"If you remove the fear of failure, people suddenly have a choice." — Alicia Weston

How curiosity — not talent — puts you in the way of luck.

In this episode of The Ripple Effect, Lieke van Gompel talks with Alicia Weston, founder of the award-winning NGO Bags of Taste. Her ripple effect started with an empty seat: arriving late to a school prize-giving, the only free chair put her next to the head of programmes at the homelessness charity Crisis — who later asked her to teach a cooking class.

That one class rippled out, taking her from two decades working in finance to creating a cooking programme that has changed thousands of lives across the UK, and which works precisely because it's about so much more than food.

Along the way, she shares hard-won lessons on why teaching people to cook doesn't make them cook, why measuring beats good intentions, and why so much of what we call success is really luck we've forgotten about.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why she stayed in finance until 41 — and the deal she made with herself to get out
• Why teaching people to cook doesn't make them cook
• The power of commitment devices to keep the momentum
• The discovery that made her wonder whether she was running a debt intervention
• Advice to her younger self: "Don't worry about it being a random walk"
• The link between diet, financial stress and mental health
• Playing to your strengths instead of copying someone else's path
• Why curiosity is the skill that matters most in the age of AI
• Why you have to be "out there" if you want an idea to work

A must-listen for leaders, founders, innovators, and anyone who sees that life isn't a random string of events, but a series of small, unexpected moments that quietly define our path.

Find more about Alicia Weston's work at: https://bagsoftaste.org/

"Four days to make a TV show. Nine absurd ideas to find the one that works."

Matthias Sdun was working at a German satire show when a cameraman told him the shot he wanted couldn't be done. One stubborn decision — to spend his own money on an expensive camera and to film himself — rippled out into making him a pioneer in mobile filmmaking, and eventually an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has trained over a thousand people in visual storytelling.

In this insightful interview, Matthias not only shares pivotal moments in his career but also shares practical tips on fostering creativity, embracing limitations, and evolving with technological change.

In this episode:

• Matthias’ “ripple effect” moment that transformed his career to innovative visual storytelling and documentary filmmaking.
• The four-day sprint that taught him constraints make you more creative, not less
• Why you need nine absurd ideas before you get one good one
• What happened when his camera died at an OPEC summit in Riyadh — and the stranger who saved the shoot
• "All the gear, no idea": why the best kit doesn't make the best film
• Practical strategies for dealing with technical issues and overcoming setbacks
• Why he still describes himself as a little kid playing around with these things

Matthias Sdun is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, video coach and AI trainer.

Connect with Matthias Sdun:

• https://sdun.net/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdunnet/
• https://www.instagram.com/sdun_net

"It's only in looking back that things finally make sense."-Camilla Bath

Join us for this brand-new episode of the Ripple Effect podcast, in which Camilla Bath explores her ripple effect moments: what were decisions, encounters, insights or situations that did not feel like much the moment they happened, but which - on hindsight - set in motion a chain of events that led her to where she is right now?

Her personal ripple effect moments lead us to discuss the importance of human connection and the impact of AI in journalism and newsrooms. We also reflect on how mistakes can become your biggest opportunity for growth as long as you approach it with humility.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The unexpected turning point that set Camilla on her 20-year career path as news anchor
• How she navigated the challenge of leading colleagues that were older and more experienced than herself
• Why curiosity, creativity, and human connection are vital in the age of AI
• Why good innovation is never "AI for AI's sake"
• What a prestigious Fellowship taught her about the power of connection and fun
• The biggest mistake that became her biggest growth opportunity
• Her framework for making hard decisions with courage

At a time when technological leaps and global upheaval threaten to disconnect us, Camilla's stories are a hopeful reminder that our most human traits — curiosity, creativity, empathy — are the ones that will guide us forward.

A must-listen for journalists, leaders, innovators, and anyone who senses that life isn't a random string of events, but a series of small, unexpected moments that quietly define our path.

Camilla Bath is an award-winning journalist, program director for the World Press Institute Fellowship, and an innovation coach for newsrooms.

Resources & Links:

• The World Press Institute Fellowship
• Camilla Bath on LinkedIn
• Camilla Bath Media