Series Three

This episode of #TheNewAbnormal podcast features the renowned design anthropologist and psychologist  Anna Kirah. She's an expert in pioneering qualitative research methods used to gather deep insights to understand people's motivations and expectations as well as their articulated and unarticulated needs, and to link this understanding to the design of services, products and organisational change. 

Anna's experience in Boeing and Microsoft has given her global recognition for her work related to people-centred innovation, service design & design thinking, co-creation & interdisciplinary collaboration;  as well as how to lead an organisation in a turbulent age. 

She’s writing a book about design anthropology 'Working on the Edge' (in collaboration with other anthropologists) and is also writing one 'on leadership in an age of change' called Do You Care? 

So, we discuss all the above - and more - in an episode that I hope you'll find deeply interesting. 

Series Two

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interviewed Cailin O'Connor, who is an associate professor of logic and philosophy of science at the University of California. 

She's also the co-author of 'The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread' (published by Yale University Press.

In our interview, we discuss Cailin's most recent writings on the subject of 'why we trust lies' re: the most effective misinformation starting with seeds of truth. 

In doing so, she explains the crucial importance of transparency and accountability, alongside her viewpoints on issues such as confirmation bias i.e. why what you believe depends on who you know; and how demonstrably false beliefs persist and spread - despite negative consequences for the people holding them. 

In an era where arguments rage about issues ranging from climate change (as the polar ice caps melt and forest fires burn) to the wearing of face masks (as millions have died of Covid-19), Cailin illuminates the social forces that explain the manipulation of 'false belief' and propaganda, and why we must understand both how that process works and trust the evidence, in order to fight back against misinformation. 

Series One 

This episode of 'The New Abnormal' features the renowned semiotician Dr Rachel Lawes. 

One of the earliest providers of British commercial semiotics, her PhD was in social psychology, hence bringing a unique perspective to semiotics, placing her at the exact intersection of psychology, linguistics and cultural studies. 

Rachel has been using semiotics for nearly 20 years to rejuvenate brands, innovate products and services, and steer communication. 

As she points out in her excellent book 'Using Semiotics in Marketing', semiotics is big business - most famous for its unique ability to decode visual images - and can provide invaluable insights into understanding people's needs and behaviour. 

In this interview, we discuss the communication of codes / signs / symbols, how semiotic research can dovetail with ethnography, the post-modern theorists Jean Baudrillard and Michel Foucault, Western Individuality / Hyper Individualism, and Conceptual Art. 

Series Three

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview Rob Hopkins,  cofounder of Transition Town Totnes and Transition Network,  and author of numerous books including 'The Transition Handbook, The Power of Just Doing Stuff, and most recently, From What Is to What If: unleashing the power of imagination to create the future we want'.  

He presents the podcast series 'From What If to What Next'  which invites listeners to send in their “what if” questions and then explores how to make them a reality.  

Rob was voted one of the Independent's top 100 environmentalists and was on Nesta and the Observer's list of Britain’s 50 New Radicals. 

He's also appeared on BBC Radio 4, in the French film phenomenon 'Demain'  and its sequel 'Apres Demain', and has spoken at TEDGlobal and three TEDx events. 

In 2020 he was a member of the Cambridge Sustainability Commission on Scaling Sustainable Behaviour Change. (And in his - presumably minimal - spare time, he sometimes makes lino prints.) 

So, in this dynamic interview, we discuss his views on all of the above, and along the way, issues such as Buddhism, punk, permaculture, the climate & ecological emergency, the decline of play vs the rise of screens, the great reskilling, citizen assemblies, positive change, speculative fiction, and The Fall...

Series Three

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview the cultural strategist Amy Daroukakis, who "inspires teams, keep brands culturally relevant and re-imagines products, communication and design".  

She's worked across a wide range of sectors, including Retail (Target), Luxury (LVMH), Social (Facebook), Automotive (Hertz), Insurtech (Coya), FMCG (Danone), Hospitality (Park Hyatt), Tourism (NYC GO), Food and Beverage (AB InBev), Entertainment (HBO), Electronics (Bang & Olufsen), and Financial (Amex). 

