Looking Outside.

Bioengineering is a complex field. In some industries it's well established, in others still nascent. But one thing is true regardless of where it's applied – it poses interesting problems. Dr Hamid Noori is one scientist motivated by solving these kinds of big, difficult and (he would say) fun problems. As CEO of bioengineering company, The Cultivated B, his work takes cellular technologies from the lab to the market. On this episode, filmed live at the Rulebreaker Future Congress in Germany, he shares how a grand purpose in life is not necessary if you have audacious problems that you are focused on solving and an openness to solving them in new ways.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Hamid Noori & Cultivated BFollow Hamid on LinkedIn & his writing on Forbes Technology CouncilFollow Cultivated B on LinkedInCheck out Hamid's other ventures n!Biomachines & PreFerIndustries Learn more on the Rulebreaker Future Congress & the Rulebreaker Society----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

For over two decades, Germany's most demanded futurist, Sven Gabor Janszky, has been gathering business leaders across Europe, exposing them to the 'rulebreaking' ideas that are changing our world. In this 24th edition of this event, Sven sits down with host (and international keynote at the congress) Jo Lepore, to discuss the science behind finding breakthrough ideas, particularly those in longevity. Through his scientific research, and his venture capital, Sven has seen how breakthroughs in organ preservation, gene engineering and bio-matching are already extending our life span. Now he's also observing with curiosity how things like AI replicas and brain computer interfaces will preserve our humanity even further. Sven says it might sound like science fiction but the signals of this future are already here. There is no way to slow them down, instead it is us who must catch up.This is a live podcast, filmed at the Rulebreaker Future Congress in Leipzig Germany May 2025. The event, hosted by 2b AHEAD, brings together "people whose ideas change the world". ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about future scientist Sven Gabor Janszky & 2b AHEADFollow Sven on LinkedIn & X & Instagram Learn more on the Rulebreaker Future Congress & the Rulebreaker SocietyRead Sven's research on the future of GenAI 2035 & Strategic Foresight 2035 & Space 2040 & Digital Humans 2035.----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Arguably, the most important thing we need to do when thinking about the future, is to hold our strong opinions weakly. In the world of business strategy, the process of mapping what may lie ahead is usually tempted by a perfected, tried-and-true, method. So what happens when the forecast is wrong? On this episode of Looking Outside we are exploring the process and purpose of scenario planning, with world leading forecaster, professor and futurist, Paul Saffo. Having helped organizations, governments and future leaders build skills in forecasting for the future for decades, Paul knows better than most how predictions of the future can fail when certainty is the desired outcome. Equally he's seen how people can become entranced with a specific method and obsessed with the accuracy of their predictions. He says instead, when thinking about the future, we should intentionally second guess assumptions, especially, those of so-called subject matter experts. Sometimes, it comes down simply to having a good compass and learning to read the stars.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Paul Saffo, futurist with a pastFollow Paul on LinkedIn & X & Instagram Check out more of Paul's work with the Long Now Foundation, Singularity University, The Atlantic Council and the Millennium Project----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Art is nice, but it's not just a nice-to-have. And it's not relegated to galleries, museums and exclusive circles. Not only is art everywhere in our lives, day in and out, it has a profound impact on our physiology, psychology and our ability to better connect with other people. On this episode of Looking Outside we speak with author of ‘Your Brain on Art', Susan Magsamen. Having researched the topic of neuroaethethics and neuroarts, Susan leads initiatives within John Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Aspen Institute to spread the rigorous scientific evidence on the benefits of creativity, sensorial immersion, playfulness and awe on our brain. As well as on how we learn, grow and do business.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Susan MagsamenFollow Susan on LinkedIn & X & Instagram Susan and Ivy's book Your Brain on ArtFollow Your Brain on Art on LinkedIn & InstagramSusan's work at the Art and Mind Lab & the Neuroarts Blueprint----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

After 200 years of rapid growth, we're seeing the consequences of putting the planet to the limits of habitability. But with future endless growth goals, and finite resources it's time we get climate action into the P&L. On this episode of Looking Outside, we're talking about sizing the impact of climate change, with climate and sustainability leader, David Carlin. David shares how climate finance is a fast growing area that captures the downside of climate inaction as well as the upside in climate solutions, in a way that's mobilizing change across industries and economic ecosystems. But, David warns, the financials are not the problem, nor is accounting the complete solution, and a path forward needs to capture what we can't size or even know, including our moral imperative to change. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comDavid Carlin dacarlin.comFollow David on LinkedIn & XSubscribe to David's newsletter on SubstackRead David's articles on Forbes----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Futures Thinking: Spotting Signals in Turbulent TimesIn a world of constant flux and uncertainty, the ability to spot signals of change is an essential skill for navigating the future. Volatility has been escalating for over a decade, and the exponential growth of data presents both challenges and opportunities. Understanding how to contextualize signals through futures thinking is becoming increasingly critical. This session will equip you with the tools to identify and interpret key signals, empowering you to manage turbulence with confidence and assert control in an unpredictable world.Speakers:Joanna Lepore - @lookingoutside Host and foresight strategistSarah Owen - Futurist & trend forecasterThis is a recording of a live panel that took place March 8, 2025 at SXSW in Austin, Texas in the 2050 Track. Shared with with permission from SXSW. Edited for clarify. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & XConnect with Sarah Owen on LinkedIn & InstagramJo Lepore www.jolepore.comLearn about Sarah's ventures - Futures Friends and AstrofuturesLearn about Jo's ventures - Foresight Inside Group (FIG)----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Enough with the “Delving” – Staying Human in the Age of AI.Is AI making us better or worse at communicating? On one hand, platforms like ChatGPT have unlocked the ability to instantly create and customize vast reams of messaging – emails, social posts, and more. But the telltale fingerprints of AI, from overused words like “innovative” and “delve,” its preference for middle-of-the-road conclusions, and its tendency to yap at length, are also hurting our ability to actually connect with our audience. In this panel, explore how both individuals and brands can be better communicators in the age of AI.Panel:Joanna Lepore - Looking Outside Host and foresight strategistBen Guttmann - Marketing executive and authorUsama Fayyad - Executive Director of Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern UniversityModerated by Melina Palmer - Founder & CEO of The Brainy BusinessThis is a recording of a live panel that took place March 7, 2025 at SXSW in Austin, Texas in the Advertising & Brand Experience Track. Shared with with permission from SXSW. Edited for clarify. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & XBen Guttmann www.benguttmann.com & LinkedinMelina Palmer https://thebrainybusiness.com & LinkedinUsama Fayyad on LinkedinJo Lepore www.jolepore.comListen to the Looking Outside episode with Usama Fayyad on AIListen to the Looking Outside episode with Melina Palmer on behavioral economics----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

In this episode of Looking Outside we're going back to the past and into the future - exploring the biggest transformative breakthroughs in science and technology that have and are transforming civilizations and societal values. Historian and futurist Jamie Metzl joins us to step into the world of science innovation, and equally to take a step back to see the bigger picture of human evolution. A leading voice in science and medicine, Jamie shares how our biological limitations are also our greatest strength – we continue to enhance ourselves, and our way of life, through technology, in order to to adapt to future environments. Emerging breakthroughs however, Jamie says, should not be viewed in isolation but in the context of converging factors, considering their negative consequences and their unforeseen upsides, based on the bigger ecosystem of interconnected industries. We no longer live in a ‘natural world' and there is no going back to the ‘way things were', so we must accept that change is a part of our human future.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & XJamie Metzl jamiemetzl.comFollow Jamie on YouTube & X & LinkedInGrab a copy of Jamie's book SuperconvergenceCheck out his other books on Amazon----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Today we're going to get a little political, without the hostility. We're exploring the bias, misrepresentation and dangers that come with ascribing to the ‘left wing' and ‘right wing' political spectrum. Political scientist, professor in political and constitutional studies, and co-author of ‘The Myth of Left and Right' Verlan Lewis joins us to debunk the essentialist theory behind the left/right concept. While it's still a fairly young idea, Verlan stresses how it is increasingly harmful, by creating a false narrative of division that kills humility and perpetuates self-righteousness. “Don't talk about politics at the dinner table” (or in business) is what we often hear, but Verlan says we need more, not less, moderate and civil discourse on political issues, without the damaging rhetoric that comes with left/right ideologies. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & XBuy The Myth of Left and Right book via Oxford Press or AmazonFollow Verlan on LinkedIn & XRead more of Verlan's research on Google Scholar Check out Verlan's appearance on the Future Tense podcast appearance----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Being a marketer today is challenging enough, just imagine what it's like for the next generation of brand leaders coming in to study marketing. On this episode of Looking Outside we explore the mindset and skills that future brand leaders are considering, with Adjunct Professor at SMU Cox School of Business, Radhika Zaveri. With over 20 years experience leading billion dollar brands at some of the world's leading organizations, Radhika brings a wealth of wisdom to her marketing students. But some of the most critical lessons she is teaching them may be surprising. While Radhika says the foundations of marketing haven't changed, what is often overlooked is an ability to build relationships, tell your own story to corporate stakeholders and accept the responsibility of always serving the customer. Lessons aren't just for the classroom, says Radhika. It's when we become life-long learners that we serendipitously create new pathways to success, well and truly after school is out.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comFollow Jonathon on X & ForbesWatch Jonathon's panel at the 2024 Dubai Future ForumExplore Jonathon's experiments: A Clock in the Forest, Centuries of the Bristlecone, Millennium Camera, Tasting Tomorrow, Alaska River Time.Connect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

The very best philosophy is equal parts exhilarating and distressing. As one of the most profound pursuits towards greater understanding, through the love of wisdom, philosophy employs logic and demands critical thinking. But at worst it is left in the esoteric world of theory: disconnected from the world we live in. Out of touch. While philosophy is the practice of asking questions, experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats asks questions of it back. On this episode of Looking Outside we explore active, participatory thinking through real world experimentation with philosophical hypotheses and ideas. Jonathon shares how he pursues curiosity by creating tangible artefacts that others can interact with. By "doing" philosophy, Jonathon argues, we can create pathways into rabbit holes and an invitation to deeper exploration. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comFollow Jonathon on X & ForbesWatch Jonathon's panel at the 2024 Dubai Future ForumExplore Jonathon's experiments: A Clock in the Forest, Centuries of the Bristlecone, Millennium Camera, Tasting Tomorrow, Alaska River Time.Connect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X----------⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

After 18 topics explored in 2024, it's time to reflect back on the themes covered, the insight gained and the ideas sparked from this year's podcast. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo LeporeWatch this episode on YouTube ----------⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2024. Theme song by Azteca X.

This is a cross-over podcast episode between Looking Outside and Ree-thinking Sustainability, co-hosted by Ben McCabe and Jo Lepore.This episode was filmed LIVE at the 2024 Dubai Future Forum, the largest gathering of futurists from around the world, which features some of the most prominent activists and climate innovators pushing for environmentally-sustainable futures. Together with Marc Buckley, a leading voice in climate change, ecological economist and ambassador for sustainable commitment, and Dina Baenninger, business strategist and conceptual artist, we explore the human potential for change. Marc and Dina share how re-thinking existing business models can enable exponential growth and a world of abundance, a vision perhaps not often associated with sustainable action. While not everyone agrees on everything in the panel discussion, one thing that's shared is an optimism in our human ability to create a better life for planet and people, through collection of diverse perspectives and collaboration towards a harmonization of priorities. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comRee-Thinking Sustainability podcastWatch sessions from the 2024 Dubai Future Forum on YouTubeMarc Buckley marcbuckley.earthDina Baenninger www.charismanova.comALOHAS Regenerative FoundationConnect with host, Jo LeporeConnect with co-host Ben McCabe----------⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2024. Theme song by Azteca X.

On this episode of Looking Outside, we explore emerging risk - those issues seemingly in the further out future that we chose not to prioritize, act on, or perhaps even take seriously. Joining us is trained economist turned futurist, and CEO of futures think thank and advisory, the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, Daria (Dasha) Krivonos. Having led strategic risk management at Maersk (up until recently, one of the world's biggest shipping companies), Dasha is no stranger to risk mitigation and anticipation, nor to seeing how bias and emotions feed into how risks are handled. Dasha shares how optimism is normal state of the human condition, but that a false sense of optimism for one safe and preferred future, with blinders on to emerging risks in the periphery, can be detriment to a business, even negligent. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comFollow Dasha on LinkedIn & XCopenhagen Institute for Futures Studies https://cifs.dkCIFS Seminars on YouTube @CIFSonline Connect with host, Jo Lepore----------⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2024. Theme song by Azteca X.

