Future Work/Life (Ollie Henderson)
Explorez tous les épisodes de Future Work/Life
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov 2020 | Christopher Lochhead - Category Design & Niching Down | 00:51:54 | |
Welcome to this first episode of my new podcast, Take My Advice. I'm Ollie Henderson, and I started this podcast mainly because I just wanted to speak to some fascinating people about subjects in which I'm interested. They range from the future of work, and how that intersects with our personal lives, to marketing, management, entrepreneurship and sport. In this episode, I speak to one of my favourite business authors and podcasters, Christopher Lochhead. Christopher wrote the best-selling book Play Bigger with Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson and Kevin Maney and it's a how-to guide on category design, which I've linked to below. With Heather Clancy, he also wrote Niche Down, which focuses on how entrepreneurs should identify and own their own niche, whatever size business you're running. He also presents two fantastic podcasts. Follow Your Different is one of the top business podcasts in the world; repeatedly in the top five, and Lochhead on Marketing is a must-listen for marketing advice from one of the best around. He's also a straight shooter as well as a genuinely nice guy. If you enjoy this show or any of the other future episodes, please make sure you subscribe. Also, check out and subscribe to my newsletter, Future Work/Like You'll be joining thousands of others based around the globe who are interested in my take on how we react to our fast-evolving world. Links: Mophie Wireless-Charging UV Phone Sanitizer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 10 Nov 2020 | Cath Bishop - The Long Win with 3x Olympian, Diplomat & Author | 00:34:42 | |
Welcome to Take My Advice with me, Ollie Henderson - this is the second episode of this new podcast in which I talk to leading thinkers about subjects related to the future of work and our place in it. My guest today is Cath Bishop. She's an Olympian and World Champion rower. She's also a former diplomat, and now a leadership speaker, coach and writer, as well as a thoroughly lovely person to chat to. I enjoyed our conversation, which covered a range of topics, including sport, leadership and education. It includes fascinating and important points to do with our culture of winning and how we should aspire to judge success in the workplace and with our kids. We had a great chat. I think you'll find it really useful and interesting. I've included links below to anything we referenced in the notes below. Also, I'd like to point you in the direction of my newsletter, Future Work/Life. Enjoy. LINKS: The Long Win: the search for a better way to succeed Dan Cable's Alive at Work: The Neuroscience of Helping Your People Love What They Do Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 17 Nov 2020 | Alex Soojung-Kim Pang: 4-Day Week & Doing More In Less Time | 00:47:53 | |
In this episode, I talk to consultant and author, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, who has written two brilliant books that demonstrate the importance of incorporating deliberate rest into your life, and the value of a shorter working week - for example, a 4-day week or 6-hour day. Both books have impacted the way that I structure my time and influence my thinking about the future of work. Alex is a fascinating guy and has spent years studying organisations from a range of industries, including agencies, restaurants, call centres and manufacturing businesses. In our conversation, we cover a range of topics, from reducing the number and duration of meetings to the impact of AI on work. If you enjoy the show, please make sure to Subscribe and to sign up to my newsletter, Future Work/Life. Links: Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less Shorter: How Working Less Will Revolutionise the Way Your Company Gets Things Done Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 17 Nov 2020 | Ben Legg: Portfolio Careers | 00:31:49 | |
Ben Legg is the CEO of The Portfolio Collective, his new business and a community that helps entrepreneurial professionals launch and grow their portfolio careers. Ben has had a diverse career including as an army officer, McKinsey strategy consultant, COO of Google Europe and global technology CEO. He has lived in nine countries and worked in 60. He now has a portfolio career, which includes board roles, mentoring (and investing in) entrepreneurs, advising investors, speaking at conferences and consulting. We talk about his career, some of the principles he lives by and, of course, how to approach building your own portfolio career. LINKS: The Portfolio Collective's Catapult Course Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 24 Nov 2020 | Alyssa Westring: Parents Who Lead | 00:33:51 | |
Rewind 8 months to the start of the first lockdown in this strangest of years. My wife and I, like many people, were about to begin what was definitely the most challenging period of our parenting lives. Schools had shut, work was uncertain, and many people were understandably anxious. A couple of weeks before, I had ordered a copy of a new book called Parents Who Lead: The Leadership Approach You Need to Parent with Purpose, Fuel Your Career, and Create a Richer Life, which applies leadership principles to how you manage your personal life. Well, sometimes in life, things drop in your lap at exactly the right time, and so it was the case with this book. As you might imagine, when I decided to start recording this podcast, Alyssa Westring, one of the authors of this book with Stew Friedman, was among the first people I contacted and I’m delighted and honoured to bring you this brilliant conversation, which should fill you with insights and optimism whether you’re a parent or not. Alyssa Westring is an organisational psychologist at DePaul University in Chicago and is an award-winning educator and expert on leadership, work/life integration, working parents, and women’s careers. She’s also a frequent speaker at Fortune 500 companies and has two school-aged children. Thanks as ever for listening, and if you haven’t already, please check out my newsletter Future Work/Life for related insights, including last week’s edition which prefaces this episode. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 01 Dec 2020 | Shaun Tomson: Purpose and Flow in Surfing, Work and Life | 00:46:43 | |
Why has someone who’s never surfed invited one of the worlds greatest ever surfers on to his podcast? Well, a conversation I listened to in March between Guy Kawasaki and today’s guest Shaun Thompson made a profound impact on me and offered reasons for optimism during what was such a strange and challenging time. This podcast was originally going to be called Take My Advice (I’m Not Using It), but since it’s such a mouthful, I cut the name back a little. We discuss this theme in the podcast, though, specifically in relation to how Shaun shares his wisdom with others. We also talk about Shaun’s fascinating life as one of the creators of professional surfing as we know it, how his life in the water and out of it has been influenced by Flow, and most importantly we discuss his Code. Originally written as the Surfer’s Code, this was a very simple list of promises that Shaun lived his lived by using the metaphor of surfing. Following the tragic loss of his son in 2006, however, The Code became something much greater, and Shaun now shares it with people around the world. I found this conversation inspiring and I’m certain you’ll enjoy it too. LINKS: Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 08 Dec 2020 | Allison Baum Gates: Venture Capital & The Future of Work | 00:43:17 | |
Today's guest works at the forefront of the exploration of how this future could and should look. Allison Baum Gates is General Partner of SemperVirens; a Silicon Valley-based early-stage Venture Capital Fund focused on the future of work. I discovered Allison's Medium articles a few months ago in which she brilliantly articulates some of the challenges and opportunities that existed even before 2020 and that are now rapidly accelerating. Amongst other things, we discuss her ideas on what she calls the 'flipped workplace', education and work, the difficulties of measuring outcomes in a remote work setting, diversity in the world of venture capital, and workforce tech. If you're enjoying the first series of Take My Advice, please subscribe and check out my newsletter, Future Work/Life. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 17 Dec 2020 | DE&I Special with Zoe Young & Nishita Dewan | 00:43:34 | |
In the final episode of this first series of Take My Advice, we focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. My first guest is Zoe Young, founder of Half The Sky, author of Women's Work: How Mothers Manage Flexible Working in Careers and Family Life, and co-investigator of Work After Lockdown, a research project exploring how the effects of the pandemic on working from home, and looking at which new behaviours and working practices will remain, and which should be encouraged. We discuss flexible working, job design, and the impact of the changing face of work on women, in particular. I then speak to Nishita Dewan, founder of CollaboratEQ and a diversity and inclusion advisor to organisations like BCorps, The Wellcome Trust, The Royal Society of Arts, and Virgin. We discuss how businesses have responded to the seismic events of 2020, as well as focusing on the value of becoming a learning organisation. Thanks again for listening to Take My Advice. I'll be back in the new year with a new series, and already have some fantastic guests lined up. So please subscribe to the podcast and also check out my newsletter, Future Work/Life. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 01 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #1: Introducing the world’s first work/life podstorm | 00:06:48 | |
So it's the 1st of January, 2021 and we've left that very strange year of 2020 behind us. I made the (possibly) rash decision this morning to launch series two of this podcast earlier than planned. Inspired by Christopher Lochhead - the first guest on Take My Advice (I'm Not Using It) - I've decided to record the world's very first Work/Life Podstorm. What's a 'podstorm' I hear you ask? Well, you might be familiar with a 'tweetstorm' - a series of tweets sent in rapid succession - and Christopher brought the idea of a 'podstorm' to my attention early in lockdown last year when he broadcast a month's worth of marketing tips over thirty days. Every day this January, I will share my thoughts on the changing relationship between our work and personal lives with you. I'll do this by recording some of my newsletters from 2020 and some new thinking as we go into 2021. There'll be an episode in your podcast inbox every morning, and if you enjoy it, please sign up to the newsletter Future Work/Life on Substack. You can find a link in the show notes, along with a link to the original newsletter, which also contains a selection of interesting stories from that week. Please also make sure to subscribe to Take My Advice (I'm Not Using It), on which regular play will resume with series three in February. A happy new year to you and I hope you enjoy. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 02 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #2: Autonomy, mastery and purpose | 00:06:44 | |
Welcome to the second of the world's first work/life podcast, in which I share my thoughts on the changes to work in 2020 and how this will evolve in 2021 and beyond. LINKS: FWL#2 - Lenin & Goethe on...future work/life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 03 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #3: The future of offices and cities | 00:08:55 | |
Welcome to the world's first work/life podstorm. In this episode, I recall a Future Work/Life newsletter in which I considered offices and cities' future. LINKS: FWL#3: The long view on cities and offices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 04 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #4: Time, flexible work, and performance | 00:05:44 | |
Welcome to the world's first work/life podstorm. Today's episode focuses on time, specifically how understanding your chronobiology and incorporating it into your work/life schedule design can improve performance. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 05 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #5: C-Lancing & Passion Economy | 00:07:19 | |
Welcome to the world's first work/life podstorm. Today's episode is the first of two parts focused on the personalisation of work - in this case, C-Lancing (freelancing C-Suite) and the passion economy. LINKS: FWL#5: Personalisation: part one Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 06 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #6: Job Crafting & Opportunity Marketplaces | 00:05:58 | |