We discuss how she started by studying cultural anthropology c/o 'Semester at Sea' (visiting 10 countries in 100 days). She's now  travelled to over sixty countries, lived in six and worked across six continents inc North America, the EMEA and APAC. 

Amy explains her approach to 'travelling differently' while on research projects, why signals are more important than pathways, her viewpoints on 'where next'', building an innovative culture, and why getting out of your own filter-bubble is so important. 

Series Two

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Executive Director of 'Growth Coaching International' and Professor of Positive Psychology at University of East London. 

An international authority in the field of coaching, he's a renowned public speaker who regularly presents on the topics of motivation, engagement and leadership. 

We discuss his latest book and his motivation for creating coaching cultures for learning which allow people to pursue their aspirations with confidence and mental toughness. 

In this fascinating episode, we also talk about his thinking around post-traumatic growth, social polarisation, evidencing compassion, why hope isn't mere wishful thinking - it 's a valuable tool, and why optimism can be dangerous. 

Christian explains that while it's important that a vision for the future is believable, it should also be desirable - and he also outlines  six evidence-based ways to look after your mental health. 

To conclude, we debate the psychology and philosophy of hope vs optimism. This is one of my favourite subjects, so I hope you enjoy listening to Christian as much as I did! 

Series Three

This episode of 'The New Abnormal' features  Florencia Lujani, a Strategy Director based in London who specialises in brand & creative strategy. 

She started her career a decade ago at TBWA Buenos Aires, where she learnt about 'Disruption Planning' before moving to the UK. 

She's since worked at JWT London, We Are Social, and Ketchum PR, before joining Media Bounty, one of the leading ethical creative agencies in the country. 

Florencia works with brands and the climate sector developing strategies that help shift the world to a sustainable economy. (She recently completed a Master’s Degree in Cultural Studies from Birkbeck, University of London, where she studied the intersection of culture, the economy, advertising, the climate crisis and consumer culture). 

Florencia also publishes her Substack newsletter 'Cultural Patterns' where she writes about cultural phenomena, new forms of creativity, the climate crisis, emerging consumer behaviour and their impact on brand strategy. 

She's written for WARC, The Drum, Contagious, The Guardian, Marketing Week and her thinking has been published in the UK, Spain, Germany, the US, and Latin America. 

In this episode, we discuss a range of issues relating to her specialist knowledge, and in particular, some of her latest thinking regarding "if you don't have a climate plan, you don't have a business plan".  

Series Three

In this episode of 'The New Abnormal' I interview the renowned journalist and author Ian Williams, who was Foreign Correspondent for Channel 4 News, based in Russia and Asia, before joining NBC News as Asia Correspondent, when he was based in Bangkok and Beijing. 

As well as reporting from China over the last 25 years, he has also covered conflicts in the Balkans, Middle East and Ukraine. (He won an Emmy and BAFTA awards for his discovery and reporting on the Serb detention camps during the war in Bosnia). 

His latest book "Every breath you take - China's new tyranny" illustrates the world's first digital totalitarian state, where a system of hitherto unimaginable control threatens to make the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four a terrifying reality. 

In our discussion, he therefore illuminates the extraordinary rise of the Chinese surveillance state, the war against truth and liberal values, and the vital need to make artificial intelligence democratically accountable. 

Ian also describes the implications for the rest of the world regarding the urgent challenges facing the West, in what has become a technological Cold War... 

SeriesTwo 

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview Lydia Caldana, a global brand strategist, trend forecaster and consumer insights analyst. 

She identifies emerging behaviours and technologies that guide macro shifts in society to help brands navigate change and develop long-lasting relationships with consumers. Working on strategic projects that answer “what is the future of..?” her research, analytical, and forecasting skills are applied to a series of clients with various challenges, ranging from the UN-Habitat, to Google, Nike, Unilever, etc. 

She’s extensive work experience with those inc The Future Laboratory, Protein NYC, VICE, Refinery 29, Collider Lab, Box1824, Aurora 3, The Grid etc; and has led end-to-end insights projects within the US, UK, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, India and South Korea. 

