The Impossible Network

Guest overview

Anyone that’s ever embarked on a creative task or endeavor, will probably have experienced procrastination. It’s a feeling and behavior that is loaded with guilt and negative emotions. However, I’ve always had a gut feeling that procrastination or delay can result in better creative outcomes or even something serendipitous. That’s why I was looking forward to meeting this week’s guest - the Chicago born, Brooklyn based, award-winning Author, journalist and sometime procrastinator, Andrew Santella.

Andrew’s most recent book Soon: An Overdue History of Procrastination, from Leonardo to Darwin to You and Me, is a well-researched, intellectual and witty exploration of the subject of Procrastination. Note from Andrew- this is not self-help or how to cure procrastination book!

As a writer for such publications as GQ, Slate, and the Atlantic, Andrew explores everything from the definition and practices of procrastination to the habits and outcomes of famous historic procrastinators such as Da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, and Darwin. It’s a must-read for any self-confessed procrastinator.

Without delay, I hope you enjoy this episode with Andrew Santella.

What we discuss 

In this episode we discuss:

• The impact of Andrews upbringing on his procrastination
• The feeling of not doing enough and the shame associated with it
• The guilt creator of the Crucifix and the Clock
• The radical course of selecting to study Englishat university
• Procrastination as an affliction or a tactic
• Darwin’s conflict, ambivalence, anddiscipline
• DaVinci’s curiosity, distraction, and procrastination
• His focus on understanding how procrastination makes us feel, and why
• Procrastination and serendipity
• The balance of cranking out work vs delaying due to gut feel
• The concept of self-handicapping to protect your self-image
• We even touch on free will
• Whether we need to embrace and discuss procrastination in education
• The pejorative associations with procrastination
• What he’d do with the keys to White House
• His principles
• His hard choices
• His inspirations
• The book he recommends
• His impossible advice
• Saint Expedite
• The guilt of getting right with God
• Aristotle’s Akrasia theory

Connecting on Social

Andrew Santella 

On Twitter

On Instagram

Links in show

Soon: An Overdue History of Procrastination

Eisenhower Matrix 

Steven Johnson - Make decisions that matter

Ryder Carroll- Bullet Journal 

Walker Percy - The Moviegoer. 

Geoff Dyer 

Mission of Burma

Wire

Clash Band Straight to hell 

Graham MacIndoe

Saint Expedite New Orleans

Akrasia 

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Guest Overview

This week’s guest is author, consultant, speaker, mentor and curiosity charged connector, Nicole Yershon.

Since starting her career in advertising at aged nineteen, Nicole has been forging the path of change, driving digital disruption inside traditional ad agencies and beyond.

Hired to initiate innovation at advertising institution Ogilvy & Mather Group, her lab inspired innovation across brands such as Amex, IBM, BP, Selfridges, Unilever and British Airways.

With an Amazon bestseller, Rough Diamond, to her name, Nicole recently launched her innovation consultancy NYC - Nicole Yershon Collective - to help organizations embrace radical digital transformation, through her experience, her ‘why not’ attitude and ability to translate business problems into innovation opportunities and real business value.

In this episode Nicole is joined by her collective partner, John Caswell, who’s helping businesses solve their big gnarly problems by thinking visually, using a technique he has designed called Structured Visual Thinking

I hope you enjoy the maverick thinking of Nicole Yershon and John Caswell.

What we discuss:

• Nicole’s East End of London upbringing
• The influence and impact of her parents on her thick-skinThe influence of Dave Trott or the ‘School of Trott’
• Her ‘fixing’ attitudeHer journey to digital transformation at Ogilvy
• Her accountability model (Revenue, Retention, Reputation, Responsibility, Recruitment, and Relationship)
• Her approach to serendipity and alchemy
• Say principle of ‘we do as we say and do as we say’
• The end of her advertising careerHow her integrity impacted on her journey to success
• Her fearless manifesto
• The importance of curiosity
• The importance of knowing yourself
• Her integrity
• How John solves business problems
• Wolfram on teaching computational thinking
• The art of writing business exam questions
• How they forensically mine businesses to find solutions
• What they’d do with the keys to No 10 Downing Street or the White House
• Their principles
• Their hard choices
• Their Impossible advice
• The books they recommend

