Lux and Friends

I am Carlo Pignataro and this is a new episode of Lux & Friends. Today we delve into the fascinating and rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence with a true thought leader in the field, Calum Chace.Calum is a renowned author, speaker, and commentator who has dedicated his ninth career to exploring the profound implications of AI on our lives, society, and future. He's penned several insightful books, including "Surviving AI," "The Economic Singularity," and the science fiction novels "Pandora's Brain" and "Pandora's Oracle." He's also a regular contributor to Forbes and co-founded the Economic Singularity Club, a think tank focused on the future of jobs.Calum's work grapples with some of the biggest questions of our time: How will AI impact the economy and the job market? What are the ethical considerations surrounding superintelligence? And how can we navigate the challenges and opportunities that AI presents?Join us as we pick Calum's brain on these topics and more. We'll discuss his unique perspective on the Economic Singularity, the potential benefits and risks of advanced AI, and his vision for the future in the age of intelligent machines.Buckle up, listeners, because this is going to be a thought-provoking ride! Let's welcome Calum Chace to Lux & Friends.

Our guest today is Lory Kehoe, a trailblazer in the world of blockchain, crypto, and web3. Lory is the founder and chair of Blockchain Ireland, an organization dedicated to fostering blockchain technologies and innovation in Ireland. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Lory has played a key role in building a thriving ecosystem, showcasing Irish companies, attracting investment, and helping shape the future of blockchain in the country.In addition, Lory serves as the Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International at M2, where he leads efforts to develop groundbreaking financial solutions, including the UAE's first fully regulated, dollar-backed stablecoin, USX. His leadership at M2 is paving the way for a new era of secure and transparent digital commerce across the globe.Lory is also an adjunct assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin, where he educates MBA and MSc students on the latest trends in blockchain, fintech, AI, and digital transformation. His passion for teaching has earned him numerous accolades, and he continues to shape the next generation of innovators.In today's episode, we'll dive into Lory's deep expertise in blockchain, explore the future of digital currencies, and discuss the broader implications of cryptocurrency for global finance. We'll also touch on how blockchain technology is transforming industries and what makes Bitcoin stand out among the thousands of digital currencies. It's a fascinating conversation packed with insights, so stay tuned!

Welcome to a special live episode of Lux & Friends recorded at the latest edition of Vicenza Oro, one of the world's most prestigious jewelry fairs. Today, I have the distinct pleasure of speaking with Paola De Luca, a visionary and multifaceted figure in the world of luxury and jewelry design. Paola's career is nothing short of extraordinary, spanning over three decades and marked by her ability to predict and shape trends that have influenced the global jewelry industry.Growing up in the culturally rich city of Rome and later moving to New York, Paola worked alongside iconic figures like Carla Fendi, experiences that shaped her unique approach to design and trend forecasting. In 2002, she co-founded TJF Group, a pioneering company in jewelry trend forecasting, where I had the privilege of being part of an incredible journey. Today, Paola leads The Futurist Ltd, a strategic advisory firm that continues to push boundaries in the luxury and design sectors.Paola is also the creative force behind Trendvision Jewellery + Forecasting and the Jewellery Trendbook, which have become essential guides for the industry. Her work extends beyond forecasting; she curates exclusive events, like the Wonderland event here at Vicenza Oro, which help shape the future of the jewelry world.In today's conversation, we'll explore Paola's early inspirations in Rome, her move to New York, and her work with legendary brands like Fendi. We'll also delve into her insights on sustainability, the future of luxury, and the evolving trends that will shape tomorrow's jewelry industry. On a personal note, Paola is not only a dear friend but also a constant source of inspiration for me, both professionally and personally. I'm excited to share her remarkable journey with you today.

This episode 56 Lux & Friends. Speaking of Lux, today's episode delves into the ultimate luxury—one that transcends wealth, age, culture, personality, and dreams: the luxury of lasting health, specifically coronary health. We are honored to have Dr. Shady Habboush with us today. Dr. Habboush is a German-certified interventional cardiology consultant and heart rhythm specialist. Born and raised in Dubai, he returned to the UAE after 15 years of dedicated service in German hospitals. Dr. Habboush is committed to advancing cardiovascular health in his home country and holds one of the first certifications in AI medical heart solutions from the Gulf Interventional Society in collaboration with the American Cardiac Society. His work, published in international journals, reflects his ongoing efforts to improve patient care and outcomes. With Dr. Habboush, I aim to understand how technology, science, medicine, and a bit of wisdom can help us live meaningful lives while taking care of our hearts—an organ that is not just the subject of beautiful metaphors but the physical engine that keeps us going.

Today, we have an extraordinary guest whose journey through the luxury and retail industry is nothing short of inspirational. Shireen El Khatib, a name synonymous with pioneering luxury retail in the Middle East, joins us. From managing the first Bulgari store in Dubai in 1993 to leading the charge at Al Tayer Insignia and Majid Al Futtaim Shopping Malls, Shireen has been a key architect in transforming Dubai into a global luxury destination.With over 30 years of experience, she has not only modernized retail in the region but also shattered glass ceilings in a male-dominated industry. Her story is one of vision, resilience, and unparalleled leadership. In this episode, we delve into the evolution of luxury retail in the Middle East, the challenges of leading in a male-dominated culture, and her visionary approach to leadership. We'll also explore her personal journey, values, and what the future holds for this trailblazer.So, whether you're passionate about luxury retail, leadership, or simply love a great success story, stay tuned. You won't want to miss a moment of this insightful conversation with Shireen El Khatib..

In the new episode of Lux & Friends (#54), I had the pleasure of interviewing Andrea Fornari, General Manager GCC and Export of Essilor Luxottica, the undisputed leader of the global optical sector. I have always been fascinated by this industry, which encompasses lifestyle, health, and technology. For someone like me, equally passionate about luxury and innovation, this was a great opportunity to learn more about the company that, due to its size, dominant market position in both frames and lenses, and innovative prowess in changing the sector, impacts the lives of billions of people worldwide. With Andrea, we discussed:The size of the global optical market and its potential The increasing importance of the GCC market spearheaded by Dubai and Saudi Arabia The latest technological innovations to improve people's lives, new markets and frontiers The challenges of operating at high levels from Dubai How a giant company can lead the innovation game.....and much more. As always, I made an effort to get to know the person behind the professional facade, and in this case, I found a young, passionate leader with a thirst for knowledge.

I am Carlo Pignataro, and this is a new episode of Lux and Friends. Luxury, as an industry, has many faces. When thinking of luxury, some people portray in their mind fashion, others jewelry. For some, it's all about exclusive experiences; others are into art, or the finest wines and spirits. Many products, services, and categories belong to luxury, and yet only a few professionals have managed to navigate this vast and fascinating territory in its various dimensions. My guest today did just that. Previously at the helm of the high-end jewelry division of legendary brands like Cartier and Dior, Eliott Collin, a man of superb taste and vast experience, has shared with me in this interview a behind-the-scenes worth listening to. And he's brought me to one of the most secret, inaccessible, and exclusive luxury frontiers: private equity.

