Paul Olima: Influencer Cringe, Worst Gym Fads & Street Fights

0:00Welcome to Untapped with me, Spencer Matthews, where we learn how to untap our potential from people who've achieved and overcome extraordinary things. Paul Olima went from professional athlete to fitness icon, one of the most popular content creators in the space and an unapologetic truth teller. In this episode, we dive deep into his journey, the pressure of identity, and we take a hard look at toxic fitness culture, calling out the nonsense and exploring how to build strength without the ego. If you haven't already, please take a moment to subscribe to the show wherever you are. Your support and joining our Untapped community helps the show grow, and you'll be the first to hear about incredible guests that we have lined up, and you can follow along with me as I begin training for my next 7-7 world record attempts.

0:43Let's get Untapped with Paul Olima. Can you tell me a little bit about your early life in Dublin? Early life in Dublin. I was born, yeah, raised in Dublin as well, and there was basically my family and that was it when it comes to black people in Ireland. And yeah, it was brilliant though because we were, my dad was a doctor. So we were the doctor's family and yeah, we were all good at sports. So it was fun. It was hard when it came to having to fight and stuff like that. But other than that... You say we were all good at sports, you were siblings? Yeah, six brothers, six boys. Yeah, we were second youngest.

1:22So yeah, we had six brothers and we were all quite sporty. So it was pretty good. That's unbelievable. Well, I mean, it's not actually that hard. It's not that hard to believe. But there's six of you, essentially. Yeah, six of us. Yeah, me mum had six boys. Wow. I know, mad. Proper Irish fans, six boys. Would you all play sport together? What's the age gap? No. So I think it was like two years, two years, two years, two years in between all of us. And then the older two, I think there was like four years in between them. Wow. But yeah, it was just a beatings every day. but you know it was just it was just fun I don't know I can't explain it more than it was it was eye-opening it was just and you say when it came to fighting was that so I don't mean to get so that you would that there was general aggression around you growing up?

2:09No so in Ireland like I'd say there's two things growing up that you have to be good at yeah like football and fighting it's kind of the area of where we lived in it was kind of like if you're if you could handle yourself then nobody would try and fight you, you know what I mean? And then if you were really good at football, people would knock on your door and ask you to play football every day. So because I was half decent at football, all my mates would come around knocking on the door, we're playing football, do you want to play? You know what I mean? So I never felt left alone or anything like that.

2:40Ireland was great for that. So you became a professional footballer, did you not? Yeah, well, I tried to be a really good one. In Ireland, I was playing for like Shamrock Rovers, teams like that like the Irish equivalent of the Premiership over here and then when I was 19 I moved to England and I had trials at West Ham didn't really do too well went to Scunthorpe United Bristol Rovers Dagenham and Redbridge you can see you can see how it's going and then when I was at Dagenham I was in the reserve team for like two years and that's League 2 so then I realised my like I'm only as good as like the Conference or like the Southern in conference leagues, which is non-league, which I was like, I didn't move here to do that.

3:24But I did play for like seven or eight years, like in full-time and then part-time. And then I was like, I'm just going to play rugby. And that's the way it went. But you were also like, I mean, that's still to somebody who, you know, is, but that's still, that's a high level of football. Still, it's just not, you're not. It's not where I was. Yeah, it's not where you dream of or where, when, usually when people were leaving from like Ireland to England, they were all doing really well. Like everybody that I know that like left from Ireland to England, they're like, they were getting like Man City or, do you know, like when we were younger or getting like Leeds, everything.

4:02And then, yeah, just me. Daggering them in Redbridge. Was that purely just a question of talent or were you in a different stage of your life? I think it was, I will say something about football. If you do see football, the fitness is cross-country running. It's like it's the level of fitness that you have. Like you could have a player that's much better, not as good as you, but he is tracking down the left back, the right back. He's doing a job, just tactics. He's getting his job done and he will play because he's a better option than me who might not track back the right back or left back. and I was lifting weights and, you know, doing things that maybe wouldn't help my football, whereas I should have probably ran more, if that makes sense.