Welcome to the world's first work/life podstorm. Today's episode is the second of two parts focused on the personalisation of work - in this case, job crafting and opportunity marketplaces. LINKS: FWL#6: Personalisation: part two Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 07 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #7: Neuroplasticity and learning new things | 00:05:32 | |
Welcome to the world's first work/life podstorm. Today's episode is well-timed, given it focuses on establishing positive habits and learning new things. You can read more about neuroplasticity via the links in the newsletter, below. LINKS: FWL#7: Neuroplasticity and learning new things Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 08 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #8: Empathy | 00:08:59 | |
Welcome to the world's first work/life podstorm. Today's episode considers the role of empathy in our work/lives. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 09 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #9: Distractions | 00:03:53 | |
Welcome to the world's first work/life podstorm. In today's episode, I discuss distractions and the value of stepping back to get some perspective. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 10 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #10: Short and long-term thinking | 00:06:20 | |
Welcome to the world's first work/life podstorm. In today's episode, I discuss the benefits of combining short and long-term thinking, particularly for parents. Plus, what we can learn from businesses about articulating our personal vision and values. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 11 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #11: Parenting with purpose | 00:05:10 | |
Welcome to the world's first work/life podstorm. In today's episode, I discuss lessons that can be learned about sharing a collective vision with your partner and how lessons from business can help you parent with purpose. LINKS: FWL#12: Purposefully parenting with purpose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 12 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #12: Employee Surveillance vs Trust | 00:06:28 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I recall a newsletter discussing one of the more worrying trends to emerge over the past year - employee surveillance (or ‘employee productivity tools’ as the morons pedalling them try to suggest). I also explain why the alternative - trust - is critical to making remote work, work. LINKS: FWL#13: Trust me, employee surveillance is a bad idea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 13 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #13: Trust and Work Culture | 00:06:53 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I discuss the importance of establishing trust at work, particularly for those businesses that aspire to create an ‘innovation culture’. LINKS: FWL#14: Why trust is the first step towards a strong culture Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 14 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #14: Jobs of the Future | 00:06:17 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. In today's episode, I discuss jobs of the future and my prediction that we're likely to see the increasing emergence of Chief Culture Officers. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 15 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #15: Life Transitions | 00:05:00 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I discuss life transitions and how a global pandemic represents a collective involuntary life quake, as author Bruce Feiler puts it. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 16 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #16: The Project | 00:06:22 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I reflect on the six months of rapid change and outline why the future of work relies upon us working collectively. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 17 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #17: Unbundling Work from Employment | 00:08:37 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. In today's episode, I offer some reasons for optimism, in the guise of new ways of working - including vertical-specific work-platforms, crypto-driven recruitment models, and 'co-op work platforms'. LINKS: FWL#18: New ways of working offer reasons for optimism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 18 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #18: Social Media & Distractions | 00:05:38 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I reference The Social Dilemma and how that's helped reveal my LinkedIn addition. I go on to make some suggestions about how to avoid being sucked into a social media vortex. LINKS: FWL#19: LinkedIn addiction and the battle to 'un-hook' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 19 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #19: Time for a nappucino | 00:07:47 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I recall a period of sleep deprivation and why a 'power nap' not only got me through the day then but has now become a regular part of my routine. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 20 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #20: Portfolio Careers & Carving a Niche | 00:06:29 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. In today's episode, I discuss the importance of carving your own niche and the increasing emergence of portfolio careers due to a changing job market. LINKS: FWL#21: The importance of carving out your niche Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 21 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #21: A long-term view on purpose and success | 00:07:34 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Following my interview with Cath Bishop - author, a former diplomat and, during her sporting career, a world champion rower and Olympic medallist - I reflected on the themes in her book, The Long Win. She writes that our obsession with winning - whether in sport, business or life - holds us back and that we need new ways of measuring success. I go on to outline how all this relates to education and the future of work. LINKS: FWL#22: Taking a long-term view Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 22 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #22: 4-Day Week & Working Less | 00:07:16 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. In today's episode, I discuss my interview with Alex Soojung Kim Pang, author of Rest and Shorter. I consider the benefits of working less, including introducing a 4-day working week. LINKS: FWL#24:When it comes to work, less is more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 23 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #23: Leadership & Parenting | 00:05:54 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Is there a relationship between leadership and parenting? What can we learn from leadership principles that we can apply to our approach to parenting? How should you approach creating a strategy for four areas of your life - self, work, family and community? I consider all of this in today's episode. LINKS: FWL#25: Take My Advice (I'm Not Using It): Parenting Edition Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 24 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #24: The Code for Purpose | 00:04:05 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I follow up the brilliant conversation I had with world champion surfer and author of, The Code, Shaun Tomson, to discuss purpose. I also share my family Code, which I wrote with my 5 and 8 year-olds over breakfast on the morning of writing. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 25 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #25: The Flipped Workplace | 00:07:15 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I discuss how the workplace has 'flipped'. As my podcast guest, Allison Baum Gates (General Partner of SemperVirens an early-stage VC fund focused on the future of work) put it, in the 'flipped workplace': "Productive individual work is done outside of the office, on your own time, in your own place, at your own pace. Consequently, the office transforms into a space purely dedicated to meeting people, asking questions, brainstorming, and making unexpected connections." LINKS: FWL#27: Opportunities (and challenges) of the 'flipped workplace' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 26 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #26: Flexi-Year | 00:04:37 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. In today's episode, I consider the importance of evolving truly flexible work in 2021, in particular, for working mothers. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 27 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #27: The Evolution of Flexible Work (part one) | 00:07:56 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I introduce a framework to help business manage the evolution of flexible work. In this first of two parts, I discuss the importance on autonomy in establishing job crafting, and how outcomes are essential to building a culture of positive accountability. LINKS: FWL#27: The evolution of flexible work (part one) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 28 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #28: The Evolution of Flexible Work (part two) | 00:08:19 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. Today, I complete the introduction to my JOINT framework, which helps business evolve their flexible work strategy. In this second of two parts, I discuss the importance of data and insights, how nudging and modelling can help create a culture of positive accountability, and its impact on the way we use our time. LINKS: FWL#28: The evolution of flexible work: part two Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 29 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #29: Series 1 Highlights (part one) | 00:09:02 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. This is the first of three shows with highlights of series one of Take My Advice (I'm Not Using It). Today, I include clips from my interviews with Christopher Lochhead and Ben Legg, who discuss how category design and finding your niche can create significant value for you and your business. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 30 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #30: Series 1 Highlights (part two) | 00:14:53 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. This is the second of three shows with highlights of series one of Take My Advice (I'm Not Using It). Today, I include clips from my interviews with Cath Bishop, Shaun Tomson, and Alyssa Westring, who discuss the importance of sharing connections, purpose and vision in your life. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 31 Jan 2021 | Future Work/Life Podstorm #31: Series 1 Highlights (part three) | 00:16:11 | |
Welcome to the world’s first work/life podstorm. This is the final episode of series two and looks back at two interviews from series one of Take My Advice (I'm Not Using It). I discuss the future of work with the author of the books Rest and Shorter, Alex Soojung Kim Pang, and General Partner of the early-stage VC fund, SemperVirens, Allison Baum Gates. Thanks for listening to this podstorm. If you've enjoyed it, please leave me a rating on Apple Podcasts and make sure you subscribe the podcast and my newsletter, Future WOrk/Life (see link below). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 10 Feb 2021 | Elvin Turner - Innovation & Zombies | 00:35:03 | |
Welcome back to Series 3 of Take My Advice (I'm Not Using It). After January's podstorm, I return to the show's original format - long-form interviews with a wide range of interesting guests from various backgrounds. Each of them has a unique take on the various areas that will contribute towards the changes in their future of work and how that intersects with our personal lives. Today's guest is Elvin Turner, an award-winning innovation expert. He's a professor of innovation and entrepreneurship, and he's worked with some of the world's most innovative organizations in a variety of industries including finance, tech music, drinks and publishing. His book is Be Less Zombie: How Great Companies Create Dynamic Innovation, Fearless Leadership and Passionate People. We talked about the importance of innovation to all businesses as they react to the fundamental changes going on around us and how that relates to our work lives. LINKS: Clay Christensen's Jobs to be Done theory Alex Osterwalder's Business Model Generation handbook If you enjoy this podcast, please sign up to my Future Work/Life newsletter, and I'd love it and if you could share both with one like-minded friend! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 17 Feb 2021 | Annie Auerbach - FLEX in Work and Life | 00:47:12 | |
