THE SLOW DOWN

I’ve been obsessed with Eugene’s insightful and razor sharp cultural analysis reels on Instagram and Tiktok - along with literally millions of others who watch them. 

Eugene Healey is a strategist whose insights help brands, individuals and organisations make sense of the soup that is culture, consumerism, taste, aesthetics and social media. He is also a gifted keynote speaker and original thinker - sharing ideas in his substack Considered Chaos. He was a lecturer at the Melbourne Business School and continues to use his content as a way to educate. 

He asks questions like: How can you have authenticity in environments that are about performance? Something I think about A LOT in terms of how I can show up in spaces driven by algorithms. What is status anxiety? Are we living to be perceived? Are we on social media to consume fiction or reality? What is Netflexification? We explore all of this and more in this episode. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up an Asian immigrant in New Zealand 
• Is ‘hard work’ a virtue? 
• Selling ideas: discovering brand strategy as a career 
• Learning how to perform intelligence 
• Putting ‘authenticity’ as a concept in the bin 
• ‘Don’t lose yourself in self-analysis’
• How to make your career EXACTLY what you want it to be 

Mentions:

Filterworld: How Algorithms Make Everything the Same by Kyle Chayka 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 

Eugene Healey on vulnerability for The Guardian

Tony Wang 

Matt Klein on The Slow Down

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/eugbrandstrat/ 

https://www.eugenehealey.com/

Only having big goals can set us up to fail. 

In her new book, neuroscientist and ex- Google executive Anne-Laure Le Cunff explores the transformative nature of living a more experimental life; turning uncertainty into curiosity, and carving a path of self-discovery. The book is a current best-seller and her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Financial Times, WIRED, and more. She is also  the founder of Ness Labs, where her weekly newsletter is read by more than 100,000 curious minds. Her research at King’s College London focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of lifelong learning, curiosity, and adaptability. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Learning to be curious in a French-Algerian household 
• The desire to work and succeed in Big California Tech 
• Putting work above health, and the consequences 
• Going back to school to study neuroscience 
• Growing her newsletter from a Tiny Experiment to 100,000 subscribers 
• The process of writing a best-selling book 
• Knowing when to stop with followers, fame and recognition

Mentons:

Michael Pollen - How to change your mind 

James Clear - Atomic Habits

Links:

https://nesslabs.com/ 

https://tinyexperiments.org/
https://instagram.com/neuranne

Arizona Muse has graced more than 40 international Vogue covers and starred in campaigns for some of the world’s most iconic houses: Prada, Chanel, Estée Lauder, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Chopard, Chloé… . She is one of the most recognisable faces in modern fashion. But the part of Arizona’s story that moves me most is her becoming a climate activist, educator and founder of DIRT — a charity dedicated to regenerating soil and restoring ecosystems. 

Arizona now works as an impact consultant for brands trying to meaningfully reduce their environmental footprint and serves as an advisor and ambassador to the John Innes Centre for soil and crop research. She also co-founded Soilonic and co-curates Landed, a nature-based solutions investment conference in partnership with Founders Forum. Arizona is working on what I think is the most important resource we have: soil, and has beautiful routines and practices that help her and her family feel grounded. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up in Arizona and becoming a model 
• Juggling motherhood with global fame and chronic insecurity
• The power of learning new things for your mental health 
• The dark side of the fashion industry 
• Discovering regenerative farming 
• Lessons learnt from her partner 
• Re-defining her relationship with time 

Mentions: 

DIRT - www.dirt.charity 

Soilonic - soilonic.com

Demeter - demeter.net

Founders Forum Group - ff.co 

Links:
www.instagram.com/arizona_muse

Ben Branson is the founder of Seedlip, the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit that pioneered a movement of non-alcoholic drinks. In under 4 years Seedlip shot to success - being stocked in over 8000 bars and in homes across 35 countries before being sold in a multi-million pound deal. But what did this rapid success mean for Ben? Ben who is open about his autism and adhd diagnosis. Ben who is launching his new venture - Sylva, spirits that explore the untapped flavour potential of trees. I had so much I wanted to unpack with Ben - from going to rehab many times, to coming up against the entire alcohol industry, to his love of ‘lifestyle businesses’ and creating a product that is designed to be sipped slowly. 

