Flying to Barcelona for His First Gig: How Neil Linford-Relph Spoke Before He Felt Ready - EP 006, Speaking of ROI

Neil Linford-Relph, founder of The Design Business and former Design Director at McKinsey, joins Speaking of ROI to share how a single conference talk in Barcelona launched his speaking career. In this episode, Neil reflects on his design legacy—from Barclays to UBS Neo—and how AI is reshaping creativity. He talks candidly about the challenges of stepping out from behind big agency logos to speak as himself, how he curates talks on brand authenticity, and why he's now hosting a sustainability and creativity summit. If you're navigating a career pivot or considering the stage, Neil's story is a masterclass in showing up.

Highlights

[00:05:10] “It stops being a threat and ends up being a tool and an opportunity.”[00:07:10] “There’s so many facts, there’s so much I want to get into.”

[00:10:41] “Building confidence in your own story and your own identity and your own, you know, brand.”

[00:14:05] “Podcasts are different — you can listen while working. But it’s storytelling.”

[00:15:34] “If you wanted to see the challenge with AI — it averages everything out.”

[00:25:39] “All I want to do is throw loads of prompts, a room full of interesting people — and amazing things will happen.”

[00:27:10] “Have confidence in the story that you have to tell — and say it with passion.”

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