Breakthrough Innovation

In this episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we sit down with Andrew Davies, Better Meetings Director at Artly Working, where he brings improv + facilitation to companies like Meta, Google, Netflix, and Roblox.

Andrew’s workshops are helping teams become more connected, more creative, and way more effective — not through more tools or strategy, but through better human interaction.

🎭 Why improv is a listening skill, not a performance skill

🧠 The “social risk” that shuts down ideas — and how to reduce it

🙌 The real ROI of improv: culture, retention, and collaboration

📢 Why meetings are the frontline of company culture (for better or worse)

💬 Games like “Band Names” and “Breaking News” that unlock trust and creativity

If you lead teams or run workshops, this episode will change how you think about group dynamics — and what makes a meeting truly work.

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In this episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we speak with Dr. Tyler Susko — roboticist, inventor, and founder of Cadense, the startup behind a revolutionary adaptive shoe for people with mobility challenges.

This story starts with million-dollar rehabilitation robots at MIT… and ends with a lightweight, friction-adaptive shoe that has already helped tens of thousands regain confidence and mobility.

👟 Why high-friction shoes are dangerous for people recovering from stroke or injury

🧠 How a PhD in robotics led to a simpler, not more complex, solution

⚙️ Why the first prototype failed (and what they learned from #40)

🌎 How they scaled to 30,000+ units sold — and why customer feedback drives everything

🏗️ The Cardboard Boat Race and why MVPs should look like 5th grade science projects

📈 What to do when success forces you to become a different kind of business

This episode is a masterclass in listening, iterating, and innovating from the outside in.

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In this milestone episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we talk with Dr. Rahul Prasad, an applied physicist who helped advance nuclear fusion at institutions like Yale and the National Ignition Facility — and then made a radical pivot into global social impact.

Dr. Prasad is now president of Butterflies USA, chairperson of Amandla Development, and author of the upcoming book Impact Shift. His story is a blueprint for anyone seeking meaning beyond success.

🔬 Why he left a prestigious scientific career to empower marginalized youth

🌍 How he translated innovation from the lab to the streets of India and South Africa

🏦 The grassroots banking system run entirely by street children — and why it works

💡 The power of asking “why not?” to unlock bold new impact

📘 What Impact Shift teaches about pivoting toward purpose-driven leadership

This conversation blends science, service, and strategy — and it will absolutely shift how you think about real innovation.

Find more information about these great organisations here:

- https://www.butterfliesusa.org/

- https://amandladevelopment.org/

Thanks for tuning in to Breakthrough Innovation! Want to subscribe to the podcast? Have feedback to share? Connect with us on Spotify or iTunes and leave us a review—we’d love to hear from you!

In this episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we sit down with Dave Schoof, a former counterintelligence expert turned master leadership coach. Dave’s unconventional path led from national security to the C-suite — where he now helps senior executives unlock meaning, clarity, and performance through deep mindset shifts.

This conversation goes beyond strategy — it's about who leaders become when the old ways stop working.

🧠 Why high-achieving leaders often feel restless despite “having it all”

🔁 The Peter Principle trap — and how to stop promoting people into misery

💡 The “disquiet at 3 a.m.” — and how it’s actually a gift

👥 How to build your own executive board of directors for honest feedback

🌊 Why thriving in change requires new internal operating systems

This episode is for leaders who are ready to grow through change — not just survive it.

Thanks for tuning in to Breakthrough Innovation! Want to subscribe to the podcast? Have feedback to share? Connect with us on Spotify or iTunes and leave us a review—we’d love to hear from you!

In this laughter-packed and insight-rich episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we talk with Conor Cunneen, the Irishman known as Irishman Speaks — a business humorist, two-time cancer survivor, and former marketing exec on a mission to improve people, performance, and productivity… with a smile.

Whether you lead teams, sell products, or pitch ideas, this episode will reframe how you think about humor as a strategic business tool.

🎯 Why humor isn’t about being funny — it’s about creating connection and trust

🧠 The neuroscience of laughter and the brain’s “leprechaun effect”

📈 How leaders can increase persuasion with the LAUGH framework

🎤 Why your job isn’t to get laughs — it’s to get smiles (and why that’s more effective)

😂 The #1 mindset shift that unlocks natural humor in business settings

Plus, you'll hear how Conor’s signature “shaving foam story” helps teach manufacturing safety — and how humor boosts retention and impact across all domains.

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In this episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we talk with Mickey Anderson, founder of LoyaltyOps and a culture-systems expert who helps leaders scale without breaking their teams.