On this episode of Looking Outside, we're exploring the role of humor in business. Whether it's silly doodles, clever cartoons, or gentle jokes, giving and having the permission to laugh at ourselves, at our industry, and at our field of expertise can elevate corporate culture. Sharing how he does this every day, with over 200 corporate clients, is world-leading marketing cartoonist, Marketoonist and author of Your Ad Ignored Here, Tom Fishburne. Tom shares how provoking a laugh, and encouraging people to not take themselves too seriously in business, sets a new tone for corporate culture that elevates how people work together. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comTomFishburn.com & on LinkedInMarketoonist.comTom's book Your Ad Ignored HereTom's podcast on Uncensored CMO at Cannes 2024Tom's TEDX Talk The Power of Laughing at Ourselves at WorkConnect with host, Jo Lepore----------⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2024. Theme song by Azteca X.

In this episode of Looking Outside, we're exploring the influence and influencers of Food Culture, and the sociological, traditional and modern values that are redefining how we innovative in food. We're joined for this conversation by Jing Gao, Founder & CEO of modern Chinese food brand Fly by Jing. Armed with a desire to help people discover new facets of Asian cuisine, driven by re-discovering her own heritage, Jing shares her organic journey to helping people re-perceive how food culture is shaped, in the process opening up minds to new ways to enjoy familiar flavors. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comWatch the interview on YouTube @lookingoutsideFly by Jing flybyjing.comJing Gao on LinkedIn & Insta Jing's cookbook The Book of Sichuan Chili CrispConnect with host, Jo Lepore----------⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2024. Theme song by Azteca X.

We've covered climate change and environmental causes on Looking Outside, focused on the innovation that's helping to create new solves for existing problems. On this episode, we're exploring the topic of environmental action from a human perspective, looking at what sociology and the study of historical patterns of collective human behavior can tell us about how we're reacting to, and in some cases rebelling against, the issue of climate change today. To do this, we're joined by social scientist Dr Dana R. Fisher, Director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity (CECE) and a Professor in the School of International Service at American University. Dana has studied and written about the combined relationship of social and environmental change for over two decades.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comMore on this episodeWatch the interview on YouTube @lookingoutsideDana R. Fisher https://danarfisher.comGet 20% off Dana's book Saving Ourselves | Buy direct from the publisher and use code "CUP20" Connect with host, Jo Lepore----------⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2024. Theme song by Azteca X.

Investigating for the hidden truth, putting the puzzle pieces together, building a strong case, leading with objectivity … you might be thinking of the responsibility of business leaders. But today, we're exploring these same familiar elements from the perspective of a field where this holds greater weight. We're speaking about investigations & interrogations with private investigator and retired LAPD detective, Greg Kading.After 25 years working homicide in Los Angeles, Greg hasn't taken off his detective hat, even after retiring. Instead turning to the PI world and storytelling, speaking about and writing of the cases he's worked (and solved). Today, Greg is well known for writing Murder Rap, a recount of the cold case he and his task force took on to solve the Biggie Smalls case. A three year investigation that ultimately led to the discovery of Biggie and Tupac's murders. It's a case that's thrust Greg into the spotlight, a shift from private case work that he's taken easily, led by the resolution that the truth should be shared, wherever possible.It's also given Greg an opportunity to shine a light on the real life challenges of a detective, past the glamourous portrayal in books, movies and TV. Greg underpins the patience required of a detective: not getting evidence analyzed instantaneously, answers not revealing themselves easily, sometimes needing to start at the beginning and retracing your steps to see what you missed. Police work is naturally full of departmental procedures and red tape, which makes it even more imperative not to rush into short cuts or false conclusions. Maintaining objectivity and removing ego are two critical aspects of doing great police work. Greg stresses that sometimes we become entranced with an idea of what the truth is and lose sight of what the facts are actually telling us. The process for a detective is therefore quite scientific, in forming a hypothesis and working to disprove it. Instead of what most may imagine - working to prove a hunch. “Within reason, all things are possible” - Greg's says this theory of openness is critical driving out bias in the investigative process.But this all takes time. You don't become a detective once you get the badge; you get there through experience, learning, and building your natural instincts. While that feels very familiar for those of us in the business world, who are often placed in role without learned experience, it's also in Greg's world rife with deception, after all, suspects have motive to lie and misdirect. It requires careful study of human psychology to spot the red flags that may point to that deception, and perhaps surprisingly, it also demands empathy. While technology has advanced and will continue to progress the fields of forensics, profiling and surveillance, in his decades-long experience investigating crimes, Greg has been led by human psychology. He says it's important to marry various human insights and technological resources at your disposal in gathering evidence to form a hypothesis. And of course, then working to disprove it, in the search for the one truth.>>>To look outside, Greg goes back into nature and spends time with the people close to him – without a phone or work on the mind. >>>Greg Kading is an American author and former Los Angeles Police Department detective best known for working on a multi law-enforcement task force that investigated the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls in the mid-2000s.Read Murder Rap: the untold story of the Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations.Listen to

Today we're looking outside a very familiar topic, exploring brand building that strengthens a brand's equity today and sets it up for the future. We're joined for this all-marketing chat with marketing rockstar, fellow podcaster, Founder of unmtchd.brands and former Puma exec, Oana Leonte.Oana recently pivoted from a marketing career working to build some of the world's biggest brands, including WB, Paramount and Disney, to building her own brand. Armed with a big ambition to make marketing a better place for marketers and in bringing the magic back into marketing, and with the goal of helping marketers focus on the most required skills for the future.With marketers todays over-fixed on chasing hype and virality, the focus has become more on performance than on brand building, and away from what Oana says is the real job of marketers. While marketing fundamentals shift with the changing times, when it comes to younger marketers, they're often completely disregarded but, “They exist for a reason.” Oana encourages young marketers to understand those basics, and leverage the earned and learned knowledge of older leaders in the room, who have a seat at that table for a reason. The point is considering a diverse array of perspectives, including less experienced ones. Oana stresses she is an advocate for bringing young people into important forums with senior leaders. More and more, businesses and brands are spending time creating youth boards that allow young marketers a voice in the boardroom. Oana says this is particularly important to better compete with emerging disruptive small brands who are often run by smart, young marketers savvy with modern marketing tactics. Equally, Oana believes senior business leaders and CMOs need to hear more from the every day humans they are creating and marketing for. After all, if we still believe that the consumer is the ultimate boss, then they should be not just represented in data but heard with their own voice. Oana highlights how important this is not just to understand behaviors being exhibited today but in foreseeing how those behaviors are likely to evolve. In guiding brands towards futures that they can play a relevant role in, Jo and Oana also explore how culture shapes brands often without them realizing it, or indeed leveraging it. In the quest to protect the status quo, and keep up with past success, brands run the risk of making safe, predictable decisions that paralyze them in time. This is a particular risk for big brands that have more to lose. Whether it's a big brand or a personal brand Oana's unwavering push for future growth is led by a learner mindset and a choice to act bravely. She describes her own superpower as just that – unique to her. She encourages anyone who lacks confidence because they feel like they don't fit in, to stop thinking of this as a liability but as an advantage that no one else has.>>> To look outside, Oana connects with people who hold different experience from across varied industries, categories and backgrounds. Oana approaches this with curiosity, with what she calls an open heart and ear. She brings this curiosity to her learner's mindset, like to technology which she sees as the biggest disruption in our lives. >>>Oana Leonte is a seasoned brand marketer and the host of the popular marketing podcast, Unmtchd.With an impressive background, she brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles in marketing and consumer products for Fortune500 brands such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Viacom. She recently left her position as Marketing Director at PUMA, to devote herself to her mission of driving brand evolution toward a future of limitless creativity and impact through her brand transformation consultancy work, her podcast and her upcoming...

Today we're taking a no BS look at the world of customer insights, leadership and business visioning with the President of software company Zappi, the ever-passionate and transparent leader, Ryan Barry.Having led Zappi for over four years, Ryan shares his no holds barred take on company leadership and people leadership, and it's all anchored on authenticity. Years ago, Ryan says, he was called out by his wife on having a ‘work voice' and realized he shouldn't be wearing 50 different masks depending on who he's speaking with. He says this new transparent approach to dealing with people and stakeholders alike makes his life easier, and ensures his leadership style is more human. Ryan is also committed to communication, or even over-communication, dropping casual and informal voice messages and videos as news evolves in his company regularly, to ensure no one has to second guess what is happening, and that business updates are intentional and impactful. To negate a possible consequence of this – dominance and over-assertion - Ryan says he leans into curiosity, asking questions openly on things he is not knowledgeable about and deferring to the experts. “Your job sometimes is just to listen,” he says.Jo and Ryan also discuss the future of the workplace, particularly as more remote, flexible and virtual working styles are implemented, and spontaneous moments to ‘break bread with people' in a physical office become fewer. Nearly 70% of Ryan's staff are on the other side of the planet to him. He's cognizant of the necessity to build and nurture relationships and believes that cannot be replaced by physically being in the same place together. Trust, collaboration and understanding are best built in real life, Ryan says, as are new ideas generated from sporadic and unplanned moments ‘bumping into' people. Whatever new technological automation and outsourcing the future holds for the workplace, this ability to connect, human to human, won't be replaced.Holding a personal brand of his own, supported by his podcast Inside Insights and newsletter Ryan's Rants, Ryan regularly shares reflections on the industry he operates in and where customer strategies go wrong. More and more companies are driven by two polarized objectives: short term earnings vs long term goals, awards and accolades vs ads that actually drive sales, political stances vs internal policies. Ryan highlights the importance of being frank with yourself on why business decisions are made, of taking input from your staff (whether you like what they say or not), of building principles that create consistency for future scenarios, and of ensuring your business actions match what you say. “People's bullshit meter is way up”, and Ryan says that's a good thing. >>>To look outside, Ryan goes outside to get lost in nature and mountains, usually with his dog. Getting out from the physical reality he's surrounded by allows him to tap into another level of ideas in his subconscious.>>>Ryan Barry oversees Zappi's global business operation leading the companies growth and impact internally and externally and serves as a member of the firm's executive leadership team. Prior to Zappi, Ryan worked for GMI, an online survey solution provider which was eventually acquired by Kantar and also started a dog care company which was sold in 2015 and a non profit aimed at raising money for less fortunate children.In addition to his work at Zappi, Ryan serves on Michigan State's advisory board for their MR program. Ryan lives outside of Boston with his wife, two sons, daughter and his two hound dogs and loves the great outdoors and Boston sports.Follow Ryan on LinkedInSubscribe to

In this episode, we're taking a look outside the very familiar food industry and a closer look at the emerging sector of plant-based food, with food activist, entrepreneur, and CEO and Co-Founder of Heura, Marc Coloma.Marc's mission to transform the food industry starts with his own company, which acts as a symbol for what is possible; investing in food innovation to solve not just taste and nutrition challenges, but also ones related to social issues.Social activism is something Marc has been passionate about since he was a ‘rebellious' child. His life and career were shaped by a drive to ask 'why?' and a desire to transform anger at what is imperfect in the world into a vehicle for positive change. As a ‘good rebel', Marc is determined to shape his work around things that matter to him personally. In many ways, Marc's ambition (and success) in this foray represents a modern shift in business; where people recognize a friction that exists between values and behaviors and work to close that gap. Marc calls it the 21st century way of doing business: companies already do make people's lives better by providing solutions to existing problems, but now they can also make “multiplied impact in the value chain”. While shifts to address environmental, social and nutritional challenges need to take place across many sectors, for Marc, the focus started with the food industry, where many of the issues arise from modern day lifestyles. We are good at scaling solutions quickly in the food industry, he says, but equally at scaling their consequences. This is part of the impetus for the plant-based movement towards alternative solutions, or as Marc and his team call them, ‘successors' of the current food system.Plant-based food are under a tremendous amount of scrutiny today, not just from the media but from frustrated customers and disappointed food retailers. Marc says a part of the declining performance is the fact that the industry was scaled too fast in a bid to tap into (warranted) enthusiasm to transform the food sector. But here speed came at the cost of a great customer experience, and most importantly, great taste. Marc says with transforming the food sector in sight, we forgot about the most critical target to win over – the customer.Heura, the plant-based food company Marc co-founded in 2017 and leads today, is outperforming its European competitors on taste. Marc stresses this is pivotal in changing consumer behavior, while supporting the rituals that people love. Taste will always win, and you may get one shot to prove that to customers. Marc believes plant-based food is only in the ‘early beginnings of potential' and that we must expand frontiers of what we thought was possible. Planetary limitations are a reality of the future (put simply: many more people, consuming many more calories) and must be addressed in new ways.Jo and Marc also discuss how, in the end, it's easy to blame others for inertia in current food systems, but that blaming an entire industry, sector or category is not helpful, particularly when change starts with us – with individual actions. It's also not helpful to reject or distrust a growing and emerging industry like the plant-based one, especially one that does not exist to destroy anything but to help maintain the traditions we hold close to our hearts. >>>To look outside, Marc learns through others, hearing first hand testimonies from people that spark unique ideas and an interest to learn more deeply about something new. Meanwhile, time in nature, hiking and sports like boxing, and yoga help him stay grounded.>>>Marc Coloma is a food activist and CEO at Heura. Born in Barcelona, Marc has been involved in social activism since he was 16 years old. In 2015 he decided to take part in an entrepreneurship