In today's episode, I talk about FLEX with the author of a book by that name, Annie Auerbach. Annie is the co-founder of the cultural insights agency, Starling, and originally wrote Flex: Reinventing Work for a Smarter, Happier Life in 2019. The book is a fantastic guide to the value of being intentional with the idea of FLEX in your life - whether at work, at home, with your body and looking forward to the future. As you might imagine, it proved a hit for many people as we entered an uncertain period last year and it's now being published in the US later this month before a paperback is released in the UK in March. Annie and I definitely talk the same language when it comes to reimagining how we should approach work/life design, and I really enjoyed our chat. I hope you do too and if so please make sure you subscribe to this podcast, as well as my newsletter Future Work/Life. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 24 Feb 2021 | Rory Sutherland - The Future of Work, Offices and Cities | 00:57:06 | |
In today's episode, I speak to the vice-chairman of Ogilvy UK, Rory Sutherland. If you’re aware of Rory, you'll know that the next hour is going to be an entertaining listen. If you don't, he is one of the foremost thinkers in UK advertising and there are very few areas in which he doesn't have some interesting ideas and opinions. We cover a wide range of topics, including the future of work, network theory, and how returning to the office could resemble market day in Abergavenny. Plus some asides on how we improve video meetings, The Beatles, scuzzy cities, solar power and agglomeration. If you enjoy the podcast, please make sure you check out my newsletter, Future Work/Life. Every week at the moment, I'm reflecting on the previous week's podcast and sharing some ideas about how that impacts the future of work and life. You can read it via the link below. Please also subscribe to this podcast and share it with anyone you think would enjoy it too. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 03 Mar 2021 | Alex Hutchinson - Human Performance: The Role of Mind and Body | 00:47:06 | |
Just before Christmas last year, a friend of mine recommended a book called Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance, written by today's guest, Alex Hutchinson. The book is about the limits of human performance, and it begins by focusing on the record attempt by Eliud Kipchoge, supported by Nike, to beat the two-hour barrier for the marathon. Now, for me, it was appropriately timed, nine months into a global pandemic, which has felt like an endurance race in itself. Alex has a unique take on endurance - he is a trained physicist and was an elite runner. He is now a journalist, an author and, like me, has young children, so he has been battling managing work with homeschooling over the past few months. We had a fascinating, wide-ranging discussion, covering his book and the themes of endurance and mental and physical limits. We also discussed the importance of recovery and dipped into the value and potential risk of wearable devices. LINKS: My newsletter, Future Work/Life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 10 Mar 2021 | Vyla Rollins & Bernhard Kerres - Coaching & Leadership | 00:35:55 | |
In this week's show, I'm joined by two guests to discuss coaching and leadership. The world of work has obviously changed hugely over the past year and has been marked by most knowledge workers working remotely. With that, our approach to leadership and organisations and people has had to adapt and evolve, which means that the nature of executive coaching has too. My first guest today has an excellent perspective on this as a coach, leadership expert and through her involvement in one of the world's leading business schools. Vyla Rollins is the Executive Director or London Busines School's Leadership Insitute and works personally as a consultant and coach with people at top organisations worldwide. After following her work via Twitter throughout last year, I contacted Vyla to see if she'd be interested in joining me on the podcast to talk about the future of coach and collaboration. She agreed and suggested inviting another guest, who she told me would add another unique view. So it was that Bernhard Kerres also joined the party. It's hard to describe Bernhard's career path in a short sentence, so I'll leave that to him to introduce in the show, but he would call himself a leadership coach, and he uses his background in music to revolutionise the way we collaborate in groups, in particular. In our conversation, we discuss the challenges presented by remote work on collaboration, mindset and management, and the role of coaching to facilitate change and support individuals. Enjoy! LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 18 Mar 2021 | Jennifer Moss - Burnout & Happiness | 00:45:08 | |
I've been looking forward to bringing you today's episode for a while now. My guest is Jennifer Moss, a happiness expert - yes, that is a job - and a thought leader on one of the biggest challenges affecting the workplace right now - burnout. I've had my own struggles with burnout over the years - for a good while before I'd even heard the expression. It's not just a historical thing for me either. I'm sure that I'm in the early stages of burnout right now, and after my conversation with Jennifer the other day, I know I need to act soon to head it off. And of course, I'm not the only one - over the past year, rates of burnout have increased at an alarming rate. Clearly, we urgently need to do something about it, and as Jennifer explains, it isn't something we should be tackling alone. There's a responsibility from organisations to support people to design a work/life that is both manageable and fulfilling. As well as the challenges of burnout, we also talk about positive psychology and happiness. Jennifer is a great writer and an incredibly insightful guest, so I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. As ever, please make sure you're subscribed to the podcast and to my newsletter, Future Work/Life, for more analysis of the future of work and how that intersects with our personal lives. LINKS: Beyond Burned Out in Harvard Business Review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 01 Apr 2021 | Christine Armstrong - Making Work Better | 00:40:13 | |
In this episode, I talk to Christine Armstrong, the founder of Armstrong & Partners and a researcher, consultant and writer, about the future of work. I became aware of Christine's work through her fantastic vlogs, which she publishes every week on LinkedIn. They cover all matter subjects related to work and life, including the perils of Zoom, the pain of homeschooling, and the problem of assuming that flexible work is the answer to all our work/life challenges. She also offers a refreshing take on some of the steps organisations need to take to make work better, and I enjoy not just her videos but her writing on the subject. As well as her book, Mother of All Jobs, released in 2018, Christine also writes for the Telegraph, Grazia, and Management Today, amongst others. There are plenty of folks throwing around platitudes and empty opinions at the moment related to work and how that intersects with our personal lives. I think you'll discover in this podcast that Christine is not one of those people. We chatted about the difference between flexible and remote work, burnout, and how businesses need to think about redesigning work at an organisational, team and individual level. Plus, how business models affect our understanding of the way we expect people to work - specifically, the problems with using TIME as the primary output. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 09 Apr 2021 | Future Work/Life Special (part one) | 00:12:46 | |
To mark the end of the series and based on the success of January's podstorm, over the next three weeks I'll be sharing the most recent Future Work/Life newsletters. In today's episode I discuss innovation, creativity, and sleep. LINKS: Future Work/Life #32: When I grow up, I want to be an inventor Future Work/Life #33: Strange dreams and creative things Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 14 Apr 2021 | Future Work/Life Special (part two) | 00:13:26 | |
To mark the end of the series and based on the success of January's podstorm, over the next three weeks I'm sharing the most recent Future Work/Life newsletters. In today's episode I discuss how we should approach returning to the office, and the importance of pacing in work and life. LINKS: Future Work/Life #34: The future of the office looks like market day in Abergavenny Future Work/Life #35: Time to start pacing yourself Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 29 Apr 2021 | Future Work/Life Special (part three) | 00:14:50 | |
This is the last of three episodes in which I recall the most recent Future Work/Life newsletters. Today I discuss the risk of burnout and consider whether your business model could be a threat to wellbeing. LINKS: Future Work/Life #36: Burnout and why wellbeing can't be workload Future Work/Life #37: Could your business model be a threat to wellbeing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 05 May 2021 | Will Page - Spotify & Tarzan Economics | 00:40:00 | |
Welcome to series four of Take My Advice (I'm Not Using). Today's guest is Will Page, the former Chief Economist of Spotify and PRS for Music where he pioneered 'Rockonomics'. At PRS he published work on Radiohead's In Rainbows and saving BBC 6Music. At Spotify, he helped redefine catalogue and articulated the global value of music copyright. In this episode, we discuss how Will's determination to work in the music business led to him becoming the industry's first Chief Economist. We also explore the concept of 'builder's and 'farmers' in tech businesses, as Will explains how Spotify founder and CEO, Daniel Ek, successfully bridges the gap between both. There's also a conversation about the danger of NPS (Net Promoter Score), the rising importance of consumption over transaction data, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and how data has impacted the creative process in music. LINKS: Will Page's new book, Tarzan Economics Podcast episode with Christopher Lochhead on Category Design and 'niching down' Podcast episode with Ben Legg on Portfolio Careers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 12 May 2021 | Glenn Elliott - Entrepreneurship & Employee Engagement | 00:50:16 | |
This week we have another fantastic guest. Glenn Elliott is the founder of Reward Gateway, a SaaS HR tech business, which two weeks ago sold for the third time, taking the total value of its acquisitions to well over half a billion dollars. Reward Gateway's platform enables companies used to better communicate with, reward and survey their employees and Glenn's experience there led him to write the book Build It : A Rebel Playbook for Employee Engagement in which he shared everything he’d learned about people and how to get the best out of them. He's now Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Tenzing Private Equity and his job to help their portfolio companies to grow through advising founders and mentoring Tenzings' team. You'll hear us talk about what Glenn's learnt from his experience scaling a tech company, how a decade of flexible work contributed towards their growth, why the notion of permanent employees is a fallacy and how even after the success he's achieved he still suffers from imposter syndrome. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 19 May 2021 | Tamika Curry Smith - The Future of DE&I | 00:38:28 | |
In today's episode, we discuss diversity, equity and inclusion with Tamika Curry Smith. Tamika has had a long career in diversity roles going back to 2002 at Deloitte. Over the last five years, she's been Head of Diversity & Inclusion for Mercedes-Benz in the US and Vice President of Global Diversity & Inclusion at Nike. She now advises early-stage startups and is the president of the TCS Group, which provides HR and DE&I services to a wide variety of clients across various industries. In this episode, you'll hear us talk about some practical tips for companies that want to put DE&I at the heart of their strategy, including the importance of clearly aligned internal and external comms. We'll cover why the fear of doing the wrong thing can sometimes inhibit people from starting the process and explore the idea that progress doesn't necessarily mean perfection. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 26 May 2021 | Azeem Azhar - Exponential technology and the effect of automation & AI on work | 00:39:56 | |