Mickey brings clarity to the messy middle where process, tools, and people collide — and offers a repeatable system for building culture as a competitive advantage.

💡 Why high-performing culture matters more than high-performing teams

📉 How to spot when your culture is the real reason growth is stalling

🧠 The 4 key questions every team member should be able to answer instantly

🔁 The “OG syndrome” and how it sabotages your scale strategy

⚠️ Why over-automating with tools kills performance instead of enabling it

If your company is growing fast — or trying to — this episode will help you design a culture that doesn’t collapse under pressure.

Thanks for tuning in to Breakthrough Innovation! Want to subscribe to the podcast? Have feedback to share? Connect with us on Spotify or iTunes and leave us a review—we’d love to hear from you!

In this episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we sit down with Kelly Schuknecht, founder of Two Mile High Marketing and host of Beyond the Bestseller. Kelly spent 20 years helping others build their brands — until a layoff forced her to finally bet on herself. And it paid off.

Her story is part personal reinvention, part business strategy, and all 🔥 inspiration for anyone feeling invisible, stuck, or underestimated.

🚨 The wake-up call that launched her business after being laid off

💡 Why reframing your experience is more powerful than starting over

🧠 The “Authority X Factor” — and how to find yours

🎯 Why you need to repeat yourself on LinkedIn (and why that’s good strategy)

📈 How Kelly helps clients become go-to thought leaders in their space

Whether you're building a business, brand, or personal platform — this conversation is a blueprint for turning credibility into momentum.

Thanks for tuning in to Breakthrough Innovation! Want to subscribe to the podcast? Have feedback to share? Connect with us on Spotify or iTunes and leave us a review—we’d love to hear from you!

In this powerful episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we talk with Anil Gupta — global speaker, mindset coach, and creator of the Happiness Formula and 3G Fulfillment Framework. After losing everything in 2008, Anil discovered what really drives joy, resilience, and leadership from within.

This conversation isn’t about surface-level positivity — it’s about the inner game of innovation, leadership, and living fully.

🔥 Anil’s moment of despair — and the one question that changed everything

🧠 Why fulfillment (not happiness) is what we’re all really seeking

✋ The 3 G’s: Give, Grow, and Gratitude — and how to raise your score today

💥 The mindset reframe that helped him go from suicidal to speaking with the Dalai Lama

💡 What leaders get wrong about success — and how to redefine it without giving up ambition

This one is for every leader who has the titles, the results, the external wins — but knows something is missing inside.

Thanks for tuning in to Breakthrough Innovation! Want to subscribe to the podcast? Have feedback to share? Connect with us on Spotify or iTunes and leave us a review—we’d love to hear from you!

In this episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we welcome Heather Physioc, Chief Discoverability Officer at VML and global keynote speaker. She’s built award-winning search and content teams — and now she’s helping leaders understand how discoverability shapes everything from branding to org design.

Heather doesn’t just talk marketing — she talks systems, trust, and what people are really looking for.

💡 Why discoverability is no longer optional — it’s your org’s visibility engine

🧠 How AI is shortening the gap between intent and decision (and what that means for your strategy)

⚠️ The 99% failure rate of AI initiatives — and how to lead through the chaos

🔍 Why search is a better reflection of truth than social media — and what you can learn from it

🤝 How to break silos and align your team around the real customer journey

This episode is packed with insights for anyone leading transformation, innovation, or go-to-market strategy.

Thanks for tuning in to Breakthrough Innovation! Want to subscribe to the podcast? Have feedback to share? Connect with us on Spotify or iTunes and leave us a review—we’d love to hear from you!

In this episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we’re joined by Lee Russel — AI strategist, bestselling author of Minimal Viable Launch, and builder of systems that generate real ROI, not just buzzwords.

Lee brings a refreshing, pragmatic approach to AI. He’s not here to sell hype — he’s here to talk about what’s actually working in the real world. If you're wondering how to use AI without wasting time, money, or credibility, this one’s for you.

💥 The 80–90% failure rate in AI pilots — and what the winners are doing differently

🧠 Why AI is an accelerant for experts, not a replacement for them

⚠️ Why outsourcing your thinking to AI is a dangerous trap

🤖 How to use AI for high-touch customer experiences at scale

📉 What businesses still don’t see coming: shifting customer expectations

This episode cuts through the noise and lays out a practical path forward for leaders ready to innovate intelligently.

Thanks for tuning in to Breakthrough Innovation! Want to subscribe to the podcast? Have feedback to share? Connect with us on Spotify or iTunes and leave us a review—we’d love to hear from you!