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It’s time to get back in the ring after a decent break and reset, which we always do up until after Chinese New Year, BUT what a time to have a break! Every day, multiple stories all deserving major breaking news status, and because of that intensity we risk what matters most getting lost, and what doesn’t matter gets the attention. That’s why this time is so challenging, but there is a design to the overwhelm. It’s strategic and powerful (flood the zone with shit, right?), so we have to keep on top of it. 

It’s just the four of us for our first show, and what are we going to discuss? Well, what do you want to know about? We’ve got a climate on steroids with a “Hot House Earth” predicted, especially with the next El Nino on the horizon. We’ve seen the shenanigans in Venezuela, Greenland and Iran, elections in Japan, Bangladesh and Thailand amongst others, a stock rally, Bitcoin tanking, and the US Department of War looking to punish AI companies that don’t want to play the game. 

We’ve got space junk with hundreds of thousands of new satellites confirmed for launch, Mexico exploding after El Mencho was killed this week, the Board of Peace, Trump bowing out of the EPA, incidentally just when the link between Alzheimer’s and pollution has been scientifically quantified, Brazil ending it’s moratorium on deforestation for farmland, Tourette’s in the spotlight, misogyny too, and a global reckoning for those linked to Epstein, which is not happening in the US… yet. We didn’t even mention AI evolution, which is going off the charts, in every possible way. 

All that and more as we kick off the show for 2026, where you’ll get a comprehensive recap of the year so far. It’s all happening this Friday 27th February 2026, at 7am UK, 8am EU, 11am UAE, 2pm TH, 3pm SG, 6pm AEST. Streaming across various locations, and no doubt about it, we’d love your support. 

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show. 

#TheShitShow #UncommonCourage

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar

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It was a privilege to sit down with my dear friend Jenn Villalobos to discuss a topic that's often overlooked: what it truly means to live in exile.

Jenn has been in exile from Venezuela for 27 years, part of the more than 9.5 million Venezuelans (30% of the population) forced to leave their homeland since the 90s. In this deeply personal conversation, she shares her journey from growing up between the US and Venezuela in the 1970s and 80s, to witnessing the dramatic transformation of her country, to making the impossible choice to never return.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What life was like in Venezuela before and after Hugo Chávez came to power
• The rapid descent from prosperity to crisis through corruption and oppression
• The personal cost of exile: losing friends, family separation, and raising children without their cultural roots
• The fear, grief, and survival mode that comes with watching your country collapse from afar
• The cautious hope emerging after Maduro's capture, and why change will take time
• What the rest of us can do: "Please don't look away. Don't forget."

This isn't just a political story, it's a deeply humanitarian and psychological crisis that has impacted millions of families for nearly three decades.

You can find Jenn’s blog post here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/un-shielded-thirty-one-days-hope-after-twenty-seven-years-villalobos-ufrrc/ 

My ask: If you have Venezuelan friends or colleagues, listen to their stories. Validate their experiences. And please, don't look away.

About Jen Villalobos:
Jen is currently Deputy CEO of FasterGreener (https://www.linkedin.com/company/fastergreener/) , an AI company focused on solving traffic congestion. She spent nearly 30 years in corporate roles focused on digital transformation and technology. She's also a journalist, a mother, and a Venezuelan who dreams of the day her daughter can experience the Venezuela she once knew.

#Venezuela #Exile #HumanRights #LatinAmerica #UncommonCourage #VenezuelanCrisis #Diaspora #HumanitarianCrisis

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar

Send a text

It’s our last show for the year and we are looking forward to a break after an intense year of news! Why not do yourself a favour and join us, because we are going to tackle the issue of loneliness in our societies and its impact, as we welcome one of the world’s leading experts on the topic. With the festive season coming up, loneliness is an issue that impacts one in six people, so we’re going to dig into the science including the numbers and impact, why social cohesion is so important, we’ll split it out over demographics, as well as the difference between males and females, and most importantly, what we can do to overcome our loneliness challenges.

Then it’s onto 2025. We are going to discuss the major events that happened this year, many of which we’ve already forgotten about as the next extreme event or news cycle chaos hit. We’ll go through the major extreme weather events across the world and the impact on communities, we’ll talk politics as we’re nearly a year into the Trump Presidency and well, it’s been a rollercoaster in its own right, we will discuss the economy, AI, social media, and a whole lot more!