Lydia is currently completing a Master’s degree in Liberal Studies (Global Urban Futures / Gender & Sexuality Studies) at The New School in NYC. 

In this episode, we cover a wide range of issues regarding gender, race and class. In doing so, we discuss a series of her research case histories, alongside subjects inc population dynamics re: social change around culture, identity, community, inequality, etc. 

And she also gives an overview of the superb ‘Future Resources’ that she runs - an open online platform for womxn in foresight, strategy and innovation.

Series Two 

This episode of The New Abnormal podcast features the author & philosopher Ian Olasov. 

An adjunct professor and doctoral candidate at the City University of New York, he's twice won the American Philosophical Association's Public Philosophy Op-Ed Prize. 

He's also the author of "Ask a Philosopher: answers to the most important - and unexpected - questions". 

In addition, he set up the first 'Ask a Philosopher' booth in New York City, to answer questions from passers-by. Over the years, the series has received coverage from the likes of Newsweek, The York Times, qz.com and WNYC.  His writing has appeared in titles inc Slate, Vox and Public Seminar. 

So, in the interview, we discuss issues including truth and post-truth,  alternative facts and fake news, echo chambers and media fragmentation, moral accounting and collective action, morality and false obligation, subjective wellbeing and social comparison, plus - of course - his favourite philosopher. 

Series Two

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview Sophy Roberts, journalist and author of 'The Lost Pianos of Siberia'. 

She focuses on travel stories in remote parts of the world, with a special interest in literature, history, culture and conversation.

The ex-Travel Editor of The Economist and a Special Correspondent for Conde Nast Traveller, she shoots articles as well as writing them, including cover features for the Financial Times. Her first non-fiction book, The Lost Pianos of Siberia was named a Times, Sunday Times and Independent ‘Book of the Year’, a ‘Best Travel Book of 2020’ by Smithsonian Magazine, The Spectator, and i paper, and recently shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of 2021.

As she says of the book, which is currently being translated into seven languages, "Siberia's expansive history is traditionally one of exiles, bitter cold and suffering. Yet there is another tale to tell..." (The Wall St Journal commented "these pages sing like a symphony").

Sophy also contributes to radio, podcast and panel events, including the BBC, The Economist, Times Radio, Tortoise and The Royal Geographical Society.

So, we discuss all of the above, along with issues inc the business of tourism vs the serendipity of travel, music as a conduit of hope, the solace of culture, travel as an act of empathy, and the need to 'keep looking outwards' in the age of Covid. 

Having been to Siberia myself (before Putin's horrendous attack on Ukraine) I have to say that I found her stories about the people, landscape and history of that extraordinary region to be fascinating.  

Series One

In this episode, I spoke with Nicole Fall, the CEO of the renowned strategic research, innovation consultancy and forecasting agency Asian Consumer Intelligence. 

She's spent 20 years in Asia working with leading brands in countries inc China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. 

In the interview, we discuss her expert views on decoding what's happening in Asia (on a cultural and social basis) regarding the pandemic, and what the implications are for business strategy and brand marketing.  

Series Three

This episode of The New Abnormal podcast features Sylvia Gallusser,  who is a renowned Global Futurist and the CEO of Silicon Humanism. Based in San Fransisco, she's an inquirer of our future, conducting foresight projects on the future of health, well-aging, and social interaction, the future of work and life-long learning, as well as transformations in mobility and retail. 

Sylvia closely monitors the future of the mind and transhumanism, investigates Artificial General Intelligence and AI ethics. She's also involved in the future of our oceans and sustainability, and supports positive ocean tech startups. 

Over the past year, she focused her research on mental health in the workplace and remote work environments, and the future home. Sylvia has launched an "Ethics and Philosophy of Futures" think tank within the Association of Professional Futurists.  She's also a Go-to-Metaverse Strategist, helping brands enter the metaverse and web3 strategically and ethically, and co-designing focused metaverse brand activation. 

