How do you rate your communication skills?

Being able to communicate with creativity and conviction is something leaders need to encourage their teams to contribute more and give meaningful ideas.

In this episode I am joined by Neil Mullarkey, comedian, actor and coach to senior executives. He is also a co-founder of the world-famous Comedy Store players in London, and he believes that improv is a key ingredient to being a great communicator.

He shares his mindset practices before, during and after a performance, and the best ways you can use improv in a work environment. He discusses whether business and humour can go hand in hand as well as the barriers that are in the way to make this happen. We also talk about how to listen to others, building on what they say, and then bringing more of yourself into the conversation.

“Improv is the humour that works in organisations, working with what's in the moment” – Neil Mullarkey

You'll hear about:

·      Neil’s mindset before a performance
·      Neil’s observations from working with leaders
·      The best examples of using improv at work
·      How to make sure your contribution is really good
·      Can business and humour go together?
·      Barriers and obstacles in the way
·      Managing the good times and the bad
·      What impact does Neil want to have on the world?

About Neil Mullarkey:

Neil is an actor, comedian, coach, and author. He co-founded the world famous improvisation group The Comedy Store Players with Mike Myers. He’s appeared on the likes of Have I Got News For You, Smith and Jones, Whose Line Is It Anyway, Austin Powers (International Man of Mystery and Goldmember), I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, Lovejoy, Saturday Live, Carrott Confidential, Paul Merton The Series, Spiceworld The Movie and QI.

He now also inspires people and businesses to embrace their creativity and enhance their communication skills, working with corporate clients to develop innovation and agility in the workplace.

His resources:

•          Profile: https://shorturl.at/cijOT
•          Book ‘In the moment’: https://shorturl.at/zAV03
•          Services: Learn or Laugh - https://neilmullarkey.com/

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

How do you view work life balance?

For some it's an indulgence or luxury, for others, it's an essential, non-negotiable aspect of work and life. Whatever your view being more aware of what you want in life is surely an important step for all.

In this episode I am joined by Dan Pontefract, who redefines and refrains it by calling it work life bloom. He argues that if we want to apply our best selves to our work, we need to be more human and curious and what it is that we want.

He discusses his ideas around work life bloom, and how the concept of work life balance is flawed. He shares how leaders can enable their teams to bloom and how to marshal that process. He also talks about how leaders can protect their own mental health when having to support others through their own struggles.

“We bring our lives into our work, nevertheless, our work shapes us” – Dan Pontefract

You'll hear about:

·      Work-life balance is flawed
·      The masks leaders wear
·      How leaders can make their team bloom
·      How to protect your own mental health
·      How to marshal a group closer to blooming
·      Devising a harmonious new order within teams
·      What impact does Dan want to have?
·      What makes Dan’s best day?

About Dan Pontefract:

Dan Pontefract is a renowned leadership strategist, author, and keynote speaker with over two decades of experience in senior executive roles at companies such as SAP, TELUS, and Business Objects. Since then, he has worked with organizations worldwide, including Salesforce, Amgen, the State of Tennessee, Nestlé, Canada Post, Autodesk, BMO, the Government of Canada, Manulife, Nutrien, and the City of Toronto, among others.

As an award-winning and best-selling author, Dan has written five books: WORK-LIFE BLOOM, LEAD. CARE. WIN., OPEN TO THINK, THE PURPOSE EFFECT, and FLAT ARMY. Dan also writes for Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and other outlets.

His resources:

•          Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danpontefract/
•          Book: www.worklifebloom.com
•          Services: https://www.danpontefract.com/

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. 

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

How can you improve your customer and employee experience?

People in the CSuite can forget customer and employee experience are linked. If you change how customers interact with products or services, your employees change the way they work too.

In this episode I am joined by Tiffani Bova, a growth expert. Her research shows 80% of customer facing employees do not feel the technology they use works for the tasks they are given. The question is, if it doesn’t work for employees how can it work for customers?

Tiffani shares what she thinks makes fantastic customer experience, how you can make your employees job easier, and how to nurture an experience mindset within global enterprises.

“If you are going to do something for your customer, pause and ask, what is the impact on my employee” – Tiffani Bova

You'll hear about:

●      What is fantastic customer experience?
●      Making it easy for employees to do their job well
●      Where CEOs should start
●      Nurturing an experience mindset
●      Having empowering conversations with employees
●      The hardest obstacle for CSuite to overcome
●      Creating enterprise wide mindset change
●      Tiffani's biggest mindset change
●      What is Tiffani working on for her own development?