Our final guest for the year is Simone Heng. An award-winning author, Certified Speaking Professional, and Board Member for the Foundation for Social Connection, Simone helps organisations embed connection to drive performance, productivity and retention, and in the world of rapid AI advancement, her message is more important than ever. She first published the ‘Secret Pandemic: The Search for Connection in a Lonely World’, which was re-worked into ‘Let's Talk About Loneliness” and published by Hay House Publishing in 2023. This book has gone on to win six awards, including a silver Nautilus book award, and suffice to say, we’re delighted she is joining us. 

Not only is this another show you can’t miss, it’s also our last for 2025, so come and get your yearly recap, because it’s certainly been a big year in the news on many levels. It’s all happening this Friday 12th December 2025, 7am UK, 8am EU, 11am UAE, 2pm TH, 3pm SG, 6pm AEST. Streaming across various locations, and no doubt about it, we’d love your support. 

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show. 

#TheShitShow #UncommonCourage

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar

Send a text

On 27th November, ten of the UK’s leading experts briefed an invite-only audience of 1,250+ politicians and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media about the implications of the planetary crisis on health, food, national security and the economy. Organizers said the climate and nature crisis is a multi-pronged emergency that will impact all aspects of British life, from national security to food security. Speakers presented the latest evidence, clarifying what is at stake, and outlined actionable solutions. Our guest was in attendance, reporting on the event, and she is going to share her biggest take-aways.  

So, we will spend our first hour focussed on this (which is relevant globally), and then it’ll be time to get into the news. Following on from last week, the extreme weather catastrophe across Asia finally received the global attention it deserved as the magnitude of the disaster became apparent – and we still don’t know final numbers – while in Japan, a disturbing move has the world on edge, so we’ll dig into what that’s all about. In other news, in the US we have a war criminal without a war, Thames Water is being sued as more people become sick due to pollution, nine million birds are dead due to Bird Flu (future pandemic?), the Ukraine peace plan went awry maybe, the ocean is about to release a massive heat “burp” so what does that mean (?), and more will be discussed as the news never stops. 

Our very special guest is Monica Piccinini, a freelance journalist focused on environmental, health and human rights issues. She is also a recent award winner, clinching The Sustainability, Environmental Achievement, and Leadership (SEAL) Award – which recognizes her work for top-notch investigative reporting! Monica covers the world, but one area she works tirelessly to cover are issues surrounding the Amazon rainforest, where she exposes the state and corporations’ that are destroying it, their human rights violations against its indigenous peoples, and how this crucial ecosystem is central to the survival of us and the planet. Originally from Brazil but based in the UK, Monica covers issues from around the world, so we are absolutely thrilled she is joining us this week. 

Another show you can’t miss, where you’ll not only get a front row seat to the UK’s national emergency briefing, but also our unique insights into all the other news blaring across our screens every day. Don’t miss out, Friday 5th December 2025, 7am UK, 8am EU, 11am UAE, 2pm TH, 3pm SG, 6pm AEST. Streaming across various locations, and no doubt about it, we’d love your support. 

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show. 

#TheShitShow #UncommonCourage

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar

Send a text

Understanding what is going on in our environment really requires understanding the whole global system. There are very few people who can grasp that complexity, which is I why I follow climate systems scientists. They help me weave it all together and make sense of the interconnections. 

However, as I am in the Global South, one of the limitations is the specifics for this region and seeing the disastrous impacts of climate escalations in Asia just in the last week, we must better understand what is coming next, so we can prepare and adapt. 

There are many reasons for the lack of specifics on the Global South, particularly the fact the narrative and media coverage is controlled and dominated by the English-speaking wealthy world, so grasping this whole story requires a lot of work. There are some areas that will remain extremely challenging, and for many countries/regions in the Global South, the challenge is a lack of data. Just that is a challenge we must overcome. 

To help me make more sense of what the Global South will face in the coming years, I asked Jan Umsonst if he’d join me to have a broad conversation about the region. He is the Earth System Nerd and an earth system consultant, regularly discussing the fact we are now leaving the age of natural variability and entering the age of forced variability, where we will start experiencing the synchronization of feedbacks.  

Sit back and enjoy a far-ranging conversation, which is honest, and empowering, with the clear message - we must act now. 

