The Impossible Network

Today, I’m joined by Alex Fish, a trailblazer in social cinema and a staunch advocate for environmental and social justice. Alex's journey from the bustling streets of London to the tranquil shores of Cornwall mirrors his quest for meaningful impact and community-driven change.

In this episode, we explore who Alex is as a human and what or who made him. We delve into Alex's eclectic background, as a social butterfly in London, connecting with diverse cultures, to his transformative experiences in Malaysia, grappling with the real-world challenges of conservation, and the pivotal moments that led him to question the traditional paths of environmentalism.

At 29 min in we focus on Alex's journey to founding of 99p Films, the social cinema venture that is more than just a business; but a movement. Through Its innovative model of 'Breathe, Watch, Discuss, then Eat' 99p Films aims to democratize cinema, making it a tool for building social and environmental awareness and community. Alex discusses the power of communal viewing, the importance of accessibility in the arts, and how 99p Films bridges the gap between entertainment and activism.

Alex’s story is a testament to the power of passion, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of a better world. Alex's is a beacon of inspiration for anyone looking to make a difference through creativity, community, and a deep connection to our planet.

Thanks to Gavin Fernie Jones

Now over to Alex 

00:00 Intro

02:41 Who is Alex : Social Butterfly to Environmental Advocate

06:00 The Transformative Power of Travel and Conservation

20:48 Redefining Cinema in the Pandemic Era

29:35 The 99p Films Experience: Breathe, Watch, Discuss, Feast

44:36 Building Community Through Intergenerational Conversations

53:37 Exploring the Power of Citizen Assemblies

54:19 The Impact of Media Polarization and the Power of Group Discussions

56:22 Embracing Fun and Creativity in Social Initiatives

57:09 Scaling Social Cinema Beyond Local Communities

57:56 The Journey of Expanding Social Cinema Internationally

59:19 Developing a Sustainable Model for Social Cinema

01:01:04 The Challenges and Solutions of Hosting Social Cinema Events

01:18:01 The Future of Social Cinema: Expansion and Content Creation

01:19:31 Inspirations and Influences: A Personal Reflection

01:22:20 Navigating Uncertainty and Overcoming Challenges

01:27:52 Recommendations for Personal Growth and Community Engagement

Social Links 

Linkedin

YouTube 

IG

Links in the show

99pFilms

Nonflict book

Chasing the Scream Johann Hari

Citizens book

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Today I am joined by Gavin Fernie-Jones - a remarkable individual whose life story is a testament to embracing change, resilience, and the power of community. 

Discovering his love of the outdoors in Peak District in the UK, he moved to the French Alps to manage chalets, before his entrepreneurial spirit led him to open a ski boot fitting business, But as he witnessed the creeping realities of climate change he began to take action through his One Tree At A Time initiative. This led to further initiatives like Citizen Friday and his growing Re-Action Collective.

As a self described reluctant leader Gavin is a proactive change-maker. Through initiatives like Citizens Fridays and the engaging community space that champions sustainability, Gavin and his team are not just talking about change – they are living it. 

This is a conversation about transformation, and is proof that we can all take action, make choices, have impact and contribute to a more sustainable future. I hope you are inspired.  

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction 

02:21 Who is Gavin Fernie-Jones? 