4:50But yeah, I just loved the gym. How old were you at this stage? I moved here when I was 19. So I was 19 to around 23, 24 when I was like trying to be a pro. And then when I was like 24, 25, I started doing my UEFA coaching badges to be like a football coach because I was like, you know what, I'll just be the next Mourinho kind of thing. And I did personal training certificates as well at the same time. So I was doing MUA for coaching badges and that. And then I went into conference. I was playing for a team called Turok. It's like near Legsside shopping center. And yeah, I was doing that and I was like, you know what, just become a coach, become a coach and go that route.

5:32And then loads of other stuff started happening. So that's not the route I took. Become a coach, coach the Hammers. This is it. And then put yourself in the team that you always belonged in. I was meant to be here and tell the kids how hard it was. Yeah, that was it. It was a bit of a weird one. And then you were also a gifted rugby player. Yeah, no, I was lucky. I think the best that I did, I played A-League for Harlequins, which is like I played against a Toe J and I was like, lovely. So you're a serious athlete. You've played football and rugby. And I mean, just the state of you is impressive.

6:08Yeah, it's gone. It's all, I've lost it all now. I have spent, but now athletics wise, I think that's why I could get straight into rugby. But when I started with rugby, I started with a team called Isha and I had to learn how to catch high balls or where to stand on the pitch because it's different from schools rugby where in schools rugby, you just get it and run. So I thought that would be the same here, but it wasn't the case. But yeah, rugby was great. Rugby was the most fun I think I've had playing sports because it's like a laugh with your mates, if that makes sense. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that was it.

6:39And then, so you've obviously kept fit, you train regularly. When did you decide to make the shift from professional athlete to viral content creator? Taking the piss online, yeah. I was doing something called sports choreography, which is, there's adverts on TV you'd see where if you see an athlete, let's say Messi's in an advert, there was a company that I worked for and they'd bring us in to bridge the gap between footballers and directors because a director would go up to a footballer and say I'll do a backflip and you know I'm in football like you've never played the game that's not how it works so they used to bring us into and it was great because I played rugby and that so if there was a rugby shoe I'd go if there was a football shoe and we would tell we would show the players what they needed to do so like if it's a volley I'd volley it and go this is where just kick the ball like this and then the players would do it and I was doing that for a while and I was also storyboarding ads for brands so brands would come up with weird ideas for brands to like do an advert for and I was like you know what I could probably do this myself so I started making skits myself and yeah the skits started doing really well so I was like fuck it I'll just carry on but I was also sponsored by nutrition companies so like Maxi Muscle and stuff like that I was sponsored by loads of nutrition companies and yeah I just decided I'd stop lifting weights because it's kind of boring and I just wanted to post stupid shit online because it made me happy and I just carried on doing it and I lost my fitness sponsorships but I gained happiness and here we are.

8:17Well that's interesting so would you say that you were not a particularly happy person before? No I'd say I was doing whatever it took to get a few quid you know like I love the gym and then what I can just go to the gym and get sponsored for lifting weights that it's it's like what the hell like in my head i'm like that is crazy um not that i enjoy i didn't enjoy really like setting up a tripod and doing heavy deadlifts and posting it for people to go oh great deadlift you know i mean it didn't really give me too much joy but posting something really stupid online and getting people laughing that was that brought me a lot of happiness so i say i just did i'll just do that full time that's kind of how Hey guys, it's Drew from the comment section.

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10:50You've been a body double for... yeah I've been a body double for Anthony Joshua Usain Bolt Mario Balotelli and Yaya Toure those are my four those are my four great how did you get into that and like what are you body doubling they're not acting what are they doing this is what I mean remember when I said we used to do the adverts yeah so basically if you get if you get let's say you get Usain Bolt or you get Mario Balotelli you Nike have him for three hours but they have me for four days or three days So they'll go, I'll wear all the same clothes as them. They'll get all the lighting. So when he gets on, they just go, stand here, Mario.

11:29And they'll take the shot because they've already taken a shot on me for like four hours. Do you know what I mean? So they'll get it right. And then if it's like an advert for TV or something like that, I will do all the movements. And sometimes it will be the back of my head and not the back of their head that you'd see because they weren't able to get that shot because they had to leave. You know what I mean? I mean I personally I understand what you're saying that is insane that they're so massive that they just turn up for like an hour or two and then they've got they've got your back instead because they can't be bothered to stay to do the shot yeah that's the way it is that's insane yeah you want to see some of the stuff that they do and it's like like Cristiano Ronaldo I think he got paid like there was once I think he had 27 minutes on a shoot and it was like 27 minutes is done he's gone do you know what I mean it's like he's gone it's a joke it's just but that's the way that's how they signed their contracts for all that stuff do you reckon Mario Balotelli ever looked back at the advert that he shot and went back looks good there he's a ledge no he's a ledge he done a lot for me when I was a double he used to like there was one time I was in Vegas with my mates and I wasn't able to do it he didn't turn up to the shoot because I wasn't there do you know what I mean like little things like that I was like fucking cheers but no I think they're all I think they're treated like gods if that makes sense.