In this episode we cover: 

• Boarding school, autism and routine 
• Pushing the limits to a near-death experience in India 
• Starting a new, sober, life at 25  
• Following your hobbies and curiosities 
• Seedlip’s astronomical rise & acquisition by Diageo 
• Why businesses need to slow down

Mentions: 

The Art of Distillation by John French, 1651 

Brutal Simplicity of Thought, M&C Saatchi, 2013 

A Life on Our Planet, David Attenborough, 2020 

Podcast episode with Ben’s wife: https://www.hidden20.org/podcast/episode-17-sam-branson 

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/seedlip_ben/?hl=en 

Katri Josling doesn’t have a job title, awards, or even an active social media account - she’s a housewife. But she’s also a constant learner - whether it’s completing a new boating license, a culinary chemistry course to create the most amazing meals, learning her fourth language, going skitouring in Svalbad or training her two giant Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

She was a consultant with a UCL degree in Political Science and an MA in European Politics. She was working and traveling the hours you can imagine - so when her husband’s career took off - she had to make a choice between her own career and spending what time was possible, together. I want to know about her decision to leave work, how she found purpose, what architecting a world for a partnership looks like and her view on it all now.

One of the things I’ve always held  judgement around is the idea of being a “housewife.” But after years of chasing goals, building things, and burning out, I’ve started to see that choice differently — with empathy, understanding, and even admiration. I’ve started to ask myself: if I could build enough of a passive income, would I stop working? 

In a culture where you are pushed to overachieve, where the only goal touted by the media seems to be to have a multi-billion dollar business - I want to share a story that makes those who have chosen NOT to do that also feel worthy, valuable and acknowledged.

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up in the USSR and moving between Estonia, Russia and Sweden
• The freedom of going to UCL for university 
• Meeting her partner and how getting married was the most rebellious thing they could do 
• Living in London, Nigeria, Geneva and (almost) Johannesburg 
• The dinner party moment when they ask: what do you do? 
• The battle with self and ego that she has overcome

Chloë is best known for her leadership in the creator economy as the founder and CEO of SHFT, a talent agency she grew into a multi-award-winning, 6-figure business while advocating for fairness, inclusivity, and integrity across the industry. In 2024 she was recognised on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her impact in influencer marketing and entrepreneurship.

Last year, Chloë chose to exit her company, take a break and channel her expertise into coaching. She now works as a Mindset and Business Coach, supporting entrepreneurs, leaders, and creatives to build clarity, confidence, and sustainable success.

I don’t think we hear enough empowering stories of successful founders stepping away from their businesses. The narrative seems to simply be that we should build and gain recognition and money - but what happens next? What happens when you outgrow that idea you had in your early 20s, or when you don’t feel challenged or fulfilled anymore? Leaving a successful business means going against the grain of our culture  in so many ways - and then what do you do with that newfound space? 

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up in Peckham & young entrepreneurship 

• Dance & the creative importance of hobbies 

• Carving a path in influencer agencies 

• Black Lives Matter: her turning point 

• Creating SHIFT , success stories & Forbes 30u30

• Waking up unhappy at 30 

• Autism & ADHD diagnosis 

• Why and how she left her business 

• What she did while off social media 

• Why coaching is her next move 

Mentions: 

Laban Dance School - https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/

Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli (2001) 

Links: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloedownes/

Stefanie Sword-Williams is an award-winning founder, speaker and author of the book  F*ck Being Humble: Why self-promotion isn’t a dirty word. A global mission, movement and training consultancy inspiring individuals to be unapologetically proud of their achievements and overcome the fear of self-promotion.

She has spoken at the offices of Apple, Netflix, Unilever, Nike, Google, L’oreal and Microsoft,  at Universities for  the Wharton Business School in New York to  London College of Fashion, trained over 700 people in her Side Hustle School programme, has been Forbes 30 under 30, recently won the ‘Future is Female’ LinkedIn award for her positive contributions and impact on the industry and did a TEDx on why the world needs to be less humble. 

Stef’s support towards those who were unemployed during the pandemic led to her being invited to become a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts and she continues to reinvest profits and time into community projects to help improve the lives of many.

Her new book is called The Career Comedown.

In this episode we cover: 

• Switching from agency work to self-employed
• The reality behind the ‘big’ moments 
• Managing your own expectations on growth 
• Why someone needs to pay for your recovery time 
• The career comedown - are you feeling it?
• Finding Ease in a world that values “Hard” work 
• The power of having a business coach 

Mentions: 

Surreal - cereal brand 

Tiny Experiences by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Links: 

Linkedin

Instagram (Personal)

Instagram (F*ck Being Humble)

Karimah Hassan is a British-Yemeni artist, writer and performer whose practice spans large- scale painting, spoken word, and socially-driven storytelling.