Thank you so much Jan! You can follow him on BlueSky @umsonst.bsky.social — Bluesky 

And here he is on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-umsonst-92ba859a/ 

#UncommonCourage #GlobalSouth #JanUmsonst

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar

Send a text

We are guest-free this week, which provides an opportunity to dig deeper into some of the topics we’ve been covering this season, and the biggest focus is on money… well, the economy more broadly. We always discuss the economy in relation to what’s happening in the news, going as deep as we can, because we know it’s the wider implications of what’s going on that really matter when it comes to the economy – debt, climate impacts, and more. It’s a conversation requiring nuance, something we seem allergic to these days. 

We’ll talk about Cop30 and the lack of funding promised to developing countries, along with why it’s never going to happen. The UK had a new budget announced this week, and no one is excited about it, so what is happening? Crypto has been falling apart and the global economy has been on the edge of collapse for months – what’s really going on? Is it more than the AI bubble? 

We’ll also talk about other big issues in the news, like the flood devastation happening right now in Southeast Asia, with Vietnam expecting Typhoon Verbena to strike this Friday, after already suffering three extreme flooding events in three weeks. Hundreds are dead across the region, with millions displaced, and more rain is expected. Why is it so extreme? Well according to experts, two major climate systems - La Niña and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole - have combined, supercharging rainfall across the region. 

We are going to talk about food security, the growing health and financial impacts of heat extremes, why poorer nations keep investing in coal and industries that kill their people, and Australia is firmly entering its hot season with record seasonal temperatures. We’ll ponder if peace will happen in Ukraine after Russia wrote the plan (?), delve more into the big picture on AI, and of course, a show wouldn’t be a show without discussing US political shenanigans. Whatever is happening in the world that matters, we’ll be sure to cover it. 

Come and join us, so you can get caught up on the news that matters, this Friday 28th November 2025, 7am UK, 8am EU, 11am UAE, 2pm TH, 3pm SG, 6pm AEST. Streaming across various locations, and no doubt about it, we’d love your support. 

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show. 

#TheShitShow #UncommonCourage

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar

Send a text

The tech broligarchy is getting a lot of attention, as is AI and the potential of a massive bubble. Tech industry insiders are calling BS on the promises executives are saying AI will deliver, while the financial market responds to every word its leaders utter. So, what is it? Is the promise real? Is it a hype cycle on steroids? We are going to dig into this, with an industry veteran who has seen it ALL across a career spanning more than three decades. We’ll also discuss job losses and where we went wrong with DEI, but also where we can get it right. It’s a looking back AND looking forward discussion on an industry shaping our world today. 

Then it’s onto the news, and boy, it’s been a blow-your-hair-back kind of time, hasn’t it? The important thing is to focus on what really matters in all the noise, and that’s what we try to do on this show. We’ll talk about Cop30 so far, as well as some recent climate and humanitarian reports, the global economy because the news cycle around this is bonkers too (luckily we have David and Richard to make sense of it), possible peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, MBS in Washington, the US’s chaotic news cycle, and everything else that’s going on that matters, as well as what doesn’t matter, which is important too. 

We are thrilled to welcome Stanimira Koleva as our special guest this week. A seasoned C-level technology executive with more than three decades of leadership experience at companies including Microsoft, Cisco, HERE Technologies, Sage, and Citrix, her career has spanned the globe, from Bulgaria to Singapore, London to Dubai, and everything in between. Stanimira has built businesses and transformed organizations while developing deep cultural intelligence and understanding of global markets. Today, she channels this extensive experience through RASK Tech, providing interim leadership and strategic advisory services to organizations navigating critical transitions, while also pursuing her passion for building communities and sharing insights from her global investment and business experiences.

We are all looking forward to hearing Stanimira’s wisdom, so do join us, and get caught up on the news while you’re at it, this Friday 21st November 2025, 7am UK, 8am EU, 11am UAE, 2pm TH, 3pm SG, 6pm AEST. Streaming across various locations, and no doubt about it, we’d love your support. 

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show. 

#TheShitShow #UncommonCourage

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar

Send a text

We are in a time of great uncertainty. Multiple crises are getting our attention – from geopolitics to war to the climate emergency to mental health and more – so how do we develop the inner resilience to cope? How do we reinvent ourselves when the world around us feels so unstable? And what holds us back from speaking our truth authentically and powerfully? We are going to discuss this and a whole lot more, through the lens of a forthcoming book - The Red Silk Dress - with its central message of courage and adaptation.

