Sarah and Dennis are joined by Mark Ormrod to talk about money, ambition, entrepreneurship, family, AI, financial freedom and what comes next.

Mark was the UK's first triple amputee to survive the war in Afghanistan. He's an MBE and Britain's most decorated Invictus athlete. But this conversation isn't really about looking backwards.

Mark describes his life in 10-year blocks. His first was the military. The years that followed were about recovery, learning and development. Now, at 43, he sees himself firmly in his entrepreneurial phase, building businesses, investing, writing, filming and working towards the next version of his life. Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06

Over lunch, we talk about his earliest memories of money, growing up in a working-class family, spending every penny he earned as a young Marine and the moment he realised that relying on a single source of income could leave you vulnerable. That set him on a long journey of learning about money, investing, business and financial planning. Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06

Mark now has multiple sources of income and talks candidly about why that matters to him, how he has built systems and a team around himself, and why he describes himself simply as an entrepreneur rather than trying to explain everything he does. Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06

We also get into ambition, burnout, knowing when to say no, his enthusiasm for AI, and why learning itself may be the thing that drives him more than any particular business. Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06 Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06

Family runs through the conversation too. Mark talks about what he wants his children to understand about money, why he encourages them to save early, and why sharing unusual experiences with them now matters more to him than accumulating expensive things. Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06 Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06

And, naturally, the conversation turns to financial freedom. Mark has a number in mind that he believes will allow him to work because he wants to, rather than because he has to. That opens up a wider discussion about whether the goalposts move, what "enough" really means, and the balance between building for the future and enjoying life now. Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06 Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06

It's a wide-ranging, funny and very candid conversation about money, work, purpose and building a life on your own terms.

Nikujaga, a Japanese comfort dish of braised beef in a dashi, soy sauce and rice wine broth.

Seasonal roasted vegetables glazed with white miso and maple syrup.

Mushroom, Parmesan and thyme tartlets.

• Why Mark thinks of his life in 10-year blocks
• Moving from military life into entrepreneurship
• His earliest memories of money
• Learning the value of money while being terrible at managing it
• Why one source of income began to feel dangerously vulnerable
• Teaching himself about investing, business and financial planning
• Building multiple income streams
• What Mark has learned from working with financial planners
• Why learning, rather than any particular business, is what really drives him
• Ambition, burnout and becoming better at saying no
• Building a team around your own strengths and weaknesses
• Why Mark is so enthusiastic about AI
• What he wants his children to understand about money
• His approach to saving, spending and material possessions
• The difference between earning money and feeling financially free
• Whether reaching a financial target really changes how you feel
• What "enough" might look like
• Mark's first food memories
• What he wants the next chapter of his life to look like

Mark Ormrod MBE is a speaker, author, entrepreneur and former Royal Marine.

After sustaining life-changing injuries in Afghanistan, Mark became the UK's first triple amputee to survive the conflict and went on to become Britain's most decorated Invictus athlete.

Today his focus is firmly on what comes next. His work spans speaking, leadership development, business, investing, social media and a growing number of creative projects. He is also writing his autobiography and working on documentary and film projects. Edit-02---Sarah-Take-06

Mark Ormrod: www.markormrod.com

Mark on social media: @markormrod

Yellowtail Financial Planning: www.yellowtail.co.uk

Sarah and Dennis are joined by Sam Wones from The Adaptable Human Project to talk about stress, pressure, resilience, leadership, food, first money memories and why "just be more resilient" is not always helpful advice.

Sam helps organisations and their people understand stress, manage pressure and perform better. Not in a vague wellbeing way, but in a practical and measurable way.

With a background in performance psychology and over a decade as a Royal Marines Commando, Sam brings an unusual mix of lived experience, research and practical application to the subject of stress.

Over lunch, we talk about what stress really is, how it shows up in people and teams, and why resilience is often misunderstood. Sam explains the difference between short-term pressure and the kind of chronic stress that builds quietly over time, affecting communication, performance, decision-making and relationships.

We also discuss psychological safety, leadership, breathing, posture, screen time, and why the body can sometimes respond to everyday pressure as if something far more serious is happening.

As always, food plays its part in the conversation with Dennis cooked a Japanese-inspired summer lunch.

Sam also shares his first food memory, his first money memory, and the moment that led to a family conversation about pocket money.

And, as always, our guest brings Dennis a financial planning question. Sam asks how parents can help children develop a healthy relationship with money, opening up a wider conversation about pocket money, saving, spending, inheritance, Junior ISAs, and why money should not become a taboo subject at home.

This episode is about stress, but it is also about honesty. The pressure people carry. The assumptions we make. The conversations we avoid. And why the safest environments, whether at work, around a table or in financial planning, are often the ones where people feel able to say what is really going on.

Japanese-inspired cold broth with somen noodles, poached chicken, cucumber, spring onion, mooli radish and shiitake mushrooms.

Peanut-infused ice cream, made French-style with roasted peanuts.

• What stress really is and why it matters at work
• The difference between short-term pressure and chronic stress
• Why "just be more resilient" can miss the point
• How stress shows up in communication, leadership and team culture
• Psychological safety and what businesses can learn from military environments
• Breathing, posture and practical ways to manage pressure
• Sam's first food memory and relationship with food
• Sam's first money memory and the start of pocket money
• How different money backgrounds can affect relationships
• How parents can help children build a healthier relationship with money
• Dennis's own reflections on being a spender
• Why honesty and safety matter in conversations about money

Sam Wones is co-founder of The Adaptable Human Project, which helps organisations and their people understand stress, manage pressure and perform better.

Sam has a background in performance psychology and spent over a decade as a Royal Marines Commando. His work brings together psychology, physiology, leadership, team dynamics and practical tools to help people understand what is happening under pressure and how to respond more effectively.

The Adaptable Human Project: https://theadaptablehumanproject.com/

Sam Wones on LinkedIn: Sam Wones

Yellowtail Financial Planning: www.yellowtail.co.uk

In this episode of A Taste of Financial Planning, Sarah and Dennis are joined by Annabel Veysey and Dr Katie McBride from Shift Happens.

Annabel and Katie are close friends, but they bring very different perspectives to the same question: why do so many capable people feel overwhelmed by modern life?

Annabel sees this through a very practical lens. She builds support systems for people who are overloaded, including those whose brains simply do not work well with the neat little systems the world keeps handing them.

Katie brings the wider systems perspective. Why do we blame ourselves when the structures around us are fragmented, badly joined up, or simply not designed for real lives?

Over lunch, they talk about the invisible load many people carry, from school apps and life admin to work, family logistics and the pressure to keep everything moving.

They also discuss early food memories, early money memories, AI, human judgement, and the very human question of how you know when you have enough security to make a big life change.

As always, Dennis cooked. This time, Thai-inspired pork with tamarind, lemongrass, peanut and red curry, followed by a parfait with peanut praline, toasted black sesame and pineapple.

Good food has a way of softening the edges of difficult conversations. And money, overwhelm and the question "is this it?" are not always easy things to talk about.

But around a table, they become easier.

Useful Links

Find Shift Happens at: https://nas.io/shifthappens/community

Annabel Veysey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabel-veysey/

Dr Katie McBride: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-katie-mcbride-62078523/

Yellowtail Financial Planning: www.yellowtail.co.uk

Host: Dennis Hall

Host: Sarah Steele

Contact us: ask@yellowtail.co.uk

ABOUT YELLOWTAIL

Founded by Dennis Hall, Yellowtail are the trusted financial planners who advise individuals & families across the UK. Yellowtail's experts provide the clarity, control and confidence to guide you through financial planning, estate planning, pension transfers and investment management directing your journey towards a prosperous retirement and financial peace of mind.