12:50I think there was once there was a shoot with Mario in the San Siro and they kept on putting a coat it was drizzling. They kept on putting a coat over him. It was drizzling. It was drizzling and every take they were like oh put a coat over him. And I remember I was like what the fuck. I think this is when I got him started becoming a bit matey with him. I was like what they're treating you like a princess. Do you know what I mean? Like tell him to and he started laughing and it's just they're treated in a certain way of oh the talent is coming in like everybody act differently. like they're not humans do you know what I mean and I think with the job that I had as a sports choreographer we humanized them straight away it'd be like like how are you getting on like this is what we're doing because again everyone's fucking human do you know what I mean I just so it's like don't treat them any differently and that was the best way to do it and it always worked out well and have you you've lifted weights with The Rock before have you I was meant to do you know that Hobbs and Shaw the film yeah I was in a scene with The Rock where I was meant to be lifting weights with him.

13:49So the person said, all right, no phones, but The Rock was my fucking idol. So then when I was, when the scene was about to happen, The Rock was going off and I was like, look, this is my only chance to get a picture with The Rock. I was like, can I get a picture? And he got the picture and then the security guard got fucking lost her mind and I got kicked off set. No, I wasn't. And then they cut my bit out of the film. What? Yeah, yeah, yeah. but I got a picture with The Rock. That's all that matters. Yeah, yeah, no, no, yeah. They went mad because we had our phones out and so well I had, I wasn't missing me opportunity, you know what I mean?

14:29Like when they gave me the job, they were like, all right, so it's 200 quid. I was like, yeah, whatever. Am I going to be on set with The Rock? And they were like, yeah. I was like, yeah, don't worry. Yeah, I mean, I'll give you the 200 quid. You can take it back. I got my picture I was puzzled I was puzzled but yeah he's a specimen he's lovely as well what's been the kind of biggest success that you've seen in your kind of online career should we call it like what are the things that perform the best what are the things that bring you the most joy yeah I'd say I don't know really I think doppelgangers like you know when you get to dress up as someone the internet's just full of absolutes it's mental like you know what I mean so if I get to dress up like you know somebody's done something and I'm like oh I have that wig I have that beard let's buy that beard oh what's he wearing a playtop and we fucking just dress play and dress up at 38 years of age it's a lot of fun so yeah and as well I think now because I have like a team of people with us and just knowing that every day I can get up and just make something stupid How many followers do you have now?

15:41Across all platforms I probably have around 14 million across all of them. 14 million? Yeah, just across all of them. That's insane. No, yeah, it's great. It's great, but it's weird because like, sometimes, it's just weird because you're just having a, like, you're taking a piss, like, and you're having a laugh, so I don't really. You do, you've referenced that you've stopped lifting. Do you no longer train? I'm mad. Fucking hell. No, No, but like, that's why I'm saying you clearly stay in shape. No, no, I do jiu-jitsu. So I do jiu-jitsu three times a week. Judo once a week. And then I go to the gym only twice a week.

16:31It's all changed because I love jiu-jitsu. And I hear you love jiu-jitsu too. I like jiu-jitsu. Yeah, yeah. I've heard. I think it's, I love jiu-jitsu for a number of reasons. Obviously, you're today's guest, and we can, of course, have an open conversation about what we both get from it. But tell me why you love jiu-jitsu. I don't know. I just love making people submit. Just knowing that I could kill them, and then I let them go. I'm like, yeah, I could have killed you there. No, no. I do love jiu-jitsu. I think it's more of like, because I was just going to the gym for years, I thought gym was everything.

17:06But sometimes I go to jiu-jitsu, and I take a beating. and then all my aggression is gone. I'm just sitting in the car on the way home. Like, you know, and all my, like, it's like all your problems just go away because you're on the mat and all you have to think about is whoever you're fighting or, oh, it's just, it's brilliant. For my mental, like, I don't know what, I don't actually know what I was doing without it. Like, you know what I mean? For my mental, it is just absolutely wonderful. Do you find the fights that you would get into as a child have a part to play in any of this? Do you carry around any, because I mean, I have no experience really of that.

17:45I've got into the odd fight, as you might imagine, you know, whatever, just young people being young, but I was certainly never subjected to feeling kind of unsafe during my childhood. Has a desire to want to know how to defend yourself ever been a part of your martial arts journey? Yeah, I always, I think what it was, I'll be deadly honest, when I was, like I've had, like in Ireland, I was fighting all the time. It was a way of like, you know, showing your, like, say what you want about me, but I'll defend myself here. So then like, it was just a way of maybe an ego boost or just a way to, I don't know, kind of be, I wouldn't say be accepted, but it is kind of a way of if you can fight in Ireland, people leave you alone.

18:32But I think when I was growing up, just knowing that I thought I could fight, I was a good fighter. But then I went to jiu-jitsu and I got beaten up so badly. Two of my mates brought me down, James and Duren. You know Duren, don't you? I know them both, yeah. Yeah, yeah. James and Duren brought me down to a jiu-jitsu place. And I was beaten up so badly. And I was like, I need to do that. I need to learn how to do that. Because the beating I got was just so eye-opening. and my whole years I was always like, oh, I can handle myself. But it shows that I couldn't. What I received that day was mental.

19:08Well, I guess it's just a different discipline, isn't it? But I remember that as well. It's such a humbling experience. Like the guy that has taught me is a guy called Paxton Gibbons. He also rolls at RGA. He was one of Hodger Gracie's first black belts many years ago. He's decent. He looks phenomenal, but he's like, he's in his 50s, I think. It was his 50th recently, but you'd think he was my age. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He said to me, he's like, do whatever you like to me. He's like, you know, I'm like, well, no rules. He's like, well, no punching, you know, no biting. You know, he's like, but do your absolute best to cling on to me, to stop me from hurting you, basically.

19:50And I was like, all right. So literally, in my head, I was thinking like, I'm just going to grab hold of this guy and fucking kill him. like literally and he there's none of that like he he submitted me in the most embarrassing way like in front of people in a really slow way as well so it wasn't like a quick bam bam it was kind of like I'm just going to slowly work my way up your body and choke you out like in a in a really controlled and you're just lying there like a piece of shit what's going on oh my god and you're dying it's like a sometimes it's like a whip like the fellow he's fighting and I fought Roger as well it's like a wet blanket being thrown over you.

20:27Terrible. There's nothing you can do about it. Like a big rug being put over you. And that's what I mean. Like, can you imagine, like, knowing somebody can do that to us? Like, no way. No way. I am doing jiu-jitsu. I just, that was mental. No, it was. It was. And it's, I think people either get that feeling that we had where we're like, I need this. Like, I have to learn this. Or it's like, fuck this, I'm out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, you know, because the shock of it is so unreal. And then you start, you know, your journey and year and a half in, you know, you're pretty... I think there's a little hill to climb with jiu-jitsu where, call it the first month, maybe first month, six weeks, you're really going to have no idea what you're doing, right?

21:14And you're going to feel like the butt of the joke for a little while. And then all of a sudden, like, things start to click. And all of a sudden, you're stringing a few moves together. and they're working and you start to get the better of people and it's like and that feeling is one of the most addictive yeah yeah it's unreal actually i want to go and roll right now it's like when somebody gives you an underhook and they don't know that you've got an underhook and you're like i have just won this whole fight and you're just sitting there with your hand resting waiting for them to make any movement knowing that you're just oh it's just no it's It's a glorious thing.

21:48And to be honest, you know, I've, I feel like when you, when you, I feel like it is quite a life-changing thing when you get into it and when you begin to understand it and you're on that kind of journey and that path, it's a really special thing. And like, you know, I've even taken, well, one of my best friends in the world, I took him along for the, once I, I was a kind of one stripe or two stripe blue belt at the time. And I got one of my best friends into it from scratch. And he's now a blue belt. And like, And he said to me the other day, he's like, genuinely, my whole, like, you know, my life is different now.

22:23It's changed. The drinking, you kind of stopped as much drinking as well. I used to be out on a Saturday, but now, because I want to be a good at fighting, I'm like, put that away. It's tremendous though. It's not, it's weird. It's like, I have like respect for you. As soon as Darren said, he does jujitsu. I was like, oh, like it's different because you know somebody is taking a beating and he's okay with, do you know what I mean? if you're a four-strike blue belt, that means you've taken hella beatings and you're okay with it. Many. And that's what I'm trying to say. And a lot of people mentally wouldn't be able to do that.

22:54And that's when, if somebody's like, oh, I do jiu-jitsu, I'm like, fair play to you. Dish plenty of beatings out as well, eh? Oh, yes, of course. Oh, yeah. Every time I go. The hell dome or the hell chamber. So obviously a lot of your content is humor-based, right? Like obviously you've said many times you're having a great time with it, calling out silly things, having an awesome time doing it. You also call out kind of toxic gym culture. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, lots of it. So like run me through in your opinion what that is. Like what are fitness influencers doing that they shouldn't be doing?

23:33What kind of gets on your nerves as like somebody that is, you know, ultimately a strong voice and figure in this space? Yeah. You know, what should we be looking out for? Or what is going wrong with the industry? I think at the start, the fitness industry, I think when I was getting sponsorships at the start, it was Maxi Muscle back in them days. And it was kind of like bodybuilding. And it was fine. But then now everybody's an expert. So people are like, I think lockdown was crazy. Like people were doing donut workouts and stuff. And, you know, like just lifting up laundry, laundry thing. It was just very stupid.

24:09And then I love that because that's where I got my, I was like, fuck that. That's a laundry workout. I'm going to do that. And that's when I started just copying all the stupid exercises in the gym. So, but I don't know. Nowadays, I used to get really angry about it. I was like, oh, that's fucking, that's not how you do it. But now I can just film myself doing what they've told. Yeah, and then instead of me having to be angry, I've just thrown a little bomb in there and left. You know what I mean? This is the, and yeah, I think it's better that way and to be like, you know, like a lot of people online, like Greg Doucher, you know, and stuff like that.

24:48They're always like, this is wrong. Is he the guy from the car? He's always in a car. Yeah, yeah. No, that's Joey Swole. Yeah, yeah. Joey Swole. I love Joey. But yeah, they're always like, oh, this is wrong. This is right. And fair play to them. And you know what I mean? But I don't really want like people to be messaging me saying, you know what I mean? So I just film something stupidly and then leave it. Let the world decide kind of what they think. calling out is maybe a bit strong like you're not calling people out uh but you know you you do you make amusing posts around kind of cringy behavior i suppose in the gym like what would you what would you consider to be your kind of cringiest i think it's uh for me it's the arse shots like that the thing that really annoys me right now is like if somebody's trying to teach people how to do a shoulder press but they're filming their arse do you know what i mean it's like that's not that's like not what you're you know what I mean you're not so it's it's kind of like using OnlyFans ish movements to like it's kind of killed the fitness industry in a way sexualizing it yeah oh it's fuck it that shit just because I love fitness you probably love fitness and there's a way that fitness could be done where it's for everyone but now that it is as you were saying they're sexualizing it just that shit just absolutely I just if I see something like that, I'm like, I'm doing that post straight away.

26:10Do you know what I mean? Like, let me kind of show them what they are doing in a way. And most of the time, the people that I do, the skit soft, they'll send me a message or their DM or something like that. So it's not like, I've never do something where I'm like, oh my God, I hope you don't see it because I'm a purple belt in jiu-jitsu. What do they say to you? Like the people that you... Do you know what's crazy? They want to tag. Hey guys, it's Drew from the comment section. Some days my skin just needs a little coverage and other days I wanna go full glam. For those everyday moments like running errands or grabbing coffee, I've been loving the Merit Minimalist Stick because it's a foundation and concealer in one that gives me a really natural skin-like finish.

26:55But when I want more coverage, I'm reaching for the Hourglass Vanish Concealer every time. I know I'm not the only one who struggled to find the right foundation or concealer shade, which is why I always shop at Sephora. They have the best brands all in one place with so many shades, coverage options, and finishes, plus expert beauty advisors, free samples, and shade matching tools both online and in-store. So whether you're looking for barely there coverage or full glam, Sephora can help you find your match. Most women have been there. Something feels off. You don't feel like yourself, yet your doctor says everything looks fine.