About Tiffani Bova:

Tiffani Bova is a leading thinker who Forbes says “reshapes our perception of growth.” As both a practitioner and academic she offers a unique perspective and has helped lead the tech industry through several evolutions over her nearly 30-year career as Salesforce’s former Growth and Innovation Evangelist, and previously as a Research Fellow at Gartner. She is the author of two Wall Street Journal bestsellers: GrowthIQ and The Experience Mindset.

She has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50 twice.

Her resources:

• Profile: https://shorturl.at/cFLN2
• Book ‘The Experience Mindset’: https://shorturl.at/gySV4
• What’s Next Podcast: https://shorturl.at/bEHK0

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. 

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

How can you undergo digital transformation successfully?

Too often, it is led without a clear vision by those at the top of the organisation who are just looking to launch technology pilots across the business. To do it well means you may have to challenge your thinking to inspire new ways of working.

David Rogers is my guest in this episode, an expert in digital transformation who has been at the forefront of advising to and teaching companies how to do it well. He discusses the 5 critical steps to digital transformation as well as how companies can sustain it.

He also shares how the New York Times went from doing it badly to becoming more profitable and sustainable when they got it right. As well as how A.I. will change the future of digital transformations.

“Always be asking, what is the risk of inaction?” – David Rogers

You'll hear about:

·      Does digital transformation apply to all organisations?
·      5 critical steps of digital transformation
·      The non-sequential nature of the 5 steps
·      How to sustain digital transformation
·      Companies with admirable digital transformations
·      What do boards need to avoid and get right?
·      The biggest shifts David sees in leaders
·      How ecosystems impact digital transformations
·      Will A.I. radically change digital transformations?
·      Quickfire questions for David
·      What does David's best day look like?

About David Rogers:

David Rogers is one of the world’s leading experts on digital transformation, a member of the faculty at Columbia Business School, and the author of five books.

David helps companies transform their business for the digital age, working with senior leaders at corporations including Google, Microsoft, Citigroup, Visa, HSBC, Unilever, Merck, GE, among others.

At Columbia Business School, Rogers is faculty director of executive education programmes on digital business strategy and on leading digital transformation.

His resources:

• Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrogersdigital/
• Tools and content: www.davidrogers.digital
• Book ‘The Digital Transformation Roadmap’: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Transformation-Roadmap-Organization-Continuous/dp/023119658X/

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. 

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

What dictates meaning?

Cultural engagement plays a critical role in influencing people to think and act differently. It can be the difference between meaningful or transactional relationships. To be successful in marketing we need to understand people's values and beliefs more deeply, and how we can then appeal to them.

My guest in this episode is Marcus Collins, someone who has done this for a living for years working with some of the world's top brands, including Apple and Beyoncé. He argues that if a brand wants people’s custom it requires trust, intimacy, and being part of their congregation and tribe.

He also discusses the meaning of culture, his tips for ambitious business owners and how they can drive consumption without compromising ethics. Crucially he also tells CEOs how they can become better storytellers.

“Trust is the mechanism that absorbs uncertainty.” – Dr. Marcus Collins

You'll hear about:

·      What does culture mean to Marcus?
·      What goes wrong in traditional marketing?
·      How companies build trust
·      How brands maintain trust
·      How could Marcus' work apply to organisations?
·      3 tips for ambitious business owners
·      Driving consumption whilst being ethical
·      How CEOs can become better storytellers
·      How disruptive is Marcus' thinking?
·      Marcus' advice to people looking to do big things
·      Working as head of Beyonce's digital strategy
·      Marcus' congregations and tribes
·      Marcus' best day

About Dr. Marcus Collins:

Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice—formerly serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at Wieden+Kennedy New York—and one foot in the world of academia—as a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.

Prior to his advertising tenure, Marcus began his career in music and tech with a startup he co-founded before working on iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives at Apple and running digital strategy for Beyoncé.

His resources:

Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marctothec/

‘For the Culture’ book: http://marctothec.com/fortheculture

Instagram: marctothec.com

Twitter: marctothec.com

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. 

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur?

Discipline for a start. Not just in your work but how you stay true to your values and the way you lead your life. It’s one of the reasons why Keaton Hoskins, my guest in this episode, has successfully scaled a number of multi-million dollar businesses.

