer Podcast debuted at #1 in the Marketing chart on Apple Podcasts.

Why Leaders Should Be Selfish - Gary Parsons

Cheap marketing can cost you a fortune. 

In today's episode, Darren tackles the mindset that holds so many business owners back: focusing entirely on spending less, instead of asking what their marketing will actually deliver.

If you want more leads, customers, revenue and a genuine return on investment, stripping your marketing budget down to the bare minimum probably isn’t going to get you there. Darren explains why choosing the cheapest option can lead to weaker results, missed opportunities and a lot of frustration. You’ll discover why marketing should be viewed as an investment rather than an expense, which questions you should be asking before committing to a campaign and why the REAL focus should always be on results, revenue, profit and ROI.

🎧 Listen now and ask yourself: are you trying to spend as little as possible, or are you trying to build a more successful business?

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Cheap marketing can cost you a fortune.&nbsp;
In today's episode, Darren tackles the mindset that holds so many business owners back: focusing entirely on spending less, instead of asking what their marketing will actually deliver.
If you want more leads, customers, revenue and a genuine return on investment, stripping your marketing budget down to the bare minimum probably isn&rsquo;t going to get you there. Darren explains why choosing the cheapest option can lead to weaker results, missed opportunities and a lot of frustration. You&rsquo;ll discover why marketing should be viewed as an investment rather than an expense, which questions you should be asking before committing to a campaign and why the REAL focus should always be on results, revenue, profit and ROI.
🎧 Listen now and ask yourself: are you trying to spend as little as possible, or are you trying to build a more successful business?
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/</a>
Engaging Marketeer: <a href="https://engagingmarketeer.com">https://engagingmarketeer.com</a>
Engage Web: <a href="https://www.engageweb.co.uk">https://www.engageweb.co.uk</a>

What is the CHEAPEST I Can Pay For My Marketing?

What if your workplace is accidentally making life harder for neurodivergent people?

In this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Darren Jamieson speaks to neurodiversity trainer, coach and speaker Aileen Carson about neurodivergence in the workplace, what it really means, and why it goes far beyond common stereotypes around autism and ADHD.

Aileen explains the concept of “spiky profiles”, why many neurodivergent people have significant strengths as well as challenges, and why not everyone chooses to seek or disclose a formal diagnosis. She also shares practical advice for employers on creating safer, more inclusive workplaces, from recruitment and interviews to reasonable adjustments, flexible working and sensory needs.

The conversation also covers self-diagnosis, the stigma around neurodivergence, legal considerations for employers, and how neurodivergent employees and business owners can better understand their strengths and work in a way that supports them.

About the guest:

Aileen Carson is a neurodiversity trainer, coach and keynote speaker who supports organisations to build more neuroinclusive workplaces and helps neurodivergent people work in ways that suit their strengths. With more than 30 years’ professional experience across the public, private and third sectors, including senior management roles, Aileen brings a practical, strengths-based approach to training and coaching. Her work focuses on helping employers remove barriers, support neurodivergent staff and create working environments where people can thrive.

You can connect with Aileen here:

Website: https://www.aileencarson.com/

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/aileencarson

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

Email: aileen@aileencarson.com

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

What if your workplace is accidentally making life harder for neurodivergent people?
In this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Darren Jamieson speaks to neurodiversity trainer, coach and speaker Aileen Carson about neurodivergence in the workplace, what it really means, and why it goes far beyond common stereotypes around autism and ADHD.
Aileen explains the concept of &ldquo;spiky profiles&rdquo;, why many neurodivergent people have significant strengths as well as challenges, and why not everyone chooses to seek or disclose a formal diagnosis. She also shares practical advice for employers on creating safer, more inclusive workplaces, from recruitment and interviews to reasonable adjustments, flexible working and sensory needs.
The conversation also covers self-diagnosis, the stigma around neurodivergence, legal considerations for employers, and how neurodivergent employees and business owners can better understand their strengths and work in a way that supports them.
About the guest:
Aileen Carson is a neurodiversity trainer, coach and keynote speaker who supports organisations to build more neuroinclusive workplaces and helps neurodivergent people work in ways that suit their strengths. With more than 30 years&rsquo; professional experience across the public, private and third sectors, including senior management roles, Aileen brings a practical, strengths-based approach to training and coaching. Her work focuses on helping employers remove barriers, support neurodivergent staff and create working environments where people can thrive.
You can connect with Aileen here:
Website: <a href="https://www.aileencarson.com/">https://www.aileencarson.com/</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/aileencarson">https://uk.linkedin.com/in/aileencarson</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aileen_carson_coaching/">https://www.instagram.com/aileen_carson_coaching/</a>
Email: <a href="mailto:aileen@aileencarson.com">aileen@aileencarson.com</a>
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/</a>
Engaging Marketeer: <a href="https://engagingmarketeer.com">https://engagingmarketeer.com</a>
Engage Web: <a href="https://www.engageweb.co.uk">https://www.engageweb.co.uk</a>

Neurodivergence in the Workplace - for Employers & Employees

What does it really mean to "engage" someone, and are most businesses getting it completely wrong? 

