177: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes - Episode 177177: The Good Listening To Show with Chris Grimes - Episode 177
UK Health Radio Podcast
Chris Grimes talks with creative director and copywriter Mike Coulter about tiny habits, behaviour design, and how his journey through newspapers, advertising and The DO Lectures has shaped his approach to work and life. The conversation mixes humour, leadership reflections and practical ideas for changing behaviour in small, sustainable ways.
43:24•11 Jul 2026
Tiny Habits, Bold Leadership and a Creative Life with Mike Coulter
Episode Overview
- Tiny changes in behaviour can be designed to support bigger life goals, using models like BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits.
- Focusing on people who already want to change makes behaviour change more effective than relying purely on motivation.
- Side projects can become powerful testing grounds for new skills and personal growth.
- Choosing work that feels playful and absorbing can reduce stress and increase satisfaction.
- Regular time in a personal "happy place", such as nature or movement, can support mental wellbeing and creativity.
“"Always get a job where at the end of the week, you think you should have paid them for the week."”
How do individuals from all walks of life battle addiction to old habits and stuck ways of living? This conversation on UK Health Radio’s Good Listening To Show zooms in on creativity, behaviour change and tiny steps towards a better life. Chris Grimes chats with guest Mike Coulter, a copywriter and "manifesto man" closely linked with The DO Lectures and Do Radio.
The tone is relaxed, funny and very human, with plenty of gentle teasing about accents, Shakespeare and cream‑first vs jam‑first scones. You’ll hear about Mike’s two "serious happy places" – floating on his back in the Atlantic and riding daily on Cornwall’s Camel Trail, which he describes as "a million miles from AI" and a key spot where his best ideas arrive. The heart of the episode is habit change.
Mike explains how Stanford professor BJ Fogg and the Tiny Habits method helped him out of a stressful, overworked patch where he was "not even on [his] F game". He turned writing a major side‑project report for The DO Lectures into his own "side project project", treating his behaviour as something he could redesign in tiny, workable steps.
That experience led him to train directly with Fogg, first online at midnight UK time, then in person at bootcamp, so he could apply behaviour design to creative work, business, and everyday routines.
There’s also rich reflection on Mike’s path from a local newspaper in Halifax into advertising, and the early advice from his dad to "always get a job where at the end of the week, you think you should have paid them for the week." His love of play, side projects and practical psychology runs through every story.
If you’re curious about how small habits, creativity and a bit of humour can support healthier choices and a more satisfying life, this episode might spark a few ideas of your own – what tiny habit would you start with?
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