Keaton discusses how he identifies unmet needs to generate businesses and what it takes to scale them. He gives incredible insight into where you need to focus your time to be a successful serial entrepreneur. He also explains the principles needed to guide wise decisions in business and how he takes care of his mental health in this demanding lifestyle.

“I spent a lot of time cultivating in myself value. Value that I could bring to the table.” – Keaton Hoskins

You'll hear about:

·      Where do Keaton's business ideas come from?

·      How Keaton successfully scaled businesses

·      Are all of his businesses stand-alone?

·      How far ahead is Keaton looking with his brand?

·      Where does Keaton's discipline come from?

·      How to know where to focus your time

·      Principles needed to guide wise decisions

·      Keaton on generating outbound leads

·      How Keaton works on his mental health

·      Who does Keaton learn from?

·      What helps Keaton have his best days?


About Keaton Hoskins:

Keaton is a serial entrepreneur, Millionaire Mindset Mentor, and TV star of the Diesel Brothers Show. His ‘Limitless Society’ club has grown to over 1000 members in less than a year and produced 8 millionaires (one worth $35 million). He has launched and scaled 30 businesses reaching 8 figures. He has also co-authored a book 'The hardest thing about divorce: going to war with yourself'.

His goal is to ‘create a society where people no longer believe in any limits and to help others grow in their dreams, goals, and aspirations.

His resources:

Profile: https://limitlesssociety.com/themuscle/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.muscle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.muscle

Limitless Society: https://limitlesssociety.com/


My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. 

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

Have you ever felt stale, overwhelmed or directionless?

You might be performing well, but something's missing. The voice inside your head is getting louder, asking you questions about what your purpose is in life, what you are here to do, and who you are here to serve. My guest in this episode is Tammy Gooler Loeb and she helps people find answers to be able to craft their job, career, and indeed life in a way that is more intentional and fulfilling. 

Tammy has worked with executives on how to overcome this inertia to forge more fulfilling careers and lives. She discusses why people go stale in their careers and how you can jolt yourself out of it. She also gives insights into ways to build a career with a sense of purpose and how you can create career optionality and begin to trust yourself with your choices.

“When people are feeling a little stale or stuck it’s usually because they don’t have all the information they need.” – Tammy Gooler Loeb

You'll hear about:

·      Why do people go stale mid-career?

·      What can jolt you out of the staleness?

·      How to build a greater sense of purpose

·      The importance of trusting yourself

·      How executives can create career optionality

·      How executive success is being redefined

·      The life lessons Tammy has learned

·      How do you keep yourself fresh?

About Tammy Gooler Loeb:

Tammy is an Executive and Career Coach, Author, Speaker, and Podcast Host who brings determination and focus to her work with clients who aim to develop greater satisfaction in their careers and work relationships. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach by the Co-Active Training Institute, a graduate of the Co-Active Space Leadership Program, and holds an MBA from Boston University. 

Her award-winning book is called ‘Work from the Inside Out: Break through nine common obstacles and design a career that fulfils you.’

Her resources:

• Profile and services: https://www.tammygoolerloeb.com

• Book ‘Work from the Inside Out’: https://www.workfromtheinsideout.com

• Workbook: https://www.tammygoolerloeb.com/workbook

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

How should we be using AI positively and constructively?

AI is part of our lives both personally and professionally whether you like it or not. Any senior executive or entrepreneur should be learning more about how best to use AI in their organisation, but there are many implications of its use that need to be considered. In this episode Juliette Powell and Art Kleiner share their wisdom, expertise and considerable research on this topic to give us a nuanced perspective of its use. 

We talk about fascinating applications of AI, not just generative. How much control we have over it, or think we do, in particular the data it uses. We also talk about how we can build trust in the algorithms and systems and how we can mitigate bias and what companies and governments should be doing more of.

“I don’t know where it’s going to go but I am glad to be alive at this moment.” – Juliette Powell

You'll hear about:

●      What is Artificial Intelligence?

●      The implications of illusory control

●      What is the AI dilemma

●      Data privacy solutions with AI

●      Behaviours developers of AI need to change

●      How can leaders create AI debate space?

●      How should governments use AI

●      The biggest myths about AI

About Juliette Powell and Art Kleiner:

Juliette is an independent researcher, strategist, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker at the intersection of technology and business. She has delivered live commentary on Bloomberg, BNN, NBC, CNN, ABC, and the BBC and presentations at institutions like The Economist, Harvard, and MIT. She was a cofounder with Intel Labs of the research network WeTheData.

