Half Hour Mentor (Ian Cleverdon)

Welcome to Half Hour Mentor, a weekly podcast beginning on Thursday 6 October, hosted by Ian Cleverdon.

The series will feature interviews with people from different walks of life and career backgrounds, each being open and honest about their careers. They will share their thoughts on what careers they wanted to pursue at an early age, how they have progressed and dealt with the challenges they have faced along the way, and what advice they would give their younger self, knowing what they know now.

You can find out more about the series by visiting halfhourmentor.com or searching for @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The podcasts will also be available on YouTube.

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of Half Hour Mentor, host Ian Cleverdon introduces the series and talks to Tim Williams, Chief Executive of Oxford United FC and Visiting Professor of Manchester Metropolitan University Business School.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com.

Tim Williams LinkedIn profile: here

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School: here

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second episode of Half Hour Mentor, host Ian Cleverdon talks to Helen Tonks, multi award-winning entrepreneur, mentor and advisor, CEO of InspiresMe Consulting Ltd and co-founder of Hydraulics Online Ltd.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com.

Helen Tonks LinkedIn profile: here

InspiresMe Consulting website: here

Help To Grow scheme website: here

Centre for Enterprise website:  here

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School: here

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the third episode of Half Hour Mentor, Ian interviews Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, about his early career choices, his time in Government, how he has dealt with Imposter Syndrome and resilience, and what schemes he has developed to support young people in the Greater Manchester area.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority website: link

Greater Manchester Apprenticeship and Careers Service (GMACS): link

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School: link

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fourth episode features an interview with Professor Hannah Holmes, Dean of Manchester Metropolitan University Business School and Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Business School’s Faculty of Business and Law.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Prof. Hannah Holmes LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahlouholmes/

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School: www.mmu.ac.uk/business-school

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound http://www.karonasound.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fifth episode features an interview with Shuab Gamote, Project Officer at Manchester Metropolitan University and recent First Class Honours graduate from Man Met.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Shuab Gamote LinkedIn profile: link

One Million Mentors scheme: link

First Generation Scheme at Man Met: link

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School: link

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound: link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sixth episode features an interview with Kellie Noon, owner of Onno Training, a training and consultancy business that specialises in supporting public and private organisations with learning about the power of international intelligence.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Kellie Noon LinkedIn profile: link

Onno Training: link

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School: link

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound: link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The seventh episode celebrates Transgender Awareness Week and features Rikki Arundel. Rikki is an award winning virtual keynote speaker and storytelling coach and was the founder of the UK and Ireland Professional Speaking Association (PSA). Coming out as transgender at the age of 52, Rikki faced considerable discrimination and had to completely change career from sales and technology to establish themselves as a leading gender and diversity speaker, including delivering two TEDx talks.

Rikki Arundel LinkedIn profile: link

Rikki Arundel social and online content via LinkTree: link

Implicit Association Test – Harvard University: link

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School: link

You can provide feedback on this episode and the series by contacting Ian Cleverdon at ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The eighth episode features an interview with Brendan Riley, professional stand-up comedian, compere and director of Big Comedy UK, responsible for organising large comedy festivals featuring the top names in stand-up.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review on social media; yu can find the links via my LinkTree page here (https://linktr.ee/halfhourmentor).   

Brendan Riley LinkedIn profile: link

Big Comedy UK website: link

 Southport Comedy Festival website: link

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School: link

You can provide suggestions for Series 2 topics and guests by contacting Ian at ian@karonasound.co.uk.

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ninth episode features an interview with Rebecca Ellis, Technical Development Manager for deVere Group, based in Dubai. The focus of the episode is understand what a career in financial planning involves.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review on social media; you can find the links via my LinkTree page: link here.

Rebecca Ellis LinkedIn profile: link

deVere Group: link

 Chartered Insurance Institute: link  

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School undergraduate finance courses: link

You can provide suggestions for Series 2 topics and guests by contacting Ian at ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The tenth and last episode of this series features ‘The SUMO Guy’, Professor Paul McGee. Paul is an international speaker and best-selling author on change, resilience, motivation and inspirational leadership. His Sunday Times best-selling book, SUMO: Shut Up Move On, has been translated into 12 languages since its release in 2005. He is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Chester.

Please follow / subscribe to this podcast series and leave a review on social media; you can find the links via my LinkTree page here (https://linktr.ee/halfhourmentor).   