Connecting on Social

Nicole Yershon

On Twitter

On Linkedin

John Caswell - Group Partners

Links in show

Sir Ronald Cohen

Dave Trott Books

Roger Martin

Justin Dillon

Yves Bergquist

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Guest Overview

Three time Foreign Correspondent of the Year nominee (the UK equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize), a dozen major International Prizes for Reporting including four Amnesty International Awards for Outstanding Human Rights Journalism, a Royal Television Society Award for Documentary-Making and a Martha Gellhorn Prize Nominee for War Reporting, Foreign Press Association of London writer of the Year and One World Journalist of the Year for outstanding Foreign Reporting, these awards are testament to the talent and tenacity of Scottish born journalist Dan McDougall

Dan was also voted one of the world’s most influential people in the field of ethical trading by the US-based Ethisphere Institute, he is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Cambridge on Business and Human Rights and recently spoke at The United

Nations in Geneva on the impact of corporate supply chains on the world’s poorest.

He’s also an ardent Glasgow Celtic Fan and a all round good guy.

I hope you enjoy this stimulating and uncompromising discussion with Dan MacDougall

What we discuss:

• The influence of his working class upbringing in Glasgow, Scotland
• How he developed his political sensibilities
• The impact of Poet Robert Burns
• The teacher that influenced his journey
• His route to tabloid journalism in Glasgow
• His reporters life
• The value of his curiosity and tenacious spirit in uncovering stories
• How serendipity changed his path during the 2005 Tsunami
• His deep conviction to uncover corporate supply chain injustices
• His experiences of child labor abuses
• His war correspondence experiences
• His views on fake news
• Dan’s perspective on education
• What he’d do with the keys to No 10 Downing Street or the White House
• His views on the importance of creativity
• His principles
• His hard choices
• Turning class into an advantage
• His Impossible advice
• The books he recommends

Links in Show

Dan’s Current Content Company

Dan’s Instagram

Miran Instagram

Miran YouTube

Links in show

Robert Burns

Herges Adventures of Tin Tin

Maya Angelou

Letter From America

Glasgow Celtic

The Daily Record

2004 Tsunami

His Recommended Books

The Sheltering Sky - Paul Bowels

Road to Oxiana - Byron

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Guest Overview

New York-based, Virginia-born, podcaster, rapper and songwriter, Corey Cambridge is a creative force of nature and a man on a journey.

In his early career as a rapper and songwriter, he opened up acts such as J. Cole, N.E.R.D., and Kid Cudi and along the way garnering over 2 million YouTube views (and growing).

In 2017 he launched Giant Umbrella, a content company, and podcast network.

His flagship program Silent Giants is a podcast that celebrates the geniuses behind the scenes of pop culture and digs deep to investigate the stories of the creative superstars that have shaped our contemporary landscape.

His recently launched OPP – Other Peoples’ Podcasts – a discovery platform that highlights his favorite podcasters and the dope shows they created.

I hope you enjoy the entertaining episode with Corey Cambridge.

What we discuss:

• His upbringing and family influences of his mother and grandparents and uncles
• His people-centric approach to creativity
• The impact of his journaling
• His view of luck and probability
• His views on the changing music scene in NYC and its decline as a creative force
• Why he expanded his artistic focus from Rap to Podcasting
• The serendipity of connections he made in NYC
• His ‘Just Do It’ attitude
• The importance of service as his core mission
• Combining his mission and being fearless
• Managing his curiosity
• The importance of knowing your brand
• The value podcasting delivers
• The story of Silent Giants
• Why he’s expanded it beyond music to popular culture
• The guests who surprised him and who have inspired him
• The source and impact of his innate curiosity
• Tuning out the noise of the negative news
• What he’d do with keys to the White House
• His principles
• His hard choices
• Where he discovers new ideas
• His influences and inspiration
• How to keep us with tech
• His ‘Impossible’ advice
• The books that impacted him and that we will offer
• His view on life and living
• The latest Netflix and prime recommendations

Follow on Social 

Corey’s Email – [email protected]

Corey on Instagram

Corey on Twitter

Corey on YouTube

Links in show

Silent Giants Podcast

OPP: Other People’s’ Podcasts

The Alchemist Paulo Coelho

Tuesdays with Morrie

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Guest Overview

Today’s guest is Ryder Carroll, the creator of The Bullet Journal® method (or BuJo® for short) and author of the recent Bullet Journal book.

