Ian Farrar hosts the Number 1 North East-based business podcast, Industry Angel so you can see why I always wanted to interview him. Not only does he have a wealth of experience to share, as the founder of Far North, a sales and marketing consultancy, he is also a sought-after international speaker and business coach with a strong connection to outdoor adventure.
Ian can speak on anything from the importance of having a podcast for your business to the sensitivities of men’s mental health issues. He also knows first-hand the challenges of corporate burnout and has a passion for nature. So, when I opened my new podcasting studio, Flamingo Heights, I knew I wanted Ian to be my first guest.
Today, I am pleased to say that Ian Farrar features on the first episode of my second series of Nurture Your Zest. This is the podcast I started in 2019 that focuses on curiosity, courage, inspiration, creativity and of course, he ticks all these boxes. Especially, when I asked him the key question I put to all my guests, “What word best describes how you nurture your zest?”
His answer – “Carpeaway!” This, he says, is the best Internet domain name he has ever registered… but what does it mean? We all know the expression, Carpe Diem, Seize the day. Well, it seems Ian has his own spin on this… Through his own brand of peer-supported coaching focused around reconnecting with nature, he invites his clients to “Seize the way!”
You can listen to the full podcast on Nurture Your Zest, where you will also hear how Ian got into podcasting through his love of audiobooks, Internet radio and a fascination with being able to reach the world from one’s front room. Today he has released over 200 episodes of the Industry Angel Business Podcast, is well known in the North East of England as a brilliant sales and marketing professional.
Ian Farrar on podcasting
Ian set up his podcast to document his entrepreneurial journey and has found it has given him a platform he never thought possible. This is why he encourages businesses to make their mark in podcasting as a far-reaching way to develop their brand. But is it worth the investment?
“You don’t make money from a podcast. You make money because you’ve got a podcast!” he says. “People tend to align themselves with people who’ve got similar values and podcasting gives you a very high level of credibility.”
Ian Farrar has always had a passion to learn more about entrepreneurship and business and over the years podcasting has taken him on a journey all over the world, talking to people from different walks of life.
“Podcasting is all about motivating people and I share a lot about how I am inspired by adventure and relate that to business,” he says. “Entrepreneurship is an adventure – sometimes you don’t know what the end looks like. We need to have the guts to go for it and take a leap of faith!”
Seize the way!
“We also need to be careful about getting burnout,” Ian cautions, from personal experience. “I’ve been hospitalized for stress a few times,” he admits. “So, I often talk about corporate burnout and developing a positive mindset through outdoor adventures. This is so important to one’s wellbeing.
“We need to surround ourselves with people who are looking out for us and will tell us when we are pushing too hard, or that we need to take a break. Running has always been an outlet for me, if I don’t do it, I can feel my mental health suffer. So I take people out on monthly walks and help them to ‘carpeway’.
“We may go up a mountain, whatever it might be. But those dozen people you’ve spent the day with and shared so many issues with, it just feels like therapy. It’s really rewarding and you are super productive when you get back to the office. I’ve been in some dark places, not just with corporate burnout. Relationships can be tough and men don’t like to say too much, However, this type of therapy can be life-changing.”
I hope you will find out more from Ian about developing your brand through podcasting, how to maintain your podcast for the long term, and build your confidence with authenticity.
Visit Carpeway – Seize the Way for more info about the outdoor adventures Ian Farrar hosts each month. You can also visit The Industry Angel Business Podcast and Far North Sales & Marketing consultancy.
Find out more about Ashleigh King and her quest to give others a voice.