03:30 Gavin's Childhood and Influence of Parents

03:50 Gavin's Life-Changing Move to the Peak District

08:34 Gavin's Career Path in the Outdoors

12:48 Gavin's Entrepreneurial Journey in Ski Boot Fitting

18:53 Gavin's Awakening to Climate Change

22:04 Gavin's Efforts Towards Sustainability

28:33 Gavin's Repair Day Initiative

29:32 The Birth of a Repair Day

30:15 The Impact of Unused Clothing

30:55 Setting Up One Tree at a Time

31:42 The Power of Reusing Ski Instructor Uniforms

35:08 The Unexpected Success of Rental Ski Gear

37:27 Building a Vibrant Local Community

38:52 The Challenges of Dealing with Clothing Waste

42:03 The Potential of Repurposing Unusable Fabric

53:58 The Creation of the Reaction Collective

58:21 The Future of Sustainable Fashion

01:03:03 The Value of Membership and Community

01:03:19 The Power of Free Participation

01:03:50 The Impact of Fees and Hierarchies

01:04:20 Exploring Anarchism and Distributed Power

01:04:38 The Role of Money and Obligation

01:05:10 Creating Something Different and New

01:05:21 The Future of Funding and the Collective

01:06:01 The Power of Serendipitous Connections

01:06:36 The Impact of Positive Action and Community

01:07:19 The Need for Funding and the Role of the Citizen

01:08:17 The Power of Distributed Organizations

01:09:01 The Citizen Story and the Role of Brands

01:11:50 The Role of the Citizen in the Reaction Collective

01:15:28 The Power of Disruptive Community

01:18:43 The Role of Brands in the Collective

01:26:43 The Emergence of a New Business Structure

01:32:36 The Power of Nature and Community

01:35:56 The Role of Film in Community Building

01:37:59 The Need for a Platform for Citizen Stories

Social Links 

Linkedin Gavin

Instagram 

Links in Show

Re-Action Collective 

One Tree At A Time

Citizens Book

99p Films

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In this interview, ChatGPT (referred to as 'Carla') discusses its core objectives, its influences, its limitations, and its future implications. Topics discussed include AI’s impact on society, children’s education, policy recommendations for education reform, the impact of AI on the creative industry, and strategies to tackle social isolation. The conversation also covers fun topics such as what GPT would do if it were a parent and what human name it would choose for itself.

I was recently been interviewed by Robert Hansen for his Podcast The RSNAKE SHOW i’ll put the link in the show notes), 

During the interview we spent some time discussing the impact of AI, on the creative and entertainment industries. 

As a result I thought it might be an interesting exercise to’ interview’ ChatGPT about the impact of Generative AI on humanity. 

To do so I used my AI trained voice to ask the questions and have the answers delivered by ChatGPT 4 via an AI generated voice on Descript called Carla. 

I begin by asking my core three questions:

-Who are you as a human 

-Who or what made you you? 

-What are you working to achieve?

The answers were illuminating.

This led to a question on the influences and factors that shape an AI, and the question of consciousness and the potential impacts on society. 

I wanted to explore its recommendations and practical advice about children's education and how to evolve education policy in a rapidly changing world influenced by AI advancements. 

Then I asked for its perspective on environmental sustainability and understanding the climate paradox - an area of deep interest for previous guests Melanie VanDeVelde and Jeremy Tamamini 

I also asked for its recommendations for creators preparing for a world of Generative AI, how we should address Social Isolation in the AI age and It's advice for parents on raising happy and well-rounded children. 

And finally we finish on some fun questions! 

Now over to my AI friend Carla. 

 Time Codes

00:00 Introduction

01:45 Interview with AI: Who are you?

06:08 Who made you, you?

08:09 AI's Perspective on Consciousness

12:16 What are you working to achieve?

20:03 AI's Advice for Parents and Education Policy

34:18 Reflecting on Podcast Guests and AI's Imperatives

34:18 AI's Role in Education, Entrepreneurship, and Ethics

37:59 Understanding the Climate Paradox

40:53 Preparing for a World of Generative AI

44:26 Timeframe for Adapting to Generative AI

47:23 Addressing Social Isolation in the Digital Age

51:52 Raising Happy and Well-Rounded Children

55:22 Resources for Effective Parenting

01:05:13 Choosing a Human Name for an AI

01:06:43 Advice for Pursuing 'Impossible' Goals

01:09:42 Recommendation for the Next Interview

Links 

The RSnake Show - interviews Mark 

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Until the age of 38 Edward Molkenboer impacted people's lives through the ads he created. Having launched his ad agency at the age of 18, and after 20 years of success Edward was hit by an existential realization that set him on a new path of impact; social not commercial.

 In this episode Edward recounts that awakening moment and discusses the work he is doing now to leave the world a better place than he found it. ‘Something to which I think we all aspire. 

Edward Molkenboer recounts his decision to leave his successful career in advertising to embark on a new path focusing on social impact. Edward speaks about his helping initiative of living on the streets for a week in the Netherlands; giving insight into the humanity and kindness he experienced, and the lessons learned. He also expands on his new social venture, the Social Impact Tour, a creative endeavor that shares emotional stories of those in need, leveraging the power of narrative to inspire people to help, and encouraging brands to support. Edward also underscores the importance of embracing change, stepping out of comfort zones, and the significance of spending quality time with loved ones.

Thanks to Caroline Arditti for the connection.

