What is Innovation?

Innovation is evolving - are you? In a recent conversation with Pam Buchanan, founder of Quantum Sense, we explored the deeper dimensions of innovation. Pam challenges us to think beyond products and technologies, emphasizing that true innovation starts at the soul level. "Innovation is about evolving yourself, evolving your environment, and evolving the world," says Buchanan. She argues that by focusing on soul health and creating positive, love-based environments, we can unlock unprecedented levels of creativity and innovation. How are you fostering a culture of soul-driven innovation in your organization?

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:53 - What is Innovation?

3:21 - Love-based vs Fear-based Innovation

6:15 - Innovation as Living and Evolving

11:21 - Elon Musk and Connectedness in Innovation

14:51 - Geographic Distribution and Innovation

18:33 - Creating Optimal Environments for Innovation

21:23 - Soul Health and Innovation

25:05 - Soul-driven vs. Intellect-driven Innovation

29:43 - Advice for Innovators

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Pam Buchanan, the founder of Quantum Sense, stands at the intersection of corporate prowess and soulful innovation. With over 40 years of experience in corporate America, including pivotal roles at Nasdaq where she worked closely with tech titans like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, Pam brings extensive experience to the table.    Her journey to Quantum Sense began with a profound assertion: that the modern world is missing a focus on a very vital contributor to success, Soul Health. 

 Pam has developed programs tailored for companies that are proven to enhance employee well-being, reduce anxiety, and boost creativity, ultimately fostering a more satisfying work-life balance. Covering topics from neuro-aesthetics to sound engineering, Pam explores how these can be used to benefit the soul from the outside in, through the gateway of the senses.   

More about our guest:

• Pam Buchanan
• Company: Quantum Sense

OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management

Innovation: Driving Better Outcomes or Reinforcing the Status Quo? In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, true innovation is more crucial than ever. But what separates genuine innovation from mere change? David Sinkinson, co-founder of AppArmor and author of "Startup Different," offers a thought-provoking perspective: "Innovation is not changes that reinforce the status quo. It's about doing something differently with better outcomes." How can leaders ensure their initiatives truly innovate rather than simply maintain the current state? Are your organization's "innovations" creating value or just shifting it? 

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:59 - What is Innovation?

4:25 - Importance of being mission-driven

8:43 - Data-driven innovation

14:18 - What isn't innovation?

19:27 - Innovation's impact on career

24:49 - Advice for innovators
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Brothers David Sinkinson and Chris Sinkinson are proven SaaS entrepreneurs. Their bootstrapped startup, AppArmor, helped keep people safer with innovative mobile apps and emergency notification solutions for individuals across the globe. In February of 2022, their company was acquired by US competitor Rave Mobile Safety for tens of millions of dollars. Later in 2022, Rave and AppArmor were acquired for over $550 Million by Motorola Solutions. Now Dave and Chris have launched Startup Different - a book and podcast to help show you that there’s another, better way to build your business. Startup Different debunks startup myths, tackles some of the toughest challenges and gives you the tools to build your business. These down-to-earth founders prove making a successful startup has little to do with unicorns or ten-baggers and instead focuses on a proven, different method for startup success.

More about our guest:

• David Sinkinson
• Podcast: Startup Different
• Book: Startup Different

OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management

Join us in a profound discussion with Rani Al Hajji, a trailblazer in the FMCG sector with over 25 years of experience at leading companies like L'Oréal and Colgate. Rani shares his unique insights on turning complex technologies into consumer-friendly solutions that not only innovate but resonate widely.

"Innovation has 4 criteria: it has to be new, it has to bring a positive dimension to people. It has to be easily understood, and it has to make commercial sense ." - Rani Al Hajji

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:51 - What is Innovation?

5:05 - Consumer Needs in Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry

8:47 - Sustainability in Innovation Processes

10:00 - Balancing Product and Brand Innovation

14:50  - Leadership Style and Innovation

18:50 - Navigating Market and Consumer Dynamics

26:18 - New Environments and Trust-Building

27:05 - Advice for future innovators
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Rani Al Hajji is a seasoned global executive with over 25 years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. Having held key roles in renowned companies like L'Oréal and Colgate, Rani has spearheaded innovation and commercial strategies across Europe, North America, and Asia (including notable work in China). His extensive career has been dedicated to transforming cutting-edge R&D and tech innovations into consumer-friendly, marketable solutions that resonate with diverse audiences.  

More about our guest:

• Rani Al Hajji
• Company (Firm): We Don't Need Roads

OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management

Purandar Das, a two-time CTO and the current CEO of a leading data protection company, shares his insights on redefining innovation in the tech world:

"Innovation is creating a new process, a new product, or a new approach to doing something better—solving a problem that's not been solved before." - Purandar Das

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:56 - What is Innovation?

2:30- The Role of Mobile Technology in Innovation  

3:19- From Physical Media to Streaming: A Case Study  

9:53 -  What Isn't innovation?