I couldn't be happier to kick off a new season, this time live from Dubai, of Lux & Friends podcast, with an exceptional guest whose story is nothing short of a fairytale in the Luxury Industry. Like all fairytales, Amedeo Scognamiglio's life and journey are filled with surprises, miracles, unexpected twists, extreme joy, and profound sadness. Amedeo and his childhood friend, partner, and later business partner Roberto Faraone Mennella left Italy in the late 90's to pursue their dream of living together in NY and creating something remarkable. Amedeo began expanding his family's 150-year-old Cameos business in the US, while Roberto opted to study at the prestigious Parsons School of Design. After Roberto graduated, he faced a crucial decision: either join a company with years of apprenticeship ahead before having creative freedom or establish their own venture with Amedeo. They chose the latter, and soon after, the fine jewelry brand Faraone Mennella was born. Despite the grand dream, they had only $10,000, just enough to craft their first "mesmerizing" (to say it with those who saw it)  collection. "What could possibly go wrong?" they wondered. The jewelry was breathtaking, the plan was set (to be featured at Bergdorf Goodman), and they were driven to succeed. However, the 9/11 struck, shattering their hopes along with the towers. Yet, one fateful night, Amedeo received a call that achanged their lives forever. Sarah Jessica Parker, the star of Sex and the City, requested a Cameo for the show. The rest is history. Within months, Faraone Mennella emerged as the most sought-after designer jewelry brand in the US. The media couldn't get enough of them, and the roster of celebrities and UHNWI adorned in their jewels is too lengthy to enumerate. An American dream was realized. "The Italian boys" succeeded in NY, but tragedy loomed ahead. Roberto passed away in 2020, yet his dream lives on, carried forward by Amedeo in his memory. Grab yourself a cup of coffee or tea, settle in comfortably, and tune in to this episode of the podcast. It will evoke laughter, tears, dreams, and renewed hope.

The focus of this episode of Lux and Friends is Permanent Reinvention, the one thing we (individuals and organizations)all need. That we all somehow do, and that we all fear.In nature, change is inevitable. Organisms either change or die.And yet, the human brain is resistant to change despite all evidence would suggest it is vital to one's survival.My guest of today is Aidan McCullen, author of the best-selling book Undistruptable, A Mindset of Permanent Reinvention for Individuals, Organisations and Life.Aidan's career is a manifesto for change and reinvention.A former professional rugby player the Irish National team, he is the host of the Innovation Show, a world class podcast featuring some of the world's leading thought leaders, and a corporate consultant and change maker/ Aidan McCullen's speciality is to help people and organization see the blind spots that prevent their growth, and their transformation.Aidan says “you cannot innovate unless you develop a mindset of permanent reinvention. A mindset that fosters psychological safety, that celebrates mistakes and looks at change as the most natural, inevitable thing in life”. This episode is dense with wisdom, best practices, and methodologies that will help you transform yourself and your business to meet the challenges of an increasingly VUCA world.You will enjoy listening to this interview with Aidan McCullen because he's a superb storyteller and stories, as you certainly know, speak to the brain and the heart of people.Enjoy!

The title of this episode is Art and Business, Music and Luxury and to discuss such a variety of topics, I've had the pleasure of interviewing a true artist and a businessman, Vincent Corver.Vincent is an acclaimed concert pianist and music composer, as well as an ambassador for Steinway & Sons, the most prestigious manufacturer of the finest musical instrument, the piano.With Vincent, I have discussed the intersection between art and luxury, what creativity can do in business, and the present state of art of both the music and the luxury industries.Listening to this podcast, you'll get to know an inspiring musician, and a fine thinker. You'll learn that virtuosity, alone, whatever your field of specialization is, won't take you as far as you wish, for you have to gain a wider perspective.You'll also learn that creativity and business can and should go hand in hand, except you may need to reframe both concepts in order to fully grasp the idea.Enjoy this episode of Lux and Friends, and once you've finished listening to it, go check Vincent Corver's music. You'll love it!

This episode of the podcast is about Emotional Intelligence, a term popularized in the 90's by the psychologist Daniel Goleman and, ever since, the corporate world has embraced it. Or so they say.In fact, that type of intelligence that makes individuals and groups of people aware of their emotions, and the emotions of others, is as rare as desirable.In a time when efficiency, productivity and market domination have become the standard definition of success, we need to go beyond Emotional Intelligence, as per the current state of adoption.My guest today is Michele Nevarez, a corporate advisor to Fortune 500 companies and the author of the book Beyond Emotional Intelligence, A Guide to Accessing Your Full Potential.Michele's body of work is remarkable, and extremely comprehensive. From psychology to neuroscience, from biology to spirituality, it takes a 360 degrees approach to understand how emotions play into our lives. And once we understand them, we can finally set strategies to leverage emotions to become better human beings, and ultimately, better societies. 

Today's podcast is all about bringing humanity back to business!It is about putting customers back into the center of your business model Data alone can't help you understand and empathize with your customers.” says my guest Janelle Estes, co-author of the newly released book User Tested.“No amount of data will take you inside your customers'' heads, help you see the world through their eyes, or let you experience what it's really like to be your customer. Only human insight from real people can do that.”Listening to this episode, you'll learn tested methodologies to trigger that type of customer feedback that makes your new products, collections, or campaigns in line with their expectations and perhaps beyond them.You'll hear Janelle share success stories, and a few failures, and as you'll listen, you'll figure how your company can start today to finally hear your customers' voice.THE BOOKUser Tested gives both individual contributors and executives an approachable, pragmatic playbook for stepping beyond standard business metrics and infusing real human insight into every business decision, design, and experience.In this book, you'll:Learn how businesses became obsessed with data—but disconnected from their customers—and why that's not sustainableGet the basics about how to capture human insight through user testing, including how to find the right people, ask the right questions, and make sense of and act on all the insights you uncoverDive into a detailed playbook that shares real-world examples of how you can collect and scale human insight across the teams in your organization—from marketing to product, and beyondLearn how to evangelize the power of human insight throughout your organization, so every department can create a culture of customer empathy and share a firsthand understanding of customer needsFind out how companies like Microsoft, AAA Club Alliance, HelloFresh, and Notre Dame's IDEA Center solidly connect with and elicit meaningful feedback from customers in friendlier, faster, and more direct waysPerfect for any industry, User Tested: How the World's Top Companies Use Human Insight to Create Great Experiences was co-authored by the chief insights officer and the CEO of UserTesting—a SaaS company fundamentally changing the way both B2B and consumer brands find out what real people think and feel. The book reflects the authors' commitment to helping you position the customer squarely in the center of your business model by weaving their true voices throughout your company's decision making.