In this episode of Looking Outside, we explore personal and professional growth from the angle of imperfection; not having it all figured out and embracing what you don't know as a lever for learning. Even if you work for the world's biggest and best brands. Just like our guest has done, Marco Andre, author of Imperfect Stories and Head of Marketing and Generative AI at Novartis.Marco shares how his journey from tech to pharma had no master plan, he was simply a geeky guy that liked designing things. A sustainability engineer by training, a jazz drummer by night and an author in his spare time, Marco has embraced adaptability and flexibility throughout his career. All while working for the world's leading brands, P&G, Google and now Novartis.Instead of a well-defined ‘life plan', Marco describes his career journey as a desire to tap into his creativity, particularly as someone with “no shortage of ideas”. Creativity can mean assembling LEGO or writing stories, but it can also be expressed through learning a new topic. For Marco, his curiosity led him to Generative AI which he now heads up for his company, and speaks about on the public stage. He doesn't call himself an AI guru, however. In fact, Marco approaches AI the same way he advises others to; with acknowledgement of the emotions that surround it (the 5 stages of AI grief), and with proactive experimentation. Jo and Marco discuss how AI needs to be intentionally and carefully explored, as it's important to stay close to the changes in the external world instead of living in denial with blinkers on. But that ultimately the way we use it (and when we choose not to) is up to us. Even though Marco spends a lot of time presenting about AI and other topics, he makes it a point to do so with authenticity. He believes the time of polished and perfected TED Talks is over, and people want to hear more from leaders who have learnt from failure, who don't know everything and who admit when they are scared. This, Marco says, is the new leadership that people – especially young people entering the workforce – expect. It requires us to think differently about traditional career paths that tied our professional expertise and personal development to one company for most of our lives. It also requires businesses to adapt to enable and incentivize these types of next generation leaders. It's important, Marco explains, for companies who are particularly inward focused and disconnected with their customers, to think differently about how they “inject oxygen” into a stale environment by bringing in the outside world. >>>To look outside, Marco goes for a walk to clear his mind. And when he's trying to look differently at a topic, he leverages a small group of trusted people to gain a perspective that differs to his own. Then, taking in theirs and considering his own, he makes up his own mind. >>>Marco Andre is the Global Head of Marketing and Generative AI Excellence at Novartis. He is a keynote speaker, AI advisor to executives and a published author.Marco has worked for 20+ years in companies such as Google, Procter & Gamble and YouTube, where he held local, regional and global roles in Marketing, Sales, Partnerships and Operations. Marco's achievements include scaling a country marketing operation 4x in two years, managing a $20M brand budget across 18 EMEA countries and advising C-Level executives on digital transformation for brands worth $40B in sales.Outside of work, Marco is the author of the book - Imperfect Stories, and builds a ton of LEGO. He is a proud owner of 20+ sets, with his favorite one being the Star Wars Millennium Falcon.Follow Marco on LinkedIn and...

On this episode of Looking Outside we discuss the evolved art of photography and its role in capturing the state of nature and wildlife as a form of conservation, with nature photographer and conservationist, Derek Nielsen. A photographer for more than 20 years, Derek's journey to capture images from across each continent of the world started with curiosity; his passion for global travel prompted him to bring a camera wherever he went. Soon, this became a mission with a sense of responsibility to be an ambassador for the wildlife and nature degradation that can't speak for itself, through his photos. Fearless since he was a child, Derek has been driven throughout his life by a calling to see things that are less comfortable and unnerving. He describes this as a “free fall of curiosity” that followed his passion for and companionship with nature. And prompted him to do more than just record and observe.Derek's describes how photographers are storytellers today, tasked with providing more to their audience than beautiful images or documents of facts, but to move them through stories that they otherwise wouldn't have the ability to hear. Derek's stories incentivize people to do small or big action in support of the conservation cause; whether it's a monetary donation or simply picking up their trash. One story Derek shares is in a moment of connection with a baby chimpanzee while he was visiting the Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda. The moving photo that captures the moment they locked eyes helps Derek tell a story of wildlife protection – and therefore inspire future photographers and donations. He says it's in this way that photographers can play a bigger role in the world than garnering likes on social media. Having travelled to more than two dozen countries, Derek has seen some haunting things, and explains how important hope and optimism is in not becoming overwhelmed by the deterioration of the world, desensitized to problems, or disconnected from every day life back home. He seeks this out by surrounding himself with people who are kind and with the things that are driving positive change, not just with things to be outraged by.>>>To look outside, Derek finds play. Whether it's Ping-Pong with his wife, a dog wrestle, or messing around with his nieces and nephews. Play re-centers him back to family and the things that are important in life. He calls this both instant happiness and a non-negotiable.>>>Derek Nielsen is a conservation-driven fine art photographer of nature and wildlife who wants to inspire the world to fall in love with nature. After 20 years behind the lens, Derek's journey to capture, share—and ultimately help preserve—the fragile beauty of our planet has taken him to more than two dozen countries and every continent, from Rwanda's endangered silverback gorillas to the overfished waters of Antarctica. His images and storytelling educate people about important conservation topics. With an emphasis on what is worth saving, he brings large-format fine art prints of beautiful landscapes or exotic animals to people's homes and offices so they can enjoy the benefits of nature daily.Find more at dereknielsen.comFollow Derek on LinkedIn, Instagram.>>>Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is...

On this episode of Looking Outside we explore the intersection of creativity with marketing and what it takes to take a good brand to a great brand. Joining us is marketing and strategy leader, Juan Isaza, Chief strategy officer at DDB Latina, and Head of Brand and Social Media Strategy at creative agency 14.While today Juan is an award winning strategist and experienced marketer, he didn't start in the field. Ever since he was seven years old, Juan wanted to be a journalist. But having done a stint at a Columbian newspaper, after studying journalism and communications, he saw quickly that his love of uncovering great stories and telling them in a compelling way was better served in the world of advertising.Juan shares how his journalism background helps him in strategy; particularly in being resourceful and telling engaging stories that hook the audience. But equally in telling better stories about people, by discovering them in unexpected places. Juan says this ability to find the emotive connection with culture is the biggest shift in communication taking place, and is a fruitful space for marketing.But it's not necessarily easy. Jo and Juan discuss how brands are operating in emotional battle fields right now within which they can get caught on the "wrong" side or in the middle. Juan's advice to brands is not to talk unless you have the credentials for it, based on actions already taken. This is the reason consumers are getting tired of brands meddling in political or social issues, Juan says, and just because they don't want brands to get involved in politics doesn't mean they don't want brands to do good things for society. “Your best cause is the thing you're living inside your company,” Juan stresses. Juan also shares his personal reflections of culture in the advertising world, where stereotyping still happens and freedoms can be inhibited. He says a lot of work is still to be done, and it needs to start with empathy, understanding and in-room representation. It's part of the reason why Juan won DEI person of the year from the New York Festival for his work managing DDB Mexico, and it can – as the proof shows – lead to greater creativity. Juan and Jo discuss the formula for successful campaigns, and the need for brands to leverage the power of creativity in their content, by opening themselves to more experimentation. Juan has seen a positive move over time towards long term brand building, without compromising short term measurement metrics, but stresses that the old school thinking of marketers in trying to control every aspect of their brand and planning every element of how their brand will show up, limits their ability to inject spontaneity into their work – a key element of creative marketing.>>>To look outside, Juan looks for ideas in everything he observes. Inspiration for him can come from any place, information, source or conversation. He finds them often in papers from philosophers and sociologists who are analyzing societal shifts at a macro level. Every year, Juan publishes a trend report, which started as a personal exercise, motivated by curiosity and led by a simple desired out come to discovery key topics emerging for brands. For this, Juan takes a few months towards the end of the year to create a mind map,, then synthesizes it at the quiet last week of the year. >>>Juan Isaza is the Chief Strategy Officer at DDB Latina and leads the global Strategy and Social Media at 14, the DDB agency for SEAT and CUPRA brands (Volkswagen Group). He has worked in regional and global projects for major international brands such as Volkswagen, McDonald's, Telefónica, BBVA, Bridgestone, Mars, and Clorox. He led the team that was the first in Latin...

Today we're speaking of all things sweet in life, with French trained pastry chef, and Group Head Pastry Chef at Black Star Pastry, Arnaud Vodounou. Arnaud describes how his six year long training in Paris, covering all the basics of pastry making, gave him the foundation to be confident, flexible and creative in his craft today. A kind of intensive training that is rarely seen today.Despite his extensive training, Arnaud hesitated when offered his first opportunity as head pastry chef, initially turning it down from fear of letting others down. (A type of humility that is arguably also missing today.) Jo and Arnaud discuss how others' confidence in our potential can push us into places we didn't think possible for ourselves. Now a confident expert in his field, Arnaud speaks to the importance of continuing to look for creative inspiration for innovation, not just in coming up with new products but in improving the technical processes that form the foundation of pastry making. He describes this kind of creativity as the ability to improve with modern techniques but without a quality compromise. Chefs around the world are doing this and sharing new methods with each other today, which Arnaud says is a critical part of innovation for a traditional field that benefits from open collaboration. Having worked as pastry chef - including at 2 Michelin star Parisian restaurant Taillevent - across France, Switzerland, Vietnam and Australia, Arnaud also speaks to diversity of experience he has lived, alongside personal learnings of adapting his approach as a leader. Pastry making after all is a precise art, but like everything in life, knowledge is gained through living and learning through failure. >>>To look outside, Arnaud travels, either physically or online. Pastry is always in his head and anything can spark his curiosity to create something new and "sensational". But to do this Arnaud says it's important to be observational, to keep your head up and look out, because travel gives you access to different products and techniques no matter where you are.>>>Arnaud Vodounou is Group head Pastry Chef for Black Star Pastry, based in Sydney Australia.With over 16 years of global experience in the culinary arts, Arnaud has cultivated exquisite desserts across many prestigious establishments worldwide. Originating from France, his started his career in Paris, where Arnaud was quickly appointed the Head Pastry Chef at the famous Le Taillevent, a 3 Michelin star restaurant at the age of 24. Arnaud went on to work as the Executive Pastry Chef at the Grand Hotel Kempinski in Geneva, then taking a role as the Executive Pastry Chef at Aman Resorts in Vietnam. His career took him to Melbourne Australia in 2014 where he worked as the Executive Head Pastry Chef at local icon Chez Dre and Bibelot. Arnaud then took a pivotal role as the Group Executive Pastry Chef at George Calombaris' Made Establishment, across multiple locations. Arnaud's next venture took him to Sydney Australia where he currently oversees Blackstar Pastry, managing all pastry operations for multiple boutique stores across Australia, including Black Star Pastry's iconic Strawberry Watermelon Cake, acclaimed as the world's most Instagrammed cake.Driven by the pursuit of perfection, Arnaud remains dedicated to elevating the pastry experience and continuous innovation. With a wealth of experience and an unwavering commitment to excellence, he continues to redefine the boundaries of pastry craftsmanship.Follow Arnaud on InstagramCheck out Black Star...

Data Scholar Michael Clark joins Looking Outside to discuss the value behind the data we collect and how the definition of data is changing. Michael is a futurist focused on data, a digital payment and open banking and Vice President of Global Digital Transformation at Mastercard. His interest in the interconnection of data to other aspects of our lives has led him to become a leading voice in this space and to write a book on the topic. To explore the topic, he starts quite simply by defining what data even is. Speaking to how data's origin as a gift, quite literally the meaning of the word being datum or gift, has changed over time, Michael contextualizes not just what the concept of data is but how our relationship with it has changed.There is a difference between holding data as a highly valuable thing, which captures people's unique memories and stories, with viewing data as a byproduct of a transaction or a statistic. This changing idea or re-evaluation of data has meant we have lost sight of what the value behind that data is, or as Michael puts it, quite literally giving our ‘gift' away. In observing the signals of change in the world, Michael says this is not what the future holds for data. Rethink the concept of data means economies may change based on the value that's ascribed to data, greater granularity may be ascribed to the true ‘cost' of things and we may be able to even measure what is today unmeasurable.Through his research for the book he's writing, “Data Revolution”, Michael provides a glimpse of the future of data, where it is more representative of your identity, where open and democratized systems provide greater sharing of economic rewards and where holders of data are required to operate more ethically as a cost of doing business.Jo and Michael also discuss the role of private organizations in evaluating what data they even need to collect in the first place, as they look to build first party data loyalty programs. If an individual is re-evaluating how their data is used and the previously hidden value in it, how should companies be thinking about the future customer and the relationship they have with customer data?Michael stresses the point of asking hard questions when it comes to data, particularly as the systems around it – like GDP driven by limited data capture, or even capitalism itself – are coming into question. It's what Michael says will help us better understand the interconnected nature of technology to every other system that maintains our livelihoods. As well as the role of experts in democratizing knowledge on the topic; as Michael says, “When you know stuff you have a duty of care to give back, to work with governments and regulators to help them understand it”.>>>To look outside, Michael gets outside, literally - out of his own head, into fresh air. This not only helps him get outside himself, but the forced push to stop what he's doing helps him to come back to it better focused. Michael says it's important to be comfortable stopping and simply doing nothing. >>>Michael Clark is a data scholar, seasoned industry advisor, and innovation evangelist with over two decades of experience in cutting-edge technology solutions. Leading the data charge, Michael is redefining value and preparing institutions and governments for a future they haven't even envisioned. His upcoming book, Data Revolution: The New Currency of You, is a roadmap that will decode the world of data and prepare you for the data revolution.Part of the Digital Labs leadership team at Mastercard, Michael leads Global Digital Transformation with a mandate to drive Disruptive Innovation, Agile Principles, and execution of Mastercard's Digital vision, whilst also accelerating our client's digital...

