The Independent Minds

Understanding the three factors that create efficient and effective organisations

Janneh Wright is the founder and CEO of Primus Business Management,a provider of back office support to not-for-profit and mission led organisations.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Janneh discusses with host Michael Millward the three factors that determine how effective and efficient an organisation will be.

They discuss how

• Compliance is not just a legal issue. It can be applied to every aspect and of an organisation’s operations.
• The importance of communicating the rules and regulations.
• Compliance is achieved by using hard skills, but cultural objectives are accomplished through the application of soft skills.
• Culture creates the soul of an organisation
• Consistency is the engine of the organisation
• Effective leadership impacts the ability of an organisation to successfully apply the Three C Framework

This is the sort of podcast that will make you think about how your organisation might apply the Three C Framework.

Discover more about Janneh and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

A single point in time penetration test is just that, but the hackers are working 24/7

Jacob O’Brien is the founder and CEO of Hakware.com a provider of AI-Powered Cybersecurity & Penetration testing.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Jacob discusses with host Michael Millward how many businesses underestimate the internet security risks that they face, and how they fail to prepare for the inevitability of an attack and how they will recover from that attack.

They discuss how

• Every device with an internet connection is at risk of being attacked
• Scammers are using AI to structure their attacks
• The weak link in your security is often human
• Zero Trust contributes to good security
• The code used to build your network impacts your security
• Good hosting helps secure your network
• Always on penetration testing protects your network
• The story of Michael Culce and Hollywood films like War Gameshave contributed to the myths around hacking and hackers.

Discover more about Jacob and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

The 100,000,000 Dollar secret ingredient of success in business is understanding how to use emotional intelligence.

Daniel Tolson is known as the voice whisperer because of the way he uses voice analysis to help leaders and potential leaders to understand their natural leadership styles. The key to success as a leader is says Daniel, understanding your own emotional intelligence.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Daniel explains to host Michael Millward what emotional intelligence is and explore with him the five pillars of emotional intelligence.

1. Self-Awareness
2. Self-Regulation
3. Self-Motivation
4. Empathy
5. Social Regulation

Daniel goes into a lot of detail as he explains each pillar describing from his own lived experience and the lived experience of colleagues and clients the impressive results that can be achieved when we learn how to manage our emotional intelligence.

Michael asks what makes applying emotional intelligence so difficult and why if emotional intelligence creates such dramatic results more individuals and organisations are not making more use of emotional intelligence?

Listening to this episode will inspire you with the confidence to investigate your own emotional intelligence and learn how to enhance it.

Discover more about Daniel and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Using AI to enhance human relationships at work, not to replace the human.

Before setting up Practical AI. App Derek Crager had worked at Amazon where he developed the leadership development programme that achieved the highest employee ratings in company history.

Aged fifty Derek received confirmation that he lives with ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism, yet he has developed technological applications at Practical AI that successfully put the human first.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Derek and host Michael Millward explore how AI can enhance employee engagement.

They debunk some myths about AI and clarify what it is capable of Derek explains how Practical AI has developed tools that use AI to provide the right information at the right time so that people can make better decisions.

Listening to this programme will help you understand how to capitalise on the potential of AI in enhancing employee engagement by using it as a mentoring tool.

Discover more about Derek and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

When enthusiasm for buying the latest technology is based on what others are doing the purchase is often a cost instead of an investment.

Roberto Capodieci was a childhood IT protégé who set-up his first IT company at the age of 14. Nowadays he is a consultant specialising in decentralized systems architecture, and digital transformation strategy.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Roberto describes to host Michael Millward the mistakes companies make when considering investments in IT. Amongst these many mistakes he highlights, selecting vendors who do not fully understand what they are selling, and simply buying something because it is new.

Roberto explains the value that an independent perspective can bring to the IT investment process, and the techniques he uses to help companies ensure that they are investing in what they need, instead of what they think they need.

Many purchasers, says Roberto, simply do not understand what the technology they are interested in will do, and more importantly what it will not do.

As an example, Roberto explains what the different developments of the internet including Blockchain, are designed to do.

Listening to this programme will help you understand how to make better IT purchasing decisions.

Discover more about Roberto and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Jake Smolarek explains the approach that helped him launch and build several successful business and not-for-profit organizations

Jake Smolarek arrived in the UK from Poland with £150 in his pocket, and promptly spent a quarter of it on a bus ticket to Abergavenny.

Half a lifetime later Jake is a successful entrepreneur who now helps other entrepreneurs to build successful businesses.

His Vision, Goal, Plan System (Vision GPS) approach contains everything anyone needs to be successful at work and life.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Jake and host Michael Millward discuss the logic of the Vision GPS approach.

Their conversation includes the

• Difference between motivation and discipline.
• Importance of visible progress to mental health
• Role of following best practice to optimise effectiveness
• Significance of being accountable to someone else
• Value of planning how you will respond to problems
• Real nature of freedom

Listening to this conversation will equip you with the knowledge of how to approach any challenge with a positive mindset and meet the needs of that challenge.

Discover more about Jake and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

Further Reading

• Start with Why by Simon Sinek

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Discover how one entrepreneur ensures that his annual off-site planning and training meeting is successful for his business and his team

Aaron Christy is the founder and CEO of the Indianapolis based roofing company Indy Roof and Restoration.

For many people the prospect of being ‘invited’ by their manager to attend an off-site meeting is less than appealing. But Aaron Christy has a team who look forward to their annual off-site meeting.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Aaron explains to host Michael Millward the format that he uses to create a not-to-be-missed meeting.

During their conversation Michael and Aaron discuss:

• The importance of planning
• Balancing different types of activities
• Fellowship and community building
• Answering the ‘what’s in it for me’ question
• Building connections between the organisation’s objectives and the individual’s lifestyle aspirations and career ambitions
• Impact on individual performance over the year

Discover more about Aaron and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds.

Roof and Restoration hold their annual strategy and training meeting at Gatlinburg TN.

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Discover how the principles of compassion can be applied in a business environment to create a more productive and profitable business.

Bruno Cignacco is a university lecturer, and a thought leader on human oriented enterprise.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Bruno describes to host Michael Millward the catalyst for his interest in compassion at work, and the research which resulted in the publication of his book, The Art of Compassionate Business.

Bruno explains how by prioritising relationships over policies businesses can create more effective and productive relationships with employees, suppliers, and customers.

He explores the impact this approach has on micro-management and psychological safety Bruno also emphasizes that these achieving a compassionate workplace also involves employees making changes.

Discover more about Bruno and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

Buy books by Bruno Cignacco

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.x

You may have seen the BBC1 TV show Dragons’ Den, but what is it like to enter the Den and pitch for investment? Social entrepreneur John McClarey recalls his experience.

John McClarey is the founder and Managing Director of Business Fives which provides sports activities as corporate events and in the process raises money for charity.

One of the first episodes of The Independent Minds featured John explaining how on the five-a-side pitch your job title doesn’t matter, it’s all about the team.

Ahead of tonight's edition of the long-running BBC programme The Dragons’ Den in this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds John recounts to host Michael Millward what it is like to prepare for what happens when the elevator doors open and you step into The Dragons’ Den.

John discusses,

• Receiving the telephone call from the producers
• The detailed vetting process
• How he prepared to do his pitch
• The waiting involved

John pitched for £50,000 in exchange for five percent of his business. To find out if he was successful watch Dragons' Den on the BBC iPlayer.

Discover more about John and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Technology companies around the world face a skills shortage, so how should the way IT careers are promoted to school pupils and college students change?

Carrie Goetz has enjoyed her career in tech and understands the range of opportunities the industry offers, as well the problems that tech employers face in recruiting all ages of education leavers.

Nowadays Carrie is the Principal/CTO, at StrategITcom, Carrie is also an Amazon best-selling author of

• Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers Featuring Careers for Women, Trades, and Vets in Tech and Data Centers.
• Polly Packet's Precious Payload - All Smiles to the Data Center (Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers)
• Educator's Reference for Data Center Education: A Companion to "Jumpstart Your Career in Data

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Carrie and host Michael Millward a volunteer STEM ambassador discuss how technology is taught at every stage of education might need to change to create more interest in tech careers.

Their conversation covers how

• Coding might not be the best place to start.
• The wide range of careers needed to make a data centre work
• Diversity of people working in tech
• On-line security
• Once posted it is there forever Together in Electric Dreams.
• The challenges of preparing people for technology careers when the industry is constantly changing.

Discover more about Carrie Goetz and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Use our discount code MIND25.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

Being a Guest

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.