Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging, and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs Bites thrives? You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect, and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.Lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show.

So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites. And today is episode 106 with the title, an ordinary bloke with an extraordinary mission. And I have the absolute honor and privilege to welcome Stephen Whitten. Stephen is the founder, Menebel Menebel, even, speaker and professional emcee. When I asked Stephen to describe his superpower, he said it is spreading joy and saving the world see smile at a time. Hello, Stephen. Welcome to the show.

Joanne, hi. And I'm so keen to get stuck in. I interrupted you, so, apologies. Yes. It's absolutely I'm delighted to be here. The and that's my joyful radio voice, or I could be an ordinary bloke and just go, yeah. Thanks for having me. It's been it's brilliant.

It's gonna be great.

Bites alright. It's alright, Steve. I mean, I I yeah. I had to have see eventually, I suppose. No. I'm really excited. I mean, we've known each other now a couple of years and,

Yeah. Yeah.

I I'm looking forward to this conversation to find out more about you and what makes you tick.

Oooo Er

and I suspect you're not just an ordinary bloke on an extraordinary mission. There's more to you than that. So tell me more.

Yeah. Do you know what? The ordinary bloke thing actually came from a mutual friend of ours, Jackie Handy. And we were having a chat one day, and I was talking about the challenges of life and where I'd come from and what had happened to me and all that stuff. And and she actually said to me, she said, you know what? Your your real superpower is that you, you know, you're an ordinary bloke. You're as you look, sound, and act like a very typical, you know, Bites, middle aged, hopefully, middle class. I don't know I don't know what that means anymore, but, you know, guy on the street, you're just ordinary. You could be working in a car dealership or in a supermarket or driving a bus or working in an office or running a big business, you know, just an ordinary, ordinary guy. But, yeah, you're right with what I hope is an extraordinary mission, which, came to me through some really dark Bites, actually, which I'll get on to in in a bit.

But, yeah. So that's that's what I'm what I'm all about. And most recently, the latest sort of incarnation of of that journey and my evolution is exactly as you said in the intro, which is about now properly realizing that my my destiny, which I think is a step above purpose, but, you know, the ultimate one is the the destiny is about spreading joy and literally trying to do that one one smile at a time, you know, saving the world by one one person smiling at a time. So

I love that. An ordinary blow. Yeah. Yeah. As I know you, I I can see that in you that you you are unremarkable package. But as I say, I I know that that there's more to you than that. And, you know, you're and I can see you driving a bus, but I can really see you in a car dealership because isn't that your background?

Yeah. It is totally. I started in a car dealership when I was 18. Absolutely loved it. It was an act of rebellion because I'd gone through school, and I'd done quite well academically given that I was a a school that wasn't renowned for its academic prowess, very ordinary secondary modern school in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire where I grew up, having moved out of London when I was a kid. And I went into the car trade, and my my parents at the time would have had me go into a factory or do something along their line of work. So because I went into something that, to them, was a lot more glamorous, that was was almost a sort of my first act of rebellion. Now interestingly, I I used to I rebelled at them because they said, oh, we'll get you a job at the factory we work in.