Today we welcome Elena Doms, climate tech leader and head of Earth Plus, on Looking Outside to discuss the progress and positive action taking place in the field of climate tech. Having spent 11 years at Mastercard on the corporate side, and now in the entrepreneur space in a start up, Elena brings with her a pragmatic and motivating perspective to driving impact in the climate space through partnership with companies big and small. Elena speaks to how she approaches climate change topics through an optimistic lens, despite the fact that the climate crisis is escalating and is riddled with anxiety and delayed by hardship. She says not despite this but because of it, climate innovation is becoming easier, because it's no longer an issue that can be ignored but justifies a change in behavior and accelerates investment.Called a speaker who delivers ‘goosebumps' with her talks, Elena shares how her stories about climate change are intentionally personal, recalling her time growing up in the Arctic (now classified a zone of risk) and calling to personal stories she finds interesting in the climate innovation space that resonate with people. While the data and facts are important, she says what every one wants is a story with hope at the end. And for that to be told by someone whose values are visible and relatable. Elena says public platforms of communication help to enable this - especially for young people, or people who want to be taken more seriously.Elena also recounts how the idea for her start up, Earth Plus, an organization designed to clean the planet from pollutants using nature based solutions, began, inspired by tragically true research on forever chemicals in Belgium and their impact on people's health. She says she has developed tremendous respect for people who run their own start ups as the expectation of progress and pace of innovation is at a level she hadn't experienced in the big corporate world.On the big corporates, Jo and Elena discuss the pointlessness of pointing fingers, particularly at people in big corporations, as these businesses are full of funding and resourcing needed to help collaborate to scale climate innovation. Elena also stresses these organizations are full of people who want to make a difference. The challenge, she highlights, is in creating a compelling case for investment with every stakeholder's interest in mind. As she puts it, making climate investment ‘the candy everyone wants'.>>>To look outside, Elena follows people in the climate space that she can learn from. She calls it a dynamic fast developing area and reminds herself not to be arrogant enough to not think she knows everything. She also reads books in different and unconnected areas and considers how to connect them into the climate space to enable unique ideas from contrasting topics.>>>Elena Doms was born and raised in the Arctic. She spent 18 years there, surrounded by ice and boreal forests, witnessing climate change happen right in front of her. Throughout her career Elena led an NGO, focusing on social impact. Worked as a Director at Mastercard, merging digital and sustainable transformations. Led teams up to 500 people and became a LinkedIn influencer with a video series “What's new in Sustainability this week in 1 min”. Seeing her childhood home melt away and becoming a mother inspired Elena to quit her corporate job in search for real impact. In partnership with C-biotech, she launched Earth Plus, a start-up with a crazy bold mission: To create the largest soil & CO2 cleanup in history with nature. Earth Plus team collaborates with scientists to clean soils from chemical pollution and capture CO2 with plants. These plants are then turned into local circular construction materials that help decarbonize our...

In this episode of Looking Outside, we're exploring Culture and the role of brands leveraging or influencing it, with University of Michigan marketing professor and best selling author of For the Culture, Dr Marcus Collins.Marcus has one foot in Academia and the other in marketing practice, having led strategy Wieden+Kennedy New York, which allowed him to go deep on the theory and science of culture, while helping brands to understand those systems of cultural norms to activate their marketing strategies in a more relevant and impactful way. To be able to balance the theory and practice, Marcus studied the social sciences, making his knowledge of culture less shallow and deeply nuanced.On the show, Marcus explains how culture is shaped, defined and cultivated by people, to create uniformity and ‘normality'. Because culture is a curation process to find others like us and create synergy in commonalities, Marcus explains that the curation process evolves from the definitions of ‘how to behave' that you're born into (that are ascribed to you), through to the cultures to subscribe to once you're older. Jo and Marcus discuss the challenge for marketers to more deeply understanding human beings, their values and behaviors (which often do not match) in the effort to predict human responses and effectively persuade towards a favorite action for our brands. To achieve this, Marcus' advice is to follow the path of least resistance; to seek out the ‘collective of the willing' as he calls them, those people who are already leaning into the behaviors you're looking to amplify. It's a marketers job to spot those collectives and to reflect in their work things that make these people feel ‘seen'. This requires a certain level of intimacy with the customer that goes beyond easy segmentation by demographics or even psychographics.In a world where brands are more intertwined with popular, social and sometimes political issues, it's important to know what you stand for, your role to play and your right to play in responding to cultural movements (or not responding, purposefully). Marcus stresses that first and foremost brand owners must pay attention to changes in culture, because the mainstream, normal or ‘middle' customer base is not necessarily representative of your future customer. After all, everything that started in the fringes, that was once small or weird, later became popular. >>>To look outside, Marcus speaks to his nine year old daughter to get her transparent and unfiltered perspective. Her responses help Marcus poke a hole in the wall as she usually sees something that he does not see. >>>Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice—serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at Wieden+Kennedy New York—and one foot in the world of academia—as a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. He has spent his career translating culture for brands and translating brands for culture, becoming the architect of some of the best-known advertising campaigns of our time. Marcus has championed strategies for blue chip brands such as McDonald's, Apple, Google, State Farm, Target, Peloton, and Budweiser, and even ran digital strategy for Beyonce. His honors include being an AAF Advertising Hall of Achievement Inductee, 2022 Cannes Lions Jury Member, a member of the 2023 Thinkers50 Radar Class and one of the favorite professors of the University of Michigan MBA class of 2022. He is also the recipient of Advertising Age's 40 Under 40 award and Crain's Business' 40 Under 40 award.His much-anticipated book, “For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be”, examines the influence of culture on consumption and unpacks how everyone from marketers to activists...

Today we're talking about catapulting your career into unexpected places, driven by self-reflection, self-determinism, and a recognition of your own self-limitations, with change advocate, and Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, Jason Feifer.Speaking to a range of successful entrepreneurs is a part of Jason's day job, but he's also a bit of a start-up thinker himself. Aside from his role as editor, Jason is a podcast host, newsletter writer, speaker, start up advisor, book author … and perhaps most importantly, a reinventor, describing himself as an all purpose swiss army knife. Rather than staying in the specialty field he had worked to define himself an expert in, Jason chose to rethink, and reconsider, who he was to people, to live up to the largest opportunity in front of him. Jason says a good starting point is to better understand yourself by creating a mission statement, not for what you do but what you're skilled in and what you can uniquely create. Jo and Jason also discuss working through trepidation that perhaps your success is a fleeting moment in time. That it may be a fluke, specific to the context, or unrepeatable. (A worry many successful people hold.) Jason advocates for sitting with the things you are good at and not discounting and offloading your strengths.Jason also explores the role of nostalgia as a change barrier. The past provides comfort and predictability, but also the false belief that things from our past were better than what the future can bring. He says, “The problem isn't changing but in defining yourself too narrowly" within the comfort of what was. >>>To look outside, Jason leverages his trusted network who he can be vulnerable with. These are people who he can ‘think out loud' with, who give him honest feedback on ideas, and help him get out of his own head.>>>Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, a podcast host, book author, keynote speaker, startup advisor, and nonstop optimism machine. His goal is to help you become more resilient and adaptable in a world of constant change — so you can seize new opportunity before anyone else does!Find out more about Jason jasonfeifer.comSign up to Jason's newsletterBuy Jason's book, Build for Tomorrow on Amazon Listen to the Build for Tomorrow Podcast and the Help Wanted podcast Follow Jason on LinkedIn>>>Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore, consumer goods innovator and futurist at McDonald's. Find out more at looking-outside.com.Connect with Jo and join the Looking Outside community on LinkedIn.>>>All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers....

On this episode of Looking Outside we explore the reality and risk behind the hype of AI, with Executive Director of the Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University, Founder of Open Insights, Data Scientist and AI expert, Usama Fayyad. Usama has been in the field of AI for three decades and has lived through three AI hype peaks followed by three winters. In this conversation he contextualizes how the current infatuation with the ‘eloquence' of data-driven AI stacks up. Usama first points to an important problem with AI - not with the algorithm but with the data sets that inform the outputs. As the first person to ever hold a Chief Data Officer title, Usama stresses how critical it is to scrutinize the data sets that are feeding the algorithm, as these large data sets are really the breakthrough in this wave of AI, he says, not the machine learning advancements, and the data is filled with errors.Jo and Usama discuss the onus of the user in not over relying on the AI for our thinking, as the risk here is equally in erroneous output as it is in missing the ‘true contribution' behind the source material. Usama puts this plainly to say AI has the potential to speed up banal tasks but can, for other tasks, be completely inappropriate – particularly when these require critical thinking and finding what's between the lines. The algorithm is auto completing answers based on information fed into it: that information may be incorrectly summarized, incompletely inputted, biased, misrepresented or just plain incorrect. Usama says the user must be aware and in control, because at the moment most generative AI tools are like black boxes that hold things nobody understands. And when the AI gets it wrong, it's up to us to catch the mistakes, otherwise a world of hurt in the form of misinformation, misrepresentation and perpetuation of bias lies ahead.>>>Jump to key points in the episode:4:28 The true advancements of AI and the current hype cycle8:22 Data curation that leads to misinformation, bias and unpredictability 12:40 Impact on critical thinking with over-reliance on AI16:30 Irresponsible and inappropriate use of AI22:00 Dangerous versus safe application via new tools25:00 Deepfakes, misinformation and disinformation by bad actors>>>To look outside Usama works to catch his own bias – bias built on his personal experience, training, and business objective. He does this by taking a situation and trying to see its effect on someone's live he wouldn't normally consider. This forces him to consider interesting aspects he wouldn't otherwise like social and ethical impacts that may arise. He marries this with talking to people, specifically in asking questions he knows the answer to, seeking to understand why a different answer may be given. >>>Usama joined Northeastern University Khoury College of Computer Science as Professor of the Practice, and the Office of the Provost as the Inaugural Executive Director of the Institute for Experiential AI. He continues as Chairman of Open Insights, a company he founded as a technology and consulting firm in 2008 after leaving Yahoo! to enable enterprises to get value out of their data assets and optimize or create new business models based on the new evolving economy of interactions.He was the first person to hold the Chief Data Officer title when Yahoo! acquired his second startup in 2004. At Yahoo! he built the Strategic Data Solutions group and founded Yahoo! Research Labs. He has held leadership roles at Microsoft and founded the Machine Learning Systems group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.Usama has published over 100 technical articles on data mining, data science, AI/ML, and databases. He holds...

Looking Outside comes to you LIVE from the Dubai Future Forum, the largest gathering of futurists in the world.In this conversation we talk about disruptive technology and transformative blue sky innovation with Airbus Senior Vice President and Head of Disruptive Research and Technology, Dr Grzegorz (Greg) Ombach. Greg describes the mindset shift he experienced in leading innovative transformation across various industries, each with their own lifecycle - from Telecommunications with 1 to 2 year innovation cycles, then to Automotive where it moved out to 7-10 years and now in the Aerospace industry where he has 30-50 years in sight. As Greg considers future disruption, he is looking out to the next 50 years with a clear goal in mind. For Airbus, this takes the ambition of the company from accessible air travel, to sustainable air travel, and then to aerospace. Greg describes how this focus on transformation through disruptive technology requires active monitoring and proactive imagining. At Airbus, this is enabled firstly by enlisting open and curious people called 'Scouts' whose role it is to spot new trends across varied regions. These people are inhouse engineers who have a finger on the pulse of the air travel and aerospace ecosystem in which they operate daily and are therefore in the best position to assess the viability of the trends for the business. Accompanying this is the center of research where the 'Blue Sky Thinkers' live. Their job is to come up with moonshot ideas that are turned into pilots.Jo and Greg also discuss the need to look more broadly, assessing a product based on its ecosystem - what keeps the structure standing on the outside as well as the components that keep it relevant on the inside. --If Greg was not a futurist, he would be sailing around the world. He gets energy and drive from exploring new places, from discovering new places and being able to adjust the course based on the conditions. --Dr Grzegorz (Greg) Ombach, is Head of Disruptive Research & Technology, Senior Vice President at Airbus. Greg is passionate about managing technological innovation from an idea to broad market adoption. His combination of technology, leadership and commercial expertise together with a truly global outlook, having worked across Europe, the USA and China, puts him in a solid position to drive international market success for high-tech innovations. As a Head of Disruptive R&T, he shapes Airbus's ability to be the global leader in innovation and future technologies across all Airbus divisions. He works very closely with all businesses and divisions globally. Before as Executive Vice President, Head of Battery Systems Business and Group Strategy and Innovation at Dräxlmaier, he was responsible for the strategy for the business and led the entire product commercialisation, from the initial concept to high volume production of cutting-edge technology in a premium market for the automotive sector. One example is the first high volume production of an 800V battery system for the Porsche Taycan. Earlier, he worked at Qualcomm as a Global Vice President and General Manager of a breakthrough automotive technology licensing business. He also has experience from Siemens VDO, Continental and Brose. Greg holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Silesian University of Technology, Poland and a Certificate in Global Management from INSEAD, The Business School for the World. He has also been awarded Guest Professorship at the Zhejiang University in China.Connect with Greg on LinkedInLearn more about Airbus--Looking...