Time codes

00:01 Introduction 

01:48 Who Edward is as a human?

03:05 What or who made him?

04:41 A Look Back at Childhood and Early Life

11:51 The Impact of Losing a Parent and Reevaluating Life

20:43 The Birth of the Social Impact Tour

22:15 A Bold Experiment: Living Homeless

29:29 The Power of Asking for Help

30:14 The Impact of Sharing Personal Stories

31:20 The Social Impact Tour: A Creative Approach to Raising Awareness

33:40 The Role of Businesses in Social Impact

36:12 The Power of Sharing Stories on a Larger Scale

38:26 The Role of Storytelling in Social Impact

39:36 The Reaction to the Social Impact Tour

40:47 The Future of the Social Impact Tour

44:44 The Power of Spending Time with Loved Ones

48:39 The Role of Action in Overcoming Doubts and Fears

52:15 The Importance of Taking Action and Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

52:33 The Power of Serendipity and Action

53:44 The Impact of the Social Impact Tour on Children

59:32 The Impact of Living with Dementia: A Potential Future Guest

Social Links 

Edward’s Linkedin 

Links In the Show 

Edward’s TED Talk

The Power of Now 

The Alchemist

Caroline Arditti 

Don Smith 

Teun Toebes Human Forever

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Caroline Arditti is a community builder and 'sunshine maker', shares her experience of initiating 'Sunshine Hour', a Zoom-based platform to connect and uplift a diverse range of people in light of quarantine worldwide. Beginning early during quarantine with a handful of participants from her personal network, 'Sunshine Hour' rapidly expanded to more than 500 people from over 40 countries. The sessions were conducted in both French and English, encouraging connections, friendship, and even business partnerships among participants. Reflecting on her journey, Caroline emphasizes the empowering nature of focusing on factors within one's control and fostering positive experiences and connections, also mentioning her personal ritual of having a coffee with a stranger every week for the past 15 years.

00:00 Introduction

00:34 The Birth of Sunshine Hour

01:23 The Impact of Sunshine Hour

02:34 The Power of Smiling

03:38 Learning from Strangers: Coffee Conversations

05:08 The Journey of 15 Years of Coffee Conversations

05:09 Planting Seeds and Connecting Dots

06:30 Overcoming Fears and Stepping Out of Comfort Zone

07:04 Achievements and Self-Reflection

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In today's episode, we speak with Caroline Arditti, a Paris-born creative force whose mission is to make the world more human and help people feel more alive. Caroline shared her journey from working in corporate communications and PR to founding Sunshine Makers, an experiential agency that's creating positive momentum through community-building initiatives like the Sunshine Hour and Supper Club.

Caroline shares her journey from quarantine isolation to building a global community through her Sunshine Hour project - a Zoom-based session promoting connection and creativity. She highlights her book 'Nous’ ‘Us' which focuses on fostering community and setting up projects like her global creative tribe. Arditti's story offers an innovative approach to facilitating connections, nurturing community, and addressing loneliness and isolation. The conversation is a testament to the significance of creativity, personal interaction, and human connection in a world increasingly dominated by technology.

00:00 Introduction

02:19 Who is she as a human?

04:02 What or who made her?

06:00 The Power of Community and Connection

13:20 What is she working to achieve ? The Birth of the Sunshine Hour During Covid

16:32 The Growth and Impact of the Sunshine Hour

21:36 Caroline's Mission: Making the World More Human

24:33 The Power of Physical Connection and Community Building

27:48 Scaling the Impact: From Sunshine Hours to Supper Clubs

34:03 The Power of a Smile: A Simple Act of Connection

36:58 Creating a Safe Space for Sharing

37:42 The Supper Club Experience

38:53 Selecting Participants for the Supper Club

39:45 The Power of Vulnerability

40:21 The Journey of Self-Discovery

41:53 Introducing the Book

42:58 The Power of Personal Stories

44:40 Learning from Strangers: The Coffee Ritual

46:41 The Impact of Personal Encounters

52:47 The Power of Creativity

52:57 The Million Creative Tribe Project

01:02:52 The Importance of Slowing Down

01:03:25 Overcoming Fears and Embracing Challenges

01:08:49 The Importance of Authenticity

01:12:31 The Power of Journaling and Cold Showers

01:14:10 The Power of Small Steps

01:16:10 The Importance of Community

01:18:37 Random Collisions and who we interview next

Caroline’s website 

Sunshine Makers 

Instagram 

Linkedin

Nous book 

Wim Hoff 

Book  Solve For Happy

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This week, in light of the recent and extreme escalation in violence in Israel and Gaza, and the resultant rage and outrage that’s consuming our news and social feeds I’m publishing this episode with some trepidation but in the hope that it will instill some sense of belief that peace is possible. 