Ryder, a digital product designer by trade, was diagnosed with A.D.D., a learning disability, early in life. This forced him to figure out alternate ways to be focused and productive. Through years of trial and error, he developed a methodology that went far beyond the organization. Now he focuses on helping others learn what the Bullet Journal method is truly about: the art of intentional living.

In this episode we discuss his serendipitous journey to the Bullet Journal, the method, the practice and the underlying why of Bullet Journaling.

I hope you enjoy this existential episode with Ryder Carroll

What we discuss

• His initial discovery of having ADD, and coming to terms with it
• The differing teachers’ reactions
• The actual ADD experience
• His early experimentation in managing it and how he disguised this
• Dealing with failure and his focus on ‘better over perfect’
• His parents’ impact on his self-view
• Valuable advice for parents with kids with ADD
• The process vs the outcome and control
• His journey to journalling and design
• How an unexpected disaster turned out to be a serendipitous event
• His worst first job
• His lessons in gratitude and taking responsibility
• How transition into digital design and how his early experience of online distraction reinforced his appreciation of analog space to think
• The impact of the journal on his ability to remain focused
  and productive
• The development of his analog application
• How he started sharing the methodology
• The what, the how, and why of the Bullet Journal
• The Method ( the system and the practice)
• Thoughtfulness, reflection, and intention
• Its impact on mindfulness and decluttering
• The link to contentment and the stories we tell ourselves
• Turning insights into actions and goals
• His Impossible advice
• The book he recommends
• Tiny habits
• Goal setting, purpose, curiosity, and passion

Follow on Social

The Bullet Journal Method (book)

Ryder Carroll’s site

Bullet Journal website

Ryder Carroll Instagram

Bullet Journal Facebook

Bullet Journal Instagram

Bullet Journal Pinterest

Bullet Journal YouTube

Links in show
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional” quote
Tara Brach Meditation Site
Sam Harris Waking Up App
Essentialism Book – free for the best comments in comment section

Guest Overview

On Linkedin, Dave Birss describes himself as an Author. Public speaker. Consultant. Film-maker. Chap.

I know him as one of the most interesting creative thinkers on idea development, innovation and why organizations and educational institutions must embrace creativity to prepare for our AI-powered future.

With an award-winning career as a digital creative director in some of London’s top ad agencies behind him, Dave turned his creative attention to an exploration of the creative mind.

Now 3 books to his name and methodology called Right Thinking, Dave is applying his creative thinking framework along with tools and resources to help organizations direct their mental and creative efforts more effectively.

What we discuss:

• His definition of creativity
• His perspective on innovation, ‘disruption’, and first to market
• He discusses this in relation to Nike’s Air technology
• His approach to Innovation strategy
• He discusses his book and approach to building ‘Iconic Advantage’
• His new book ‘How to Get to New Idea
• Dave discusses the methodology
• The ghettoization of creativity
• How to get better creative ideas
• We discuss this in relation to fear, hierarchy, and leadership
• Why most CEO’s feel dissatisfied with their companies innovation efforts
• We discuss Toyota’s approach to innovation
• Ideas, fear and the neuroscience of decision making
• His judgment framework
• Budgets, innovation and getting people of doing mode
• Creativity and the physiology of the brain
• His upbringing and its influence on his creative journey
• Education and creativity
• And his impossible advice.

Where to find on social

https://davebirss.com

On Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/davebirss

On Twitter

https://twitter.com/davebirss

On Linkedin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davebirss/?originalSubdomain=uk

On Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/davebirss/

Links in show

Dave’s Books

How to Get to Great Ideas

Iconic Advantage

A User Guide to the Creative Mind

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Guest Overview

This week’s guest is Dr. Courtney Rennicke, founder of Rennicke Associates, a Manhattan-based Psychotherapy Practice that provides treatments for children, teens, and adults, dealing with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorders, and post-adoption issues.

As a Massachusetts born, and Columbia University, trained clinical psychologist, Courtney has a mission to offer adults, children and families personalized, pragmatic and progressive therapies that help them understand their stories, deal with their darkest of moments in order to form stronger connections within themselves and with others.

She travels internationally to train and coach mental health professionals, parents, and organizations about how attachment based principles can improve the quality of their lives and the culture of their groups.

