In this episode of A Taste of Financial Planning, Sarah and Dennis are joined by Toby Swallow, health coach, ageing disruptor and former world champion powerlifter.

Toby first joined us on our previous podcast, The Century Plan, where we explored the parallels between planning for your financial future and planning for your future health. This time, we invited him to join us around the table.

Over lunch, we talked about Toby's career as a powerlifter, the moment he realised strength and health are not the same thing, and why he now helps people think differently about what he calls their "health pension".

The conversation covers the basics many of us know we should pay attention to, but often avoid. Sleep. Movement. Strength. Protein. Fibre. Getting outside. Not waiting until something goes wrong before taking action.

There are also strong parallels with financial planning. Health and money are both areas where it is easy to assume we are "fine" until we are not. Both benefit from starting earlier. Both rely on good foundations. And both can shape the freedom and independence we have later in life.

Toby also shares his first food memory, involving sausage and beans, his first money memory, polishing his dad's army shoes to earn pocket money, and the money lessons he now tries to pass on to his own daughter.

And, as always, our guest brings a financial planning question for Dennis. Toby asks about pensions, the triple lock, the cost of living, and whether future retirees could face a much tougher retirement than the one many current retirees are experiencing.

There was also a quick mobility check. Dennis was involved. Photographic evidence exists.

Tomato consommé with cucumber, basil oil and a beautifully clear tomato broth.

Wild rabbit loin and croquettes, served with charred cauliflower, gem lettuce, carrots and a light rabbit jus.

• Why strength and health are not always the same thing
• Toby's journey from world champion powerlifter to health coach
• What Toby means by a "health pension"
• Why doing "something" for your health may not be enough
• Sleep, movement, resistance training, protein and fibre
• The link between food habits and family life
• Why future independence is about more than financial security
• Toby's first food and money memories
• Pocket money, chores and teaching children the value of earning
• Toby's question for Dennis about pensions, the triple lock and retirement planning
• Why your money needs to work hard for your future, and so do you

Toby Swallow is a health coach and ageing disruptor who helps adults build strength, mobility and resilience for later life.

A former world champion powerlifter and eight-time British champion, Toby now works with people who want to invest in their long-term health, not just chase short-term fitness goals. His work focuses on what he calls a "health pension", helping people stay capable, independent and active as they age.

Toby Swallow Coaching: https://tobyswallowcoaching.co.uk/

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.

We sat down with architect Caroline Shortt for a conversation that covered far more ground than we expected.

Caroline shares her journey from early entrepreneurial experiences to building her own practice, Barc Architects, and the work she now does designing beautifully considered homes for her clients. We also touched on her love of Italy, including the appeal of trulli in Puglia, something that sits more in the realm of future dreams than current projects.

Along the way, we explored how those design decisions often sit alongside much bigger questions. How far to push things. How to balance ambition with reality. And how emotion can influence some of the biggest financial decisions people make.

As someone who works closely with clients at that point, Caroline brings a thoughtful and grounded perspective to what can otherwise feel like overwhelming choices.

As always, the conversation unfolds over food, moving naturally between business, money and life.

• Caroline's early entrepreneurial experiences
• Building and growing an architecture practice
• Designing homes and working closely with clients
• The appeal of the Puglian trulli.
• The role property plays within a wider financial plan
• Balancing ambition with financial reality
• How emotion influences major financial decisions
• What "enough" really looks like

At the table

• Gazpacho with sourdough croutons
• Pasta Alfredo with seared ribeye steak
• A delicious chilled Mersault

Caroline Shortt is an architect and founder of Barc Architects, working with clients to design and deliver thoughtfully considered homes. Her work combines creativity with a practical understanding of how people want to live, helping clients navigate both the exciting and more complex aspects of building their ideal space.

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.

In this episode of A Taste of Financial Planning, we're joined by Mike Hesketh.

Mike's career has taken an unusual path, from training as a dentist and serving in the Royal Navy alongside the Royal Marines, through to building and selling a successful dental practice, and now working with practice owners through Hesketh Healthcare.

But this conversation goes far beyond career milestones.

We explore how early experiences shape our attitudes towards money, how different types of pressure influence decision-making, and what financial independence really means when it stops being theoretical and becomes real.

Mike reflects on his time in the military, including deployment to Afghanistan, and how those experiences changed his perspective on risk, responsibility and leadership. That perspective carries through into his approach to business, growth, and ultimately the decisions we all face when success arrives.

We also discuss:

• the reality of building and scaling a business
• why standards, not shortcuts, drive long-term growth
• the emotional and practical challenges of selling a business
• and what happens when you reach a financial milestone and need to decide what comes next

At the Table
Fish broth with a light Japanese influence
Raviolo with salmon mousse and a soft egg yolk
Rib of Aberdeen beef with new potatoes and asparagus

A conversation that moves from North Wales to the Royal Navy, from Afghanistan to business ownership, and into the realities of money, pressure and what comes next.

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.