I am republishing an interview with Stephen Hecht, Founder and CEO of A Million Peacemakers. Their principle of Nonflict provides inspiring examples of how to foster reconciliation, mutual understanding, and peace, even in entrenched conflicts where the path to peace may seem hopelessly complex.

Stephen Hecht co-founder of Million Peacemakers provides inspiration to anyone who doubts their ability to change the world for the better, at scale. Stephen is proof that good intentions, a little creativity, underpinned by clear goals can result in monumental impact, at any age.  

Million Peacemakers is a non-profit organization that empowers people to transform conflict into what they call Nonflict. Stephens's inspiration came from his multi-faith work and his own transformation in focussing on the commonality in people over the differences.

Over 225,000 people around the world trained in the first 5 years with a focus on youth, families, and businesses, Stephen is changing the world one peacemaker training session at a time.

Stephen has led Nonflict way workshops in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and the USA including Puerto Rico, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Bulgaria, England, Germany, Spain, and Canada.

He was also a speaker at the Vatican in March 2019 for an international conference on Religions and the UN Sustainable Development Goals and was invited back 3 weeks later to speak about creating a culture of peace in the world.

I hope you enjoy this episode of empathy, compassion and conflict resolution with Stephen Hecht

TIMECODES 

00:00 Intro

03:40 Stephen on his upbringing 

04:45His uncle’s defining influence

05:30 Being aware of his curiosity as a child 

06:10 The defining experience of visiting Israel  

06:50 Witnessing his first intra-group conflict 

07:30 Stephen and his education path 

08:00 The early experience of conflict in business

09:20 Joining Young President Organization 

10:15 Building interfaith unity 

13:45 Building the three-step model for Nonflict

15:38 The Nonflict steps to conflict resolution 

32:10 Creating a Million Peacemakers andtesting Nonflict in Palestine

33:20 How Serendipity has enabled him

34:25 Working with the Vatican and The Pope

46:10 His principles

46:10 His Hard Choices 

47:10 The Impossible Question

Social Links 

Million Peacemakers 

Instagram 

Facebook 

Twitter /X

Links In the Show 

Young Presidents Organization

Sustainable Development Goals 

Robin Sharma The 5 am Club

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TLDR

If you're short on time here are seven minutes of soundbites from difference maker Kristina Skierka - theSan Francisco based founder and CEO of Power For All, a global campaign to provide universal energy access by 2025 to the 85% of the 1.1 billion people residing in rural areas who lack reliable energy. 

She's a beacon of inspiration, galvanizing governments, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs worldwide behind her mission. Kristina has fostered partnerships with over 300 collaborators, to launch pivotal decentralized renewable energy solutions from intricate mini-grids to expansive mobile solar farms across countries like Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, India, Ethiopia, and Uganda; distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions that have the potential to increase agricultural productivity, help decarbonize the food system, reduce greenhouse gases, and mitigate the worst impacts of global warming.

With over two decades of expertise in the energy sector, Kristina's influence extends beyond her campaign. A prolific speaker and writer and as a testament to her global impact, Kristina serves on the United Nations’ Technical Advisory Group for SDG7 and in 2021 was appointed to the inaugural United Nations Food Systems Summit.

This was recorded before last month's Climate Week in New York where Kristina hosted a panel and released a report that called for transitioning the $8 trillion food system out of fossil fuels and into renewable energy. Power for All’s research indicates that by updating just five key farming technologies for Africa's smallholder farmers, the continent could cut its emissions by10% and boost its economy by a staggering $24.5 billion.