Paul McGee LinkedIn profile: link here

The SUMO Guy website: link here

Paul’s TikTok channel: link here

Search for Paul’s content on other social media platforms using @thesumoguy

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School: link here

You can provide suggestions for Series 2 topics and guests by contacting Ian at ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2022 Karona Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of the second series of Half Hour Mentor, host Ian Cleverdon introduces the series and talks to Simon Phillips, author, change management consultant, and coach. His experience provides an excellent lead-in to the series, which focuses on the creative arts.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Simon Phillips LinkedIn profile: link

Simon’s website: link

Simon’s Dynamic Time Management book: link

The GC Index: link

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second episode of the second series of Half Hour Mentor, scriptwriter and theatre director Steve Bennett shares his fascinating backstory on how he became a scriptwriter for TV programmes such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Holby City, and ended up directing the likes of Paul Newman, Christopher Reeve and Rebecca de Mornay in theatre. He is currently Director of Drama at Cambridge University’s Downing College.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Drama at Downing College: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Ó2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we welcome award-winning singer-songwriter Charlie Dore to the podcast. As well as having a stellar solo career, she also collaborates with other well-known songwriters and artists. When she is not writing or touring, she also mentors emerging songwriters; this episode is a masterclass of how to approach writing a song. Stay tuned for a bonus episode which will follow the day after this one is released!

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Charlie Dore website: www.charliedore.com

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this shorter, bonus episode, I fire five quick-fire questions at award-winning singer-songwriter Charlie Dore, giving her around one minute to answer each question. She does that very well…for the first four!

I also mention in the pod that I have curated a Spotify playlist of some of my favourite tracks that Charlie has written and performed; the link is below and contains not only the songs she has written and recorded, but also the ones she chose as her ‘best song(s) ever written’ and a couple of her collaborative compositions recorded by other artists.

Half Hour Mentor: Charlie Dore Spotify Playlist: link here

Charlie Dore website: www.charliedore.com

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I catch up with best-selling crime fiction author, Malcolm Hollingdrake. He is best known for his Harrogate Crime Series featuring DCI Cyril Bennett, currently 12 books into the journey. He has also written a Merseyside Crime Series, featuring two books published by Hobeck Books. His books are loved in many countries, including Australia, United States and Canada. He shares with us his fascinating journey from being born in a library to fiction writing, with a large detour en route via a teaching career. 

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Malcolm Hollingdrake website: www.malcolmhollingdrakeauthor.co.uk  

Malcolm’s Amazon bookshop: link here

Hobeck Books website: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this shorter, bonus episode, I fire five quick-fire questions at award-winning crime fiction author, Malcolm Hollingdrake, including what he thinks is the best book ever written.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Malcolm Hollingdrake website: www.malcolmhollingdrakeauthor.co.uk

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Hobeck Books website: link here

‘The Feather Men’ by Sir Ranulph Fiennes on Amazon: link here

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode features Matthew Smith, director of Exprimez (pronounced ‘ex-pree-may’), a literary agency and consultancy for both new and established authors.

Matthew has nearly 30 years’ experience in the publishing world and, in that time, has developed over 3,000 titles, spanning print, digital and audio, in fiction, popular reference, academic, professional and business markets. With that experience and pedigree, there are few more qualified to help emerging writers and authors develop their careers.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Exprimez website: www.exprimez.com

Matthew’s Twitter profile: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this shorter, bonus episode, I fire five quick-fire questions at literary agent Matthew Smith, director of Exprimez. This time, I had a few other questions up my sleeve in addition to the normal five; his answers were so good I had to include them!

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Exprimez website: www.exprimez.com

Matthew’s Twitter profile: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, singer, songwriter and guitarist Katie Spencer joins me to discuss her career, musical inspirations and mentors, songwriting techniques and guitar tunings. It’s a fascinating insight into the development of a young musician who is playing at the top level of the progressive folk and acoustic music circuit. This main episode also contains the bonus questions I have been asking most of my Series 2 guests.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Katie Spencer website: www.katiespencer.net

Katie Spencer YouTube Channel: link here

Half Hour Mentor Katie Spencer Playlist: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I catch up with million-selling crime novelist, Simon McCleave, widely known for his DI Ruth Hunter and the Anglesey series, both centred around North Wales. However, crime fiction success has only come relatively recently, and prior to that he has had successful careers in TV script writing and production, and in teaching. You can learn about his career journey and writing techniques in today’s episode.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Simon McCleave website: www.simonmccleave.com  

SImon’s Amazon bookshop: link here

Harper Collins website: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this shorter, bonus episode, I fire five quick-fire questions at million-selling crime novelist, Simon McCleave including what he thinks is the best book ever written.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Simon McCleave website: www.simonmccleave.com  