In this interview Courtney and I discuss:

• Her parent’s dual impact on her development and journey to psychotherapy as a career
• How serendipity affected the path she followed in professional pursuit of more effective therapies.
• Her first-hand experience of the psychological effects of the current political and social climate,
• What we can learn from other countries more balanced representation of race and gender
• The neurological impact of neglect or abuse, and the necessity for human connection.
• The developments occurring in affective neuroscience and evidence-based treatments
• How creativity manifests itself in her practice
• How she judges success in her practice
• How she fosters a risk-taking environment
• Her view on conflict avoidance
• How leadership style and influences
• Her perspective on the character ‘Wendy’ from the series Billions
• The mainstream application of attachment therapy
• Her psychotherapeutic view of journaling
• The importance of story for patients
• The brains reaction to rejection and lack of emotional connection
• Her patients’ reaction since the change in administration and recent Kavanagh hearing
• Her views on the state of equitable representation in society
• Her principles
• The hard choices she has made
• How she discovers new ideas
• Her honest ‘ bristling’ reaction to my ‘Impossible’ question

Where to find on social

• https://rennickeassociates.com/

And sign up for the newsletter.

• On Facebook
  • https://www.facebook.com/Rennicke-Associates-445551615504446/

• On Twitter
  • https://twitter.com/RennickeAssoc
• On Linkedin
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/5090956/

Links in show

• Dr. Stephen Porges – The Polyvagal Theory
• Dr. Stephen Porges: What is the Polyvagal Theory – YouTube link
• Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy https://ddpnetwork.org/
• Dan Hughes – http://www.danielhughes.org/

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Guest Overview

On this week’s episode, we interview Gordon Young –  co-founder of The Drum, Europe’s largest and most awarded marketing website and magazine.
Since launching his first print publication as a schoolboy in Glasgow, Scotland, Gordon’s impossible creative journey has taken on a path of increasing media influence, scale and reach.  
Driven by the core belief that marketing has the power to change the world Gordons journey is far from over.
 
In this episode, Gordon and I discuss his early journalistic exploits, his mother and father’s’ parental influence and his passion for publishing.
He shares his perspective on risk-taking, the role of technology and creativity in western education and the imperative to prepare and protect against the threat of AI and China’s advancing technological progress, and the future role of government in a rapidly changing world. Gordon also discusses marketing’s role in business and society, the sanctity of journalistic free speech, and his view of social justice and activism.
Of course, Gordon discusses serendipity, change, risk, failure, partnership, and his “impossible ‘ advice for ambitious people who wish to follow a similar path.
 
After finishing the episode, we jumped back in to discuss The Drum’s Chip Shop awards – awards that celebrate pure, unadulterated creativity.
I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging discussion with Gordon Young.
 
What we discuss:

• His entrepreneurially influenced upbringing.
• How disruption and innovation started early for Gordon
• Skipping formal education to leap into media entrepreneurship straight out of high school
• His early experience of contract publishing
• His expansion to launch the Glaswegian
• His thoughts on University and risk-taking when young
• His view on the evolution of education and skills
• His view of AI developments in China
• The West’s imperative to focus on education and creativity
• How we should be thinking about  the future of Government as an institution based on the pace of change
• His idea for a new political party
• Why marketers have the best skill set to make sense of the new world order
• How the Drum expects their readers to drive it
• The channels they are building to debate and understand it
• The dangers and the opportunity for western democracies
• The future role for the Drum and its reader-driven empowerment mission
• His broader definition of marketing organizations
• How serendipity impacted him
• How Brexit will impact on the UK
• His optimism for the UK
• His principles
• His hardest choice
• His impossible advice
• And the Chip Shop Awards

 
Where to find on social

• The Drum
  • https://www.thedrum.com
• Youtube
  • https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDrumReel
• On Instagram
  • https://www.instagram.com/thedrummag/
• Facebook
  • https://www.facebook.com/thedrumpage

• On Twitter
  • https://twitter.com/thedrum
• On Linkedin
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedrum/

 
Links in show

• Alibaba Hotel of the Future

Guest Overview

This week’s guest is Natalie Bridgeman Fields, a fierce advocate, and pioneer in international human rights, environmental law and founder of Accountability Counsel

With parents that instilled in her a deep sense of the inequity in the world, her ethical foundation was formed at an early age

However, it was in 1998 that her journey and fight for social justice was sparked by a serendipitous siren call to action from witnessing a group of indigenous women in Chile being arrested while peacefully resisting the construction of a dam on their critical water source.

Since then Natalie has dedicated her career to hold the companies and institutions behind harmful projects, like mines, agribusiness, and wind farms, accountable for abuse.