In today's episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Andrew Hallam, a financial expert and author of many books of which “The Millionnaire expat”is at the center of our conversation.Yet, you don't have to be an expat, nor a millionaire to benefit from listening to this podcast, from which you'll learn, as a starter, that some of the most reputable insurance companies in the world sell retirement plans that will leave you broke. Andrew will tell you who they are, and what you can do to avoid those traps.You'll also learn that in order to grow your capital over time, you won't need a complex and time-consuming investment plan.He spends on average 1 hour per year to balance his portfolio of low-cost index fund s and as a result he beat most actively managed funds, that come with astronomic fees.We also touched on the current status of the global markets, and Andrew's perspective is refreshing and somehow reassuring. There is a lot to learn and enjoy here…..Have a listenMILLIONAIRE EXPATBuild your strongest-ever portfolio from anywhere in the worldNow in its third edition, Millionaire Expat is the world's most trusted, bestselling guide for expat investors.  It shows readers how to protect themselves from financial sharks and build effective portfolios that maximize profits and tax efficiency. This updated guide includes model portfolios of ETFs or index funds.  It recommends subtle differences for investors based on nationality, while explaining why all-in-one portfolio funds are even simpler and more profitable than individual ETFs.  Millionaire Expat also provides investment models for socially responsible funds.Best of all, this book is specific.  Author Andrew Hallam doesn't just offer theory.  He shows you exactly what to buy and where to buy it from.  He explains how much you should sell each year, upon retirement, and discusses repatriation: showing how different countries deal with the taxation of portfolios that were built abroad. And if you're looking for a hands-free approach, Millionaire Expat offers something for you as well:  lists of roboadvisors and full-service financial firms that offer guidance and build portfolios of ETFs and index funds.But what if you started investing late and can't afford to retire? In that case, Andrew Hallam has you covered.  He profiles several low-cost countries that are popular with expats.  He explains what countries are great for Global Nomads and for retirees looking for tax breaks, safety, solid health care systems and a low-cost, enjoyable standard of living.Millionaire Expat (3rd edition) is an entertaining guide, showing readers how to maximize their money and their life satisfaction based on simple, smart investing and their choice of retirement destination.Author Andrew Hallam was a high school teacher who built a million-dollar portfolio―on a teacher's salary. He knows how everyday people can achieve success in the market. In Millionaire Expat, he tailors his best advice to the unique needs of those living overseas to give you the targeted, real-world guidance you need.SHOW LESS

Our journey in the world of NFTs continues and in today's podcast, I have the pleasure of interviewing Seoyoung Kim the Author of NFT for Dummies.Seoyoung Kim is an Associate Professor of Finance and Business Analytics at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business, where she teaches Financial Management, Financial Engineering, and FinTech.As the financial markets are plummeting all over the world, and the crypto and blockchain sectors make no exception, professor Kim's expertise in innovative financial instruments will help you gain some clarity.Listening to this episode of Lux and Friends you'll learn that to understand NFT you have to, first and foremost, understand cryptocurrencies and the mother of them all, Bitcoin.You will also gain a perspective to see beyond digital art. You'll learn that NFTs are contracts on top of a ledger. Public and sometimes decentralized. If these words sound too technical and perhaps boring beware….for they are revolutionary.

The title of this podcast is Neuroscience at Work, and I had the immense pleasure of interviewing, for the second time, Dr. Helena Boschi, an organisational psychologist, a neuroscience expert and the author of the unmissable book Why we do what we do.This conversation with Dr. Boschi is a fascinating journey into our brain. Listening to it, you will understand what attracts people to luxury and what drives buying decisions at large.You will learn how your brain copes with the information overflow we all experience today, and how sleep contributes to your wellbeing and the wellbeing of your brain.You'll discover why human beings hate being wrong, and what are the consequences in real life.If you work in a company that has introduced personality tests in their hiring process, you will discover how they may affect the environment and the company culture.This, and much more, awaits you in the minutes that follow.Enjoy!

Today's podcast is about innovation, the innovation that can and should come from within a corporation.Yes, Contrary to popular beliefs, large corporations are better off than startups at winning the innovation game, or so says my guest, Andrew Binns.Andrew is the co-author of the best-selling book, The corporate explorer, and a strategic advisor to Fortune 500 companies.Listening to this interview, you will learn there is a breed of managers, that are the corporate explorers, who have the vision and the courage to challenge the status quo, and bring the disruptive change large corporations need to keep striving, and sometimes surviving.They are as innovative and effective as the startup entrepreneurs the press love to portray as the queens and kings of innovation, and they are also different.Corporate explorers must disrupts business models, while harmonizing ideas and resources.They must pursue new opportunities, while making sure the existing business, and the people running it, don't feel threatened.It's not an easy job, but someone must do it, and that person may be you.

The topic of today's podcast is NFTs, non fungible tokens.Whether you think they are just a jpeg file people exchange for millions of dollars, or the next generation of contracts, whether you think they are the ultimate cultural phenomenon, a great investment or just a scam, you can't ignore NFTs anymore, for they are changing the very idea of digital property.To set the record straight and help you, dear listener, understand NFTs well, I've interviewed QuHarrison Terry, a formed digital art dealer, an entrepreneur, television host and advisor to billionaire and crypto enthusiast Mark Cuban. QuHarrison is also the co-author of the book The NFT Handbook and if you listen carefully to the conversation that follows you'll know more about NFTs than pretty much everyone you know.We'll address uses cases, the underlying technology, but also the traps to avoid, and the cultural elements of NFTs.

The title of today's podcast is Rethinking Luxury Fashion.I had the pleasure of sitting with Thomaï Serdari, the director of the Fashion & Luxury Mba at the Leonard Stern School Of Business, at the New York university and the conversation that follows will open your eyes.You'll learn that luxury is a universal certainty, that fashion is a cultural phenomenon before it is an industrial, or simply an aesthetical one.You will see through the strategies the most successful luxury brands in the world deploy to win their loyal fans, and you'll get the tools to rewrite future of luxury fashion.

Our guest, Kelly Khan, is a professional soprano singer. She takes us through her daily singing exercises. Breathing & diction are core and benefit non singers.Why is improving one's voice valuable to all of us?Why are singing techniques useful for non singers?How to exercise and train our voice every day?Why can't we hear our own real voice?Why can't we trust our own ears?What do we need to know about our vocal chords?In this episode of Lux & Friends, Kelly explains to us how training our voice is not only fundamental for singers but also for non singers. Improving one's voice not only helps build our self-confidence but also strengthens our breathing and our posture. Singing is Kelly's passion; as a child she was singing in a church choir before deciding to make it her profession and go through the academic studies. She spends 3 hours a day singing but also exercising diction in a variety of languages, French, Italian, Russian. French remains her favourite and most challenging language as it allows her to best 'gather' her voice. She sings for us an extract of Debussy and also shows us how to deeply breathe, warm up and cool down our voice. Daily exercises include humming, ice chewing and lip trails. She still practices the techniques taught by Nino Tagliareni 'Cantar Parlando' or 'Singing when Talking'. Our voice is our most powerful tool to communicate our message clearly. Let's use it. Let's exercise!

WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO WIN THE BATTLE OF CONTENT?You want to know the answers to key questions:Who will win the fierce battle of content? Which brands will be the kinds of content? What is too much content kills content? What can be defined as innovative content?Our guest, Julien Lévy, was head of global brand & digital communication at Firmenich. Now a brand strategic advisor, he gives us his tips to win the content battle.In this episode of Lux & Friends, Julien gives us 4 key tips: 1. Be more interesting than interested, the audience should learn something 2. Be authentic, he says 'there is nothing more beautiful than reality'. Brands have to tell us a story while showing their humanity, even their own imperfection.3. Talk about values, don't oversell. 4. Surprise and yet be consistent with the brand DNA. The ‘Naturals Together' campaign he designed, art directed and produced for Firmenich, took perfumers all around the world to the field to meet the farmers growing ingredients, with no acting, just being 'natural'. He picks 2 brands, AirBnN and Red bull for brand communication quality. Constant change and AI is the rule of the game and pushes for better creative content. He has 3 heroes; Homère, the first storyteller tackling the challenge of being a human; Steve Jobs, for having understood the idea of the higher purpose and his wife, both a nurse and mother. In conclusion, he is quite optimistic about the future. Great content is ahead of us.

Stop worrying about money. Financial Literacy with Michael GilmoreIn this episode of Lux  and Friends, Michael Gilmore tells us why he has embarked on such an ambitious mission, teaching the world the power of money. He wants to improve life for humanity at large by removing poverty and giving financial freedom to people. To achieve his goal, he writes books and gives lectures. His financial literacy teaching method is simple, his 'freedom formula' or '7 dollar millionaire' principle is easily accessible for a teenager. He relentlessly focuses on the process, on explaining how to take the right financial decisions in terms of savings and investments. It works! He is happiest when chasing new learnings and he shares with us his happy mission's new initiative, MAIA or a very special kind of 'Money Awards'. Spread the good word!  You will learn:What is Michael Gilmore 's financial freedom formula?Does a 'google search' alternative for 'finances' exist?  How can I reach financial literacy and freedom?Does the formula work in the current VUCA times?What does the title '7 dollar millionaire' stand for?How can I make the right investment decisions?Why is learning the power of money a life essential?

The subject of today's podcast is the importance of building strong and meaningful relationships at work and in life.Easier said than done, you may say, for human beings are complex machines and all wired differently.There is always a Problem A and a Problem B in every relationship, says my guest of today Paul Cowan, the author of the book “ “Connecting with Clients: For stronger, more rewarding and longer-lasting client relationships”Problem A is the task at hand, the very issue or subject which needs to be addressed with a particular client whereas Problem B is the relationship or even better, the client's experience of the relationship.To focus entirely on problem A, on the delivery of a product or a service,on the output neglecting to invest time and resources in the relationship so as to enhance the customer experience of the delivery, is a mistake.And relationship is such a dynamic concept which first and foremost requires commitment and an understanding of what makes human beings connect and trust each other.Paul Cowan is a psychotherapist,  and also a successful entrepreneur in the fields of marketing and advertising. He runs CRS Customer Relationship Consultancy, a global firm which helps businesses strengthen the relationships with their clientele, and in the incredibly informative and inspiring interview that follows you will learn strategies that will help you grow your business, and also principles like the Ego State, the Jahary window, like Already Listening that will make you think about the way you and other people make decisions and communicate.And then you'll be inspired to nurture and grow your relationships with your clients, stakeholders, and the people around you.

The title of today's podcast is GO LIVE AND SELL.The sales education arena is a crowded one, and inevitably so because…..think about it although many companies and individuals don't really like to use the word sales to describe what they do, most of the time nothing really happens in business until a sale is made.And so, the world is getting increasingly populated by people who write, talk, teach and preach about sales.Some of them are extremely good, others are neglectable, and only a few are great, and managed to change with their work the way we all sell.Today, I have the great pleasure to interview one of the greats, the King of Sales, the author of over 17 books, including the all time classic The Sales Bible, Jeffrey Gitomer,  a household name in the industry who keeps innovating and inspiring millions of business people across the globe.Jeffrey joins me today to discuss his newly released book titled “GO LIVE, turn virtual connections in paying customers” and without further ado I welcome him to the show for you to learn how to leverage technology to grow your business

The subject of today's podcast is Digital Transformation, one of the hottest, if not the hottest topics in today's corporate world and to address it,and understand the various conceptual and practical implications of Digital Transformation,  I've chosen to speak with the co-author of a very detailed and well structured book titled “ The Digital Transformer's Dilemma. How to energize your core business, while building disruptive products and services.”With my guest Markus Schmidt, I will try to understand how companies can plan and execute strategies to reinforce their core business in the digital age, what Markus calls the S Curve one, and contextually give life to brand new products, services, and perhaps business models, what Markus refers to as the S Curve two, to ensure survival and relevance of their business in the future.We'll talk about technology, philosophy, leadership, people and communication, in a conversation which aims at giving you the information you need to transform your business digitally, while leveraging its precious legacy.

The topic of today's podcast is Business Transformation, a trip into the future with one of the world's leading futurists, Peter Fisk.Corporate leaders, says Peter, spend way too much time thinking about the past, looking at past performance, trying to replicate what made their company successful forgetting that the future is complex, unpredictable, fast coming, and there to be created.What if they'd choose to spend their time imagining, inventing their future instead?In this interview, Peter and I will discuss the content of his latest book titled Business Recoded: Have the Courage to Create a Better Future for Yourself and Your Business, which is a comprehensive guide to business transformation full of data, case histories, and an array of 7 shifts, and 49 codes you can use to transform your business and make it relevant for years to come.From embracing megatrends, like an Aging world, Booming asia, Cognitive technologies, Dense living, and Eco-renewal, to understanding the strategic role network businesses do play in today's economy, this interview will provide you with knowledge and inspiration.You will hear stories of courageous leaders who disrupted entire industries, and by getting to know their journey, you will discover not only the strategies which made them succeed, but also the traits of their leadership…..and because the world has changed, and is still changing so fast, so does leadership.My guest Peter Fisk is also the author of many more best sell”ing books such as: “Gamechangers” Marketing Genius“ “People Planet Profit”, ”Customer Genius“,  “Business “Genius “Creative Genius”.He is an expert consultant to Fortune 500 Companies in four continents, and a speaker with the rare ability to make his audience see a future full of opportunities, which may not necessarily resemble their past.

The topic of today's podcast is HOW TO SELL A BUSINESS, AND GET THE MOST OUT OF IT so, if you're a business owner, an entrepreneur, or if you're planning to start a business sooner than later, you don't want to miss the precious advise my guest John Warrillow, the author of the newly released book which we will discuss today, titled The Art of Selling Your Business will share in this comprehensive interview.But if you're an employee, and entrepreneurship is not in your agenda, you may find value in this episode too.You see, businesses are creatures, and as such they evolve constantly, they go through ups and downs, and they change hands.Understanding the various life cycles of a business, including the ones that may lead to a change of ownership, can help you gain a wider understanding of your industry, of the economy as a whole, and plan your future accordingly.My guest  John Warrillow is the founder of The Value Builder System, a software tool for building the value of a company used by thousands of businesses worldwide. John is also the author of the best-selling books Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You which was recognized by both Fortune and Inc. as one of the best business books of 2011 and of The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry. John is the  host of Built to Sell Radio, ranked by Forbes as one of the world's 10 best podcasts for business owners and a speaker whose engaging style and the array of case histories will entertain you, inform you, and make you think……. 