SImon’s Amazon bookshop: link here

Harper Collins website: link here

Simon’s favourite book: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Scottish singer-songwriter Findlay Napier join us to discuss his career journey, how important mentors have been to him, and how he balances songwriting, performing and teaching, all in a delightfully entertaining interview.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Findlay Napier website, where you can sign up to his newsletter: www.findlaynapier.com

Spotify playlist of Fins’ back catalogue: link here

Other useful contacts mentioned in the podcast:

Watercolour Music Studio website: www.watercolourmusic.co.uk

Boo Hewerdine website: www.boohewerdine.net

I Heart Songwriting Club: www.iheartsongwritingclub.com

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this shorter, bonus episode, I fire my quick-fire questions at Scottish singer-songwriter, Findlay Napier. If you missed the entertaining full episode in which he discusses his career and how he balances songwriting, performing and teaching, go back to the previous episode in this series.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Findlay Napier website: www.findlaynapier.com

Spotify playlist of Fins’ back catalogue, which includes his favourite song: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Neil Pearson, founder of artist management and development business Sounds Just Fine, joins us to discuss how he got into the music industry and how he deals with managing the wealth of high-profile music projects and collaborations he is, and has been, responsible for. It’s a perfect listen for those wishing to pursue a management role in any sector, but especially in the music business.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Sounds Just Fine website: www.soundsjustfine.com

Twitter: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this short, bonus episode, I fire my quick-fire questions at founder of Sounds Just Fine artist management and development business, Neil Pearson. For someone who has worked with some of the biggest names in the international folk and roots world, you will learn here who would be his ideal dinner guests, amongst other things.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Sounds Just Fine website: www.soundsjustfine.com

Twitter: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final episode of Series Two, Lord Mike Storey shares his experiences of developing a career in politics alongside a career in teaching. He spearheaded the team that helped Liverpool gain its title of European Capital of Culture in 2008, and is currently the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for education in the House of Lords. His mentorship is a great way to end a series on personal development in the creative arts.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Half Hour Mentor website: www.halfhourmentor.com

Half Hour Mentor social media links: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Ian Cleverdon’s  LinkedIn page: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this short, bonus episode, I fire my quick-fire questions at life peer and ex-leader of Liverpool City Council, Lord Mike Storey. His career journey is inspirational, and he still has a passion for supporting education, young people and the creative arts. This is the last of the bonus episodes for Series Two.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. 

Half Hour Mentor website: www.halfhourmentor.com

Half Hour Mentor social media links: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Ian Cleverdon’s  LinkedIn page: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the lead up to the launch of Series 3 in September 2023, here is a compilation of the invaluable advice provided by my Series 1 guests, triggered by the question I ask every guest at the end of each episode...

'Knowing what you know now, what one piece of advice would you give your younger self?'

This bonus episode features contributions from Tim Williams, Helen Tonks, Andy Burnham, Prof. Hannah Holmes, Shaub Gamote, Kellie Noon, Rikki Arundel, Brendan Riley, Rebecca Ellis and Prof. Paul McGee.

Full episodes are available on all major streaming platforms, including Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify and YouTube.

If you are interested in hiring Ian to produce a podcast series for you, please contact him via the details below.

Ian's website: www.karonasound.co.uk

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the lead up to the launch of Series 3 in September 2023, here is a compilation of the invaluable advice provided by my Series 2 guests, triggered by the question I ask every guest at the end of each episode...

'Knowing what you know now, what one piece of advice would you give your younger self?'

This bonus episode focused on the creative arts, and featured contributions from Simon Phillips, Steve Bennett, Charlie Dore, Malcolm Hollingdrake, Matthew Smith, Katie Spencer, Simon McCleave, Findlay Napier, Neil Pearson and Lord Mike Storey.

Full episodes are available on all major streaming platforms, including Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify and YouTube.

If you are interested in hiring Ian to produce a podcast series for you, please contact him via the details below.

Ian's website: www.karonasound.co.uk

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first episode of Series 3, we welcome award-winning singer-songwriter and producer, Boo Hewerdine. Boo’s career spans almost 40 years, ranging from his big label signing in the 1980s with his band, The Bible, through to solo work, regular collaboration with Eddi Reader, and songwriting and production duties for many, many more famous artists. He also runs several songwriting workshops around the UK, links to which can be found below.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Boo Hewerdine HHM Spotify playlist: link here

Boo’s YouTube channel: link here

Various workshops involving Boo: Stages, Halsway Manor (Jan-Feb 2024)

Talent Is Timeless programme: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we welcome one of the brightest rising starts in the folk and acoustic music world, Iona Lane. Iona’s music is full of inspiration from the wonderful British countryside. In this interview, she shares with us her early influences and her approach to songwriting and career management. This will be particularly useful for young musicians to learn how to forge a professional career in the today’s challenging arts world.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Iona’s website: www.ionalane.com

Iona’s Bandcamp page: link here

Iona’s YouTube channel: link here

Help Musicians website: www.helpmusicians.org.uk

Iona Lane HHM Spotify playlist: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a first for the series, as this episode is the first of a two-part interview! It features best-selling author, Paul Finch. Paul’s writing career started as a scriptwriter for the TV series The Bill, and has written and extensively in the horror and fantasy fiction genres, including for Dr Who. However, he is probably best known for his crime fiction, especially the highly successful Heckenberg and Clayburn series.

In this first part, Paul shares his backstory with us; his experience working for the police and as a journalist, and how this influenced his writing career.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Paul Finch website: www.paulfinchauthor.com

Paul’s Amazon page: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features the second half of my interview with best-selling author, Paul Finch. Paul’s writing career started as a scriptwriter for the TV series The Bill, and has written and extensively in the horror and fantasy fiction genres, including for Dr Who. However, he is probably best known for his crime fiction, especially the highly successful Heckenberg and Clayburn series.

In this episode, Paul shares with us his approach to writing, his working regime, and offers advice on how you can get your stories and written work into the public domain. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, go back and listen to that first, as it will put a lot of the content in this episode into context.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Paul Finch website: www.paulfinchauthor.com

Paul’s Amazon page: link here

Photo: Jamie Spilsbury

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features an interview with critically-acclaimed UK-based singer-songwriter and storyteller, Reg Meuross. Reg’s professional musical career spans over five decades and his songs cover a wide variety of topics, all of which have a story and message to them. In the interview, he shares with us his first steps into the music business, how to make sure that you understand your purpose in live performance, and gives us some great songwriting tips.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via the link below.

Reg Meuross website: www.regmeuross.com

Reg Meuross Patreon page: link here

Reg’s Half Hour Mentor Spotify playlist: link here

Photo by Rachel Snowden

Jeff Tweedy book mentioned by Ian: Amazon link here

Donate to support Half Hour Mentor: website link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is the first of another two-part interview, this time featuring artist, photographer and filmmaker, Megan Powell. Megan is a lecturer at the University of Salford and, as you’ll hear in both episodes, is not only an inspiration to her students but also has suffered several traumatic experiences in her life that have had a dramatic impact on her approach to the creative arts. As a consequence, there are some distressing themes discussed and I have added some relevant helpline links below should you be impacted by any of the content.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via the link below.

Megan Powell website: www.megan-powell.com

Cindy Sherman website (referred to in the interview): www.cindysherman.com

Univ. of Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology: link here

Manchester Metropolitan University School of Digital Arts: link here

Royal College of Art: link here

Two helplines to contact if you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode:

Refuge UK national domestic violence website: www.refuge.org.uk / 0808 2000 247

Childline: www.childline.org.uk / 0800 1111

National Domestic Violence (US) website: www.hotline.org / 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)

Donate to support Half Hour Mentor: website link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is the second of the two-part interview with artist, photographer and filmmaker, Megan Powell. Megan is a lecturer at the University of Salford and, as you’ll hear in both this and the previous episode, is not only an inspiration to her students but also has suffered several traumatic experiences in her life that have had a dramatic impact on her approach to the creative arts. As a consequence, there are some distressing themes discussed and I have added some relevant helpline links below should you be impacted by any of the content.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via the link below.

Megan Powell website: www.megan-powell.com

Univ. of Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology: link here

Manchester Metropolitan University School of Digital Arts: link here

Royal College of Art: link here

Two helplines to contact if you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode:

Refuge UK national domestic violence website: www.refuge.org.uk / 0808 2000 247

Childline: www.childline.org.uk / 0800 1111

National Domestic Violence (US) website: www.hotline.org / 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)

Donate to support Half Hour Mentor: website link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we are delighted to welcome singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid to the podcast. We managed to catch her between US and UK tours to talk about her career, approach to songwriting, and also her vast experience on dealing with the legalities of touring abroad. It’s a real insight into a musician’s life on the international circuit.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Photo credit: Phil Nicholls

Sarah’s website: www.sarahmcquaid.com  

Sarah’s Facebook page: link here

Sarah’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SarahMcQuaid

Sarah’s Spotify page: link here

Sarah McQuaid HHM Spotify playlist: link here

Sarah’s Musician’s Union international touring case study: link here

DADGAD Guitar Tuning Tutorial book on Amazon UK: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Website: www.karonasound.co.uk/podcasts

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first of two parts featuring actor, audiobook narrator and musician Greg Patmore. Greg is having an amazing career in media and, in this episode, we explore his back story and how he rose from playing in a brass band through to acting alongside Kevin Costner and Tom Berenger, and becoming a multi-award winning audiobook narrator.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Greg’s website: www.voiceofgreg.com

Greg’s video Showreel 2016: link here on YouTube

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Website: www.karonasound.co.uk/podcasts

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second of a two part interview featuring actor, audiobook narrator and musician Greg Patmore. Greg is having an amazing career in media: if you haven’t listened to Part 1, go back and have a listen to his backstory.

