West Point is the US Military Academy that has produced future astronauts, presidents and Medal of Honor winners. For almost three decades, Nate Zinsser has led its performance psychology programme, teaching recruits the mental skills they need to excel. Occasionally, Nate also gets called in to help American football quarterbacks win Super Bowls. He told Tobias Gourlay why confidence is the key to high performance – and how you can build it.

In 2008, Jonny Benjamin went to a bridge to take his own life, but a stranger talked him down. After a nationwide campaign to #FindMike, the pair were reunited and have since started Go Beyond, a charity to help young people around the UK. Here, Jonny shares his full story with SLMan…

From fluctuating house prices to skyrocketing energy costs, changes are afoot in the British economy. We asked Paul Sedgwick, co-founder of Frank Investments, to cut to the chase and explain what’s going on.

It’s 15 years since David Gandy first made a splash as the face of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. Since then, the world’s most famous male model has become a father of two and has launched his own leisurewear brand. SLMan caught up with him to chat style tips, life advice and partying with J. Lo…

Jake Humphrey is the sports TV presenter you’ll recognise from Formula 1 on the BBC back in the day and, more recently, BT Sport’s football coverage. But he’s also spent the last few years speaking to remarkable people from Gareth Southgate to Matthew McConaughey about their methods for success. Jake told Tobias Gourlay what he’s learnt from these exceptional characters – and why those lessons have been so important in his own life.

Kelefa Sanneh has been obsessed with music since he went to a wild punk gig in his early teens. As a music critic for both the New Yorker and the New York Times, he’s spent a lot of this century living out that obsession. Kelefa filled Tobias Gourlay in on where everything’s at right now: from the classic albums you might have missed to the new acts to know – and how Lionel Richie once wrote the perfect song.

Chef Jackson Boxer is from a family that’s serious about food. He was always going to end up in hospitality and has become known as the creative mastermind behind much-loved restaurants like Brunswick House and Orasay. Now he’s teamed with his brother to launch a dive bar in Soho. He told SLMan where he loves to eat, why he loves to eat – and how on earth he’s going to open a dive bar now he’s sober.

If you grew up listening to Radio 1 in the 90s, you’ll know all about Pete Tong – his Friday-night Essential Selection show made him a legend of the airwaves. In 2014 he was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting and music. Here, he tells us more about his incredible career, how the pandemic has affected the capital’s dance scene, and his upcoming album release.

Matthew Jukes entered the drinks industry at 19. Three decades later, he’s owned a wine bar, looked after the wine list at a legendary London restaurant and hosted Wine Hunt on Channel 4 – all while writing a longstanding wine column for the Daily Mail. Most recently, he launched Jukes Cordialities, a luxe take on non-alcoholic wine that might be the first genuinely viable alternative to the real thing. We asked Matthew what he’s learnt throughout all of this…

It may sound like something from the dark age, but blacksmiths are still very much at work – and have an important part to play in everyday life. Alex Pole is founder of Alex Pole Ironwork in Somerset, and has spent more than 20 years working in forges around the world. Now, he’s written a fascinating book about his trade. From the 20-year journey to becoming a master to unique collaborations with top London restaurants, he spoke to Tobias Gourlay about what it takes…

After a volatile upbringing, Liam Meredith was 18 when he went to prison for drug-related offences. Behind bars, he was introduced to rehabilitation charity Key4Life, which helped him find employment and then go on to start his own food truck business. Here, he tells that story in full – before Sarah Mead, his mentor at food company Yeo Valley, explains why more businesses need to get involved and support Key4Life.

Joe Navarro was an FBI special agent for 25 years. He analysed human behaviour in order to pursue spies and other dangerous criminals around the world. In the course of his career, he interviewed more than 13,000 people from every walk of life, while also studying the science of communication. Across all of this work, he started to see a pattern of behaviours that mark out a select few as exceptional people who are worthy to lead. Joe spoke to Tobias Gourlay about working for the FBI and what it takes to be a leader…