11:25 - Innovation, Optimization and AI

13:57- Innovation in Cybersecurity

14:31 - Data security innovation and ransomware protection

20:03 - Evolution of data protection and data governance

23:45 - Advice for future innovators
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Purandar has been a 2x CTO of 2 of the largest marketing services companies & is now the CEO of one of the leading data protection companies; Sotero. Purandar went from Collecting & monetizing personal data to protecting personal data. He made the transition because he was very concerned about the security products on the market & decided they needed a new approach.

More about our guest:

• Purandar Das
• Company: Sotero

OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management

In a world where the term 'innovation' risks becoming a buzzword, understanding its true essence is crucial. Joia Spooner-Fleming, a seasoned innovation executive with a decades-long track record of developing people and products at Procter & Gamble, joins the show to discuss what innovation looks like in practice.

Throughout the process of transforming ideas into value, it's critical to distinguish invention from innovation. Joia emphasizes that true innovation requires a solution that is not only novel but also significantly improves upon existing alternatives.

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:57 - What is Innovation?

2:48 - Market's Feedback Loop

4:53 - Decision Making Process

6:18 - What isn't innovation?

8:11 - Human Curiosity and Solution

9:41 - Organizational Innovation

10:32 - Holistic Innovation Strategy

14:43 - Sustainability Innovation

17:31 - Innovation in Life

25:00 - Advice to Innovators
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Joia Spooner-Fleming is an innovation executive and independent consultant, after a 22 year successful career with P&G.  Most recently she was R&D VP for Gillette.  Joia has a proven track record of transformational innovation leadership and results.  She is adept at partnering with leaders across the business to build unified strategies that capitalize on emerging trends and grow brands. Joia excels at building innovation organizations. She holds a chemical engineering degree from MIT.  Outside her professional life, Joia is a voracious reader, devoted mother of two children, and loves walking with her dog.

More about our guest:

• Joia Spooner-Fleming

OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management

Join us this week for a conversation with Shanil Ebrahim, Partner and National Life Sciences & Healthcare Consulting Leader at Deloitte Canada! We challenge the common misconception that innovation requires constant efficiency. Shanil shares why some "wasted work" is inevitable, and even essential, for groundbreaking ideas.

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:42 - What is Innovation?

2:20 - Technology in Innovation

3:55 - Innovation: Solving Problems

4:51 - Not (inherently) efficient

7:12 - Innovation, Efficiency, and Problem-Solving

10:40 - Internal usage of innovation processes

13:47 - What isn't Innovation?

17:09 - Dangers of Gen AI

20:26 - New Technology, New Hype, Wrong Implementation

22:38 - Advice to Innovators
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Shanil Ebrahim is a Partner and the National Life Sciences and Healthcare Consulting Leader at Deloitte Canada. He is a senior advisor for clients in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and retail and special pharmacy sectors, and has supported a diverse set of public and private stakeholders in innovation-based business transformations and technology implementations. Shanil held roles as a Clinical Epidemiologist, Faculty Member and Researcher, and also serves as a Board Director in multiple non-profit organizations focused on vulnerable patient populations.

More about our guest:

• Shanil Ebrahim
• Company: Deloitte Canada

OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management

This conversation with Collin Graves, CEO of North Labs, revolves around simplifying complex processes, removing technical debt, and streamlining workflows to increase efficiency and productivity. Jared and Collin also discuss the challenges of managing technical debt in complex systems and the importance of a slow and steady approach to AI adoption.

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:43 - What is Innovation?

2:28 - Impact of Simplification in Tech

5:23 - Consequences of Adding Complexity

9:47 - What is Technical Debt?

11:12 - Technical Debt, Healthcare, and AI

12:20 - North Labs Technical Debt and Innovation

15:54 - Downstream and Future Potential Implications

18:13 - Simplification, ROI, and Innovation

23:19 - Generative AI adoption and data quality

26:18 - AI nuances and ethics in business

30:27 - Gen AI is not intelligence

34:18 - Advice to Innovators
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Collin Graves is the visionary leader and CEO of North Labs, a leading fractional cloud data analytics firm empowering growing companies with data-driven strategies. Under his leadership, Collin has propelled over 1,000 organizations towards transformative success. Before founding North Labs, he served with distinction in NATO Special Operations during his tenure with the US Air Force.

More about our guest:

• Collin Graves
• Company: North Labs

OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management

Host Jared Simmons talks with Tatsuya Nakagawa, Co-Founder and CEO of Castagra Products. Tatsuya offers a unique take: "For me, innovation is value creation towards some sort of goal or aim." This reflection springs from the story of his junior high school decision about whether to alter his name to overcome social barriers, highlighting how innovation is woven into the human experience.

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Tatsuya Nakagawa is the Co-Founder and CEO of Castagra Products, a sustainable roof coating manufacturing company. Castagra's Ecodur Roof Coating was voted top "Greenvention" by the reality show Dragons’ Den. Over the past 20 years, Tats has launched hundreds of products and services, co-authored the book Overcoming Inventoritis: The Silent Killer of Innovation (forward by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple), and spoken to a variety of industry groups including: Chartered Accounts of Canada, Canadian Bar Association, The American Chamber of Commerce, and The International Internet Marketing Association. He’s also written articles for Fast Company, Construction Today, and Industry Week, and has been quoted on CBS News, Global TV, CBC, The Globe and Mail, and BC Business. Tats is the host of the popular C-Suite Network podcast, Specified Growth Podcast. The podcast features interviews with leaders who have overcome adversity, built massive organizations, and made a positive change in the building materials and coatings industry. He also hosts a LinkedIn Live series, Roofer Reflections, where he interviews roofing professionals about their experiences in the industry.