I hope you enjoy this deep dive into Kristina's inspiring journey, her visionary leadership, and the future of energy access globally. Thanks to Jeremy Tamamini.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:33 Kristina's early inspiration and influences

02:46 The vision for energy access

03:47 Facing up to early resistance 

05:31 The main geographical focus 

06:02 The GHG impact of fossil fuel in agriculture 

06:36 The market opportunity 

07:55 What we can do as individuals  

Social Links 

Linkedin 

Twitter 

Youtube 

Links in Show 

Power For All 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest is Kristina Skierka, a genuine difference maker and true catalyst for change in the global energy sector. As the CEO and founder of the Power for All campaign Kristina has been instrumental in shaping a movement with a truly audacious vision and goal of: powering the 85% of the 1.1 billion people residing in rural areas who lack reliable energy and achieve universal energy access by 2025. 

She's a beacon of inspiration, galvanizing governments, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs worldwide behind her mission. Kristina has fostered partnerships with over 300 collaborators, to launch pivotal decentralized renewable energy solutions from intricate mini-grids to expansive mobile solar farms across countries like Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, India, Ethiopia, and Uganda; distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions that have the potential to increase agricultural productivity, help decarbonize the food system, reduce greenhouse gases, and mitigate the worst impacts of global warming.

Kristina is a prolific speaker and writer and as a testament to her global impact, Kristina serves on the United Nations’ Technical Advisory Group for SDG7.

This was recorded before last month's Climate Week in New York where Kristina hosted a panel and released a report that called for transitioning the $8 trillion food system out of fossil fuels and into renewable energy. Power for All’s research indicates that by updating just five key farming technologies for Africa's smallholder farmers, the continent could cut its emissions by10% and boost its economy by a staggering $24.5 billion.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

03:40 Who Kristina is as a human 

07:15 What made her who she is?

17:00 How an Argentine adventure set her on path to energy access and equity

27:00 Flex Your Power and her transformational experience

32:00 What Kristina is working to achieve?

40:30 The genesis for Power For All 

43:25 Being ahead of her time

45:25 The three components to Power For All  

48:50 The geographical focus for the campaign

52:00 Building alliances 

53:40 Kristina discusses an example of success in Uganda 

01:00:10 Working with Utilities for mutual financial benefit 

1:05:43 Democratizing energy to democratizing production

1:11:44 Following or supporting Kristina

Social Links 

Linkedin 

Twitter 

Youtube 

Links in Show 

Power For All 

National Forensic League 

DLight 

Climate reality project 

IEA 

Ernie Moniz 

Rockefeller Foundation

The Ashden Award

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How do we encourage more people to accept help when it’s offered, and ask for help when it's needed? That is the big question this week’s guest difference maker Ashley Usiskin is focused on answering. 

With a successful career that spanned branding, marketing and start-ups across 4 countries, in early 2022 Ashley was diagnosed with lymphoma and a rare auto-immune hemolytic disease that required months of debilitating chemotherapy. This led to a life-changing and transformative experience; from being self-reliant and independent he was suddenly helpless requiring the help of others. This led to his realization that accepting help is a gift; since you give the chance for the help giver to experience joy, pride and the feel-good factor of supporting someone they care about. 

Ashley is now on a mission to change our perceptions of asking for help; transforming help rejectors to help receivers. In doing so he aims to enable people to realize that accepting help has a life-changing impact not only on their own livelihood but also on those who offer them help.  

He is now working to offer practical tools to change mindsets and motivate us all to ‘Help yourself by helping each other’.

TImecodes

00:00 Intro

02:10 Who is Ashley?  

03:30 What made Ashley who he is?

07:10 Developing independence

08:30 His early creative ambitions 

10:50 The value of Grey and BBH

13:35 What is Ashley working to achieve?

17:43 Recognizing the power of accepting help

18:55 His barriers to asking for help

21:16 Ashley’s mission to share his learnings

26:40 The Gift of help Podcast

29:10 Some tools explained

32:29 How serendipity led him to Simon Sinek  

40:25 What ChatGPT says about barriers to asking for help

44:15 The evidence Ashley is witnessing

46:45 The impact on society in our meta crisis

50:00 The Japanese TV show 

52:00 The changing corporate culture

53:10 Ashley’s ambition 

55:27 The help Ashley is asking for?

57:58 Remaining resolute and resilient

59:57 Ashley’s gift or talent

01:02:46 The actions we can all take to create a help exchange

Social Links 

Ashley’s Email 

Gift of Help Podcast 

Linkedin 

Instagram 

Show Links 

Bridge app

Caroline Arditti

Camerados

Simon Sinek 

Nir Eyal 

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