Looking Outside comes to you LIVE from the Dubai Future Forum, the largest gathering of futurists in the world.In this conversation we talk about sustainable design with Arup's Director of Foresight, Josef Hargrave. Arup is focused on creating more sustainable built environments, and Josef speaks to how designing for the future needs to be anchored in decisions for the present, by understanding deeply the structural limitations and infrastructure of today. Josef details several projects he's run for designing out to 2050 across geographies exploring building for cities, having worked in and with over 30 cities around the world. He boils success down to context: it's easy to identify what is changing in the world, but the effort should be in what it means to the project and stakeholders holding the brief. Contextualizing the environment you're designing for will influence how you design for the future and the future populations living in this infrastructure. Jo and Josef also discuss how foresight done well should ultimately be about making yourself useful to the organization that you're a part of. As the company evolves over time, as Arup has in the 13 years Josef has been there, the application of foresight needs to evolve with it. --If Josef was not a futurist, he would be an artist or designer. Or open a Chinese restaurant, so he can craft something by and for himself.-- Josef Hargrave is Global Foresight Leader responsible for the delivery of Arup's foresight services, tools, and projects globally, leading a multi-disciplinary team of programme managers, designers, and consultants that specialise in trends research, design thinking, strategic planning, innovation programmes, thought leadership, and vision making for both internal and external clients. Over the past 10+ years, Josef has delivered projects in over 20 countries, working for some of the world's leading organisations in property, technology, chemicals, mobility, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, consumer goods, and finance.Outside of Arup, Josef is an Associate Lecturer at Central Saint Martins as part of the MA for Innovation Management (London), a member of the World Cities Summit Science of Cities Knowledge Council (Singapore), a member of the International Panel of Experts at Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore), a member of the Friends of the Forum at Dubai Future Foundation (Dubai), and a member of the Advisory Board at Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (Manchester).Connect with Josef on LinkedInLearn more about Arup--Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore, consumer goods innovator and futurist at McDonald's. Find out more at looking-outside.com.Connect with Jo and join the Looking Outside community on LinkedIn.--All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2023.OBOY &

Retail, shopping and lovers of physical activations, this one is for you. But perhaps it's for all of us who look at bringing our brands to life in physical spaces. Today on Looking Outside we're speaking with top voice in retail, Curator of Shop Drop Daily & Chief Thinker at iiiF, Tim Nash. Tim's passion for brands led to his career specialty in shop and retail design. He fell into the fashion industry, starting in visual merchandising, and then fell in love with inspiring brands to best show up in physical spaces.As a natural creative who was always good at art, Tim helps brands find ways to reach their consumers in ways that spark a connection through visual cues, smart use of space, and rethinking the DNA across platforms. This is a critical part of the brief, Tim says, as activations or campaigns built for a specific channel is old fashioned thinking - it breaks apart brand cohesion and dilutes the message. Brands need to find new ways to connect the dots across platforms, to offer the consumer something that makes them feel special but also delivers on the unique brand promise, no matter where they're shopping. Having researched, created and curated in the retail space for over 20 years, Tim describes how the pandemic was a critical turning point for retail that not all brands saw or understood. Retail spaces designed for the city center, as the best (or only) way to buy what you need, is not how the world operates now. New brands are able to build a community without a physical space, and to shape their DNA to live across all sub-channels. A lot of older brands stuck in the middle still think retail first, with other channels ‘thrown in'.Jo and Tim discuss other critical moments of pause that need to take place for retail to properly set it up for the future – including the one where we re-assess the environmental or ethical impact of ‘fast' retail, shopping and fashion. Tim says retail has traditionally been painted with a negative brush, but it has the ability to wash this away if we can move past cookie-cutter, formulaic and old school ways of creating not just retail places, but brand spaces.--To look outside, Tim finds physical spaces that allow him to digest information and think through things. This can be city walk, a long train ride, or strolling through galleries and art exhibitions. It doesn't have to be a grand experience, just something small to properly disconnect with the physical world, and connect with his thoughts.--Tim Nash has nearly 20 years of experience in the retail industry. As a creative thinker he curates physical brand experiences that engage and inspire. He has designed and delivered memorable global activations and strategies, winning multiple awards and accolades for work in visual merchandising and display.He currently directs creative for Wild VC, a certified B Corporation that creates brand activations fueled by wild thoughts. He is also the visionary behind Shop Drop Daily, retail's go-to resource and industry voice for the best store concepts and environments. In addition, he challenges brand creativity through work as Chief Creative Thinker at iiiF, a company that explores the power of physical experience by curating strategically relevant IRL content. Follow Tim on LinkedIn and hereSign up to Shop Drop Daily shopdropdaily.com & on InstagramLearn more about

Today we're talking about the big topic of Sustainability within big business. Former Chief Sustainability & Social Impact Officer at McDonalds, Bob Langert, joins the show and shares his three decade long journey in making environmental change happen at one of the biggest organizations in the world.An environmental activist at heart, Bob shares how he was able to take a topic he cared deeply about but was low on the company priority list, and over time use his passion to make people notice and act. Sustainability started as Corporate Social Responsibility and Bob recalls how in the 1980's it was just starting to gain prominence and it took a long time for the topic to reach the mainstream status it has today in business. Companies need to be willing to change if they want to compete in a future environment 20 years from now which will look different to how it does today. Bob stresses the need for change agents within that; fewer people laying low and trying to stay out of trouble, more people who are open, patient and bring big ideas. Ultimately that passion and persistence helps the business, because as Bob says, “Businesses that are satisfied and content are going to die.”Bob does recognize that a key challenge in getting action on sustainability issues is trying to force it, either by being too emotional or pushing too hard. He describes how over time he achieved success by creating connections with people inside and outside the organization. These relationships rested on truthfulness, trust and empathy; putting yourself in others' shoes to see different ways of influencing them. That empathy allows you to see new allies, as often we assume people don't care, or will not be supportive, but they can surprise you. In fact some of your harshest critics can become your collaboration partners for change, or even your public advocates.Jo and Bob also discuss the need for companies to be more proactive and preemptive, but that often, that comes with little glory, as a hero in a crisis is easy to find, but credit for preventing a problem often never happens. But issues, like critics, will never stop coming, and Bob says that's a reality you need to accept, and a target you need to bear on your back, when part of a big organization that needs to make money (and there's nothing wrong with that).--To look outside, Bob reads a lot, particularly other perspectives of leadership and change through biographies. He also relies on travel to observe people across settings and cultures. He treats these as learning experiences that help him see things differently and promote a push beyond complacency, or accepting that 'things are the way they are'.--Bob Langert led McDonald's Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability efforts for more than twenty-five years before retiring in 2015. Currently, he provides corporate sustainability consulting through Mainstream Sustainability. Bob has been engaged in social responsibility issues at a global level since the late 1980s, leading environmental affairs, animal welfare, and Ronald McDonald Children's Charities' grants. He was appointed McDonald's first vice president to lead sustainability in 2006 with contributions spanning sustainable fish, coffee, palm oil, beef, packaging, extensive animal welfare progress, protecting the Amazon rainforest, nutrition strategy and CSR reporting, measurement, and accountability. His book about McDonald's sustainability journey, The Battle To Do Good: Inside McDonald's Sustainability Journey, was published in January 2019.Langert received his BA from Lewis University and his MBA from Northwestern University. In 2007, Langert was named as one of the 100 Most Influential in Business Ethics by Ethisphere. Follow Bob on

In this episode of Looking Outside we venture into dark futures with global futurist Nikolas Badminton, crossing over the line of realism into dystopia.Nikolas spent 30 years at the front line of emerging futures, aiding organizations and governments in the anticipating risks that lie ahead and shaking people out of unrealistic expectations. He says now he is hired to do the type of work he'd normally get fired for, as, often, Nik is tasked with telling people the future they are excited about is not going to happen, and prompting frank conversations. He uses ‘impossible' scenarios to paint preposterous futures, those ideas about the future that appear ridiculous, in order to bring people out of their self interests or away from a yearning for nostalgia.While positive futures are important, Nik says facing into the fact that ‘bad stuff does exist' is the important starting point. We often see plans or goals that are so far out, particularly in government policies, that are psychologically disconnected from the people planning them and therefore aren't designed to provide anything tangible enough to motivate people to act. Jo and Nik also discuss the need to help organizations see beyond the ‘garbage' that is out there about emerging risks and trends, often sensationalized, by painting change as accretive, with layers of complexity constantly building, instead of as hinging on a ‘switch' from one state to another. Nik describes the need to bring people into future states by first taking them into the hybrid state where things are transitioning, seeking out evidence of the future to provide the missing link between disruption and strategy. Often we hear change is happening faster than ever before, but Nik counters that; “If you think things are happening quickly you're not paying attention”.--To look outside, Nik moves away from his work quite literally by cycling around Toronto's water parks and trails, while listening to music or a podcast. He says through this, his thoughts become clearer and he is happier. --Nikolas Badminton is a global futurist speaker and Chief Futurist that mentors top executives and the highest levels of government to explore desirable futures, anticipate unforeseen risks, and strengthen strategic planning. He has spent 30+ years working with leadership at over 400 leading organizations at the frontline of futures, strategy and disruption - including NASA, Disney, Google, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, WM, JP Morgan, Verizon, VISA, TD Bank, American Express, BISCI, ISACA, Rolls Royce, Procter & Gamble, US Department of State, UK Home Office, United Nations, and many more. Facing Our Futures: How foresight, futures design and strategy creates prosperity and growth - is Nikolas' number one best selling book and has been named as JP Morgan Private bank's ‘Next Gen Pick' for their prestige 2023 Summer Reading List to guide new leaders to ignite curiosity and embrace futures thinking.Nikolas' essential research has been featured by the BBC, VICE, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Business Insider, Forbes, Sunday Telegraph and many others. He appears on SIRIUSXM and CTV regularly, was a key advisor to the ‘Age of AI' series with Robert Downey Jr, and appears in the Franklin Institute's series ‘2050'.Find out more about Nik Badminton at www.futurist.comFollow Nik on LinkedIn, YouTube and Blue Sky. Check out Nik's

In this episode of Looking Outside, we speak with someone crazy enough to think one company can make a difference, social entrepreneur Moritz Everding. Moritz founded food start up SOCHILI to act on his vision of creating food with purpose.Combining his love of spice, his experience in business innovation and his passion for positive social change, Moritz created his business from Germany with far reaching impact into sub-Saharan Africa. On this episode, Moritz speaks to his conviction that a profitable business idea, whether by someone inside a big corporation, or an entrepreneur, can and should be pressure tested against social, ethical and environmental standards. With his business model, Moritz balances the desire to make a big difference, in this case to 600 million people living without access to electricity, with the long term sustainability behind a small but growing product idea. He shares how his business was created to give back, visibly and transparently, directly to the farmers who supply the chilies for his hot sauce, most self-evidently in that for every bottle sold, the company is able to give first time access for its farmers to electricity for one day. Jo and Mo also discuss the distinction between a profitable social enterprise and an NGO and that it's still the responsibility of the start ups, who are often much more severely critiqued for their social, ethical and sustainability initiatives, to not act like charities, but to live by the standards of social consumerism in giving people more of what they want. In this case, a delicious, great looking, functionally-smart product that also ticks the socially-responsible boxes. It's no easy feat but Moritz believes it is possible, and is motivated in encouraging more food businesses to go the same way. Moritz' belief that profit and purpose can go hand in hand also inspired him to start his Purpose Projects podcast where he gets to research a variety of topics changing the global food landscape, speaking directly to the social entrepreneurs working to make it happen. Social consumerism is the way of the future, Moritz says, and he is a living and breathing example of it.--To look outside, Moritz started a testing community. He asks community members, who all have varied perspectives that touch on the 17 SDGs, to pressure test (and taste test) the product against his impact model. Moritz says it's easy to get stuck in one lane, only listening to reaffirming positive feedback. To get outside his comfort zones, he seeks honest and varied perspectives from this community.--Find out more about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): sdgs.un.org/goals Listen to the Seth Goldman episode mentioned on ActivismListen to Moritz' own podcast, the Purpose Projects Podcast (in German)--Moritz Everding is Founder & Managing Director of SOCHILI. Crazy about impact, crazy about hot sauces - Moritz is a social entrepreneur and advocate of purpose in the business world. As founder of the food start-up SOCHILI, he proves that social impact can also be tasty and spicy. With every single 'SOCHILI good hot sauce' the business empowers farmers in the Global South in the truest sense of the word: 1 hot sauce = 1 day of electricity.Connect with Moritz on LinkedIn Find out more about

Another Aussie joins us on Looking Outside to explore the power of laughter and positivity through comedy, with stand-up comedian, actor and TV personality, Monty Franklin.Having lived in the US and toured 42 states over the last ten years, Monty has performed to more than a million Americans, and whether it's on stage or at the bank, he speaks to the privilege of making people forget their troubles, even for a little while. He says laughter is one of the greatest things people can experience, and it's his role to find the kind of comedy that is relatable; stories about day to day life that despite being his, are not really about him but his listeners. Story crafting has been an interest area for Monty since he was little, whether it was standing up and telling stories in front of his (funny) family, learning about the stories that shaped his home country of Australia, through indigenous culture, art and The Dreaming, or exploring the stories that live within other art forms like film or music.Today he funnels his love of storytelling into his comedy shows or in his writing. Monty says all we leave behind on this earth are the things we hear, learn and pass down. So it's either in the fields of education or storytelling that we pass on the history of the world and learnings of our time on it. Monty speaks to positive stories about good people, doing good things for each other, as the ones we're drawn to today, despite seemingly being divided by politics. Monty believes 99% of people are good and want to get along, and what helps in that is thinking outside the parameters of what we perceive as true; to consider a different take on things and not shut ourselves off to the evolution of ideas.Jo and Monty also chat through the ups and downs of Aussie relocation to America, particularly in having to ‘start over' no matter what success was previously gained, of benefiting from the strength of the Aussie brand (a testament, Monty says, of the “good people” that went international) but also wearing its novelty-factor … and even after so long feeling a little out of place.While Monty admits that it is an ego-boost to be ‘in the limelight', he says great comedians listen more than they talk. And while being on stage gives you a thick skin for critique, you're not immune to feeling hurt from negative comments, or from having good and very bad days, which reinforces the need to strengthen your mental health to handle the swings of life, which ultimately should be expected because you can't be up and laughing all the time.--To look outside, Monty listens to TED Talks in the morning. A 12 min video over breakfast on a range of topics gives him a fresh perspective and knowledge about something new and interesting. Monty says learning this way is quick and he gets something surprising from it every time. Once a year, Monty also takes a surf trip, with his friends and without a phone.--Monty Franklin is an Australian born stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television personality, now based in LA.He tours all over the world headlining some of the biggest comedy clubs and also opens for Rob Schneider, Joe Rogan and Jim Breuer. Monty was on Ep #1794 of The Joe Rogan Experience and he is currently appearing in 'Real Rob' on NETFLIX, season 1&2.He has had roles on 'New Girl' - FOX, 'Becoming Bond' - Hulu and is the creator and star of 'The Manny' - TV Pilot.Monty's numerous television stand-up performances include AXS TV's Live At Gotham, Channel 10s The Circle, Foxtel's Stand Up Australia, and as part of The Comedy Channel's special – The Best Of Stand Up and Comedy Gold.Monty has produced, written and starred in two TV Pilots of sketch-comedy show No Monkeys on Bikes for Channel 7, co-hosted a weekly radio show on Fox...

In this episode of Looking Outside we explore living your life and career curiously through an openness to learning with trained pharmacist and director of the Novartis Pavillon exhibiting the wonders of medicine, Marcel Braun. Marcel studied medicine but throughout his career has remained open to entering new fields and living in new places, something he calls both accidental in drifting from one opportunity to another, and intentional as he ticked off ‘dream roles' from his bucket list. From roles in forensic accounting, corporate philanthropy, even national pharmacist for Vanuatu, and across disciplines ranging business administration, biology and chemistry … Marcel has worn many hats. He credits this to both chance (“What are the odds that I got to do everything I did?”) but equally to openness; as opportunities came up, scary or divergent as they may have been, Marcel first and immediate said yes, then worked out how to make it happen second.Committing yourself to new career paths doesn't mean it has to be forever, as Marcel says, “A career is like a ladder, you can climb up and realize it's leaning on the wrong wall.” Just as shifting careers doesn't mean a complete departure from what you did before. Today Marcel heads up the exhibition in Basel, Switzerland for Novartis' Pavillon, an exhibition that displays the past, present and future of medicine. While this may seem like a departure from pharmaceutical research or philanthropy, Marcel explains it's connected, as much of the work in medicine is about good communication. Medicine, science and treatments are detailed topics with complex histories that must be explained simply. Jo and Marcel, both having lived and worked in various parts of the world, also explore what it means to adapt to and learn a new culture when relocating (in Marcel's case, more then 11 times). Marcel says for him it's about learning the culture through curiosity, as often it is little differences that mean an act can show offense or respect. He also credits being able to speak at least a little of the native language in building comfort and confidence, and to staying away from ‘toxic' people who are unhappy with their experience (in other words, don't just hang out with frustrated expats).Marcel and Jo also discuss the benefits of building interdisciplinary skills, as a way to create more unique career paths and a unique identifier for yourself by combining seemingly unconnected backgrounds, training or cultures. Marcel did this, wearing his ‘pharma backpack' along with his ‘financial backpack', and found it's the cross-over of varied disciplines that helps you find new solutions to old problems. Despite having pushed himself into so many varied careers, Marcel says he wished he had said yes to more things. As it's often the case that you underestimate what you're capable of until you push yourself to the point past discomfort. But it's only when you keep your radar wide, and stay open, that you find those new opportunities because often, “You can't imagine what else could be out there”.--To look outside, Marcel became a passionate beekeeper. This is something that he never dared to start with extensive travels, and now has the time, patience and perseverance for. This is Marcel's place to settle and be in the ‘now', because when you're in the beehive you have to focus. He calls the experience fully immersive, from the noise of the bees to the stickiness of the honey, and therefore uses it as a way to refresh his senses like a holiday. And even though he has been stung painfully and many times, 15-20 stings per year, it doesn't deter him, in fact it reminds him constantly to stay in the moment.--Marcel Braun is the Director Novartis Exhibition at the newly opened Novartis Pavillon in Switzerland. Marcel took the “Wonders...

In this special LIVE episode of Looking Outside, recorded at the Insights and Innovation Exchange event in Texas, we look more closely at the symbols and signs that surround us, the study of Semiotics, with semiotician, author and marketer, Dr Rachel Lawes.Rachel blends her 20 years in Market Research and her academic training as a Social Psychologist, with a focus on how people communicate through the study of semiotics. Rachel describes this as looking more deeply and critically at what is at face-value, and how that can help us make more deliberate decisions.Stressing this point, Rachel says that semioticians can very easily become theoretical or academic; in essence become enamored with the art of hypothesizing what things mean, and often forget that that all this theory needs to be actionable to inform business strategy. Having authored two books on the topic that explore semiotics in the marketing and retail landscapes, Rachel speaks to how semiotics can help give brands a competitive advantage by paying attention to what is often missed. Rachel describes this as the unique tipping point from natural observation, which everyone does in noticing what is obvious, to looking at what's not said and seen and what that tells us.Jo and Rachel also discuss the importance, for those of us in the job of observation, to catch when we're over-analyzing things, because over-studying something can be dangerous, and what's critical is to remind ourselves about what is truly represented and representative of human culture.--To look outside, Rachel travels. This allows her to get a little uncomfortable and gain exposure to new experiences and people she wouldn't otherwise have had.--Dr Rachel Lawes is a semiotician and marketer, and one of the original founders of British commercial semiotics. Through Lawes Consulting Ltd, established in 2002, she supplies semiotics to brand owners, ad agencies and marketers around the world. Her specialties include pharmaceuticals, banking and aviation, as well as everyday consumer goods.Rachel is author of two ground-breaking books on the business applications of semiotics. ‘Using Semiotics in Marketing' (2nd edition published in 2023) is the first book to set out a step-by-step course in semiotics for marketers and market researchers. Her other book, ‘Using Semiotics in Retail', is the winner of the Sales & Marketing category of the Business Book Awards 2023.Rachel's PhD is in social psychology. She is a Fellow of the Market Research Society.Follow Rachel on LinkedIn and InstagramLearn more about the work Rachel does through Lawes Consulting: lawes-consulting.co.ukBuy a copy of Rachel's books from koganpage.com with a special Looking Outside 20% discount, using the discount code "SEMIOTICS".Rachel's books, Using Semiotics in Marketing and Using Semiotics in Retail, are also available on Amazon.Read more about the story behind the Princess Diana photo at the Taj Mahal.--Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted...

Are some people simply more cut out to take on big responsibilities, where lives are at stake, or is it actually just good training? In this episode of Looking Outside, we explore the mindset and skills of preparedness in Flying with commercial airline pilot, Ricardo Nunes. Being responsible for hundreds of people on the plane is not something Ricardo takes for granted. While many of us would find that extreme level of responsibility crippling, Ricardo says the confidence comes from understanding the weight of the responsibility, and taking that seriously by training for the worst. Ricardo describes how preparation has been pivotal to surviving challenges faced in his aviation career and prior to that, before he crossed to ‘the dark side', when he flew Search and Rescue helicopters for the Portuguese Air Force. It's all in the training, Ricardo stresses, as while the scenarios faced are different, the way to think through them is the same.Jo and Ricardo also explore the intersection of flying and foresight, in how anticipatory thinking allows you to ‘fly ahead of the plane'. Explaining that the mindset is similar in the military as in foresight, particularly in leveraging methods like scenario planning, Ricardo says constantly testing out different pathways in flight means he is prepared for unforeseen situations so that when a tough decision has to be made, its already been thought-through.While the life of a pilot may seem both illustrious and solitary, the success of the airline industry and its crew is entirely dependent on being humble and highly communicative. Ricardo explains how airlines strictly follow a “just culture”; where decisions, omissions and actions are reported or called out without reprimand. It is only by showing, not hiding, mistakes that the airline industry maintains a culture of trust and builds on knowledge that leads to its incredible safety record. Ricardo also speaks to how this kind of approach in pushing yourself into complex and challenging situations, and consistently training for them, makes you a better person … one who is less prone to panic in the moment, and one who can enjoy a unique life (for example, where you get the travel the world). Train hard and fight easy, as they say in the military.--To look outside, Ricardo says to talk to someone different; someone who doesn't do what you do for a living or doesn't think the same way. Sometimes you need an outsider view to help you think outside the box. --Ricardo Nunes is a former Portuguese Air Force pilot turned commercial airline pilot with a passion for foresight and scenario planning. Ricardo began his career in 2005 in the Portuguese Air Force, where he flew various fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, including the DHC-1 Chipmunk, TB-30 Epsilon, Allouette 3, and EH101 Merlin. He flew numerous Search and Rescue (SAR) missions, eventually becoming a SAR captain in 2011.In 2013, Ricardo transitioned to the civilian world, where he now logs thousands of flight hours aboard Airbus A320/321 aircraft, connecting Lisbon to destinations in Europe, Africa, and the Americas with over 5,000 flight hours under his belt.But flying is not Ricardo's only passion. He is also a founding member of the Portuguese Foresight Association, a non-profit organization established by like-minded individuals to promote foresight and future studies in Portuguese society. Despite his busy schedule, Ricardo remains true to his Lisbon roots, where he was born and raised. He holds a Master of Science in Air Transport Management from City, University of London, and post-graduates degrees in Foresight, Strategy, and Innovation from the Lisbon School of Economics (ISEG), and in Management from the NOVA School of Business and Economics. He has never lost his love for flying or his...

Lars Behrendt joins us for this episode of Looking Outside, discussing the bureaucracy, ego and over-perfection that gets in the way of great innovating … in other words, Innovation Bullshit. Now a voice of influence in the innovation space, particularly in his home country of Germany where he gets 10 million content views weekly, Lars shares how he ‘engineered' a voice of authority in order to break through the clutter of innovation nonsense; with a few cuss words, a ton of humor and big hit of straight talk.Believing innovation shouldn't take years and cost a fortune, and most definitely shouldn't be designed to death, Lars shares how he orchestrated a new way of innovating in just one week (through his company Granny&Smith) that allows real customers to make a decision on what's a good idea, based on the most important metric of success: real sales. Jo and Lars discuss why innovation without execution is bullshit, and why no one but the customer is the real expert in what a good idea is. Besides, as Lars says, real market feedback is the fun part of innovating. He makes this shift in process successful only by getting absolute commitment upfront in a fast, iterative process where skepticism is left at the door and a safe bubble is erected with risk-averse people unwelcome. Why? Ultimately, people in the process who are ‘trying to find a problem, will create a problem.'Lars also discusses the plight of engineers, product designers and innovators who invest heart and soul into a system that often fails them; through roadblocks in getting a product to market, or a poor process of pre-testing that relegates the idea to failure. And how lowering the bar is a pivotal change that must happen in the innovation system.--To look outside, Lars goes deep on one single topic, completely blocking out all other distractions. He says only in this zone of intensive focus, while often exhausting and high pressure, can you discover new ways to approach old problems. --Lars Behrendt is considered one of the leading international innovation developers because he has been gaining real practical experience for more than 15 years, which makes him a true innovation expert. As a managing partner of the Granny&Smith Innovation Lab, which he founded in 2006, Lars has gathered profound expertise while working with numerous Dax corporations and Fortune 500 companies.Born in Northern Germany, he started his company as a creative engineering firm and quickly became an innovation insider to major corporations.Today, he works for 7 out of 9 of the most innovative German companies. He is also a co-developer and driver of numerous groundbreaking innovations and supported companies like IBM, Telekom, BMW or Volkswagen in their innovation processes.Together with his team he co-developed more than 50 startups and launched countless innovations with the world's most renowned companies.Learn more about the innovation process run by Granny&Smith: www.grannyandsmith.com & Lars Listen to the Boiler Room podcast (in German).Buy Lars' book Get Real Innovation.Follow Lars on LinkedIn--Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by...

In this episode we discuss the future of snacking with daydreamer, sunshine chaser and optimist, Matt Weiss. Matt founded his own upcycled snacking company, RIND Snacks, and lives by the mantra of making weird and wonderful things happen, even if it feels impossible.In this chat, Jo and Matt discuss what health means in the context of personal happiness and fulfilment, from what you eat, to the lens through which you see the world, to self awareness of what gives you sustenance (food or otherwise!).Born and raised in Miami in the 70's and 80's surrounded by an abundance of tropical fruit and a great grandmother who lived to 100 with great vitality, Matt describes his passion for making the food industry a little more in tune with mother nature, and therefore with fewer shortcuts and a little less of the ‘perfection' we're used to seeing in what's pre-packed and produced at scale.Matt shares his transition from being in management consulting for over two decades, to creating and running his own company, and in particular the shift in disciple required to motivate a group of people to rally behind his own vision. A family business, Matt shares how RIND allows his children to also learn from the evolution of the company; sharing in its successful growth but also seeing first hand the sacrifices needed in making something happen when no one else will.--To look outside, Matt looks literally outside! Taking time to daydream clears his restless mind and allows space for imaginative thinking. By resetting his mind, and ensuring he is doing work not just ‘busy-ness', Matt usually comes up with great ideas.--Prior to RIND, Matt Weiss spent 20 years in investment research at Baron Capital covering food & beverage. Matt is a founding partner of Naturally New York, an organization supporting and connecting members of the local natural products community. In 2010, Matt founded Friends of Chelsea Green, a non-profit that helped fund and create a new public park in lower Manhattan. Matt lives in New York City with his wife and three children. He graduated with a B.A. from Duke University, is a CFA Charterholder and an avid birdwatcher.Connect with Matt on LinkedInFind out more about RIND rindsnacks.comFollow RIND on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok--Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore, consumer goods innovator and futurist at McDonald's. Find out more at looking-outside.com.Connect with Jo and join the Looking Outside community on LinkedIn.--All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2023.OBOY and Midnight Daydream music features in...

Inspired by a conversation at the 2023 CES Food Tech Expo, today we discuss how one of the most traditional industries is being transformed through Culinary Creativity, with CEO and Founder of Hungry House, a platform for creative chefs, Kristen Barnett.In creating Hungry House, Kristen shares how she puts the values of both the chef and the customer first, by focusing on food quality. Her platform allows the customer to add more meaning to the choices they make in how they explore and sustain through food, while the culinary creator, the chef, can ideate a full story around what they bring to the plate.Stories are a critical path to the future of food, Kristen says, because food has always been about more than just what you eat but the stories around the farmer, the sourcing, the produce, the chef. “It's always been about content,” she says, and through her direct to consumer platform, Kristen is able to nurture chefs to create compelling content and meaningful meals.Kristen shares how she has always been a food lover, and wanted that to be part of her career, but experiencing lyme disease in her early 20's caused her to re-asses how what she ate and her lifestyle were part of the symptoms and solutions of her health. Her ‘early life crisis' pushed her to make a hard pivot towards a career dedicated to food with a passion.Both in the food industry, Jo and Kristen also discuss how the food ecosystem is being disrupted, and how behind the food tech fads and old-school brand of the white-hat chef, sit creative culinary minds who know how to integrate food ideas, with compelling social content and convert it to commerce. --To look outside, Kristen goes to food pop ups anywhere she's traveling but especially in her home city of New York. She says food pop ups showcase the new ways in which consumers can access food and chefs innovate in how to get their food to people, which yields different ways to think about things like a constant source of inventive thinking.--Kristen Barnett is the founder & CEO of Hungry House, a NYC-based startup that partners with digitally-native chefs to bring their culinary ideas into reality through the Hungry House platform. Kristen started her career in the New York City office of The Boston Consulting Group. She unfortunately soon began to struggle with her health after contracting Chronic Lyme disease and she became seriously ill. Desperate to feel better, she turned to dietary change to feel better and she had miraculous results. Determined to make a bigger impact, she left consulting to pursue a career in the food industry. Since then, she's worked at Dig (formerly Dig Inn) where she was Director of Strategic Operations and led supply chain strategy, menu development and their food delivery and ghost kitchen business. Kristen then went on to join Zuul, a ghost kitchen tech startup where she served as Chief Operating Officer and led product strategy to develop a proprietary tech platform and multiple virtual brands. Zuul was acquired by ghost kitchen competitor, Kitchen United in summer 2021, after which, she went on to found Hungry House. Having borne witness to the explosive growth in the ghost kitchen industry, mainly with a commoditized and unhealthy product offering, she founded Hungry House in summer 2021 to create the first direct-to-consumer ghost kitchen company focusing on sustainability, diversity, quality & transparency.Kristen graduated from Cornell University magna cum laude and is passionate about plant-based eating and supporting other women in the food industry through a semi-regular women-in-food dinner series.Follow Hungry House on Instagram &

In these volatile and uncertain times, it can feel harder than ever to achieve things for ourselves and our teams, so today we take a cue from the performance experts, speaking about Motivation with mental performance coach, Lauren Johnson. The stakes are high for professional athletes, but they cope with the same challenges as all of us; building mental toughness to persevere physically, and creating positive habits to practice towards exceptional results. Lauren learnt this first hand working with the New York Yankees, coaching them to perform past the point of physical and mental exhaustion. Today, Lauren shares the principles of psychology that apply whether you're an athlete or marketer. The principles of: self awareness to know your own signals before you burn out, self control to react appropriately in the space between external stimulus and your response to it, and of the laws of diminishing returns, beyond that point at which we are truly effective, whether we realize it or not. As two perfectionists, Lauren and Jo discuss the flaw it reveals of inflexibility. It's consistency which makes us effective. And high quality input should be achieve over time rather than all at once. Lauren also stresses that our motivation should focus also on the people we lead, because building their competence – also slowly, and not all perfect at once – will build their confidence. That confidence should then serve them in the big moments when it matters most.Now a keynote speaker who holds a Masters in Performance Psychology, Lauren shares honestly that this wasn't her dream, but a tragedy and the ultimate disappointment in her life led her down a new path of opportunity she has embraced to help others.--To look outside, Lauren turns to her training in recognizing that space between the stimulus and subsequent emotional reaction, using rational thinking to process what she's seeing, thinking and feeling. (An arguably pivotal skill to train in devise times.) She also turns to her husband, who knows when to prompt to that kind of rational thinking. --Lauren Johnson is a mental performance coach and keynote speaker. She works with CEO's, professional athletes, and fortune 500 companies through national speaking engagements, educational training workshops and consulting. Prior to opening her own consulting practice, Lauren served as the Mental Conditioning Coordinator for the New York Yankees. She received her Masters Degree in Performance Psychology from National University. Lauren's practical, straight-forward advice and mental performance strategies helps individuals become elite decision makers because her belief is you become elite by choice, not by chance.Download Lauren's free motivation guide & learn more about her work at laurenjohnsonandco.comFollow Lauren on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn--Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore, consumer goods innovator and futurist at McDonald's. Find out more at looking-outside.com.Connect with Jo and join the

Marketing is often thought of as a creative field, in part because it leans into the art of negotiation to sell a product, but it must be done with rigor. In this episode, we explore that rigorous side of marketing, and the research that should shape its decisions, with Marketing Science research professor and Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Byron Sharp.Naturally curious and a lover of history, Byron sprinkles nuggets of real world truths, as he explains how marketing research is not geeky mathematics or engineering, but the observation of real people and their reaction to what they desire or require.Marketing science is at its core punk, or anti-establishment, and because of this Byron challenges any purist academic to ‘get out of the lab' and the marketing bubble, and into the real world. There you must put aside your assumptions about what works based on isolated cases, or personal passions, and any snobbery you may hold about unglamourous categories, and seek out the patterns that form evidence. “Look and you will see,” Byron says, because most people don't bother to really look.Through evidence, and a methodical approach to separating what works and what doesn't, guardrails for marketing become evident; guardrails, Byron says, that allow you the freedom to be more creative within a framework of success. Jo and Byron also discuss how making people things they want to buy, and making profit from this – in essence, the marketing economy - is not a shameful thing. And while we all want the world to be a better place, marketers must make decisions based on the logic of human behavior, and treat their brand's budgets with measured discipline. --To look outside, Byron places himself literally in a different environment. Particularly if he is doing work that requires sustained deep thinking, lifting his head from the computer or walking out of the office and seeing something exciting and new can make it easier to think more creatively. This can be working out of a different location, going into a foreign supermarket or catching public transport ... the key is to leave your everyday environment and be open to surprise.--Byron Sharp is a Professor of Marketing Science and Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute – the world's largest centre for research into marketing. Byron calls himself an old-fashioned scientist (known for research that seeks to discover and describe law-like patterns) who studies a 'new' area – marketing (buying behaviour and brand competition).His first book How Brands Grow: what marketers don't know has been called one of the most influential marketing books of the past decade (Warc, 2015) and was voted marketing book of the year by AdAge readers. In 2015 he published the follow-up How Brands Grow Part 2 with Professor Jenni Romaniuk. He has also written a textbook Marketing: Theory, Evidence, Practice which reflects modern knowledge about marketing and evidence-based thinking. The revised 2nd

Does conflict and incompatible perspectives always have to be a negative? In this episode of Looking Outside we speak with Raj B. Shroff, Founder & Principal at PINE, a strategy and design agency to hear how he and his company leverages conflict to get to a better outcome.Raj shares how his workplace thrives on openness, when ideas are great or when things aren't working, and how he creates the space for everyone part of the company to feel comfortable with that. It's empathetic to be honest, Raj says, because head nodding doesn't get the best out of people nor the work.As the leader of his organization, Raj tries to lead by example, often admitting when he doesn't have an answer or asking for clarity. Just as importantly, he intentionally pays attention to his body language making sure it's neutral or positive, being mindful of never showing negative.Jo and Raj discuss how conflict exists for a reason because something in the context isn't right, and though it sometimes feels like it, it isn't personal.--To look outside, Raj lives by the principle of letting new experience in and allowing them to shape new world views. He does this through exposure to things outside his norm, particularly while traveling. It's not something he goes and does but rather is something he lives by.--Raj B. Shroff founded PINE in 2017. The core philosophy of PINE is the power of integrated left and right brain thinking. Prior to founding Pine, Raj was VP of Brand, Strategy & Design at a global experience design firm. During his tenure there he led many turnkey research, strategy and omnichannel design initiatives. He loves technology and consults clients on topics such as blockchain, crypto, XR (AR/VR) and other more far out concepts. He has run many large-scale initiatives, having served in account leadership roles at Fitch (WPP), in the areas of Research, Retail, Brand and Product Design and at Resource (now IBM iX), in Digital Experience & Marketing.Clients he has served include Intel, P&G, Mars Wrigley and Unilever. Raj is an industry speaker on topics such as the future of retail, branding, digital engagement and consumer behavior.He is Adjunct Faculty at CCAD (Columbus College of Art and Design) teaching the business of design. He is a mentor to students at the Ohio State Fisher College of Business, where he earned his MBA. He loves spending his free time with his wife and two sons. He is an avid trail runner (ran his first 50-miler in April 2022), mountain biker, adventure traveler and recently picked up acoustic guitar. Find out more about PINE: pinesd.comConnect with Raj on LinkedIn.--Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore, consumer goods innovator and futurist at McDonald's. Find out more at looking-outside.com.Connect with Jo and join the Looking Outside community on LinkedIn.--All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2023.OBOY and