In today's episode, I'm delighted to bring you an interview that I've been trying to set up since before this podcast first launched last year. Through listening to his podcast and reading his newsletter, I've learnt a huge amount about emerging technology and its impact on the world. Along the way, he's introduced me to some of the world's leading thinkers on all manner of subjects like artificial intelligence and automation, genomics and biotech. Since many of the topics are complex and can appear intimidating to the layperson, it takes a skilled presenter to make the shows accessible, and that's exactly what Azeem Azhar achieves. Azeem is the creator of Exponential View, Britain's leading platform for in-depth tech analysis. 200,000 people read his weekly newsletter, and his podcast, produced with Harvard Business Review, has featured guests including Yuval Noah Harari, Rebecca Henderson, Reid Hoffman and Tony Blair. The founder of a number of successful tech companies, Azhar is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Futures Council, sits on the board of the Ada Lovelace Foundation, and is a contributor to publications including the Financial Times, Prospect and the MIT Technology Review. We discuss the effect of automation and AI on the future of work, the impact of Big Tech's power and what we should do about it, decentralised organisations, and the risks presented by the growth of poor quality personal data. I really enjoyed this fascinating conversation, and it was a great taster for what you can hear if you listen to Azeem's show or read his upcoming book, Exponential. I'm sure you'll find it as interesting as I did. LINKS: Exponential View podcast episode with Satalia CEO, Daniel Hulme Exponential view podcast episode with Rebecca Henderson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 02 Jun 2021 | Robert Glazer - Leadership and thriving in a virtual workplace | 00:41:24 | |
Robert Glazer is the founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners, a global marketing agency that has won numerous accolades for its company culture. He leads a fully remote team of over 200 people and has now written a book called How To Thrive In The Virtual Workplace. He's also the host of one of my favourite leadership podcasts, Elevate, and wrote a book of the same name. We discuss some practical advice for building positive habits, including writing weekly newsletters and books. We also cover learning, flexible work, managing your time and avoiding distractions, as well as what it takes to lead a remote team successfully. If you enjoy our conversation, please subscribe to the podcast, rate it, and check out my newsletter, Future Work/Life, for more on topics like this. LINKS: Elevate podcast episode with Philip McKernan Elevate podcast episode with Stew Friedman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 09 Jun 2021 | Melissa Daimler - Culture lessons from Adobe, Twitter & WeWork | 00:37:24 | |
In today's episode, we talk about culture - what does it mean, how do we define and develop it within organisations, and how is this likely to change as the way we work continues to evolve? My guest is ideally placed to advise on this subject as she's spent almost two decades working within some iconic companies, which have achieved tremendous success and significant growth. At the same time, she's also seen how some get it wrong. For over fifteen years, Melissa Daimler led learning and development at Adobe and Twitter before moving to WeWork for a year to head up their talent team. She's now a consultant and advisor to various businesses, large and small, and a thought-leader on all things HR, learning and, of course, culture. We had a great chat about the connection between culture and strategy, the role of managers as coaches, the importance of a shared culture across an organisation (however large), and why it's critical to treat culture as something you do, not something you have. For more on subjects like this, please make sure you subscribe to the podcast and my newsletter, Future Work/Life. LINKS: Daimler Partners - website for Melissa's consultancy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 16 Jun 2021 | Dror Poleg - Future of work, cities, and human communities | 00:55:31 | |
In today's episode, we're looking into the future to explore how technology will create new opportunities to monetise our expertise and what effects that will have on our understanding of jobs and careers. My guest is Dror Poleg, a writer and all-around purveyor of interesting ideas. I discovered Dror's blog at the beginning of the year, and since then, he's helped join the dots for me between a wide variety of subjects, all of which relate to the future of work, cities, and human communities. In the show, we discuss how cities will have to respond to the growth of remote and distributed work, and more broadly, how decentralisation impacts how we hire and are hired. We also explore how developments in machine learning, blockchain, and crypto will create both opportunities and the risk of further divergence between those who have the most in-demand skills and experience, and those who don't - what Dror calls 'Winner Takes Most'. If you enjoy this episode, make sure you check Dror's blog, subscribe to this podcast, and read my newsletter, Future Work/Life. LINKS: Dror's article on The Ponzi Career Dror's article on The Token Society Dror's article on NFTs and The Future of Work Future Work/Life newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 23 Jun 2021 | Future Work/Life Special: Net Promoter Score & Illeism | 00:11:39 | |
Today's episode is a Future Work/Life special. I recall two newsletters in which I discuss the problems with NPS (net promoter score) and the benefits of illeism (the act of referring to yourself in the third person). LINKS: Future Work/Life #38 - (Not Proving Strictly) Useful Future Work/Life #39 - "Ollie, this newsletter is the best thing you've ever written" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 30 Jun 2021 | Future Work/Life Special: Tech Disruption & Imposter Syndrome | 00:11:12 | |
Today's episode is a Future Work/Life special. I recall two newsletters in which I discuss technological disruption and the lessons we can learn from Spotify and the music business, as well as imposter syndrome and why it isn't incompatible with the vision and drive required by successful entrepreneurs. LINKS: Future Work/Life #40 - Lessons of technological disruption from Spotify and the music industry Future Work/Life #41 - Turning imposter syndrome into a positive Future Work/Life #33 - Strange dreams and creative things Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 08 Jul 2021 | Future Work/Life Special: DE&I & Technology and Decision Making | 00:14:27 | |
Today's episode is a Future Work/Life special. I recall two newsletters in which I discuss diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as AI, decision making and the future of jobs. LINKS: Future Work/Life #42 - DE&I and why progress doesn't mean perfection Future Work/Life #43 - AI, decision-making, and the future of jobs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 20 Oct 2021 | Robbie Stamp - Curiosity, Meaningful Work & Douglas Adams | 00:47:40 | |
I'm back a little later than planned after what's been a very busy few months. Future Work/Life is now a business - I'll be leaning on the many insights developed from the newsletter and this podcast to help clients design the future of work. As of last week, I'm also writing a book, which will be on the shelves in Autumn 2022. It's called Work/Life Flywheel: Find flow and propel your career to the next level, and it will consolidate my thinking about the various themes I discuss with guests on this show. In today's episode, I'm joined by Robbie Stamp, CEO of Bioss International, a global network of organisation and people development consultancies. Robbie is also a Senior Fellow at the Resilience and Sustainable Development Programme at Cambridge University and has the UK Parliamentary Select Committee for AI. He was Executive Producer on the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy feature film, having previously set up a business with his friend, Douglas Adams. Robbie and I have got to know each other over the past few months, resulting in many fascinating conversations, which is why I invited him onto the show. You'll hear us discuss why it's possible to achieve harmony between work and your personal life and the importance of curiosity and building new connections. We also hear Robbie's thoughts on the most exciting applications for AI, and why 'meaning-making' is critical when we think about the future of work. Plus, of course, we chat a little about what Robbie learned from the great Douglas Adams. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 27 Oct 2021 | Elizabeth Ogabi - Kickstarting Your Side Hustle | 00:38:28 | |
You may have noticed something different about the podcast. That's right; I've decided to change the name of the show! Take My Advice (I'm Not Using It) has served me well over the past year, but since the business and the newsletter share the same name, leaving the podcast out didn't seem fair. In today's episode, I talk to Elizabeth Ogabi, the author of Side Hustle in Progress: A Practical Guide to Kickstarting Your Business. Liz previously founded For Working Ladies, a digital media platform focused on equipping women with the information and tools they need to start a successful business. She's also the host of the podcast, How I Made It Happen, on which she invites female entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders to share their stories and advice. We had a great chat covering why side hustles have become a thing, the differences between attitudes to work in Nigeria and the UK, the skills you can apply and learn from entrepreneurship, and some of the tools and resources that will help you kickstart your business. If you enjoy this podcast, please check out some of the previous episodes, subscribe, and leave a rating if you have a moment. LINKS: Side Hustle in Progress: A Practical Guide to Kickstarting Your Business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 03 Nov 2021 | Marc Effron - 8 Steps to High Performance | 00:39:58 | |
If the quality of a podcast directly correlates with the practical value that you get from it, then I think today's episode might be the best one I've released so far. My guest is Marc Effron, the author of Eight Steps to High Performance: Focus On What You Can Change (Ignore the Rest). We had a fantastic conversation in which we discussed the importance of big goals., what changes managers need to make now that they're working with remote teams, and the difference between evidence-based advice and management fads. He also offered some incredibly useful insights about how to build up a network from scratch and how to keep your connections engaged by LinkedIn and by email. We also discussed the connection between physical health and performance. As you'll hear, there isn't much evidence to prove the link, but one vitally important thing is a good night's sleep. LINKS: Eight Steps to High Performance: Focus On What You Can Change (Ignore the Rest) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 10 Nov 2021 | Danny Fortson - The View from Silicon Valley | 00:37:51 | |
Today I welcome Danny Fortson to the show. Danny is the West Coast correspondent for the Sunday Times and the host of Danny in the Valley. Anyone who reads my newsletter will know that I'm a regular listener to his podcast, on which he consistently invites fascinating founders of some established and emerging tech businesses that are attempting to solve some of the world's most exciting and important challenges. During our conversation, we discuss tech's approach to remote work and why although some founders and venture capitalists are choosing to leave California, Danny still believes it will remain THE global innovation hub. We also discuss what he considers to be the most exciting future tech innovations, the growth of blockchain, crypto and Web3, and how new business models are changing the way we think about work. If you enjoy this show, please check out previous episodes, such as my conversations with Azeem Azhar and Dror Poleg. Also, check out my newsletter in which I'll be about our conversation over the course of the next week. Until then, please make sure you subscribe to the show and, if you have a moment, please rate it. LINKS: Podcast interview with Azeem Azhar Podcast interview with Dror Poleg My newsletter about Axie Infinity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 17 Nov 2021 | Naomi Shragai - The Emotional Dynamics of our Working Lives | 00:36:07 | |
Today I speak to Naomi Shragai, author of The Man Who Mistook His Job for His Life: How to Thrive at Work by Leaving Your Emotional Baggage Behind.