An author of Speculative Fiction , Sylvia teaches MBA classes, and facilitates workshops on go-to-market strategy, competitive analysis, futures thinking, worldbuilding, and entrepreneurship.

So...as you can no doubt imagine, I really enjoyed listening to her viewpoints - and I'm sure you will too! 

Series Three

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal I interview Alex Quicho,  Head of Cultural Intelligence at Canvas8. Her research into identity, ethics, and technology has been published widely, including in Wired, Bookforum, and a monograph for Zero Books. She is an associate lecturer in speculative futures at Central Saint Martins and holds a master’s degree in cultural criticism from the Royal College of Art. In this episode we discuss how Canvas8 'find better ways to understand the world' and Alex illuminates their recent reports into Chaotic Communities re: how to create meaningful connections and why fragmentation is at a tipping point, etc. We also discuss the right roadmap for business in 'inflationary times' along with issues such as social insulation, squad goals, next-door communities, partisanship, Tropical Futurism (which reimagines a different relationship to the earth) and why futurism has failed. Therefore, why it's time for an alternative... 

Series One

This episode of 'The New Abnormal' coincided with the 25th anniversary of Sony Playstation's launch: one of the most successful (and in a marketing context - anarchic) launches of all time. 

The brains behind that activity is my guest, Geoff Glendenning. He's a renowned brand strategist and integrated marketing expert, who's also worked with iconic brands including Greenpeace, Microsoft, Vans, Coca-Cola, MTV,  Olympus, Ben & Jerry's, Channel 4, Sega, Ministry of Sound, Volcom and Sony Music. 

In this episode, he focuses on the launch of PS1, as at the time it used an approach - basically fighting a traditional corporate mindset - which has been incredibly influential in the years that have followed. 

To do so, Geoff utilised his knowledge of, and preference for, leveraging alternative culture with guerilla marketing techniques. 

The catalytic results changed an industry, and in this podcast he explains in detail why he took this approach, the tactics that he used, and how he views the marketing landscape. 

BTW, Geoff is very enthusiastic about his favourite subject - so in this episode I just sat back and enjoyed listening to the story unfold!

Series Two 

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interviewed Dermot McPartland, Creative Director of Nederlander Studios NYC. 

He instigates cultural interventions for brands; doing things rather than making things, an assembler, a curator and an event organiser. 

A resolutely proud member of the London Irish diaspora, his background spans twenty years in publishing, advertising, activism, publicity and the arts. 

Obsessed with ideas and culture (wide & deep) he possesses an uncanny ability to see creative and strategic opportunities for brands within culture. 

His work output is idiosyncratic, diverse and multidisciplinary - including experience design, activation, content, social, ads, PR and experiential. 

Dermot has strong international links into the worlds’ of contemporary art, fashion, cinema, music and literature, and has nurtured close links into the nascent start-up creative businesses in the world of communications and entertainment. 

In this episode, we discuss his views on a wide variety of topics, ranging from the current 'state of the nation' in adland, to the impact of C19 on culture, leading-edge creativity, localism and folk art, the search for optimism, citizen brands, and more. 

Oh, and we also disagree on the works of Julien Temple. Dermot finishes the podcast with a quote from Seamus Heaney. #Naturally

Series Two

In this episode of 'The New Abnormal' I interview Sara Wheeler,  a prize-winning non-fiction writer noted for her accounts of the polar regions. Her books include the international bestseller Terra Incognita, which tells the story of a seven-month journey in Antarctica.

The Daily Telegraph reviewer wrote of it, ‘I do not think there will ever be a better book written about the Antarctic.’ In it, she mentioned sleeping in the captain's bunk in Scott's Hut.

Whilst in Antarctica she read 'The Worst Journey in the World', an account of the Terra Nova Expedition, and she later wrote a biography of its author Apsley Cherry-Garrard. 

For years she travelled frequently to Russia, Alaska, Greenland, Canada, and North Norway to write her book The Magnetic North: Notes from the Arctic Circle (winner of the Banff Adventure Travel Prize).

