Changing Shapes

🎙️ Episode Overview

In this episode of Changing Shapes, Tom Horak sits down with Onika Simon—cultural strategist, brand thinker, philosopher by training, and co-founder of creative studio OK Sorted. With a career spanning two decades across New York, London and Berlin, Onika brings a singular voice to how we should think about creativity, ethics, and the role of technology in shaping culture.

From walking away from Oxford at 17 to starting her career in New York the day before 9/11, Onika has always been driven by big questions. This conversation explores the ethics of AI, the meaning of excellence, and why artists might be the best teachers for business leaders navigating change.

🔍 In This Episode, We Discuss:

✔ Why philosophy, not business, may be the best training for navigating AI

✔ What it really means to “show up in culture” when AI is part of your brand toolkit

✔ How to define excellence and why not everything deserves to exist

✔ The triple bottom line – what “good growth” looks like in the age of automation

✔ Why ethics aren’t corporate—they’re human, and that’s where the responsibility lies

✔ The difference between authenticity, adaptation and alienation when adopting new tools

✔ Her insider’s view on Berlin, London, and New York’s very different responses to AI

✔ Advice for young creatives: the importance of workplace hygiene, insubordination—and learning to ask better questions

🎧 Listen Now:

📌 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TmkhnKwaBlN2adTHJWTDE?si=60f7e6b9dd844906

📌 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ro/podcast/changing-shapes/id1804432666

📌 Substack: https://substack.com/@thomashorak

✨ Key Takeaways:

• AI is the sum of everything we’ve made—but excellence still matters. Not all outputs are equal, and not everything should be monetised.

• Creative industries have a moral obligation. If we say we’re here to inspire and uplift, then ethics must be more than a line in the brand book.

• Good growth doesn’t sacrifice people or planet for profit. If AI is to be part of the future, it must serve more than the already powerful.

• Companies aren’t ethical—people are. And the true danger is when decision-makers dodge accountability behind the mask of technology.

• Young people should feel empowered to challenge systems. The future needs polite insubordination more than passive compliance.

🔗 Links & References:

• OK Sorted Studio – https://www.oksorted.com/

• Onika’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/onikasimon

💬 Join the Conversation:

📢 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-horak/

📩 Subscribe for more cultural insight → https://substack.com/@thomashorak

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, rate, and leave a review—it really helps us grow. Until next time, ask better questions, stay human, and remember: not everything deserves to exist.

🎙️ Episode Overview

In this episode of Changing Shapes, host Tom Horak talks with Felix Rossknecht—a fractional CMO, growth strategist, and advisor to over 50 companies across e-commerce, consumer tech, and health innovation. Felix grew up in a family business, spent years honing his expertise in global markets, and has now turned his attention to how AI is changing the foundations of product building, marketing, and even healthcare.

From the rise of automated content generation to hyper-personalised health coaching, Felix offers a measured, real-world perspective on what AI does well—and where human intuition and creativity still reign supreme.

• AI & Startup Development: How generative AI tools lower barriers for new entrepreneurs, and whether AI could ever act like a “co-founder.”

• Speed vs. Substance in Marketing: Why the automation of ad targeting, influencer outreach, and SEO isn’t replacing humans but shifting their roles.

• Search Engine Optimisation in Flux: Why chatbots and conversational search might leave traditional SEO behind—and what truly matters for discoverability now.

• Healthcare Innovation & Prevention: How AI scribes can free doctors to focus on patients, and why Felix believes prevention and coaching may be AI’s next big frontier.

• Advice to New Entrepreneurs & Marketers: Balancing cutting-edge tools with timeless fundamentals—empathising with customers, validating real needs, and embracing steady growth over hype.

• Spotify: [Link to Spotify]

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/changing-shapes/id1804432666

• Substack: https://substack.com/@thomashorak

1. AI Unlocks Speed, But Strategy Still Matters

   Rapid prototyping and automated marketing can jump-start a venture, but founders must still test real-world needs and cultivate genuine insights.

