Brutal Truths In this interview, I speak with Simon Hammond about his newest book, Brutal Truths. As a creative thinker, Simon spends much of his time observing the world and from where he sits he believes that in order for us to each walk into our greatest level of self-awareness we have to wake up to five key Brutal Truths that is holding us back. As the individual becomes more self-aware and begins to walk their own path the collective flourishes. Enjoy! Guest Bio. Simon Hammond is a brand strategist, cultural anthropologist, author, keynote speaker and creative director of several of Australia's most talked-about creative agencies, and a senior lecturer on branding and innovation at Swinburne University of Technology. For over 30 years, Hammond has pushed the boundaries of traditional thinking to provoke creative change within – both in business and personally. From his early career as an investigative journalist to today, as a successful corporate director and author of three internationally acclaimed books (Guts, Be Brands and CEO of Earth), he has consistently defined the real drivers of social change and human behaviour. At his heart, Hammond is a cultural anthropologist and powerful storyteller. He is currently chairman of 50 Crates creative agency in Melbourne and chairs the YMCA's national Belief Council. The culmination of a lifetime of observation and pondering is captured and unpacked in Hammond's new book, Brutal Truths, available now at www.brutaltruths.com.au.