Naomi is a consultant, a coach, and uniquely a business psychotherapist. Her book focuses on the unconscious motivations behind our behaviours and decisions in the workplace and is based on 30 years of experience working with organisations and executives, as well as individuals, couples and families.
We had a riveting discussion covering topics including the long-term effects our personal histories have on our careers; whether the trend towards authenticity is actually meaningful; whether we should bring emotion into the workplace, and, if so, how much; why autonomy isn't always a good thing, and mistakes aren't just inevitable, they're essential to our learning and development.
If you enjoy this conversation, please make sure you check out previous podcast episodes and subscribe. Also, check out the Future Work/Life newsletter on Substack.
LINKS:
Naomi's Financial Times articles
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 24 Nov 2021 | Geoff McDonald - Mental Health & The Power of Purpose | 00:36:36 | |
Today's guest, Geoff McDonald, worked at Unilever for 25 years and, at the end of his time there, contributed to the company's transformation from an ailing business into a thriving global organisation with purpose at its heart. He now works with businesses that believe that purpose can give them a strategic advantage by creating a company that the best people want to work for. He's also a passionate mental health campaigner and is now able to follow his own purpose to create a world where everybody in every workplace feels they genuinely have the choice to put up their hand and ask for help when they are suffering from mental ill-health. We explored the difference between using purpose as a tool to improve business performance instead of a marketing exercise, practical examples of how Unilever and other companies succeeded in achieving this. We also discussed why personal struggles and the tragedy of losing a close friend inspired him to leave the corporate world and advocate for open conversations about mental health. Geoff also shared his CANDO framework - a helpful reminder of the importance of consistent habits to maintain positive physical and mental health. If you enjoy our conversation, please check out the accompanying newsletter, which I'll be publishing later this week. Also, check out Geoff's website, where you can find out more about his work. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 01 Dec 2021 | Alison Jones - Writing For Business (And Pleasure) | 00:40:14 | |
In today's episode, we'll be talking about writing with Alison Jones. Alison is the founder of Practical Inspiration Publishing, a publishing partner for businesses, and host of The Extraordinary Business Book Club, a podcast and community for writers and readers of extraordinary business books. She has written and edited several books herself, including This Book Means Business: Clever ways to plan and write a book that works harder for your business. We discuss how to decide whether writing a book is right for you and your business. We also explore how to develop a positive mindset for writing, whether the end result of it is a book, a blog, or a business report. Alison shares some fantastic insights on the habits of a successful writer and some practical tips that will immediately improve the consistency and quality of your work. As you'll hear, Alison is also the person who offered me my book deal, which tells you that she is both knowledgeable and has impeccable taste. In September, I joined her 10-Day Business Book Proposal Challenge with a vague notion of what I'd like to say were I to write a book at some point. I finished with a clear idea about why now is the perfect time to write it, who my audience is, and the steps I'll follow to publish something that I hope you'll all want to read. All of which is a massive compliment to Alison, the course, and the community you join when you take part in it. If you enjoy listening to our conversation, please make sure you subscribe to this podcast and my newsletter, which I'll link to in the show notes, but without further ado, here's my conversation with Alison Jones. LINKS: The 10-Day Book Proposal Challenge WriteBrained: A 28-day exploratory writing adventure This Book Means Business: Clever ways to plan and write a book that works harder for your business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 08 Dec 2021 | Damian Hughes - The Non-Negotiables of High Performance | 00:44:26 | |
This week, my guest is Damian Hughes, organisational psychologist and author. He's written several books about leadership and high-performance culture within some of the world's most successful businesses and sports organisations, including Barcelona Football Club, and Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. You'll probably know him as the host of one of the UK's top podcasts, which he presents with Jake Humphrey. The High Performance Podcast has been listened to millions of times and has featured incredible guests like Dame Kelly Holmes, Jo Malone, Sir Chris Hoy, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Voss, and Tim Peake. We discussed how establishing your non-negotiables can help remove ambiguity from setting goals, managing your time, and ensuring you're aligned with the people you're working with. We also covered how to get over the sense that when you're in the middle of a project, everything can look like it's not working, as well as the why being crystal clear on the outcome you're aiming for will help with establishing the small steps you need to take every day to help you get there. Damian was a fantastic guest who was very generous with his time and insights. He's also got a real talent for breaking down potentially complex challenges into easily understood and practical advice, so please enjoy listening, and if you've not already heard his show, check the podcast and his upcoming book out (links below). As always, please make sure you subscribe to this podcast, and if you enjoy it, please give it a rating. Also, check out my newsletter via the links in the show notes for more analysis and insights on the changing world of work. LINKS: High Performance: Lessons from the Best on Becoming the Best Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 15 Dec 2021 | Dror Gurevich - The Internet of Careers | 00:37:00 | |
Today, we examine the ways new technology will change how we manage our careers. My guest is Dror Gurevich, CEO of Velocity Career Labs and the Velocity Network Foundation. During our conversation, you'll hear Dror explain why he set these organisations up and how they'll shape what he calls the Internet of Careers. We started by discussing some macro trends affecting the way we work before diving into how blockchain technology enables a new method for people to own, share, and manage their career credentials and the economic cost of the inefficient way that they're currently checked. Along the way, we cover how crypto and web3 relate to work and where the Internet of Careers fits in. Dror also shares some fascinating data illustrating why the concept of CVs is outdated. For me, this is a huge problem that needs to be solved. I've rarely been so excited about the opportunities that I can envisage following a podcast conversation, and I'll share my thoughts about potential use cases with you over the coming weeks and months. I hope you've enjoyed the fifth series of this podcast. Thanks again to all the guests who have joined me and to listeners for your support. We'll be back in February 2022, and I already have some incredible guests lined up to share their thoughts on the future of work and life. Until then, I hope you all have a chance to relax and refresh before the new year begins. Cheers! Ollie LINKS: Talent Tech Labs' report on The Role of Blockchain in the Future of Work Dror's article on the 'Climate crisis and self-sovereign verifiable career credentials' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 19 Jan 2022 | Grace Lordan - Thinking Big About Your Career | 00:37:43 | |
After a short interlude over the Christmas holidays, we're back with a brand new series. Back, in fact, a little earlier than planned. Why? Partly because I've got some wonderful guests lined up to share their stories and insights with you over the next couple of months, but more specifically to today's episode because we start by talking about new year's resolutions and goal setting. My guest is Grace Lordan. She is an Associate Professor in Behavioural Science and Director of The Inclusion Initiative at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She's also the author of Thing Big: Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want. We have a fascinating discussion in which we explore the role of talent, hard work and luck in shaping your career. Grace explains why our emotions matter when it comes to how we receive feedback and act upon it, and how to ensure we feel like we're constantly moving forward towards our goals. All of which requires resilience and a willingness not only to accept failure but to learn from it. Finally, we discuss what the future holds with a wide lens – how, for example, people may need to accept a 'low-stuff life' – and from a personal perspective, why we should embrace uncertainty and stop striving to be in control of everything you do. If you haven't already, please also subscribe to this podcast and join thousands of other people interested in reading my analysis and insights on the future of work by signing up to the Future Work/Life newsletter. LINKS: Think Big: Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 26 Jan 2022 | Nik Whitfield - Wellbeing, Leadership & The Power of Journaling | 00:38:43 | |
In today's episode, my guest is Nik Whitfield, Chairman and Chief Seer of Panaseer, the cyber security business he founded in 2014. Nik’s is a computer scientist and technology entrepreneur who is now a passionate advocate for wellbeing, exploring consciousness and learning new ways to help entrepreneurs and leaders to stay well. After reading about Panaseer’s work and coming across Nik’s LinkedIn profile, I contacted him to ask if he’d be up for an interview as part of the research for my book, Work/Life Flywheel, which will be published next January. I find our conversation so interesting that I had to bring him on to the podcast too. During the chat you’ll hear today, we discuss how, after years of severe, chronic back pain, Nik was told by a consultant that he was going to eventually lose the feeling in his hands and that the only solution was inserting a shunt – a metal tube to drain fluid from his brain and spine. Understandably, he didn’t fancy the sound of that, and with a willingness to try anything he could to avoid such an invasive procedure, he tested what in our highly medicalised society appeared a radical solution – mediation and journaling. Nik and I go on to discuss the new habits he incorporated into his daily life, the impact they had on his ability to lead his growing business, and how he lent on the support of his family and colleagues to ultimately live a pain-free life. As someone first diagnosed with degenerative discs when I was 15 and having suffered ongoing back pain throughout my adult life, I found Nik’s story inspiring. I’ve already implemented some of the tips he’s given me and am looking forward to exploring the benefits of the practices in my work and personal life. As well as discussing Nik’s dramatic recovery, he also shares insights on his approach to leadership, which, as you might expect, includes a focus on wellbeing for the whole business. I’ll be writing about these topics in the book, as well as the newsletter, over the coming weeks, so make sure you sign up for updates. You’ll find a link in the show notes, alongside Nik’s profile and some resources he’s shared with me. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 02 Feb 2022 | Bruce Daisley - Making Work Better (And More Joyful) | 00:35:22 | |