Trained as an architect but called to storytelling, she paints large-scale portraits that vibrate with colour, emotion, and spirit. Her work has been exhibited across London, New York, Toronto, and the Middle East, with collectors ranging from Vogue editors to global institutions. Karimah’s art is an invitation: to belong, to feel, to show up. Through her spoken word performances, poetic newsletters like The Gremlins, and weekly 'poem casts', she explores the complexities of identity, visibility, and healing. Her practice is communal and grounded, often unfolding in public spaces with people watching, contributing, or simply witnessing. 

Karimah’s redefinition of success isn’t measured in accolades — but in connection, in creativity without compromise, and in returning again and again to the joy of making. On The Slow Down, she speaks on finding rhythm in chaos, why beauty is an act of resistance, and how to stay soft in a world that demands you harden.

In this episode we cover: 

• Growing up mixed race in Wales 
• Architecture to Art 
• Portraits of hundreds of strangers during COVID 
• Art as Therapy 
• Reclaiming our cycles 
• Meeting Vera Wang on the Eurostar

Mentions: 

The Artist’s way, Julia Cameron

Letters to a Young Poet - Rilke 

Inception (2010)

City of God (2002)

Rothko room at the Tate 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/karimah.hassan/?hl=en

https://www.karimahhassan.com/ 

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue. 

Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN

New member of the prestigious NatGeo Explorers: listen to Alice Aedy share her journey and mission on climate and social justice storytelling. Saving the planet is now, in part, a communications challenge and Alice Aedy has risen to the occasion.

Alice Aedy is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and co-founder of Earthrise Studio — a creative agency focused on climate and social justice storytelling. With a camera as her entry point into activism, Alice has travelled from refugee camps in Europe to the frontlines of climate change around the world, capturing stories that cut through apathy and ignite action. Her work has been featured in Vogue, The Guardian, and The New York Times, and she’s collaborated with organisations like the UN Refugee Agency and Extinction Rebellion. But beyond powerful visuals, 

Alice is also deeply reflective — asking not only what kind of world we’re building, but how we live and work as changemakers within it. In a world addicted to speed and profitability, Alice represents a new kind of leadership: intentional, collaborative, and rooted in purpose. On The Slow Down, she opens up about the personal cost of urgency, her creative process, and how redefining success means honouring your values as much as your voice.

In this episode we cover: 

• Becoming a photojournalist in a male-dominated space 
• Learning to protect your emotional space at work 
• Building Earth Rise Studio 
• Becoming at NATGEO Explorer 
• Meeting Jane Goodall & Sir David Attenborough 
• Why long-term activism means pacing yourself 

Mentions: 

Photograph of Alan Kurdi 

Photo journalist Anastasia Taylor- Lind 

Museum of the UN 

Earth Percent 

Seat at the Table - Earthrise Studio 

The Salt Of The Earth - documentary on Sebastião Salgado

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/aliceaedy/?hl=en 

https://www.instagram.com/earthrise.studio/?hl=en

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue. 

Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.

Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN

Sarah Langford is a former criminal barrister turned regenerative farming advocate, writer, and mother of two. After years in the courtroom, she traded legal briefs for muddy boots, returning to her family’s land to learn how to heal both soil and society. Her acclaimed book Rooted weaves personal experience with the future of sustainable farming in Britain and has become a rallying cry for a more conscious relationship with land. Sarah now bridges two worlds—justice and agriculture—bringing insight, clarity, and urgency to conversations around food, climate, and rural resilience. Her legal career is coming full circle as she works and advocates for agricultural justice in Britain. 

In this episode we cover: 

• The desire to be a ‘high flyer’ 
• Turning to writing as a mother of 2 
• What organic farming taught her about patience 
• How tech and nature can work together 
• Why urban people that care about wellness should sit with farmers 
• Our in-built reaction to soil that we are losing 
• Why success is reaching outwards to others 

Mentions:

In Your Defence - Sarah Langford 

Sarah’s piece in the FT on wellness culture and farming: https://www.ft.com/content/ba2c3d35-7428-4e3b-9630-468498cdbbca 

Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/sarahlangfordwrites/?hl=en

Season 3 of The Slow Down is created in partnership with period and cycle tracking app Clue. 

Especially for The Slow Down listeners, CLUE is offering a 75% discount on the annual Clue Plus subscription via their website. To redeem, go to helloclue.com and enter the code SLOWDOWN at checkout). So, download Clue today in the App Store or Google Play, and start making space for the signals your body’s been sending all along.
Link to sign up with discount already included: https://helloclue.com/login?discount_code=SLOWDOWN