#114: Robbie Swale - The Power to Choose: Calm, Complexity, and the Courage to Be Fully Yourself
Robbie joins co-hosts Alex Whitton and Alex Swallow to explore the real stories and ideas behind his new book, The Power to Choose - from vulnerability, to core mindset shifts, to how we find calm and connection in a complex world.
The Coach's Journey - build a coaching business with integrity · The Coach's Journey
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (static1.squarespace.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
In this special episode, Alex Whitton and Alex Swallow take the reins to interview Robbie about the release of his new book, The Power to Choose: Finding Calm and Connection in a Complex World.
What unfolds is a warm, honest and surprisingly vulnerable exploration of choice, mindset, relationships, and the inner work that helps us meet complexity with more skill and less fear.
Across the conversation, Robbie shares the nine-year journey behind the book - from a powerful coaching question asked by Joel Monk in 2016 through to the resistance, the rewrites, and the emotional cost of releasing something deeply personal into the world.
Together, the three of them explore themes at the heart of both the book and coaching itself.
In this episode they explore:
Why in almost every moment, there’s more choice available than we think.
The idea of the Higher Self - and why we all have moments where we forget it.
How curiosity becomes an antidote to reactivity and contraction.
What really happens when we assume others are doing their best.
Why connection and calm matter so much in a complex world.
How writing a book becomes its own developmental journey.
The castle metaphor for working with shadow parts of ourselves.
The stories that shape us - and the ones we get to rewrite.
Why none of this work is ever really finished.
Robbie also shares two stories that bring these ideas to life in very human ways: a tense exchange with a neighbour, and a moment on a crowded train that turned into a masterclass in choosing calm rather than escalating conflict.
This episode is thoughtful, grounded and full of practical wisdom - for coaches, and for anyone navigating the complexity of modern life.
For more information about Robbie, visit https://www.robbieswale.com/
To buy The Power to Choose, visit http://geni.us/powertochoose
For more information about Alex Whitton, visit http://www.exploregrowbe.com/
For more information about Alex Swallow, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexswallow/
Read more about The Coach's Journey at www.thecoachsjourney.com.
Get Robbie’s ebook for coaches, An Introduction to The Coach’s Journey Flywheel at https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel
Music by My Good Man William: listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQg
To support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community.
THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:
The Power to Choose: Finding Calm and Connection in a Complex World http://geni.us/powertochoose
Joel Monk on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-6-joel-monk-conversations-at-the-cutting-edge-of-coaching
Gay Hendricks’ idea, The Zone of Genius https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2022/2/3/the-zone-of-genius-the-most-powerful-thought-experiment-for-personal-transformation
Robbie interviewing Alex Swallow on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-62-alex-swallow-life-is-better-when-we-choose
Jennifer Garvey Berger on The Coach’s Journey Podcast
https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-42-jennifer-garvey-berger-the-answer-to-either-or-is-both
Philip Crocker on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/88-philip-crocker-coaching-is-the-most-natural-thing-in-the-world
Minor Arias on The Coach’s Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-3-minor-arias-living-by-design-glz56
Robbie on Neil Mackinnon’s podcast, Creative Practice https://creative-practice.net/2021/01/29/robbie-swale-coach/
Rising Strong — Brené Brown (referenced re: “everyone is doing their best”)
https://brenebrown.com/book/rising-strong/
Man’s Search for Meaning — Viktor Frankl
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1033737/man-s-search-for-meaning
Useful Not True — Derek Sivers (idea referenced about beliefs & utility)
https://sive.rs/useful
Robbie’s article about Harry Kane https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2021/12/15/sometimes-it-doesnt-matter-if-what-you-believe-is-true-it-matters-whether-it-is-useful
Meaningful Productivity Blueprint (Robbie’s framework mentioned in the conversation)
https://www.robbieswale.com/meaningful-productivity
An Introduction to The Coach’s Journey Flywheel https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel
“It’s Not About the Chicken” — Fred Kofman story referenced in the episode
https://www.robbieswale.com/the-12-minute-blog/2023/2/3/its-not-about-the-chicken-harry-its-about-the-last-20-years
The early Choose Your Own Adventure reference
https://www.cyoa.com/
David Gemmell (author referenced)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gemmell
How to Start When You’re Stuck (12-Minute Method Book 1) https://geni.us/startwhenyourestuck