In this episode of *The Engaging Marketeer*, Darren Jamieson speaks to engagement consultant and keynote speaker Scott Gould about the power of genuine engagement, why it matters so much in business, and how companies can move beyond shouting “me, me, me” at their audience and start creating a real sense of “we”.

Scott breaks down engagement in a brilliantly simple way: it’s when “you and me” becomes “we”. From there, the conversation dives into websites, customer journeys, community building, employee involvement, social proof, personalisation, and why businesses often struggle to see what their customers actually need because they’re too close to their own world.

Darren and Scott also explore what churches, networking groups, Apple adverts, Henry Cavill’s love of Warhammer, slow websites, phone addiction, and even sabre-tooth tigers can teach us about human behaviour, marketing, and connection. 

You’ll hear why giving people a role helps them feel ownership, why greeting someone by name can make a huge difference, why three people in a conversation can be more powerful than two, and why the best marketing often comes down to making someone feel like they’re in the right place.

It’s lively, funny, practical, and packed with ideas for anyone who wants to build stronger relationships with customers, employees, communities, or audiences.

If you’ve ever wondered how to attract, engage, convert and retain people more effectively, this episode is absolutely one to listen to. 🎧

About your guest:

Scott Gould is an author, keynote speaker and consultant specialising in engagement. A former church minister, Scott works with organisations to help them engage employees, customers and communities, and is the author of The Shape of Engagement, a book exploring how people engage with ideas, products, organisations and each other. His work focuses on turning engagement from a vague buzzword into something practical, human and actionable for businesses and teams. You can connect with Scott here: 

Website: https://scottgould.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottagould/

Instagram: https://scottgould.com/

X: https://x.com/scottgould/

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

What does it really mean to "engage" someone, and are most businesses getting it completely wrong?&nbsp;
In this episode of *The Engaging Marketeer*, Darren Jamieson speaks to engagement consultant and keynote speaker Scott Gould about the power of genuine engagement, why it matters so much in business, and how companies can move beyond shouting &ldquo;me, me, me&rdquo; at their audience and start creating a real sense of &ldquo;we&rdquo;.
Scott breaks down engagement in a brilliantly simple way: it&rsquo;s when &ldquo;you and me&rdquo; becomes &ldquo;we&rdquo;. From there, the conversation dives into websites, customer journeys, community building, employee involvement, social proof, personalisation, and why businesses often struggle to see what their customers actually need because they&rsquo;re too close to their own world.
Darren and Scott also explore what churches, networking groups, Apple adverts, Henry Cavill&rsquo;s love of Warhammer, slow websites, phone addiction, and even sabre-tooth tigers can teach us about human behaviour, marketing, and connection.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll hear why giving people a role helps them feel ownership, why greeting someone by name can make a huge difference, why three people in a conversation can be more powerful than two, and why the best marketing often comes down to making someone feel like they&rsquo;re in the right place.
It&rsquo;s lively, funny, practical, and packed with ideas for anyone who wants to build stronger relationships with customers, employees, communities, or audiences.
If you&rsquo;ve ever wondered how to attract, engage, convert and retain people more effectively, this episode is absolutely one to listen to. 🎧
About your guest:
Scott Gould is an author, keynote speaker and consultant specialising in engagement. A former church minister, Scott works with organisations to help them engage employees, customers and communities, and is the author of The Shape of Engagement, a book exploring how people engage with ideas, products, organisations and each other. His work focuses on turning engagement from a vague buzzword into something practical, human and actionable for businesses and teams. You can connect with Scott here:&nbsp;
Website: <a href="https://scottgould.com/">https://scottgould.com/</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottagould/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottagould/</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://scottgould.com/">https://scottgould.com/</a>
X: <a href="https://x.com/scottgould/">https://x.com/scottgould/</a>
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837</a>
LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/</a>
Engaging Marketeer: <a href="https://engagingmarketeer.com">https://engagingmarketeer.com</a>
Engage Web: <a href="https://www.engageweb.co.uk">https://www.engageweb.co.uk</a>

Why Leaders Should Be Selfish - Gary Parsons

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