2. The Search Landscape is Shifting

   Chat-based tools are edging out traditional Google ranking, making it crucial for brands to deliver concise, high-quality information that AI can parse and recommend.

3. Health Tech’s Real Opportunity Lies in Prevention

   From AI scribes to personalised coaching, Felix sees untapped potential for tech that nudges people toward healthier habits—without replacing human care.

4. Not Just Automation—It’s Adaptation

   AI in marketing doesn’t remove the need for marketers. Instead, it changes the skill set required, focusing on brand storytelling, creative direction, and ethical data use.

5. Focus on the Human Side of Growth

   Whether you’re a solo founder or leading a team, true differentiation comes from understanding your customer’s world—and using AI as a tool, not a crutch.

• Felix’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/felixrossknecht

• Felix’s Substack – https://righteffort.substack.com/

• Tom’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-horak/

• Subscribe for more cultural insight → https://substack.com/@thomashorak

If you found this episode valuable, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Until next time, stay curious, embrace new tools—and remember that genuine innovation always starts with real human needs.

🔍 In This Episode, We Discuss:🎧 Listen Now:✨ Key Takeaways🔗 Links & References💬 Join the Conversation

Amy Daroukakis: AI, Culture & The Future of Human Insight

🎙️ Episode Overview:

In this episode of Changing Shapes, Tom Horak sits down with Amy Daroukakis, a cultural strategist and global trends expert who has spent over 20 years decoding the future for brands like Google, LVMH, and Airbnb. Amy doesn’t just observe trends—she sees the cultural forces shaping them before the rest of us even realise what’s happening.

From AI’s impact on human connection to the crisis of authenticity in the digital age, this episode is packed with insightful, thought-provoking discussion. We explore why AI can’t truly replace cultural intelligence, how algorithmic bias is shaping our world, and why the most valuable skill of the future is simply being human.

🔍 In This Episode, We Discuss:

✔ AI’s cultural zeitgeist – why 2023 was the biggest shift in AI perception we’ve ever seen

✔ The hype vs. reality of AI in business and culture – are we automating too much, too fast?

✔ How brands are misusing AI and where it’s actually useful

✔ The crisis of authenticity – why many consumers no longer trust online content

✔ How AI is flattening creativity – and the real opportunities that exist beyond the hype

✔ The future of human interaction – how the loss of in-person touchpoints is reshaping culture

✔ Getting lost on purpose – why the best insights don’t come from data, but from the real world

🎧 Listen Now:

📌 Youtube: https://youtu.be/N4w2jdzMHhk

📌 [Apple Podcasts]

📌 https://substack.com/@thomashorak

✨ Key Takeaways:

• AI is a mirror, not a replacement for culture. It reflects what we value and what we overlook—and unless we actively shape it, it will reinforce biases rather than challenge them.

• We’re at a turning point between AI being helpful and AI replacing too much. Businesses are outsourcing thinking, but in doing so, they’re flattening creativity and stripping away the human element.

• Authenticity is the new currency. With AI-generated content flooding the internet, people are craving realness—this is where businesses and creators can stand out.

• Your biggest advantage is being deeply human. AI can synthesise data, but it can’t ask about someone’s divorce or form relationships. The future belongs to those who know when to use AI and when to rely on human intuition.

• True insight comes from real-world experience. AI models are built on existing data, but the most valuable cultural insights come from being out in the world—observing, engaging, and getting lost on purpose.

🔗 Links & References:

• Amy’s Open-Source Trend Report Collection

• Culture Connectors Podcast

• Amy on LinkedIn

💬 Join the Conversation:

📢 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn → @TomHorak

📩 Subscribe to the newsletter for more insights → [Substack]

If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe, rate, and leave a review—it really helps us grow. Until next time, stay curious and don’t be afraid to get lost on purpose.