The topic of today's podcast is Virtual Sales Meetings, as if our lives were not filled enough with virtual events…..and yet there is much to gain from leveraging the opportunity to meet new and old customers online that I wanted to know more about it, and share with you, my dearest listeners, the world's best practices.Let's start from saying that, if you and your business are not equipped yet to engage in virtual business development activities, well, the clock is ticking and you have to quickly adapt to it.An increasing number of clients are already willing to meet you virtually and the good news is that you can do it creatively, at scale, and without necessarily losing the human elements, that beautiful ability to build rapport, which made you successful in the past.The virtual space is where you can meet new and old customers from the comfort of both your houses, the place where you can invite colleagues, stakeholders, and endorsers to help you deliver more value, it's a way to increase efficiency, minimize downtime, and stop polluting the world.In fact, corporate travelling is both an alarming source of co2 emissions, and the cause so many professionals around the world suffer severe consequences of stress.I am delighted to discuss the subject with Mante Kvedare, Partner at Implement Consulting Group and the co-Author of the book “The Virtual Sales Handbook”. For the last 10 years, Mante has been supporting leading international organisations in commercial transformations; both as a trusted advisor to the C-suite, and leading sales and marketing teams hands-on.During the last year alone, she has coached over 1000 global commercial managers on how to navigate and reap the commercial benefits of our newly fully virtual world, and so who better than her would help us succeed in our Virtual Sales Meetings? 

The topic of today's podcast is VISION, which is that unique, special, rare, aspirational and yet tangible ingredient of leadership only the most impactful leaders display, to the point we may conclude VISION is what makes their leadership so strong and impactful.When we take a close look at the way people like  Apple's Steve Jobs, of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, and the many corporate and community leaders who have changed the world operate their business, we realize they couldn't have achieved the extraordinary results they achieved without a clear and  compelling vision.You may wonder if creating a vision that makes a difference in the world is something anyone can do, and the answer is yes and no.While ambition, positive thinking, and a desire to succeed may favor the development of a strong vision, they are certainly not enough.With my guest today Dr. Oleg Konovalov a thought leader, author, business educator, consultant, and coach with over 25 years of experience operating businesses and consulting Fortune 500 companies internationally I will try to decipher the code that makes vision a reality.Oleg is the author of the book The Vision Code, in which he reveals the secrets of building and executing a strong vision within any organization. Oleg draws together in one volume in-depth interviews with nineteen extraordinary global visionaries that represent a variety of industries and organizations. These leaders explain why a vision is needed, how to implement it, how to communicate it effectively, and how to live by it with integrityThe stories of the nineteen leaders reveal how to develop a compelling vision and follow through with it in order to inspire an entire workforce. When a leader taps into the power of "vision," he or she creates a more meaningful business experience and ultimately, a better life. This interview will offer you guidance and inspiration in your journey as a leader and will provide you with words of wisdom that will trigger deep and meaningful reflection.To be a visionaire you must be book-smart, street-smart and nature smart, says oleg Konovalov, and with it I let the music start.

The topic of today's podcast is personal finance, and also financial education and also financial freedom.Yes, I am talking about freedom because there are two ways to go about money, we can either work for it for the rest of our lives, or make it work for us as early as possible and live a life in which money is no longer something to worry about.Wouldn't this be just great?And what if I tell you  there's a simple formula you can use to become financially free, that accumulating 25X your annual spending would set you free for life, and that by saving only 7 dollars a day, you will become a millionaire at the end of a 50 year career?If that sounds too good to be true, I encourage you to keep listening to this episode of LUX & TECH.My guest, my special guest today is well known in the world of financial education with the nickname The 7 Dollar Millionaire. He is the author of the incredible book “Happy ever after”,initially written to help his young daughter navigate life without financial pressure,  which is at the same time a fairy tale teaching the power of saving and investing, and a practical guide to help you gain the freedom money can buy.The 7 Dollar Millionaire is a fund manager by profession, one who manages billion dollar deals, and at the same time a man on a mission to make financial literacy available to as many people as possible, so as to make the world a place with less inequality, and more, many more millionnaires.

The topic of today's podcast is Virtual Events.Yes, the kind of events many people wouldn't even consider events before COVID came and changed our physical world.And so, all of a sudden, we found ourselves having to replace the shows, the conferences, the trade events in which we would share our space with thousands of people, with the four walls of our house and a pc screen or at best, a large TV screenAnd we realised that technology could actually help us not lose everything, and perhaps achieve the same goals we had, without having to travel all the way to another corner of the world.Yet, imagining, designing, and running successful virtual events is anything but a walk in the park, it requires specific technical knowledge, and a true understanding of what makes people want to attend your event, when they could just go to the next room and watch their favorite tv show.For this reason, I chose to interview Ben Chodor, the CEO of Intrado Digital Media, one of the world's largest virtual events and streaming companies, and the author of the book Transitioning to Virtual and Hybrid Events: How to Create, Adapt, and Market an Engaging Online Experience.If you are thinking to create, or be part of a virtual or hybrid event this interview will provide you with the REAL LIFE knowledge you need to put together something that is worth attending over and over for your audience, or perhaps an audience that is larger than you think, because that's what digital does, it can help you break the barriers of space and time. 

The focus of today's podcast is Artificial Intelligence, and more specifically the transformation AI will cause to a variety of industries.I am extremely happy to discuss such a deep topic with Sudi Sinha, the co-author of the book Reimagining businesses with AI. Sudhi is a business and technology leader with over 20 years of experience.He has served as VP and GM of Digital Solutions for Johnson Control, and has 22 granted and more than 40 pending patents in Internet of things, big data, and Artificial Intelligence.If you want to know how artificial intelligence will transform your industry, change the way products and services are designed, clients served, organizations run, ideas materialised and kids educated, I suggest you listen to this informative, and enjoyable interview.I've asked Sudhi the questions I felt would help me make sense of a world being transformed by technology, and I can say his words have helped me portray a world with perhaps a few challenges, yet so many possibilities I can say without a doubt I am happy to be around in these exciting times!

The topic of this podcast is INNOVATION, the type of innovation that makes a company strive questioning first and foremost the way it does business; its business model. My guest today is an innovation rockstar, the co-author of the newly released book  Business Model Shifts, 6 new ways to create value for customers, and with him I will try to understand which systematics steps can a business take to reinvent itself, leveraging the worlds hottest trends.Patrick Van der Pijl is CEO of  Business Models Inc. an award winning global business design agency on strategy and innovation,  a keynote speaker, a best selling author, and a renowned business model strategist. Patrick is producer of bestseller book Business Model Generation which sold over four million copies in 37 languages and which U.S.A. today named among the 12 best business books of all timePatrick has researched over 200 global business models for the book we'll discuss today, titled “Business Model Shifts” 6 shifts in business modelling from pipeline to platform, analog to digital, shareholder to stakeholder, singular to circular, products to services and linear to exponential.Listening to this interview not only will you understand how companies like Uber, Grasp, New10, Alibaba, Salesforce, Warby Parker and many more have changed the competitive landscape in which they operate, but you will also learn the theoretical foundations upon which you can trigger the innovation your business needs to strive today, and in the future.

The topic of today's podcast is HOW TO SELL EXPERT SERVICES, and more specifically how recurring revenue is driven at expert firms like BCG, KPMG, EY and more.If you are a consultant, of if your job requires you to build strong relationships with high-profile corporate clients, relationships based on trust and expert advice, this episode of the podcast with provide you with ideas, case histories, and a framework, called the diamond of opportunities, which will help you grow your business with your most valuable clients.I am pleased to interview Jacob Parks, a senior consultant and co-author of the book Never Say Sell: How the World's Best Consulting and Professional Services Firms Expand Client RelationshipsIn this interview, Jacob will explain how to scale individual engagements into long-term business relationships.We will discuss why the words SALES and EXPERT ADVICE are at odds, and what strategies should be employed by consultants, and those who wish to be perceived as such by their clients, to trigger trust, referrals and recurring business.

The topic of today's podcast is  A MARKETING REVOLUTION, A CONTEXT MARKETING REVOLUTION, that is.Anyone thinking the rules of marketing haven't changed, because consumer behavior hasn't changed and the media still got all the power may be setting themselves up for a bad surprise.With my distinguished guest of today, Mathew Sweezey, author of the bestseller “The Context Marketing Revolution”, and Head of Market Strategy at Salesforce, one of world's leading tech companies which has forever changed the way corporates entertain relationships with their clients and community, I will try to understand why are we experiencing a marketing revolution rather than a simple evolution, and what needs to be done in a time when being top of mind for brands has lost effectiveness, when consumer behavior is influenced, not to say driven, by algorithms, and when the world of information has turned into an Infinite media world, to say it with Mathew.By listening to this interview you will gain the insights you need to re-think your marketing strategy and place yourself, and your company, and your brand where they should be to solve your audience problems, where they are and when those problems arise. 

The topic of today's podcast is China, one of the largest markets in the world, formerly the largest factory of the world; the Country making the headlines every year for its GDP growth, the next world's superpower, at least according to many analysts, and certainly the place where many companies, in particular in the luxury industry, develop most of their turnover.But China is also a place where innovation, be it technical or social, happens at an extremely fast pace, and where the laws of business are being written every day, and they are very different from what many foreigners, especially westerners, think.My guest of today is an entrepreneur, a consultant, and a cross-cultural negotiation advisor to multinational companies, who's lived and worked in China for over 25 years.A fellow Italian, Alberto Antinucci has worn different hats in his multifaceted career, which started sourcing IT products, followed by running factories, and then buying and selling businesses in China, and lastly helping companies and entrepreneurs understand the business environment, and adjust their strategies to succeed in that Country.I've chosen to interview Alberto for his deep knowledge of the subject, and his non filtered communication style.Listening to this interview you can expect uncensored real life stories which will open your eyes, and make you avoid the mistakes you will inevitably  make, should you go to China thinking the rules which make you successful elsewhere, will ever work there.

Welcome to a new episode of Lux & TechThe topic of today's podcast is WORKING FROM HOME.To dig into this extremely relevant topic, I am delighted to interview Karen Mangia, an internationally-recognized thought leader whose TEDx appearance, keynotes, blogs and books reach hundreds of thousands of business leaders each year.  She is the author of the books Working from Home: Making the New Normal Work for You (Wiley), Listen UP! How to Tune Into Customers and Turn Down the Noise (Wiley) and also Success With LessKaren is Vice President of Customer and Market Insights at Salesforce, one of the wold's leading tech companies, where she also serves on the company's Work from Home Taskforce, where she is helping the company's 50,000+ worldwide employees to better adapt to a work-from-home environment. If working from home makes you struggle, if you are overwhelmed by back to back zoom meetings, if you don't know how to engage clients and stakeholders during virtual presentations, if you have kids and you are experiencing tremendous pressure to be with them and at the same time try to get work done, and also if you're looking for a job and you have no choice but searching it remotely, keep listening to this podcast, you will find precious advice to help you strive in a digitally connected world.

NEGOTIATION, the topic of today's podcast, is the ultimate business skill, regardless of what industry you are in, regardless of your role, and even the level you play at.Negotiating well, means not only getting as much value as you possibly can from anything you do, but as master negotiators know, it also means creating more value than you thought possible at the beginning of a negotiation.Listening to this episode of LUX & TECH, you will learn timeless negotiation principles and bulletproof techniques that will help you get better deals at work and in life.My guest of today, the negotiation and conflict resolution specialist Joshua Weiss, teaches negotiation at Harvard University, consults some of the largest companies and organizations in the world, and is the author of the best selling book titled: The Book of Real-World Negotiations: Successful Strategies From Business, Government, and Daily Life.The book is a spectacular reading. It provides the reader with REAL LIFE examples of successful and unsuccessful negotiations, and for each and everyone of them it offers a specific learning path.For example, reading the book, and listening to this interview, you will learn the importance of face saving, from the story of a man who threatened to take his own life. You will also learn what a BATNA is, and why it is so important in a negotiation, from the story of an international company producing in China, who was taken advantage of by a supplier who enjoyed a monopolist status.You will learn the impact of technology in today's negotiations, and how becoming a wired negotiator can help you get more value.You will learn how to manage your emotions, which can jeopardize any deal from the direct experience of my guest, and you will learn the importance of preparation, in pretty much every case that will be presented to you.Lastly, and more importantly, you will learn that contrary to popular belief, negotiation is everywhere.There is no interaction with the rest of the world, which doesn't require a level of negotiation, and the better you get at negotiating well, possibly reaching win-win agreements, the more successful you will be in every area of your life.Let the journey begin because that's what learning to negotiate is…...a journey in which you may not reach perfection, but in which you will learn a lot about human beings, including yourself.

Welcome to the age of transparency sounds like the title of a scifi movie, doesn't it?But if you think about it, the internet, and its mainstream, mobile, use has created an unprecedented opportunity for people to source information, and to a certain degree of accuracy, to fact check.And so, trying to hide something, or avoiding uncomfortable questions may be just the wrong thing to do for a business, or a public figure.Yet, nothing is harder to tell than the truth.For reasons that made sense during the industrial age, when people had few, if any, tools to conduct their own research before buying anything, many companies are still reluctant to show their behind the scenes, their backstage.They pretend people are still interested in their posed photoshoots, in the “about us” section of their website, and that buyers are still willing to engage in a conversation with a company in the early stage of their buying process, when they are still making up their mind.Well, things have changed, people have changed, and when they chose to talk to a company, they are informed, much more informed than before, and probably more informed that most businesses would like them to be.In the age of transparency, we need to embrace truth and to say it with my guest of today, Marcus Sheridan, when THEY ASK YOU ANSWER.That's right. Business today is all about communicating honestly with our customers and potential ones, It is about helping them make an informed decision, whether they decide to buy from us or not. It's about choosing to educate an audience, before hoping to seduce a clientele.Marcus Sheridan, an entrepreneur, speaker and trainer to Fortune 500 companies, is the author of the best selling book “THEY ASK YOU ANSWER”, a book which has given me two precious gifts: The first is an understanding of the simple, yet powerful philosophy behind the strategy of creating content that anticipates customers' questions, even the most uncomfortable ones, and the second gift  is a series of practical steps that any business can take to communicate with the right audience and generate a remarkable amount of qualified leads online and offline

What is luxury?What makes it so desirable?Can anyone create it? Should anyone have access to it? Would anyone understand it or just the few? These and many more questions come to mind when discussing a topic that is at the same time fascinating and difficult to enclose in a single definition.Luxury is certainly about perception, but can you dare say a luxury product or a luxury service is not tangibly superior, materially exquisite, undoubtedly precious?And what can a company, a brand do to position itself in the luxury segment of its market.I will try and find an answer to these many questions with the man who has brought Luxury to Academia, who has started the first Luxury MBA. Where? You may ask…..but in France, ca ca seins dire!Michel Gutsatz, the co-author of the book Luxury Retail and Digital Management: Developing Customer Experience in a Digital World is an academic, a university professor, and also a consultant and an entrepreneur in the field of luxury fragrances.As an advisor, he has worked with some of the most prestigious luxury brands in the world, and the strategies he teaches in various business schools, are deployed by his students, top executives in the companies that make us dream.

ARE YOU A THINKER OR A FEELER?I mean, do you draw your conclusions about the world, its future, and the future of humanity based on what you see around you and feel about it, or on larger data?For example, did you know that the world today is greener than it's ever been?That it's also more peaceful than it's ever been before and that the number of children starving to death - still too high - has decreased over 99% over the past 50 years?If you find yourself having a pessimistic view of the future, you are likely to be like 60% of the population, a feeler, someone who relies on emotions rather than reason, and  you may underestimate the power of innovation, the greatest resource of all.Let me share with you a piece of information I am sure will make you think….The physicist John Ziman has estimated that for every scientific document or scientist that existed in 1670, there were 100 in 1770, 10 000 in 1870, and 1 million in 1970. Mind blowing! Isn't it?At the end of his study, Ziman concluded that the global scientific activity doubles every 15 years. In a century this means growing by a factor of 100 (Ziman's Law).To put it into perspective, a person born in 1980 and dying in 2080 will personally witness a 100-fold increase in scientific activity, and all the innovation that goes with it.That's quite exciting if you think about it.In this episode of the podcast, you will learn many of the 50 supertrends that, according to investor, researcher, and author of many books, including the best-seller  “Supertrends, 50 things you need to know about the future”  Lars Tvede will make, and are already making making the world a better place.AI, Genetic Manipulation, Cultured Meat, Vertical Farming, Quantum computing, Nuclear Fusion, Self driving cars, internet of things, just to mention a few and in no particular order, are some of the topics I am excited to discuss with my distinguished guest. 

The time to sell for the sake of selling, for the sake of making money, for the sake of scaling and gaining more power are over.No, I am not saying that these are not legit reasons why organizations should exist and people should work, but I am here to tell you that another way of doing business exists, and is gaining traction, has already got momentum.Purpose is the name of the game; is the one abstract, yet powerful concept, or idea, or ideal if you want  that changes everything, that makes routine work meaningful, that makes profit ethical, that makes talented people want to go to work, that makes consumers choose a product over another, a company instead of another.Adding purpose, a noble purpose that is, to your business whatever it may be, will get you from a place where what you do is commoditised, as for anything and anyone who only pursues money, to a place where people want to do business with you because they know they will benefit from it, they will experience a positive change.The guest of today's episode of LUX & TECH is a person who has put purpose at the centre of her professional life ever since she was a kid, and watched her father do meaningful work.Her book is titled SELLING WITH NOBLE PURPOSE and reading it, I've learned that not only each and every company and every individual can and should find their own NOBLE SELLING PURPOSE but that a methodology is available, and that it's practical, and that it yields material and non material results.Lisa McLoad is an author, consultant to international companies, and as you'll learn in a minute, a speaker who makes you want to go work….and change the world. 

Today we're talking about money, banks, finance, technology and before you skip this episode thinking "oh this is Fintech, it's not my business" I tell you stop! Don't go anywhere because a revolution has started, an irreversible process of transformation of the way we earn, save, borrow, lend, invest money and that involves everyone, including yourself.My guest of today is an expert, the CEO of the Fintech Circle, a global platform of more than 130,000 fintech entrepreneurs, investors, finance professionals, academic and government representatives, who work together to make access to money a fairer, simpler and smoother process for a larger share of the world's population.Susanne Chishti is also the Chief Editor of the FINTECH BOOK SERIES, of which THE AI BOOK, The artificial intelligence handbook for investors, entrepreneurs, and fintech visionaires is the must read publication, which features over 70 expert contributors from all over the world,  we'll discuss in detail today.For the sake of your own wealth, make yourself comfortable, and take a listen….we're ready to start

Why do you do what you do?Have you ever asked yourself this very question?Have you ever investigated the neural and psychological mechanisms that govern your brain, and as a consequence your mind and which determine every decision you make?If you haven't, this episode of the podcast will provide you with newly found scientific evidence that the brain is first and foremost an organ and that by understanding it, and by taking care of it will help you in many ways to make better decisions for your life.Never before in history has humanity known more about neuroscience and the reason I am addressing this topic over and over again in the podcast, if because I've realised this is a field of science that anyone can and should gain access to to improve their life, their business, and their relationships with stakeholders, clients, and other human beings.I was very fortunate to come across the book of today's guest, Helena Boschi, titled “Why we do what we do” because it's an accessible, yet comprehensive, guide which opened my eyes, and made me see faults, biases, but also new routes I can take to improve my reasoning, my decision making, and the health of my brain.Helena started her journey in neuroscience and psychology after many years in the corporate world, and this experience makes her a pragmatic researcher, and a very understandable author, something rare in a world often confined within academic borders.Have a listen!