After spending a decade as an attorney for, and partner to communities around the world, Natalie founded Accountability Counsel in 2009 to empower communities to defend their rights through a unique avenue for justice.

In the last ten years, Accountability Counsel has worked with nearly 40 communities around the world – from farmers in northeast Haiti to nomadic herders in the Mongolian South Gobi desert, to fisherfolk in coastal Kenya.

In addition to providing direct legal support to communities, Accountability Counsel works to address the systemic problems that perpetuate harmful projects through policy, advocacy, and research.

Knowing that they cannot tackle such a complex problem alone, the organization is also a leading voice in the global movement for accountability in international finance. The impact of Accountability Counsel’s unique model has been recognized through awards from Echoing Green and the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation.

What we discuss

In this interview Natalie and I discuss:

• The serendipitous events that set her on her social justice journey
• Parental influence on her awareness of social inequities
• Her human rights litigation training ground
• How Accountability Counsel and its offices create systemic change
• Its three pillars of community programmes; policy initiatives, and research
• Their theory of change
• Their use of technology and data to offer better, systematic information delivery for policymakers, investors and communities.
  • How it allows more effective measurement
  • How it makes institutions more accessible for communities
  • Provides better legal services and community advocacy support
• Their evaluation criteria
• How they organize disparate communities to address language, literacy and gender barriers to participation in negotiations
• Their network including the 140 member international advocates working group they formed
• How they are flipping the global elites model of change through a more democratic, grassroots process of change that starts with engaging communities about what they need to improve poverty and address human rights abuses
• Their work in the American communities v.s. the rest of the world
• Natalie’s leadership approach
• Their independent, funding model and how they avoid conflict
• Their impact investing initiatives
• How Natalie remains motivated and grounded
• Her 29029 challenge
• How she applies creativity and  accesses ideas
• Natalie’s expectations for the next 10 years
• Her parents influence on Natalie’s willpower
• How they deal with Unknown Unknowns

And of course….

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Guest Overview

This weeks guest is Michael Ventura – Founder of NYC Brand Strategy and Design Practice, Sub Rosa, author of the new book Applied Empathy and alternative medicine healer.

At age 10 Michael Ventura told his parents he wanted to be an ideas man.

Arguably that was the moment that defined his course and set him on his impossible journey to change brands, organizations, and some day, even society.

Through the design led thinking of his Manhattan-based design studio Sub Rosa and the applied empathy platform they have developed, Michael is certainly an ideas man with a problem solving mission.

Now shared with the world through the pages of his recently released book, practical guides, card sets, and his many public appearances, Michaels revolutionary applied empathy platform is available to anyone with a desire to improve design solutions, spark innovation, bring new ideas to life and solve tough challenges both in side organisations and across our wider society.

In this episode Michael discusses his journey and its serendipitous moments; shares his many insights and offers advice to others who wish to problem solve through empathy.

What we discuss

In this interview Michael and I discuss:

• His exploratory and entrepreneurially influenced upbringing.
• The differing paternal and maternal influences of bravery, stability and dignity.
• The most defining moment from his childhood.
• His rationale for his educational choices.
• How his first job prepared him for entrepreneurship.
• How his parents supported him.
• How being part of the ‘bridge’ generation enables him and his agency to operate as organisational translators.
• How they helped Pantone re-orientate from a product to service business.
• How empathy helps his agency find and identify a businesses problem and give clients the solutions to course correct.
• How a debilitating back injury helped him understand how a mindset and behaviour shift could change physicality for people and businesses
• The importance of trust in intuition when serendipity presents itself.
• How his studio uses empathy as an evidenced based design thinking tool
• Their ecosystemic approach to applying empathy
• The relevance and value of the applied empathy model in driving change in organisations and how that can have a broader  impact in society.
• How they work with the United Nations on indigenous rights, resources and peoples, by helping them with storytelling.  
• Their approach to cognitive diversity and inclusion
• The importance of creativity and empathy as we build AI solutions.
• Advice to those entering the workforce.

And of course….

• His principles.
• His hard choices .
• How approach to tech.
• Michael’s Impossible advice.
• The book he wants us to give for the best comments

Where to find on social

• You can follow Michael on Instagram @themichaelventura
• And SubRosa
  • Website and about Applied Empathy
    • https://wearesubrosa.com/applied-empathy/

• On Instagram
  • https://www.instagram.com/wearesubrosa/
• On Twitter
  • https://twitter.com/wearesubrosa

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