She later wrote 'O My America!: Second Acts in a New World' which records the lives of women who travelled to America in the first half of the 19th Century, and the authors's travels in pursuit of them. 

Sara’s latest book, Mud and Stars: Travels in Russia with Pushkin and Other Geniuses of the Golden Age, came out just prior to the pandemic.

Sara is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature,  a Contributing Editor of The Literary Review, a Trustee of  The London Library and former chair of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year award. 

She contributes to a wide range of publications in the UK and US and broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio. 

Sara's the most extraordinary person and I really enjoyed hearing her fascinating stories and perspectives. 

Series Three

This episode of 'The New Abnormal' features Nick Shackleton-Jones, HR Director / Learning at Deloitte UK. 

He's also the author of 'How People Learn' and has a revolutionary perspective on...how we learn. 

Nick began professional life as a psychology lecturer (having studied psychology and philosophy at university) and has since worked for major consultancies and corporates in roles encompassing learning strategy, culture, leadership, innovation, technology & multimedia. 

Responsible for coining the ‘courses to resources’ shift, the affective context model of learning, and introducing the 5Di approach to user-centred learning design, he's the winner of several awards for people development strategy, innovation, and learning content; and is well-known in the 'learning industry' for his ground-breaking work and thinking. 

In our interview, we discuss his viewpoints across a range of issues including how the brain works in the context of memory (inc System 1 & 2 thinking), learning and individuality, the significance of play, storytelling and catastrophe, behavioural change, why 'Thinking is Feeling', how to reimagine your world, and the intentional design of experiences and resources that promote learning aka 'Learning Design'. 

Series Two

This episode of #TheNewAbnormal podcast features Dr Jennifer Mercieca,  author and Professor at Texas A&M University; an historian of American political rhetoric whose research combines history, political theory / philosophy / science. 

Her latest research is on how ubiquitous propaganda has ruined our public sphere and what we can do about it. As an author, she writes about American political discourse, especially as it relates to citizenship, democracy, and the presidency, and has published three books: 'Founding Fictions', 'The Rhetoric of Heroic Expectations: Establishing the Obama Presidency', and 'Demagogue for President: the Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump'. 

 Jennifer has also written for The Conversation,  USA Today, Washington Post, and other major media outlets. ​She's been interviewed by the BBC, NPR, The New York Times, CNN, The Guardian, Vice, ABC Radio, Slate, and many other outlets throughout the US and Worldwide - and has been called “probably the leading authority on Trump’s rhetoric”.  

So, as you can imagine, this interview features a fascinating discussion about her views, including the use of language as a weapon, how Trump took advantage of distrust, polarisation and frustration, and why the unifying campaign strategies he employed were anything but simple.  

In their review of her latest book, The Washington Post stated "The question of how Donald Trump ever got elected president has stumped some of the nation’s deeper thinkers. Jennifer Mercieca has a compelling answer. 

Spoiler alert: Trump is not, in fact, a genius. He’s a sophisticated con man who used the tools of rhetoric to pick the pockets of the American body politic, double-talking his way to power..."

Series One

In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview Neil Boorman, Head of Creative Lab Europe at TikTok. 

He builds and leads their in-house creative service, dedicated to producing best in class work on the platform. Prior to TikTok, he was the Content Director at agencies including Wieden + Kennedy, Mother, Grey, and VCCP, before which he was a Content Strategist/Producer at Amnesty International. 

He's also the author of books inc "It's all their fault" & "Bonfire of the Brands". And...he edited/published the satirical fanzine 'Shoreditch Twat'. 

(Whose readership combined those who got what was going on, along with those who later watched Nathan Barley and hoped their neighbours were laughing with them, not at them. I'm increasingly concerned about my membership of the former). 

So...Neil's been at the leading-edge of culture throughout his career, and in this episode discusses a range of contemporary issues that interest and/or appall him in equal measure. 

As for the mighty TikTok, Neil explains why he thinks a platform that has 'honesty, humility and authenticity' at its heart is such a spectacular global success, regarding its ability to connect us all via creativity and joy.