Today’s guest is Bruce Daisley. Bruce is the host of one of the UK’s most popular business podcasts, Eat Sleep Work Repeat, and until January 2020, was Vice President of Twitter, having previously run YouTube in the UK. Nowadays, he writes about workplace culture in his newsletter, Make Work Better, and is an author. His first book, The Joy of Work, was a bestseller when it was published in 2018, and he’s got another one on the way this year. I’ve wanted to get Bruce on the podcast since I first launched it, so I’m delighted that he joined me for a chat a few weeks ago. We discussed how businesses have responded to the shift to remote work, including why it’s here to stay. Bruce also explains why if we’re not careful, some of the things we’ll miss from human interaction, including laughter and a sense of relatedness, will negatively impact our work experience. We cover one of the most critical challenges affecting so many businesses – the role of the manager. Specifically, how we balance creating results and outcome-oriented approaches with the compassion and understanding needed to manage a remote workforce. Finally, we discuss the nature of our relationship with time and how that relates to productivity and flexible work. LINKS: The Joy of Work by Bruce Daisley Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 09 Feb 2022 | Erica Young - Cultivating Networks & Communities | 00:37:20 | |
Joining me this week is Erica Young, Head of Community and Network at Anthemis Group, a venture capital firm that focuses on investing in companies that will help drive change in the financial system. Erica is a life-long student of networks and is also the founder of The Reliants Project, where she helps people and organisations understand how networks shape our wellbeing, relationships and community. She uses techniques developed in the fields of computer science, physics, and sociology to map existing people and organisation networks and generate insights. We had a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, covering the distinction between networks and communities, how our shift to virtual working has accelerated the development of online communities, and whether they augment or can replace traditional organisations. We also dug into the importance of cultivating your network, including why it's an advantage to 'compartmentalise' and nurture various types of relationship, from close to weak ties. Finally, we explore overcoming a fear of networking, how to approach network building when going it alone, and why technology is removing friction from the process. LINKS: Erica's newsletter, The Reliants Project Erica's article on mapping your community Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 16 Feb 2022 | Christopher Lochhead - A New Category of Human | 00:50:54 | |
If you invite someone back on the show, they have to be legendary - Christopher Lochhead is just that. He’s a nine-time bestselling author, number one business podcaster, and the Godfather of Category Design. He’s also a thoroughly nice guy who’s been very supportive of this podcast, so I was delighted to chat to him again a couple of weeks ago about what he’s been working on and thinking about since we spoke on episode one in October 2020. Christopher explains why the most significant insight he’s had over the past 15 months is the existence of a new category of human – the native digital. We explore how they differ from native analogues and how their existence changes everything from work to take-away hot chocolate. We also discuss the curse of the hustle pornstar, the personal branding lie, and why ‘me disease’ has infected so many. Finally, we cover why work/life balance misunderstands the meaning work provides us and how identifying your niche is the secret to a successful career. Oh, and Christopher reveals what’s probably the most important question you can ask anyone in any situation. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 23 Feb 2022 | Daniel Pink - The Power of Regret | 00:34:53 | |
It’s likely that if you listen to this show, you’re also a reader of business books. In which case, you’ll be very familiar with today’s guest. He is one of my favourite authors, and his books have probably influenced my work more than any others. I suspect many of you have experienced the same, so I’m absolutely delighted to bring you my conversation with Daniel H. Pink. Dan is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, published this month. His other bestsellers include When and A Whole New Mind, To Sell is Human, and Drive, which brought the ideas of intrinsic motivation within business and management to the masses. His books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 42 languages, and have sold millions of copies worldwide. Our chat was packed with insight, and like all the best podcasts I’ve hosted, I learned loads. We discussed why the philosophy of ‘no regrets’ neither reflects reality nor is desirable. As well as breaking down the main types of regret and how we respond to them, Dan explains how harnessing the lessons we learn from these experiences can serve us well in the future and why anticipating regret can be a useful mental model for decision making in the present. We explore why so many people look back on their careers and wish they’d be bolder, whether by going it alone, starting a business or speaking up more. Dan also shares why he became fascinated by the topic in the first place, including what he wished he’d known about maintaining connections with people earlier in his career. Finally, we cover some broader trends related to the future of work, including the pros and cons of remote and the office and whether our work/lives are destined to be defined by independence and autonomy.
LINKS: The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 02 Mar 2022 | Cleo Sham - From Uber to VC | 00:21:26 | |
The theme of my new book, Work/Life Flywheel, which will be published in January 2023, is reimagining your career without fear. As well as the fantastic podcast interviews you've heard over the past few months, I've been deep into the research phase since the start of the year. I've spoken to all sorts of people from different industries and backgrounds. Everybody has a unique story to tell about the decisions they've made in their careers, and I've loved the process. In the book, I'll break down why building a Work/Life Flywheel is the most effective tool to set yourself up for sustainable success in the new world of work. It's on that latter point where we begin today's podcast, which is a bitesize conversation with Cleo Sham, Partner at Stride the UK-based early-stage venture capital firm. Before joining Stride in 2021, Cleo's illustrious career took her from McKinsey to Merrill Lynch before becoming General Manager of Uber in China. She scaled the business from 3000 to 4 million weekly trips and $700 million in revenue. She subsequently ran Uber's ridesharing business in EMEA before moving to Spotahome, a Series-B stage prop-tech marketplace. After two years there, she took a much-deserved sabbatical before jumping from operator to investor at Stride. We had a great conversation in which we talked about managing stress and burnout in start-ups, the most exciting themes she sees in workforce tech, transferrable skills for people pivoting careers, and the importance of creativity for founders and investors. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 08 Mar 2022 | Filipe Macedo & Pedro Oliveira - Talent Protocol - The Web3 Professional Network | 00:28:41 | |
Like many others, I've been down the rabbit hole of crypto and web3 over the past year or two. I've met some fascinating people doing what I can only describe as some next level shit as they explore new ways of building communities, creating new business models and generally exploring what's possible with blockchain and tokenomics. Today, I'm speaking to Pedro Oliveira (CEO) and Filipe Macedo (CMO), co-founders of Talent Protocol. They're old friends who, after pursuing separate careers since they left university, have come together over the last couple of years to create a start-up whose vision is to enable high potential talent to create an on-chain resume, launch their own token, and start building the support network they need to succeed. We discuss what led the two of them to web3 and the genesis of the idea behind Talent Protocol, the role communities have played in supporting their careers, and why their vision is to create an interoperable and user-owned social network that values the quality of connections more than the number of followers. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 10 Mar 2022 | Hung Lee - The Future of Talent & Becoming an Expert in Your Niche | 00:24:34 | |
My guest today is Hung Lee. He’s the writer and curator of Recruiting Brainfood, a newsletter read by nearly 30,000 people interested in recruitment, talent, and HR, among other things. He also writes This Week In Recruitment and hosts a popular job board. Hung has worked in recruitment for over twenty years and knows the market inside out. As well as dedicating time to saving his readers time – by finding the most relevant and interesting news for them each week – he’s a great example of how when you love a subject and spend time really thinking about it, you can create huge value for people while having fun along the way. We talked about the future of offices, including whether businesses would ultimately all adopt some form of hybrid work or if there’s a possibility some will throw their hat in for fully office-based on remote future. We also discussed why flexibility is a critical requirement for most candidates in the market and the essential skills we should ensure we’re proficient in if we want to compete in the job market over the next five to ten years. Finally, we discuss the importance of becoming an expert in your niche and why successfully launching a digital content strategy for yourself, including growing a newsletter, you need to combine intrinsic motivation and passion with hard work and a thick skin. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 16 Mar 2022 | Andrew Hill - The Future of Workplace Culture and Leadership | 00:34:33 | |
Today’s guest is Andrew, Associate Editor and Management Editor of the Financial Times. As well as writing the FT’s weekly column on management, Andrew is a previous winner of Business Commentator of the year and the Decade of Excellence award for sustained achievement in business and financial journalism. Most relevantly to you perhaps, he’s one of the writers I’ve referenced most in my weekly news digest in the Future Work/Life newsletter. We discussed hybrid work and the future of workplace culture, and as the role of managers changes, we explore what skills will be necessary for the future. We also dig into whether we should be aspiring for happiness in our work, and somehow I end up comparing one stage of the flow state cycle to the importance of resting meat—apologies to any vegetarians out there. Lastly, I pick Andrew’s brains about what makes a good business book. This is the final episode of this sixth series of the Future Work/Life podcast and what a great one it’s been. Thanks as ever for listening and a big thanks to Andrew for his time. I really enjoyed our chat and I’m sure you will too. I'll be back with Season 7 in April, so make sure you subscribe to receive all future episodes in your podcast player of choice. Thanks, Ollie LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 13 Apr 2022 | Laura Price - Fresh Perspective, Freelancing & Food | 00:22:07 | |
In today's episode, you'll hear the incredible and inspiring story of the journalist and author, Laura Price. After making the switch from financial journalism to writing about food, she's now a freelance writer and her new novel, Single Bald Female is out in the UK on the 14th of April. Laura and I discussed how her cancer diagnosis in 2012 changed her perspective on life and work, inspiring her to go back to university to study a masters degree in magazine journalism. After initially working for The World's 50 Best Restaurants full-time, she made the decision to go it alone as a freelancer a few years ago. She explains how she's adapted to freelancing, including its various ups and downs and why she decided to dedicate so much time to writing her novel and now her new podcast, Life in Food. Thanks as ever for listening to the show. If you enjoy it please make sure you're subscribed and also check out my newsletter on Substack (link below). LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 20 Apr 2022 | Tom Haak - Personalisation of Work | 00:21:22 | |
In this episode, my guest is Tom Haak. Tom runs the HR Trend Institute, which he founded in 2014, and he spends much of his time analysing trends in organisational design, people and workplace culture. We had a really interesting discussion. You'll hear us talk about the increasing trend towards personalisation of work, why it's currently trailing behind the consumer industry and what we can do to change that in the future. We also discuss the pros and cons of coaching in the workplace and who the best people are to do it. Finally, we explore the increasing role of technology within businesses and HR in particular. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 27 Apr 2022 | Emily Balcetis - The Science of Goal-Setting | 00:42:46 | |
We're often told we should have clear goals for ourselves. In fact, as we've heard from guests like Marc Effron and Grace Lordan in the past, there is a connection between effective goal-setting and high performance. The thing is, many of us still really struggle with this idea, so I wanted to explore it some more. And I figured if you want to dive deep into a subject, we may as well invite one of the world's leading experts onto the show. Today's guest is Emily Balcetis. She's an Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University, where she runs the Social Perception Action and Motivation research lab. Or SPAM for short. Emily and her team have pioneered the scientific investigation of behavioural science and motivation. Their work has uncovered previously unknown strategies that increase, sustain, and direct people's efforts to meet their goals. She also explores these ideas in her excellent book, Clearer, Closer, Better, and with us today on the Future Work/Life podcast. Our conversation starts by examining why materialising goals is crucial to achieving them before digging into the relative benefits of a narrow focus of attention and applying a wide bracket. Along the way, we discuss how to motivate ourselves to pursue big, long-term goals and why, although vision boards can help us discover purpose, used in isolation, they can actually be detrimental to our success. I love the way Emily reframes goal-setting – literally, as her work is all focused on the power of our vision. She gives some fantastic practical examples of visual tactics that can help us meet and exceed our goals, all of which help build a tool kit for success. LINKS: The Social Perception Action and Motivation research lab Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 04 May 2022 | Andy Ayim - Investing in yourself and others | 00:40:46 | |
This week's guest is Andy Ayim. He's an angel investor and founder of the Angel Investing School, which teaches professionals from all backgrounds how to begin investing in startups. Its mission is to get women and people of colour onto the cap tables of the world's best performing startups. Andy grew up in Tottenham, which is just around the corner from me and after starting his career as a management consultant, he then moved to Silicon Valley in 2015 where he worked as a product manager in tech. When he returned to London he'd made the decision to follow his true purpose in life, which is reducing the barriers for founders from unexpected places and backgrounds to access funding and support. His contribution was recognised in 2020 with an MBE awarded to him by the Queen for services to diversity in the technology industry. Andy and I had never met before this recording, but he's a lovely and fascinating guy, and after about 10 minutes, I felt like we'd known each other for years! We discussed how having kids changes your perspective on work and life and the importance of networks and community in providing support and opportunities to founders. We also talked about how Andy helps the founders he works with access capital and build relationships with the people who can help on their journey. Plus, why he feels like this is his calling. We have a fascinating conversation about how Andy journals, collecting insights in what he calls his tracker every day to help him record significant events and emotions. This provides him with his 'external memory' and provides an amazing resource for new ideas as he spots connections between patterns of behaviour and thinking. I loved this chat with Andy, and I'm sure you will too. I'll put links to Andy's LinkedIn profile and the Angel Investment School in the show notes, along with links to the Future Work/Life newsletter and website. Just a reminder, my new book, Work/Life Flywheel is now available to pre-order so get your copy sorted early doors. It features my thoughts on the opportunities presented by changes at work and how we can take advantage of them - and Andy will, of course, be featuring. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 11 May 2022 | Kathrin Hamm - From World Bank Economist to Start-Up Founder | 00:34:49 | |
My guest this week has had an exciting and unusual career journey. After studying finance at university, Kathrin Hamm went to work for an NGO in Afghanistan, which led her to pursue a PhD in international development. However, following four years of travelling the globe in her role as an Economist at the World Bank, she began developing sleep issues. Kathrin searched far and wide for a solution to her insomnia and eventually came across weighted medical blankets. Yes, they were ugly and hot, but they also helped her sleep consistently for the time in years. So, she did what any successful economist would do in her situation and quit her job to found a company creating and selling beautiful heavy blankets. 3.5 years later, Kathrin's business, Bearaby, has won awards and is now stocked in retailers across the United States. I loved this chat with Kathrin. We talked about: - Her early career and how following her curiosity has created a series of exciting opportunities. - The ups and downs of entrepreneurship. - Why pivoting your career affects your sense of identity. - How to learn from failure. - Why purpose for Kathrin means constantly learning - The importance of taking time to rest and recover - How to channel creativity in your work - Why community is critical in your journey as an entrepreneur. Thanks as ever for listening. If you enjoy this episode, make sure you subscribe and please leave a review - it really helps other people discover the show. LINKS: My book, Work/Life Flywheel: Harness the work revolution and reimagine your career without fear, will be published on 17th January 2023. Pre-order your copy, HERE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 18 May 2022 | Lynda Gratton - Transforming organisations and making hybrid work for everyone | 00:42:11 | |
In today’s show, I welcome Lynda Gratton, London Business School professor and author of several books, including her most recent, Redesigning Work: How to Transform Your Organisation and Make Hybrid Work for Everyone. Lynda is one of the world’s most well-respected thought leaders on the future of work and has been named by Business Thinkers 50 as one of its’ top 15 business thinkers. She has a column for MIT Sloan and writes regularly for Harvard Business Review. Her ten books, including The 100-Year Life, have sold over a million copies globally. She serves as a Fellow of the World Economic Forum and is on the advisory board of several top global companies. In short, she knows what she’s talking about, and we had a fascinating conversation covering a range of topics related to the future of work, including: - How Covid shifted the dynamic from employers to employee driving change in the workplace - The importance of networks to our identity and careers - Why we need to take an ‘And/And’ rather ‘And/Or’ approach to work design - Synchronous and asynchronous communications - The skills required to thrive in the emerging world of work - Why it’s so important to nurture creativity in our work and in orgs - Why we’re now living multi-stage lives and what that means to our careers - The changing role of communities in our work/lives LINKS: Redesigning Work: How to Transform Your Organisation and Make Hybrid Work for Everyone Work/Life Flywheel: Harness the work revolution and reimagine your career without fear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 19 May 2022 | Tim Oldman - Reimagining the Workplace | 00:38:15 | |
In today's show, I speak to Tim Oldman, Founder and CEO of Leesman, the world leader in measuring and analysing employees' experiences in their places of work.
Leesman helps organisations understand and measure how employees are supported in their workplaces, which has led them to build the world's largest independent benchmark of employee workplace experience - be that in their offices, their homes, or the spaces in between. Tim's also recently written a book, Why Workplace, which explores the trends Leesman sees emerging and how it relates to business growth. [It's also a really nicely designed product, by the way, which won't be a surprise to anyone who knows the company who really pay attention to aesthetics and experience.] I loved this conversation with Tim, in which we covered a whole host of topics, including: - Why the starting point of workplace design is thinking about people, not the building - Why employees' homes are a great place to work – for certain tasks - How activity-based-working can help define how we create workspaces - How roles may change in the future depending on proximity to an office - How role complexity affects the time people spend in the office or remote - What other benefits come from working in person with others beyond collaboration - The importance of ‘why’ in the workplaces of the future LINKS: Work/Life Flywheel: Harness the work revolution and reimagine your career without fear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 26 May 2022 | Christian Busch - The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck | 00:35:52 | |
In today’s show, we consider a question that I’ve always been intrigued by: are some people luckier than others? My guest is Prof. Dr. Christian Busch, bestselling author of Connect the Dots: The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck. Christian is director of the CGA Global Economy Program at New York University (NYU), and also teaches at the London School of Economics (LSE). He’s also the co-founder of Sandbox Network, a global community of young innovators and Leaders on Purpose, an organisation convening leading CEOs. A busy man with loads of fascinating insights to share with us today. We discuss: - The difference between blind luck and smart luck - Whether it’s possible to cultivate serendipity in your life - How techniques like the hook strategy make you luckier - The benefits of a serendipity mindset to your career and life - How to chuck serendipity bombs out into the world - The value of changing your routine and habits - How anticipating the unexpected makes people & businesses stronger - Approaching life as a rational optimist If you enjoy listening to the show, make sure you subscribe to the Future Work/Life newsletter and look me up on LinkedIn, as I’ll explore the themes we discuss in more detail over the coming weeks. LINKS: Connect the Dots: The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 01 Jun 2022 | Stephanie Nadi Olson - The Flexible Future of Work | 00:42:42 | |
Today’s guest is Stephanie Nadi-Olson, founder of We Are Rosie.