Of course, the news is never boring, and we expect to spend a significant chunk of time on the BBC crisis looking at it from every angle, the latest shenanigans in the US, updates from Cop30, as well as the extreme weather events around the world this week, which include a record-breaking cold snap in the US. We’re seeing terrorism back on the streets in India and Pakistan, war and ecocide is starting to get the attention it deserves, and we’ll cover whatever else happens between now and then.  

We are absolutely delighted to welcome Natalie Turner as our special guest this week. Natalie is an international keynote speaker, innovation strategist, award-winning author, and inventor of The Six ‘I’s® of Innovation - a purpose-centred framework used worldwide to help people and organisations build cultures of creativity and change. Her mission is to awaken human creativity and lead change that matters. Natalie is the author of Yes, You Can Innovate (Pearson) and the forthcoming novel The Red Silk Dress, a sensual, emotionally charged story of longing, courage, and transformation set between Cambodia, Malaysia, and Paris. Her recent TEDx Talk in Marvila, Lisbon, explores Purpose-Centred Innovation and what it means to stay human in an age of disruption and AI.

We are all looking forward to listening to Natalie, so do join us, and get caught up on the news while you’re at it, this Friday 14th November 2025, 7am UK, 8am EU, 2pm TH, 3pm SG, 6pm AEST. Streaming across various locations, and no doubt about it, we’d love your support. 

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show. 

#TheShitShow #UncommonCourage

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar

Send a text

There are many discussions relevant to the planetary crisis, and one very important topic is ecotheology. I decided to interview my friend, Dale Lature, who has studied this important topic for a long time; together we explored its definition, significance, his inspirations and mentors, and the challenges it faces. 

It's a wide-ranging discussion, full of references for anyone wanting to research further; however, it was the challenges in the US Christian community that really stood out as a massive obstacle to overcome. The politicization of religion is something those of us not in the US have been trying to get our heads around. Dale provides some really interesting insights here. 

You can follow Dale’s work here http://ecoecclesia.org/ 

Here he is on X https://x.com/dlature 

And here he is on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalelature/ 

#UncommonCourage #Ecotheology 

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar

Send a text

Education is a force for good that lifts societies out of poverty, yet education systems are failing around the world, especially in wealthy, democratic countries. One area showing real impact - not just on students, but on the communities schools serve - is effective community engagement programs. These programs succeed not only because of what students are doing - charity, social justice, service, or community engagement - but when they inspire students to become lifelong champions of social justice and community engagement. What does a successful model look like? How does it work in action? What difference is it making? How could our global education system benefit from this approach? You'll learn this and a whole lot more.

After that, it’s time for the news, and there’s a lot going on as usual. The US has seen a legitimate “Blue Wave” across the country which has created a media feeding frenzy, the same region in the Philippines devastated by an earthquake recently has now been flattened by Typhoon Kalmaegi, with a new Super Typhoon brewing behind it. Right now Vietnam is in the typhoon’s path after it intensified again, and Thailand is expecting torrential rainfall over the weekend from the storm too. Beyond extreme weather events, we had a walk-out from Miss Universe over disrespectful comments, the saga of the British Royals continues, and we’ll know by Friday if Elon Musk gets his $1 trillion pay package. There’s a lot more going on, but that’s a flavour from the week so far.    

Our education champion is Heidi Oxley-Whitnell, who is all about enabling students - through experiential learning and community engagement - to make a difference. Heidi has been the CAS (creativity, activity, service) and Experiential Learning Coordinator at UWC Thailand for nearly 10 years and is a regular award winner for her work. Loved by students and the whole community in Phuket, Heidi is a passionate force for good in a world that needs such role models. Heidi is part of CASConnected, which aims to supports CAS coordinators globally through professional development and mentorship, helping educators design programmes that move beyond checklists to building authentic and sustainable relationships with their communities.

We are all looking forward to speaking with Heidi, so do join us, and get caught up on the news while you’re at it, this Friday 7th November 2025, 7am UK, 8am EU, 2pm TH, 3pm SG, 6pm AEST. Streaming across various locations, and no doubt about it, we’d love your support. 

The Sh*t Show is a Livestream happening every Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko, Richard Busellato and Joe Augustin, as well as special guests, discuss the world’s most pressing issues across all angles of the polycrisis, working to make sense of the extremely challenging and complex times we are all going through, plus what we can do about it. Help us move the needle so we can change the name of the show to something more genteel when (or if) it is no longer a sh*t show. 

#TheShitShow #UncommonCourage

You can find me Andrea T Edwards | The Digital Conversationalist and Welcome - Uncommon Courage - An Invitation.

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar