Martha Lane Fox on near death, denial and disco

06/12/20 • 44 min

Crisis What Crisis?

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2. Martha Lane Fox on near death, denial and disco

Baroness Martha Lane Fox is a force of nature – entrepreneur, philanthropist, cross bench peer and one of the most influential people in digital for the last 25 years. The co-founder of Lastminute.com, she also now sits on the board of Twitter, the Donmar Warehouse and Chanel. But Martha is also someone who can talk with power and authority on the subject of crisis. In 2004 she was left fighting for her life after a car accident in Morocco that broke 28 of her bones, including a shattered pelvis. In this episode Martha talks powerfully about the practical techniques – both mental and physical – she has developed to cope with a crisis she must confront every day of her life. Martha is, I think, an inspiration to anyone dealing with their own trauma.
Martha’s Crisis Cures:
1. Boxing: ‘It’s so fundamental to my mental and physical wellbeing...even just imagining doing exercise can build the muscle mass. It’s quite extraordinary the relationship between our brains and our muscles.’
2. Books & Poems: ‘The poem Don’t Hesitate by Mary Oliver, it’s about joy...even when the world is bleak and there’s always something awful happening it doesn’t mean you should begrudge yourself joy.’
3. Pant Discos: ‘Putting some music on, blaring out way too loud (sorry neighbours) and having a couple of minutes moving about. Nothing beats it.’
Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Marthalanefox
Peers for the Planet: https://www.peersfortheplanet.org
Doteveryone: https://www.doteveryone.org.uk
The Open University: http://www.open.ac.uk
Queens Commonwealth Trust: https://www.queenscommonwealthtrust.org
Just For Kids Law: https://justforkidslaw.org
Lucky Voice: https://www.luckyvoice.com
Full transcript available at: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/martha-lane-fox-on-near-death-denial-and-disco/
Episode Notes:
Two things strike you immediately about Baroness Martha Lane Fox. A total and utter absence of self-pity is first. But an authentic, compelling honesty about her crisis and its impact is second. Honest that nothing good came from her accident. Honest that, for her, denial has been an invaluable weapon in the years since. As she says: “Denial is a very, very important part of how I function. I’m sure there are lots of people who would say there is lots about that that’s not healthy. The way I don’t get scared or feel as though I am a fraction of what I was, is by denying that I might fall over, that I have massive physical challenges. Some things you have to park.” The power of denial is not a strategy for crisis that you’ll find in any self-help book but I thought it was incredibly valuable because, as Martha herself says, “Crisis is not a competition.” There is no authoritative manual for crisis because every crisis is different. The key is in taking the time to work out what is best for you. And for Martha, one of the most positive people I’ve had the good fortune to talk to, denial has – when she feels she needs it – absolutely worked.
Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm
Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk

Next Episode

3. Richard Bacon on battling scandal, addiction and nine days in a coma

If this podcast is about analysing crisis in all its forms then Richard Bacon, one of Britain’s brightest TV presenters and producers, is a guest who has survived more than anybody’s fair share. A career shattering scandal, addiction and mental health issues and a sudden illness that left him in a coma and fighting for life. In this episode Richard talks about what he has learnt from his dramas – self-inflicted and otherwise - with disarming frankness, brutal self-analysis and plenty of humour.
Richard’s Crisis Cures:
1. Avoid alcohol: ‘I think if I’m going through a dark day the thing is to not drink because that can very quickly bring out anger.’
2. Vinyl music: ‘I often play sixties bands, whether it’s The Who or The Kinks or The Beatles or The Stones... nothing makes me happier than putting on a piece of vinyl, I just love everything about it.’
3. Babington House: ‘I got married there and it still retains its kind of magic quality...it’s hard not to go there and do anything other than feel much better.’
Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/richardpbacon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardpbacon
The ADHD Foundation: https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk
ICR Everyman appeal: https://www.icr.ac.uk/support-us/appeals-campaigns/everyman-appeal
Full transcript available at: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/richard-bacon-on-battling-scandal-addiction-and-nine-days-in-a-coma/
Episode Notes:
Richard Bacon is a man on a mission. Already an established entertainment and news presenter in both Britain and the US, he recently signed a deal with NBCUniversal to devise and produce new show formats. All this a testament to his energy and optimism. But transatlantic success can also be traced directly back to a decision made in the white heat of a crisis in 1998. Caught taking cocaine by the News of the World (under a previous editor!) whilst he was presenter of the BBC’s flagship kids show Blue Peter - Richard could have taken the view that fame and TV were not for him. Instead, aged just 23 he decided to ‘own’ his crisis and march headlong into, not away, from the drama. The bold innocence of youth, perhaps. But it also took courage, focus and determined self-belief – three critical crisis management skills. But success has been a tough road for Richard in part because of ADHD. A condition that he believes has contributed to his dependencies. As he puts it: “I’m a run towards, not a run-away addict. I’m not running away from anything.” Richard’s restless curiosity, and the support of his wife Rebecca, have been his saviours professionally and personally. A willingness to engage with his own strengths and weaknesses and to confront the truths of them is another crisis lesson worth noting. A big believer in the power of therapy (and, fortunately, podcasts), he says the simple, but not always easy, act of talking about your problems takes you a long way towards being able to fix them.
Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm
Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk