The story of work is a story of design and in this conversation between Julia Hobsbawm, Founder and CEO of Workathon and Ryan Anderson, Vice President of Global Research and Planning at design powerhouse Miller Knoll they cover a century of design's influence in the workplace, declaring an unofficial Movement of contemporary Changemakers just as influential in the story of work today as Herman Miller and Hans and Florence Knoll were did in the twentieth century.

Julia and Ryan explore how place shapes innovation and work relations and the importance of collectives for creativity. From his grandfather's job making furniture to the underlying values of social good, Ryan Anderson's own story of work is told and tells of a passion for how we live and work today.

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected production. Music is by Julian Brezon. Discover more at https:workathon.io. and https://www.millerknoll.com/

The Nowhere Office is in New York as Julia Hobsbawm is joined by Ethan McCarty, CEO and Founder of award-winning employee experience company Integral.

Showcasing results from the latest Integral Index on why frontline managers hold the key to performance to why it's actually Gen Z which worries most about AI they also fought on the future of PR in a social media world of of diminishing returns and the rise instead of a"mixternal" communications where the employee voice is key.

You can find the Integral Index here: https://www.teamintegral.com/integral-index/

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected production in partnership with Sandstone Global Productions. Music by Julian Brezon. Discover more at workathon.io.

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Julia Hobsbawm is joined by David Marks and Jason Blank, the co-founders of Brockton Everlast, the company behind Fora, the flexible workplace provider. 

Recorded at Fora’s building on Soho’s Broadwick Street, they discuss how mixing “workboots and wingtips”, building expertise and business acumen, has shaped their approach to building a better future of work. They also explore property development, the ascendence of small businesses, and how smart, human-centred buildings are reshaping cities.

The conversation also marks the launch of The Fora Institute of Work.

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected production in partnership with Sandstone Global Productions. Music by Julian Brezon. Discover more at workathon.io.

Links:

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This week on The Nowhere Office, hosts Julia Hobsbawm and Stefan Stern speak with journalist, author, and broadcaster Rachel Johnson for another addition of My Working Life in a conversation about her unconventional career journey

Rachel shares how she broke into journalism as the Financial Times’ first female trainee, the early mistakes she learned from, and how she built a career on her own terms. 

She talks about the challenges of balancing working motherhood with her own ambitions, and why her time at the UK Foreign Office left her frustrated. 

The episode also explores her latest project — the Tortoise investigative podcast Master — which looks into the allegations against author Neil Gaiman. Rachel explains what drove her to pursue this complex story and what the experience taught her about the power of persistence and purpose in working life.

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected Production in partnership with Sandstone Global Productions.

Music by Julian Brezon.

Learn more at workathon.io.

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How is AI transforming the workplace and what does it mean for employment law? In this episode of The Nowhere Office, host Julia Hobsbawm visits the Bankside offices of Lewis Silkin LLP to speak with James Davies, Senior Employment Partner, about the legal implications of artificial intelligence in hiring, AI regulation, and the future of legal work.

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected Production in partnership with Sandstone Global Productions.

Music by Julian Brezon.

Discover more at workathon.io.

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Brian is the CEO of Work Forward, co-founder of Future Forum, and author of How the Future Works. With 25 years of experience at Google and Slack, he offers firsthand insights into corporate America's shifts and sheds light on:

You'll also hear insights from other United State of Work contributors, including:

Read the full United State of Work report at Workathon.io.

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected Production in partnership with Sandstone Global Productions. Music by Julian Brezon. Discover more at Workathon.io.

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Joining Julia and Stefan is David Dewane, Chief Experience Officer of Physical Space at Geniant, a design services firm at the cutting edge of workplace transformation.

David shares wide-ranging insights and anecdotes from his work—covering everything from the historical impact of air conditioning and the elevator to the role of human creativity in the age of AI.

He also discusses the evolving discipline of architecture, how its definition is expanding, the influence of UX research, and where the field might be headed.

This episode features Carl Sandburg’s 1916 poem Skyscraper.

🔗 Read The United State of Work report: workathon.io/theunitedstateofwork

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected Production in partnership with Sandstone Global Productions. Music by Julian Brezon.

Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms. Find out more at workathon.io.

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Julia Hobsbawm and Stefan Stern are joined by John Bond, founder and executive director of Whitefox Publishing, and Toby Mundy, literary agent and former publisher, to explore and evaluate the business of publishing.

Toby reflects on his career, from founding Atlantic Books, now as a literary agent and serving as Executive Director of the Baillie Gifford Prize. Against the backdrop of the London Book Fair, they discuss how shifts at book fairs reflect broader industry changes. Toby and John offer an insider’s view of the publishing business, from its ongoing challenges to the role of commissioning editors, where the money is, and what makes a book a success.

Julia also sits down with Hannah Bickerton, the new Managing Director of Whitefox, to discuss book marketing in an evolving industry and the potential role of AI in publishing’s future.

This episode is brought to you in association with Whitefox, exceptional publishers for exceptional stories. Learn more at wearewhitefox.com.

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected Production in partnership with Sandstone Global Productions. Music by Julian Brezon. Discover more at workathon.io.

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In this episode, Julia Hobsbawm and Stefan Stern talk to Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy about his working life. Rory shares anecdotes from a career in advertising and lessons from behavioural science. 

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected Production brought to you in association with Sandstone Global Productions.

Music by Julian Brezon.

Find out more at thenowhereoffice.com and sandstoneglobal.com.

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In this episode of The Nowhere Office, we bring together three experts with very different perspectives on work to explore how we measure it, how we experience it, and how workplaces are changing.

What is productivity, and why does it matter?

Professor Dame Diane Coyle, economist and Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, joins Stefan to discuss why productivity is such a tricky thing to measure what GDP can and can’t tell us. These ideas will be explored more in Diane's forthcoming book, The Measure of Progress. (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Measure-Progress-Counting-Really-Matters/dp/0691179026).

There is also a cameo from Sophie from Romania, of internet fame.

Dr. Melissa Fisher is a cultural anthropologist at NYU and Parsons, who has studied Wall Street’s culture and is now looking at the future of work. She shares insights into how work is shaped not just by numbers but by history, habits, and human behaviour.

Phil Kirschner, workplace consultant and strategist, helps companies rethink their workplaces and manage the huge wave of change.

The Nowhere Office is a Fully Connected Production in association with Sandstone Global Productions. Music by Julian Brezon.

Learn more at Workathon.io

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