Art is a writer, editor, and entrepreneur who focuses on machine, organizational, and human behaviour, the neuroscience of leadership, content strategy, and the strategies and insights needed in business to manage complex dilemmas. His books include The Age of Heretics: A History of the Radical Thinkers Who Reinvented Corporate Management and The Wise Advocate: The Inner Voice of Strategic Leadership.

Their resources:

• The book ‘AI Dilemma’: https://kleinerpowell.com/
• Profiles:  Juliette - https://kleinerpowell.com/juliette-powell and Art - https://kleinerpowell.com/art-kleiner.

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

What can we learn from our childhood?

Imagine sailing around the world for 10 years starting from the age of seven, covering more than 47,000 nautical miles. You experience different cultures and enjoy some amazing sights, whilst also dealing with many hardships, including isolation, hunger, and a lack of education. That was Suzanne Heywood's childhood, which she captured in her brilliant book, Wavewalker: Breaking Free.

In this episode, Suzanne shares the highs and lows of that childhood, with events and situations unimaginable for many of us. She also talks about how she overcame challenges living at sea and on land, often on her own. We find out about her three superpowers from this experience, and what she's learned from it in terms of how she approaches obstacles, and how she's raised her children. Her experience gives us plenty of inspiring stimuli to help us tackle difficult decisions, situations, and people we face.

“My parents chucked me off the boat on an island, abandoned me in New Zealand, and disowned me in Oxford.” – Suzanne Heywood

You'll hear about:

·      Suzanne's highlights of living all around the world
·      Were physical or mental challenges the hardest?
·      Where does Suzanne’s determination come from?
·      How to tackle long periods of boredom
·      Living in a confined space for a decade
·      Breaking free from a relationship with her parents
·      The shifts from boat life to university life
·      How has her life impacted relationships with her children?
·      Getting the balance right between work and family

About Suzanne Heywood:

Suzanne was born in the UK but for most of her childhood sailed around the world with her family, with limited access to formal education. She came back to the UK aged 17 and won a place to study at Oxford University. After her PhD at Cambridge University, she joined McKinsey and Company where she became a senior partner. She is now a Chief Operating Officer of Exor. She married the late civil servant Jeremy Heywood in 1997 and they have three children.

She is the Sunday Times bestselling author of What Does Jeremy Think?, and Wavewalker: Breaking Free

Her resources:

• LinkedIn: https://rb.gy/wms7n and https://suzanneheywood.com/
• Book ‘Wavewalker’: https://rb.gy/xg9vk

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

What can we learn from Chinese entrepreneurs?

China is home to some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and companies. Yet, much of the management thinking and practices we use comes from Western companies.

This episode fills this gap by delving into what it takes for companies to thrive in this dynamic, unpredictable, and hyper-competitive market. Aldo and Sandrine share their collective experience of 60 years of working and living in China, outlining tactics strategic leaders can master, whether operating in China or elsewhere.

They discuss the importance of adaptability, customer focus, data, and having a hunger to succeed. They also reveal the mistakes companies make that lead to failure, especially Western companies looking to enter the Chinese market.

“In the West a thinker is highly revered. In China an observer is highly revered.” – Aldo Spaanjaars

You'll hear about:

·      Why was the book called Dragon Tactics?
·      Company success stories in the Chinese market
·      Sources of systemic failure in Chinese markets
·      The biggest business myths
·      The emperor decides but agility rules
·      Transformational vs incremental innovation
·      Is there results-driven ruthlessness in China?
·      Who should we learn from in China?
·      The biggest disagreement when writing Dragon Tactics
·      How to go from OK to great in China
·      The biggest gift of working in China

About Sandrine Zerbib & Aldo Spaanjaars:

Sandrine is the President of Baozun Brand Management and the President of Baozun Europe. Previously she was President of Adidas Greater China and the CEO of Chinese Group Dongxiang and created her own e-commerce operation industry, which was acquired by Baozun.

Aldo manages his own China advisory firm, Dragon Strategies. Until end 2022 Aldo was Executive Vice President, Outdoor at Anta Sports, China’s #1 domestic sportswear company.

Over his 25-year career in China, Aldo also held senior leadership roles at Fosun Fashion Group, Lacoste, Adidas Greater China, and J.Walter Thompson.

Their resources:

• Sandrine’s LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/sandrine-zerbib
• Aldo’s LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/in/aldospaanjaars
• Read their book ‘Dragon tactics’: https://www.dragontactics.com/

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).