More about our guest:

• Tatsuya Nakagawa
• Company: Castagra Products
• Book Co-authored:  Overcoming Inventoritis: The Silent Killer of Innovation
• Tat's Podcast: Specified Growth Podcast

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:42 - What is Innovation?

3:14 - Role of Identity in Innovation

6:28 - Reducing Friction on Identity

11:39 - Importance of Curiosity and Experimentation

13:04 - Finding Mentors

15:47 - Sports Analogies and Innovation

21:37 - Music, Sports, Business, and Performance

28:20 - Overcoming Challenges and Learning from Failures

33:42 - Reflections on Career and Adaptation
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management

Join us on "What is Innovation?" where Jared Simmons discusses what it takes to generate game-changing ideas with Dr. Craig Detweiler, President of Wedgwood Circle and Dean of the College of Arts and Media at Grand Canyon University. Dr. Detweiler shares his insights on innovation: "Innovation is all about changing the game. It shifts the paradigm in ideas, culture, and products, introducing something we haven't seen before."

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Dr Craig Detweiler is the president and CEO of Wedgwood Circle, a philanthropic investment collective funding creative projects of meaning. He is also dean of the College of Arts and Media at Grand Canyon University. In recent years, Dr. Detweiler has worked in various roles within academia, including professor of communications at Pepperdine University, associate professor and chair of the mass communication department at Biola University, and director of the Reel Spiritual Institute at Fuller Seminary. His cultural commentary has appeared on Nightline, CNN, NPR, the New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. His award-winning documentaries include Remand (narrated by Angela Bassett), Purple State of Mind, and unCommon Sounds. In 2016, he was named Variety’s Mentor of the Year, and for years he has blogged at Patheos as “Doc Hollywood.”

More about our guest:

• Craig Detweiler
• Book: Honest Creativity: The Foundations of Boundless, Good, and Inspired Innovation
• Company: Wedgwood Circle

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:49 - What is Innovation?

1:22 - Shifting the paradigm

5:09 - Book: Honest Creativity

10:37 - Creativity, empathy, and entrepreneurship

12:10 - Perceiving and Receiving

16:45 - Entrepreneurship, purpose, and innovation

21:46 - Purpose: what it entails  

23:27 - Innovation, purpose, and creativity with an entrepreneur

27:21 - Advice to Innovators
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management

In this episode, Jared chats with Louis Gump, author of "The Inside Innovator: A Practical Guide to Intrapreneurship." In addition to intrapreneurship, they discuss the evolution of innovation, emphasizing the importance of recognizing past achievements and learning from them to inform modern technologies like AI, LLM, and GPTs.

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Episode Guide:

0:00 - Intro

0:50 - What is Innovation?

2:46 - The past, future, and innovation

5:18 - Cycles and positive results between innovations

7:36 - Intrapreneurship vs Entrepreneurship

10:28 - Intrapreneurship and company education

15:16 - Responsibilities in Intrapreneurship

17:21 - Intrapreneurship and innovation in various industries

21:29 - Intrapreneurship and innovation in business

23:17 - Creating: The Inside Innovator: A Practical Guide to Intrapreneurship

25:10 - Intrapreneurship, self-knowledge, and recognizing opportunities in organizations

31:32 - Innovation, optimism, and teamwork

33:41 - Advice to Innovators

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Louis K. Gump is a business builder, transformational leader, and pragmatic optimist. He has worked with some of the most recognized companies in the world, developing talented teams and achieving remarkable success for growth businesses. He has done this from multiple perspectives: as an intrapreneur within large corporations, as CEO and entrepreneur within smaller companies, and in strategic industry leadership roles. Gump is president of Cambian Solutions, which focuses on excellence in innovation, business growth, and team performance. Earlier in his career, he presided over award-winning mobile businesses at The Weather Channel and CNN. More recently, he has served as CEO of two digital media firms and led Cox Media, the advertising division of Cox Communications, the third largest cable provider in the US. Gump has also held leadership roles in a wide range of industry and community organizations, including ten years on the board of the Mobile Marketing Association, where he served as global chairman. He earned an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and a BA from Duke University. He is the author of the forthcoming business book, The Inside Innovator: A Practical Guide to Intrapreneurship (Fast Company Press; March 12, 2024), which will help readers achieve more, build stronger relationships, and increase personal fulfillment through intrapreneurship. While many books have been written for entrepreneurs and C-suite executives, there have been few books focused on the intrapreneurs inside larger organizations, and Gump’s guidebook brilliantly fills that gap. 

More about our guest:

• Louis Gump
• Book: The Inside Innovator: A Practical Guide to Intrapreneurship

OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management