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28:04And plain water isn't always the most efficient way to restore the balance. That's where Liquid IV comes in. Its science-backed formula is clinically proven to hydrate faster than water alone. Whether you're exercising, playing outside, or simply surviving a summer heat wave, it's an easy way to stay hydrated. Shop now at liquidiv.com. Liquid IV, hydration that goes wherever life takes you. so they're not even bothered by it i think sometimes that means that they must do it for arise you know i mean they know that people are going to be fuming with it and they don't care so yeah yeah most of the time is uh can you tag me yeah yeah so the kind of gym industry becoming a little a little bit more sexualized online now you know hooking people in through things that aren't really relevant to the training um is that necessarily a bad thing like where do you think that's heading um and you know should gym culture shift or are you quite happy with its current state i i hate it to be honest i'm not gonna lie it's it ruins something that like i love fitness and i and i love fitness for let's say like let's say my mom is is doing it or do you know like there's a certain it's there's a certain purity i i might sound weird it's just fitness but But no, there's a certain, the reason why I loved it from the start, or I started my personal training, is because I actually love the body and what it can do.

29:33But if, like, sexualizing, it's kind of ruining something that I feel is not about that. You know what I mean? If you do want to look better naked, that's totally fine. That's what we're here to try and get you to do. but for you to just like post photos of your arse or do you know what I mean or people getting BBLs and then trying to sell fitness plans and like trying to say oh don't do a lateral raise like this and they don't even have like a fitness instructor qualification do you know what I mean it's like usually I don't know it's even sometimes I'd see people that come out of reality tv and they're selling fitness plans and I'm like what have you did a if you did a fitness course Do you know, have you did anything to qualify to give people advice?

30:20And it's just little things like this that used to make me so angry. But nowadays, I don't even need to think about that anymore. Would you say anything bothers you? Right now, I'm trying to, my stress levels are, everything is about how I can take away or delegate my life to other people so I don't have stress. So as long as I'm going to jujitsu, I'm totally fine. So as long as I can go to jiu-jitsu, I think that's all I need. Okay, so I'm taking jiu-jitsu away from you, right? So you're not allowed to lift weights. You're not allowed to roll. And I'm just going to sit you in a room at a computer all day for a week.

31:00What are the things that are going to start to rev you up? And by the way, not that we're, you know, well, I guess we have some similarity, that's for sure. Like if I can't lift weights and I can't run, Like, for example, if I have three or four back-to-back days that really are just like, you know, you've got time to eat type thing. But like, you actually genuinely don't have time to go running. Or, you know, you could lift weights, but it would be at 5am type thing. And, you know, you've had a late night the night before with work or whatever. So, like, you need to sleep. So, like, you can't lift weights for three days.

31:32I feel like a genuine… Irritation. Yeah, shift in mood. Genuine irritation. Shorter with my kids. Not nice to be around. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not like a terrible thing either, but just visibly a bit, you know, different. Yeah, yeah. Of a dick. Yeah, I suppose so. Yeah, I have that as well. If I didn't have jiu-jitsu, like I have the worst road rage ever, and I can tell when I'm driving to jiu-jitsu to when I'm driving home from it, it's like two different humans. It's just because I can't explain. When you're tired and you have no energy and you've used all your testosterone or whatever, fighting people, then you're just calm.

32:13There's nothing left, you know what I mean, to be angry about. So as long as I have Jiu-Jitsu, I'm fine. So I can't really... What is it about other people driving that bothers you? Oh, it's terrible. Isn't it? Oh my God. It's like they're not doing the right thing. Yeah. Sometimes I'm driving my car and they're like, oh my God, it's like the stress of it. Like I'll be watching somebody taking ages to take a right-hand turn or... Infuriating. I just can't. I don't know. When I'm in a car, my missus says I'm a different human. like I'm a monster but this is great let's dig into this because I genuinely like I find this so interesting yeah oh yeah I don't know I'm fucking I'm a bit of a nightmare when I'm I just I don't know when I'm in a car and I just is it like a claustrophobic thing or is it just because other people irritate you it's like I'm trying to get home faster than I need to get home but I have nothing to get home for so sometimes I'm trying to get back to a place and I'm like why am I rushing and then I get home and there was nothing that I needed to do but it's like just get out my way traffic there's a bus london traffic as well i'm not interested like i i i i walk a lot of places i run a lot of places i'll line bike you run to places and then relax sweaty yeah i i mean i'm a elite athlete of course i don't sweat too much but like when it's like when it's very very hot outside yeah no i will sometimes maybe take a backpack with just a towel in it and i'll run with my top off type thing if it's boiling hot and i'll get to a meeting and wipe myself down and then put my shirt on and go in.

33:40Are you proper Bear Grylls now? Yeah, pretty much. Are you afraid of fucking play to you? Pretty much, yeah. For how long have you been going like this? I run a ferryman. I run a lot. I will... It's quite rare that you'd see me sat in a car in London. I'm like you. If I'm sat in traffic that's not moving, I'll be hooting and shouting and all kinds of stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can't do it. Also, I had therapy the other day and I spent maybe 40 minutes of the 50-minute session talking about how the recycling system is flawed. Just it fucking drives me mental. Like, I cannot... What part of the recycling system?

34:18Well, listen, I'm... Not the pickup. I see that the pickups are great. Pickup. Yeah, no, no. I thought you said pickles, sorry. I'm all for recycling, helping the planet. Like, no bother. Like, that's absolutely fine. You're getting this, yeah. Yeah, yeah. But when I, like, and because my therapist was saying, like, um you know are you a bit angry at the moment i was like no i'm i i i'm not angry i'm frustrated a bit with you know just general things like a lot of things frustrate me and he was like like what and i think he was expecting me to say like my kids or you were like recycling yeah and he said right okay let's let's talk about it so i spoke about it for ages and it's just it's this idea that you've got two bins like a recycling bin and the new brown one the food one oh my god Just don't even get me started, basically.

35:04I just can't bear it. So it's all great. And people wash stuff and put it in these different bins. And then you put the bins outside or in your bin thing. And then they pick the bins up and they lob it. I've seen them do it. And then they lob it in the back of a van. Yeah, the bin truck. So it's all mixed up anyway. And then it just gets all crushed together and chucked somewhere together anyway. So my clean plastic thing that I've specifically made the effort to clean and put aside, just gets like mixed in with a bunch of dog shit. So... And then it's like, and then, and then the reason for doing it is...

35:41I spent 200 quid speaking to his therapist, talking about recycling. It's true. It's true. And I said, and he said, but what annoys you about it? And I was like, but it's, it's a mess. I was like, it doesn't, it can't possibly work. I was like, you're putting the fate of the whole recycling system in the hands of individuals who can choose to ignore it. There has to be a better system. And he was like, why does it bother you? And I was like, because it's flawed, completely flawed. And people think they're doing the right thing. I'm saving the planet by putting this banana peel in the brown bin.

36:25Bullshit. You're not. You're making no fucking difference at all. And the bin guys are laughing about it. They must be. Wait, Jesus fucking Christ. No, it is. And I did a whole session on it. I'll put the banana peel in the normal bin, right? And she'll go, it doesn't go in that one. And I'll go, but it's all the same. So does you put the banana peel in the brown bin? The little, the new food bin? In order to please my wife. Go on. I keep the food and the recycling stuff separate. But then I do watch these guys. You pick up the bins, lob them into the back of the thing, which crushes it. I can go see him a set of binoculars.

37:04Yeah, yeah. And I'm sat up. What's up and watch it? No, and I see it. And I see it and I go, that's lost now in the system. There's no way, unless they pour all the rubbish out and they separate it on a big conveyor belt, which may be the case. I don't know anything about recycling. But if you're relying on the public to get it right, That's stupid. Okay, fair. It is. And please write into us, I'm not anti-recycling. I want a system that works. I understand the benefit of separating certain types of trash from other types of trash. But it's... It's flawed. Because does it not all get crushed down and buried somewhere in a landfill?

37:44Where does it come from? Like, what creates the new plastic? People go to that landfill when it's crushed and create new bottles for me. That bloke lost all his Bitcoin, remember? In that landfill? Anyway, that's a total separate one.