In this second part, Greg provides us with a deep dive into the world of recording audiobooks: the preparation involved, the relationship with authors, and how to deal with voicing different characters and genres. It’s a masterclass on narration and will be of special interest to audiobook fans.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Greg’s website: www.voiceofgreg.com

Greg’s video Showreel 2016: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Website: www.karonasound.co.uk/podcasts

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first of a two-part interview featuring music festival programme director and performing musician, John Watterson (aka Fake Thackray). In this episode, John shares with his early career in business, how he came to be touring and paying homage to the wonderful work of the late, lamented singer-songwriter and storyteller, Jake Thackray, and how he used his business knowledge to help this become a career.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

John’s ‘Fake Thackray’ website: www.fakethrackray.com

The 4Ps of Marketing (via Investopedia): link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Website: www.karonasound.co.uk/podcasts

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second part of a two-part interview featuring music festival programme director and performing musician, John Watterson (aka Fake Thackray). In this episode, John tells us how he became involved in concert promotion, progressing from putting gigs on in his local area to programming major music festivals in the likes of Ibiza and Portugal. He also shares with us his planning approach to ensure that each festival has a varied bill. It’s essential listening if you fancy putting on a local concert series to help keep music live.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

John’s ‘Fake Thackray’ website: www.fakethrackray.com

Harmony Voyages festivals: www.costafestival.co.uk  

Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones website: www.bryonyandalice.com

Karona Sessions website: www.karonasound.co.uk/sessions

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Website: www.karonasound.co.uk/podcasts

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we have our first double-header interview. It features Yorkshire-based folk music duo, Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones. Individually, Bryony and Alice have forged their own successful careers in the UK folk scene but have gained great critical acclaim since starting working together as a duo in 2019. Their live performances are both musically stunning and full of hilarious stage banter – you’ll hear plenty of the latter in today’s episode! 

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Bryony and Alice’s website: www.bryonyandalice.com

Bryony Griffith website: www.bryonygriffith.com

Alice Jones website: www.alicejonesmusic.com

Spotify playlist: link here

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Website: www.karonasound.co.uk/podcasts

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this last interview of the series, we are honoured to have great insights into the world of arts and culture from the ex-Director General of the BBC and life peer, Lord Tony Hall. He gives us a wonderful summary of how he developed his broadcasting career, and also how he dealt with a career change in his late 40s.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

There will be a couple of compilation episodes to conclude the third series in the next few weeks.

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Website: www.karonasound.co.uk/podcasts

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This 10-minute compilation episode features some of the funny incidents that happened to some of my Series Three guests in their careers. The stories were in answer to some quick-fire questions I asked at the end of each interview. None of these clips featured in the main interviews. You will hear contributions from Lord Tony Hall, Paul Finch, Bryony Griffith, Alice Jones, Reg Meuross, Sarah McQuaid and Boo Hewerdine.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Website: www.karonasound.co.uk/podcasts

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2023 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Onwards and upwards! This compilation episode features some of the excellent advice and guidance given by the guests in all three series to date. If you are looking for some inspiration and mentorship to help you kick start your New Year, then this episode is just what you need! It features contributions from Andy Burnham, Paul McGee, Greg Patmore, Matthew Smith, Simon McCleave, Malcolm Hollingdrake, Paul Finch, Steve Bennett, Findlay Napier, Boo Hewerdine, Charlie Dore, Reg Meuross, Tim Williams, Brendan Riley and Helen Tonks.

Please follow / subscribe to the podcast series and leave a review where you can. You can learn more about the series by following @halfhourmentor on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or by visiting halfhourmentor.com. The series is completely independent of sponsorship and adverts so, if you would like to contribute to help keep it going, you can do so via this link.

Photo by Ian Cleverdon (taken at Formby Beach, Merseyside)

Contact Ian Cleverdon directly: ian@karonasound.co.uk

Website: www.karonasound.co.uk/podcasts

Follow the podcast on socials by searching for @halfhourmentor

Original theme music composed and performed by Ian Cleverdon.

Copyright 2024 Karona Sound

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.