We kick off Season 4 bravely with the visionary Amy Webb, Quantitative Futurist, CEO of the Future Today Institute, professor at NYU and author. In this episode, as in Amy's book The Genesis Machine, we discuss the paths towards synthetic futures and the methods in creating more credible focus on the long term future.Amy speaks to her journey coming into the "esoteric" field of futures, from a fact-based background in economics and journalism. Fortuitously, she meandered on the rocky path to foresight, from a pragmatic background that fuels her drive to make foresight more impactful.Passionate about the need for foresight, now more than ever before, Amy describes the fourth era of foresight we are in, the actioning era as she calls it, driven by technology. This comes after three eras of extrapolation and imagining, calculation and war gaming and most recently (or currently, for many futurists), design fiction and crafting future alternatives. The mission to move foresight from government to corporations effectively is one Amy feels is leveraging ineffective tools; ones that don't lean enough on data and mathematical modeling. This has led to a dilution of foresight's impact and deluded futurists.Jo and Amy discuss ways to create changed mindsets and commitment to action in businesses, moving beyond inspiring to problem solving. It's a contentious topic in the field of foresight, which is still largely government-integrated and academic, to move past creative extrapolation through scenarios, to mathematically driven models of the future. (A perspective Amy has copped some flack for.)Amy then takes us into the future, and the topic of the latest book she co-authored with Andrew Hessel, The Genesis Machine, explaining how over 13 years of researching AI she noticed something profound happening in the synthetic biology space. General purpose technologies have the potential to fundamentally alter society and impact the economy, like electricity and the internet have, and while Amy concedes scaling it is a ‘ways off', we should be paying attention, and planning for synthetic biology to act as the next generative purpose technology – transforming medicine, the environment and our food systems.--To look outside, Amy goes outside where cycling helps clear her busy mind. A familiar face on the conference circuit, Amy also makes a point to attend and learn from conferences and events that have nothing to do with her role or field of expertise. This broadening of perspective brings both a chance to learn and to gather surprising new topics to research.--Founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute (FTI), Amy Webb pioneered a data-driven foresight methodology that is now used within hundreds of organizations worldwide. She built FTI into one of America's fastest-growing companies –– FTI has been ranked on the Inc 5000 list for two consecutive years. Amy helps CXOs of the world's-admired companies achieve long-term growth, and she shows businesses how to spot disruption early enough to create new revenue or to mitigate risk. Amy also advises the leadership of government, military and central banks on risk and opportunity.Amy Webb was named by Forbes as one of the five women changing the world, listed as the BBC's 100 Women of 2020, and in 2021 was ranked on the Thinkers50 list of the 50 most influential management thinkers globally. Her latest book, The Genesis Machine, explores the futures of synthetic biology.Learn more about Amy: https://amywebb.io Check out the foresight tools...

The final episode of Season 3 takes us to the precipice of change, looking at the topic of Fear. We discuss this with Mark Minukas, co-author of Unfear, a book on the very topic. As someone who had to face into fear a few times, transitioning from a career as a civil engineer in the US Navy, to navigating the corporate world of management consulting, Mark shares how the discomfort of this change gave him perspective and forced him to see himself in ways he was previously blind to.Mark explains the inaccuracy of the concept that to be strong and trusted, particularly if in a position of leadership, you are ineffective if you show vulnerability. Instead that trust comes from comes from competence and equally from honesty. It's a false dichotomy that trust is built from an all or nothing approach. Vulnerably, Mark shares how he has dealt with perceptions of male ‘strength', and placing too much value being motivated by others' perception of him, to intervene in the stories he was being told and was telling himself. Through intervention, and self-reflection, Mark illustrates how we can use fear and fear-driven reactions to our benefit, to better understand what we're trying to ‘react' to and what threatens our self-identity. The game is to be curious, Mark says, and use fear as a cue for learning more about yourself.--To look outside Mark turns to books that activate his mind in different ways. While he reads business books, it's fiction he has rediscovered a love for, and uses for deeper human insight. As Albert Camus famously said, 'Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.'Mark also leverages meditation to create distance to the busy-ness of a cluttered mind ... though he resisted it for a while thinking it was silly, and certainly against type.--Mark Minukas has been helping organizations transform their business performance for over 15 years. His work has taken him around the world exploring all kinds of industries – manufacturing, technology, travel and logistics, government, and financial services. Through this he discovered that human beings are the core of any organization. How people show up, communicate, problem solve, and lead determines how large the gap is between strategy and execution.He now advises, consults, and coaches senior leaders and their teams on how they can design effective improvement programs and harness the talent and creativity of their people to achieve significantly better business results.Mark began exploring the topics of leadership and operational improvement when he was an officer in the US Navy. An engineer by training, he studied how humans and organizations affected the reliability and safety of engineered systems. Following this, Mark ventured to McKinsey and Company as member of the Operations Practice. There he actively learnt about the technical aspect of organizational transformation and process improvement (lean management based on the Toyota Production System), but also the softer or cultural side of transformation. Today, Mark is Managing Partner at Co-Creation Partners, supporting clients with multi-year lean and agile transformation programs and activating operational excellence.Mark is also co-author of the book Unfear: Transform your organization to create breakthrough performance and employee well-being, alongside Co-Creation Partners' Founder, Guarav Bhatnagar, and is a trained executive coach through Newfield Network.--Connect...

In episode 29 we peek back in time and look at the future that comes from the past, exploring the field of Archives with Senior Manager of the McDonald's Golden Archives, Archivist Mike Bullington.As an information gathering profession, often thought to be buried in old relics and secret data, Mike shares how he turns the knowledge into action, amplified by people throughout the organization, by making people care about the past. Mike shares the process of deciding when something is valuable enough to keep - how to see its intrinsic value - and why he relies on collecting stories told first hand by their creators. Importantly, Mike speaks to why we must keep those items that are shameful parts of our past, as they speak to the truth of the context of time in which they existed, and retell stories as they were remembered.Jo and Mike reflect on the difference between digital items versus those that are physically tangible, how things like letters and books are remembered differently even if they hold the same information. And how, no matter what the format, what's most important is that the artefacts of the past are illuminated through storytelling, that they are fact checked for accuracy, and of course that the stories of the past are not lost, especially by those voices previously muted.--To look outside, Mike speak to younger people who are coming into the field and have knowledge of new information-keeping tools. Being around young people also keeps Mike full of fresh ideas, as his mum liked to say. He also accesses a broad array of sources, from literature and the archives community, to stay abreast of the latest practices, and exchange tools and resources. --Michael Bullington is a certified archivist and the senior manager for McDonald's Golden Archives. He is responsible for ensuring that the legacy of the McDonald's brand is preserved in support of the business. Prior to joining McDonald's, Mike served as an archivist for Kraft Foods Inc. and Rush Medical Center. He previously served as President of the Academy of Certified Archivists, Chair of the Illinois State Archives Advisory Board and the Illinois State Records Advisory Board. Mike is a Member of the Academy of Certified Archivists, the Society of American Archivists, the Midwest Archive Conference and the Chicago Area Archivists. Mike holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in history from Illinois State University. In 2012, the Illinois State University Department of History recognized him as a Distinguished Alumnus. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @AramundMike --Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore, consumer goods innovator and futurist at McDonald's. Find out more at looking-outside.com.Connect with Jo and join the Looking Outside community on LinkedIn.--All views are that of the host and guests and don't necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2023.OBOY and JCar music features in Episode...

We start a new year with a new way of Thinking, approaching the topic of careful consideration, extrapolation and explanation in a critical way. Joining us is self-proclaimed overthinker, award winning writer, leading cultural commentator and Foresight & Strategy Lead at Reddit, Matt Klein.As can be seen by his intro, Matt takes on a lot and he takes in a lot. He starts by sharing how he loads information and how he avoids overloading - a process where he binge eats information and then let's it "simmer" at its own pace during a silent walk outside. When he returns to it, it forms a constellation of connection points and inspiration sparks.Both in foresight, Jo and Matt discuss the challenge of translating complex trends and ideas into something easily understood and actionable to others, without over-simplification. Matt does this by using tangible, real examples, particularly in showing how black and white (and grey) can co-exist in culture.Matt also speaks to the importance of recalibrating your reality by listening to something that makes you uncomfortable. From hearing that other perspective, he attempts to form an understanding so he doesn't shut out or attack those ideas he ardently disagrees with, because whether or not he agrees with them, "that person exists".Matt recognizes that this process of thinking critically can be hard work and often demotivating, particularly when you have to catch yourself from feeling like you've got it all figured out. But that our job should be not just pointing to what's interesting but to what's true. --To look outside, Matt takes in a lot of varied sources, whether it's publications, subreddits, or twitter accounts. He also carefully inspects an everyday interaction, as a method of cultural immersion. An example is being mindful when you're shopping by observing what's on the shelf, what people buy, what your local store is doing that's unique. Then reflecting on what says about that organization, about a collective society, about people. Matt does this intentionally as an exercise in being open, mindful and paying attention.--Matt Klein leads the foresight practice at Reddit where he studies culture and helps brands across all verticals identify emerging social shifts and author future-proofing business strategies.As a quantitative futurist with a decade of experience in trend forecasting, marketing and innovation, Matt has consulted with the United Nations and Fortune 100 businesses, to venture capital investors, TV producers, and startups on what comes next.With a background in CyberPsychology and Memetics, Matt's POV is rooted in the psycho- and sociological implication of emerging tech.An award-winning writer and leading voice in cultural theory, Matt's a frequent commentator for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Atlantic, DAZED, VICE and Rolling Stone.Quoted by the likes of Arianna Huffington and Richard Branson, and subscribed to by thousands globally, Matt's own publication ZINE offers executives and students alike explanations into overlooked cultural trends.Matt is also the Founder and now Advisor of PRSNL Branding, an education platform helping systemically disadvantaged professionals strengthen their online presence and advance their careers.Always looking to give back to the field he loves, Matt is a university lecturer (NYU, Queens College, University of Oregon), keynote speaker (SXSW, CAA, Sweathead), industry judge (The Webby Awards), advisor and mentor.When not analyzing culture, Matt's collecting hobbies including cycling, drumming and wine studies, and volunteering with Big Brothers of...

We end 2022 on a pragmatic but aspirational note, reflecting on the ability to make positive change without needing to disregard nor fully transform the current dominant system. We discuss Good business that can also be Profitable, with Do Good Foods Co-CEO and Co-founder, Justin Kamine.As an ambitioned leader of a company progressing the agriculture industry forward on climate action, Justin proposes the concept of a business that is more sustainable, more equitable for food producers, and still profitable.Jo and Justin reflect on how there is a disconnect between people and the food they eat, desensitization of the hardship of farmers, and illogical expectations of what we can buy - a disconnect that demands a change in how we should think about food systems. Fueled by environmental pragmatism, Justin addresses how he tackles criticism from “environmental elitists” through open and honest conversation about the need to find multitudes of varied solutions, and no one magical solve.Entrepreneurship and innovation runs in Justin's family and he speaks to how this mindset allows him to approach any field that's facing a problem and look for a “third door” that can lead to both scalable, but profitable, change.--To look outside, Justin has regular conversations with people outside his industry to gain inspiration, take lessons and find creative approaches to existing problems. He has found combining entrepreneurial mindsets, led by perseverance, deep understanding and creative ideas, can create a multitude of new business opportunities. --Justin Kamine is a planet-forward entrepreneur who co-founded Do Good Foods with his brother Matthew to combat climate change by fighting food waste. The Kamine brothers' company builds on the family's 40-year heritage of solving macro environmental problems through building large infrastructure solutions.Do Good Foods is yet another example of how Justin combines his passion for the planet with good business sense to build sustainable, scalable systems that can drive meaningful change. His track record has earned him the Forbes 30U30 award for Food, ranked him as one of the 50 Most Impactful Entrepreneurs in the U.S. and earned him the Clean Tech Equity Award presented by the Prince of Monaco.Justin graduated Lafayette College in 2011, with a major in Environmental Public Policy and Economics.Justin believes profoundly that we need massive change across society and to prioritize protecting our planet and its resources. Most of all, he believes that working together we can and should all Do Good. --Curious for more?Follow Justin on LinkedIn.Learn about Do Good Foods dogoodfoods.com and Do Good Chicken dogoodchicken.comRead about KDC (Kamine Development Corp) Agribusiness: www.kdc.earthFollow KDC Agribusiness on Twitter--Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore, consumer goods innovator and futurist at McDonald's. Find out more at looking-outside.com.Connect with Jo and join the Looking...