After a decade in advertising sales, working for companies like Microsoft and Yahoo, Stephanie recognised an industry ripe for disruption. When she returned to work following the birth of her first child, she experienced for herself the lack of options for people wanting or needing to work flexibly and independently. Her mission with We Are Rosie is to gather all of these people up, market them, and give them the career and life they want. Founded in 2017, the company preceded the changes wrought by Covid, and it’s fair to say that Stephanie and her team were perfectly positioned to provide the tools and the opportunities for thousands of people who decided it was the perfect time to switch to freelancing or going it alone. She’s won multiple awards for her work and is leading one of the fastest-growing organisations in marketing. We had a great conversation covering a range of topics, including: - The challenges of scaling a business with a young family - The importance of self-care for founders and leaders - Why community is key to the growth of We Are Rosie - Why flexibility is vital to the future of work - The growth of freelance and fractional roles - The skills required to manage and work remotely - Moving from corporate to start-up life - Why a 6-month runway makes sense when founding a company - How a shared mission galvanises a distributed team of freelancers - Why leaders sharing their ideas makes a difference to business growth - How to take the first steps into going it alone as a solo or entrepreneur LINKS: Work/Life Flywheel: Harness the work revolution and reimagine your career without fear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 02 Jun 2022 | Jeff Kofman - From Emmy-Award Winning War Correspondent to Tech Founder & CEO | 00:23:43 | |
Today's guest is an incredible example of why it's never too late to pivot careers. For 30 years, Jeff Kofman was a journalist, winning an Emmy award for his coverage of the Arab Spring. During his journalism career, he:
Then in 2014, he decided to leave TV journalism. While wondering what to do next, serendipity took hold and he spotted an opportunity to solve a problem he'd experienced throughout his life as a reporter. The insight led to him found Trint, the technology business of which he's now the CEO. We had a fascinating chat during which, we discussed: - Pivoting from a lifelong journalism career to start-up founder - Spotting opportunities to solve a problem you experience yourself - How working in war zones gives you perspective - Why live TV teaches you not to bluff in business - The importance of not second-guessing yourself as an entrepreneur - Why telling stories is a valuable life skill - The value of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone - Finding ways to release stress and stay healthy LINKS: Work/Life Flywheel: Harness the work revolution and reimagine your career without fear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 08 Jun 2022 | Nicolas Cole - How to Become a Digital Writer | 00:50:20 | |
Today’s guest is one of the biggest writers on the internet. He’s written over 5,000 articles online, ghost-written for 300+ business leaders and was previously the most-read writer on the social platform Quora, which has 200 million users. Nicolas Cole, or Cole to his friends, has amassed hundreds of millions of views of his writing, written over a dozen books, and is co-author of the Category Pirates newsletter with former podcast guest Christopher Lochhead and Eddie Yoon. As you’ll hear us discuss with his partner Dickie Bush, Cole’s also the co-founder of Ship 30 for 30, a cohort-based course designed to help anyone develop a digital writing habit. We had a great conversation about a variety of topics, including: - Working out what to write - Getting over the fear of writing online - How to generate a steady flow of ideas - How to choose which platform to write on - Niching down and scaling using the internet - The difference between analogue & digital writing - The importance of structure & systems to good writing - Why work/life balance is a myth & what’s the alternative If you’re interested in learning more about Ship 30 For 30, I’ve put a link below, which will give you a discount on the next cohort. You can also find the link in today’s Future Work/Life newsletter. Finally, if you enjoy listening, make sure to subscribe to hear more conversations about writing and sharing ideas with people like Justin Welsh and Steven Kotler over the next few weeks. LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 15 Jun 2022 | George Bettany - Mental Health in the Workplace | 00:43:39 | |
Today’s guest is George Bettany, co-founder of Sanctus, a mental health gym that supports thousands of people at businesses across the UK with coaching that blends personal and professional development with proactive mental wellbeing support. We had a fantastic conversation covering a range of topics, not least why, despite the challenges presented by Covid and multiple lockdowns, one lasting positive has been more openness to discussing mental health in the workplace. We also talked about: - How leaders should approach discussing mental wellbeing - The pros and cons of leading a mission-led business - Thinking about work like a high-performance athlete - Why entrepreneurship is a creative endeavour - The link between physical and mental health - The importance of community LINKS: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 22 Jun 2022 | Steven Kotler - Flow State & Peak Performance | 00:44:19 | |
My guest today is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer, author of multiple best-selling books and one of the world's leading experts on flow. Steven Kotler founded the Flow Research Collective in 2019 and has written category-defining books like The Rise of Superman, Stealing Fire and The Art of the Impossible. His most recent work is fiction – a thriller set in the near future called, The Devil's Dictionary. We had a fascinating conversation exploring:
If you enjoy listening, check out the Future Work/Life newsletter and sign up for my new course on Maven, which uses some of the techniques we discuss to help transform you from burned-out leader to thought leader. You can sign up for updates and exclusive offers for the course by leaving your details on the form that I link to in the show notes. LINKS: Sign up to register your interest for my new Maven cohort-based-course - Design a Work/Life Flywheel: Transform from burned-out leader to thought leader Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 29 Jun 2022 | Justin Welsh - Audience-Led Solopreneurship | 00:43:43 | |
I'm excited to bring you today's episode because it pulls together the various strands covered in the series so far, not least how to build a sustainable system for pivoting careers and harnessing the power of your ideas. For a decade, today's guest, Justin Welsh, was a sales leader for high-growth tech businesses, helping to build two $50M+ ARR (annual recurring revenue) companies and raise over $300M in venture capital. But in 2019, he burned out. Deciding it was time to step away from his high-paying job, he created a plan to build an online audience, hypothesising that this would be the launchpad he needed to begin his new career as an entrepreneur. 3 years later, he has 230,000 people following him on LinkedIn and 115,000 on Twitter, earning $2.3 million in self-employed income. Justin's on a mission to become the "Diversified Entrepreneur", which he's achieving by generating revenue from multiple online courses, investing, advising and coaching online creators. He's also a lovely guy and was very generous with both his time and insights. We discussed a range of topics, including:
LINKS: Sign up to register your interest for my new Maven cohort-based-course: Design a Work/Life Flywheel: Accelerate Your Career Without Burning out Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 06 Jul 2022 | Tim Harford - Following your Curiosity & Learning from Failure | 00:44:06 | |
Hello and welcome to the Future Work/Life podcast on which we discuss big ideas about the future of work and life. Today's episode is one of those that make doing this so worthwhile. My guest is one of my favourite authors, someone whose books and columns I've read for over 15 years and whose ideas have changed the way I think about the world. Tim Harford is a journalist, author of multiple bestselling books, a TV host and the presenter of the chart-topping podcast, Cautionary Tales. You probably know him best as The Undercover Economist (after the title of his first book and longrunning Financial Times column). We had a wonderful chat about all sorts of subjects, including curiosity, the importance of failing and how to use it to plan future projects and the future of the workplace. One last thing - I have launched my cohort-based Maven course, Accelerate your Career by Designing a Work/Life Flywheel. If you're up for interactive sessions with me, expert guests and other students with the same ambitious career goals as you, sign up or contact me for more info. LINKS: Sign up for me new Maven course: Accelerate your Career by Designing a Work/Life Flywheel My book, Work/Life Flywheel: Harness the work revolution and reimagine your career without fear, will be published on 17th January 2023. You can pre-order your copy, HERE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 27 Jul 2022 | Lesson 1 - Embrace being different | 00:08:23 | |
Welcome back to Series 8 of the Future Work/Life podcast. Over the next 20 bite-sized episodes, I'll share my Top 20 lessons from my first 100 podcasts. Lesson 1 focuses on why you should embrace being different as a leader, entrepreneur and creator. The show features two clips from interviews with Christopher Lochhead, my first ever guest and currently, the only guest to have featured on the show twice. Check out the two episodes here (and excuse the terrible sound quality from the first episode - I've learned a lot since then!). Christopher Lochhead - Category Design & Niching Down Christopher Lochhead - A New Category of Human Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 28 Jul 2022 | Lesson 2 - How failure can lead to growth | 00:04:55 | |
In this show, you'll hear from two guests about how failure really can lead to growth. First, Reward Gateway founder, Glenn Elliott, explains why not everyone's honest about their experience in business and why the only way to innovate is to keep testing. Then you'll hear how Justin Welsh treats content creation as a game, which you'll only improve in if you keep making and learning from your mistakes. Original Episodes: Glenn Elliott - Entrepreneurship & Employee Engagement Justin Welsh - Audience-Led Solopreneurship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 02 Aug 2022 | Lesson 3 - It's time to flip how we think about learning (and work) | 00:06:44 | |
In this show, you'll hear from two guests about why we need to rethink how we learn and the connection between education and the future of work. First, Semper Virens' General Partner, Allison Baum Gates, explains why lessons learned from online education have led to a flipped approach in the classroom and the workplace. Then you'll hear Olympian and leadership expert, Cath Bishop, break down why autonomy and curiosity are so important to how children and adults learn. Original Episodes: Allison Baum Gates: Venture Capital & The Future of Work Cath Bishop - The Long Win with 3x Olympian, Diplomat & Author Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 03 Aug 2022 | Lesson 4 - Cultivate your community | 00:07:05 | |
In this show, you'll hear from two guests about why we changes in how we work are enabling us to network more easily, which means you need to start cultivating your community First, Bearaby founder, Stephanie Nadi Olson, explains why building new relationships was critical to her establishing herself and her business in an industry in which she'd never previously worked. Then you'll hear networks expert, Erica Young, discuss how to take an intentional approach to cultivating your community. Original Episodes: Kathrin Hamm - From World Bank Economist to Start-Up Founder Erica Young - Cultivating Networks & Communities Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 04 Aug 2022 | Lesson 5 - Flexibility is a mark of success | 00:07:14 | |
In this show, you'll hear from two guests about why flexibility can now be considered a mark of success. First, We Are Rosie founder, Stephanie Nadi Olson, explains why Covid "lifted the veil' on the bullsh*t that companies were spouting about the downsides of flexible work. Then you'll hear Annie Auerbach, Author of FLEX, discuss why now's the time to move on from the idea that flexibility is something desired by less ambitious people and recognise how it creates value for individuals and businesses. Original Episodes: Stephanie Nadi Olson - The Flexible Future of Work Annie Auerbach - FLEX in Work and Life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 09 Aug 2022 | Lesson 6 - There's magic to connecting in-person | 00:03:29 | |
In this show, you'll hear from Bruce Daisley about why there's still magic in connecting with people in real life despite some advantages to the rise of remote work. Original Episode: Bruce Daisley - Making Work Better (And More Joyful) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 10 Aug 2022 | Lesson 7 - The world is a big place - take advantage of it | 00:07:51 | |
In this show, you'll hear from two guests about how to harness the power of the internet First, Liz Ogabi tells us how her move from London to Lagos inspired her entrepreneurial career and the launch of her online community, For Working Ladies. Then you'll hear Ship 30 for 30 and Category Pirates founder, Nicolas Cole, explain why it's viable for creators and entrepreneurs to leverage the internet's scale to niche down. Original Episodes: Elizabeth Ogabi - Kickstarting Your Side Hustle Nicolas Cole - How to Become a Digital Writer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||