38:02Yet. The power of yet. Yet. I haven't found my Bitcoin yet. That's my favorite one of your clips, by the way. Which one? Oh, the yet one. I do like it. The power of yet. Is that when you just unplug? Yeah. Because I never go on podcasts, but you know Spencer said I'm going on yours because of jiu-jitsu because of jiu-jitsu I knew it because I knew you were a good human thank you yes and I 100 % but because it's fucking everybody on a podcast has been chatting absolute shite do you know what I mean and that one there so that not a podcast I just love doing it because we just find podcasts where people are talking absolute shite and we just pull the plug on them because that's the best thing that's all you'd want to do it's so good it's so easy we just sit there and we just go boom I've got something to tell you.

38:53Oh, shit. Your other one on Not A Podcast where you found that guy who said that there should be one global rule and it's just not to not kill. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know him. Which, the fellow that said that the plane? No, so the guy that said there should be just one rule and that rule should be to not kill anybody. Oh, yeah! I'm loud! I used to go to a nightclub called Swankies! That's the thing! Swankies! We used to dress up at Halloween. I was there. I used to go. I used to go. Parabas as well. Yeah, mate, exactly. Mate, that's it. We've met. We must have met. We must have met. We're just wearing a mask.

39:44That's so funny. Oh, God. When that clip came out, I was like, oh, God, I can't believe I know that guy. Yeah, that's why I remember it. Because he was like the host of the... Swankis was him and Matt Peacock and Paris Taylor. Yeah, that was it. No, so we did a party with them in Ibiza once with Veneer. So Alex Webb and me had Veneer. And we did a party with them in Ibiza. And we spent like a full weekend with them in Ibiza. And they were pretty wild back then. Jesus, like they were proper animals. and then I saw that clip and I was just like, nah, it's far too good to be true. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

40:22I literally sent it to so many people. I was like, look at Anth creating a world peace narrative. Mate, that's what I mean. I remember, because of that as well, I remember them clubs and then I remember I seen his face and I was like, is that the teaser from Swankies? I couldn't believe it. I literally couldn't believe it because so many people sent me that clip, like not knowing that he was going on. I was like, oh my God! Anyways, over the course of the last few years, you've kind of evolved a fair amount, lots of change, but seemingly very positive change. You feel in a really good place. What's kind of next for you?

40:56Where do you see yourself heading? I tried to do a bit of presenting before. I did like a show with BBC and stuff like that. And it was nice. I did also, I did an acting show for ITV, like a six-part comedy drama. That was nice as well. But learning lines was, it's a bit different. You know, like if you were like, feel this way, Paul, I could do it. So it's kind of, I don't really know. Like what I do is so much fun. And it's just, it's kind of like ease. It's like, I don't like, I don't know if it's just to grow it for as much as I can grow it for. And then if anything does come about, that works out really well.

41:37Just do that. But yeah, for now, I don't, all I can think of is growing, like my Facebook account, growing that out to the max, because getting more people in, like basically turning what I'm doing into like a mini lad Bible, if that makes sense. That's kind of where we're on the way to. So it's kind of, that's just all I think about is like my own business and how that's going. But if anything comes on the way, I'll take it. But yeah, it's just life is, I have to say it's wonderful at this minute of time. so I don't see much that I need changing. That's awesome to hear. And would you mind, I ask all our guests this, would you mind giving our listeners a word of advice on how to untap more of their own potential?

42:22I would say just go for stuff. I've played football, rugby, jiu-jitsu. I've done it. When it comes to sports, I've done most things that I can do. And even there, I've done presenting, I've done acting. Just put your fingers in as much stuff as you can. Find out what you like and just go for it. Like, you know what I mean? There's always going to be people that say that you can't do stuff or, you know, like so many times people, like I remember even when I started rugby, they were like, you're not going to go anywhere. And then I played international sevens and playing against Maro Otoje on a pitch, do you know what I mean?

42:56So it's kind of just go for it. Go for stuff. And if you fail, it's fine. Just it's not the end of the world. it's better to fail and try to never try to talk. Paul, thanks so much for joining me, mate. Lots of love. Legend. Thanks. Swankies later, yeah? I certainly hope so. Thanks so much for listening. We hope you enjoyed that episode. And if you want to hear more incredible conversations with extraordinary people to help unlock the potential within all of us, then please subscribe, follow, and review the show wherever you're listening or watching. Thanks again, and we'll catch you next week right here on Untapped.

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