Working Class to World Class
Hello! My name is Lynn Lester and the purpose of my podcast is to celebrate the dreamers, the fighters and the underdogs who despite coming from ordinary backgrounds, went on to achieve extraordinary success. It is my mission to help inspire people, no matter where they stand in society, to keep thinking big and to never give up. As Jim Kerr of Simple Minds told me ”Sometimes your disadvantages are actually forming advantages that you find a way to use later in life”.
Episodes

Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
Season 2, Episode 5: From a kid in Kinross to the Olympic Games, with Eilidh Doyle
Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
Eilidh Doyle, the most medalled Olympian in Scotland, for track and field, talks about her rise to the top with the support of her family.

Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Season 2, Episode 4: From a fish town to Forbes, with Russ Lidstone
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Russ Lidstone shares his journey coming from a fishing town to working for and advising some of the biggest businesses in the world.

Tuesday Jan 16, 2024
Tuesday Jan 16, 2024
Business entrepreneur, Lee Puri, shares his working class journey that drove him to create a billion dollar business.

Monday Jan 08, 2024
Monday Jan 08, 2024
Meg Jones, Rugby Union legend shares her very candid story of how she became elite in her sport, whilst overcoming challenges along the way.

Friday Apr 07, 2023
From a spiritual upbringing to CEO of Sakara Life, with Whitney Tingle
Friday Apr 07, 2023
Friday Apr 07, 2023
Whitney Tingle, CEO of Sakara Life tells what it’s like growing up in an entrepreneurial household - having everything one minute and nothing the next.

Friday Mar 31, 2023
Friday Mar 31, 2023
In this week's episode I chat with the wonderfully engaging Sarah Drummond on her journey to success as a renowned producer and champion of the film industry.

Thursday Mar 23, 2023
From Camden Market to Macy’s Department Store with Wayne Hemingway
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Wayne Hemingway, one of the most recognisable designers tells his remarkable rags to riches life story.

Tuesday Mar 14, 2023
From the football field to worldwide DJ, with Colin Dale
Tuesday Mar 14, 2023
Tuesday Mar 14, 2023
Colin Dale, ex Kiss FM presenter and DJ talks about his journey from the football field to the world of techno.

Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
From business studies to chief marketing officer, with Emma Springham
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Emma Springham shares what can happen when you stumble upon something you’re good at, and how it can transform your career!

Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
From an Arsenal fan to creator of AFTV, with Robbie Lyle
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Robbie Lyle, creator of AFTV, tells the story of how he took his football passion and turned it into a career dream

Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
From a bullied child to a Brit Awards judge, with Bee Adamic
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
This episode delves into the music sector as I chat with Bee Adamic, a Music PR founder, who shares her fascinating story of breaking into the sector through pure hustle and a street wise attitude.

Thursday Feb 16, 2023
From a Derbyshire boy to a leader of a global marketing business, with Ian Millner
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Join me this week as I talk with Ian Millner, Co-Founder of Global Marketing agency iris on how adopting a risk positive attitude, facing problems front on and nurturing the talent around you, can help to achieve global success.

Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Imagine living a life surrounded by poverty, drugs and crime. Lisa Goodchild, digital expert and charity ambassador, talks candidly about how her upbringing developed the hustle and determination to succeed.

Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
From street smart skater to global advertising supremo, with Yusuf Chuku
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Joining me this week is Yusuf Chuku, born and brought up in North London, a son of Nigerian immigrant parents.
Hear how Yusuf went from being a skating obsessed, Dungeons & Dragons kind of kid, to living and working in New York as the EVP of Strategy and Insights at NBCUniversal.

Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
From a humble upbringing to a global creative hero, with Nicky Bullard
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
This week, I talk with Nicky Bullard, one of the top creative directors and business leaders in the advertising and marketing world. She explains her journey to the top and the prejudices she faced along the way.

About me
I'm Lynn Lester and despite being brought up in one of Glasgow's toughest neighbourhoods, orphaned at a young age, and having faced many challenges along the way, I feel utterly grateful every single day.
Through a combination of luck, hard graft and karma, I am fortunate to have been able to achieve success in the media, marketing and technology sectors.
I pinch myself when I travel the world, to host and present awards, TV shows, and events with some of the world's biggest companies. I have benefited from a career that a wee girl from Clydebank could never even have imagined, and this series is my way of helping others in their own journey to success.
But no matter where I go or what I do, I never forget where I came from.

About my guests
This series celebrates people who have come from humble backgrounds, and defied all odds to achieve success in their respective fields. From music to sporting heroes, from high profile business leaders to entrepreneurs, from overnight successes to those who have achieved their ambitions over time. Each episode features an inspirational guest whose insights, learnings and lessons will be invaluable to anyone looking to achieve their own dreams.