Getting to know, and understand the industries of the future is not only a moral imperative for anyone willing to gain or keep their relevance in an ever changing world, but also the smartest thing to do to try and catch the opportunities the not so silent technical revolution we are experiencing has has to offer, and minimize the risk of being, personally and professionally, left out.If you don't know yet how robots and automation will transform humanity, if you still look at money simply as a traditional storage of wealth, if you need to google the word Genomics when you hear it and if you think the world's economical and political power is still in the firm hands of one, maybe two, superpower, you'll benefit immensely from listening to the episode of the podcast.My guest of today, Alec Ross, is the author of the of the New York Times best-seller, The Industries of the Future which has been translated into 24 languages and been a best-seller on 4 continents.   He has served as a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins University and as a Senior Fellow at the Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs.During the Obama Administration, he served as Senior Advisor for Innovation to the Secretary of State, a role created for him to help modernize the practice of diplomacy and bring innovative solutions to advance America's foreign policy interests.Alec served as the Convener for the Technology & Media Policy Committee on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team.He co-founded and helped lead a technology-focused social enterprise and grew it from modest origins in a basement into a global organization serving millions of low-income people, with programs on four continents.He is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Bologna Business School of l'Universitá di Bologna at work on a book about the collision that has taken place at the intersection of government, business and citizens which will publish in 2021.

The topic of today's podcast is China and it's quite an ambitious one you may think, for China is more than just a country or a market, but rather one of the most complex, and fascinating I'd say, players in the geo-political and economical theatres of the world.Listening to this episode of LUX & TECH will give you the opportunity to see China through the lenses, or to be more accurate, the eyes of 25 CEOs of Multinational companies operating across various industries, and ranging from Microsoft to Coca-cola, from Maserati to Ikea, from ABB to L'oreal.Some of these business leaders are foreigners, others are Chinese nationals andtheir experiences and their advice are priceless for anyone interested to understand China a little bit more, whether from a cultural, business, or lifestyle perspective.My guest of today, MBA professor Laurie Underwood,is the co-author of the books China CEO and China CEOs II and the person who, in partnership with her co-author, interviewed the CEO's I mentioned before.The books are an extraordinary source of insight and information, and I am extremely pleased to welcome Laurie to the show.

If you are like me, and probably many other people around you, you may get discouraged everytime you hear the word problem, or when you find yourself in a tricky situation that requires a certain level of structured thinking.From today onwards, this will change.By listening to this episode of the podcast, you will learn that not only complex problem solving is the skill that will support you throughout your personal and professional life, but also one that, contrary to popular belief, is accessible to anyone, also the people who don't have a scientific, or mathematical background.I am extremely pleased to welcome to the show Charles Conn, the author of the best selling book “Bulletproof problem solving, the one skill that changes everything” and you can rest reassured, dear listener, that I won't spare any question that may help you (and myself too) find better solutions to the various problems we face in our lives, from changing job or place to live, to deciding where to invest our money, from taking decisions related to our health, to helping our businesses or our clients navigate complex and turbulent times.Charles Conn is a graduate of Harvard and Boston Universities and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.He was a technology entrepreneur and as founding CEO of Ticketmaster he led the company through its IPO and the acquisitions of Match.com, Evite and other companies.He sits on many company and non-profit boards including Patagonia, the Mandela Rhodes Foundation in South africa, and Arcadia Foundation.Recently he completed his term as CEO of the Rhodes Trust, the organization that delivers scholarships in Oxford and in this role he lead a successful transformation effort to refresh the century old organization's strategy and operations, including the development of a problem solving training programs for scholars.

The topic of today's podcast is….your brain.Yes, that part of your body that consumes 20% your energy, although it accounts for only 2% of its weight.Your brain, that little engine inside your head that controls your life because as neuroscientist Antonio Damasio said “We are not thinking machines that feel, we are feeling machines that think”.And so, while marketers all over the world keep trying to appeal to the rational side of consumers' brain, relying on surveys, market research and web analytics, a relatively new science is quickly gaining momentum telling us that pretty much everything we know about persuasion is wrong.This new science is called neuro marketing.My guest of today Patrick Renvoise is an award winning author and speaker who co-founded SalesBrain as Chief Neuromarketing Officer. SalesBrain, the world's first neuromarketing agency, uses neuroscience discoveries to radically transform sales and marketing performance by targeting the decision making part of customer's brain: their primal, unconscious brain. After two years of research, he developed the first 100% science-based persuasion mode lcalled  NeuroMAP . He is the authos of the books "Neuromarketing: Understanding the buy buttons in your customers' Brain".  and of "The Persuasion Code: How NeuroMarketing can help you Persuade Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime." which we will discuss in details today.

Creativity and innovation are two of the most spoken, dare I say, abused words in the corporate world today.Leaders of all industries reckon that the speed of change we are experiencing , challenges pretty much everything a business is and everything a business does.From its products to its culture, from its processes to its business model.There is nothing, nothing, nothing we can be sure won't be disrupted.Yet, as much as an urgent need for creativity and innovation has arised,many leaders are still confused as to how to trigger it in their organizations because let's be realistic - one thing is to write the word INNOVATION in a press release or a mission statement, and another - much more complex thing is to create a corporate culture that encourages creativity and fosters innovation.For this new episode of LUX & TECH, I am extremely happy to talk to Michael Roberto, the author of the best selling book Unlocking Creativity: How to Solve Any Problem and Make the Best Decisions by Shifting Creative MindsetsMichael has spent years researching creativity and the roadblocks that make it hard to apply to an often overly conservative business world.His book is filled with case histories and practical advice to unlock creativity and make it flow freely in your business and your life in this interview you'll find many of those.

Should they choose the latter, they must know CSR, corporate social responsibility, is not the answer.The guest of today's show, Gib Bulloch, the author of the book The Intrapreneur, Confessions of a corporate insurgent, has spent most of his professional life merging business with aid and development, leading ADP the non-profit arm of the consulting giant Accenture.He did it for over a decade until life presented a sudden turn of events and he found himself questioning whether the system he had created could grow into something more impactful, or if he should just keep doing business as usual.

The topic of today's episode of the podcast is charisma and I cannot stress enough the importance of this subject.Charisma, contrary to popular belief, is a skill and a skill that can help you in so many ways in life, from gaining respect and admiration, to succeeding professionally, from attracting the partner of your dreams, to having your kids hear and listen to you every time, from gaining popularity amongst your friends, to being able to stand up for your or somebody else' rights when need be.Not a bad deal, is it?But behind the surface and as if it weren't enough, charisma is not only a toolbox you can decide to use, or not use, to succeed at anything you want, but also the starting point of your inner growth into a more accomplished, self-centered and impactful human being.The subject is complex and fascinating, and I am so excited to discuss it with one of the worlds' leading experts and an incredible guest.Olivia Fox Cabane is the author of the book The Charisma Myth and if you want to do yourself a favor, listen to this interview and then go buy the book which by the way , went into second printing before it even launched; and which has ever since  been translated into 32 languagesOlivia Fox Cabane has taught leadership, innovation, genius, and charisma at Harvard, Yale, MIT and the United Nations. She is the cofounder of KindEarth.Tech and former Director of Innovative Leadership for Stanford's startup accelerator as well as a best-selling author and keynote speaker for Fortune 500 companies."Her class on charisma at UC Berkeley's Business School was so popular that university staff had to guard the entrance to ensure only admitted participants gained entrance”

The fourth industrial revolution, the one we are experiencing today, has come so fast you may not even noticed it was a revolution.Of course, you've seen the signs, you've even tasted the fruits, but chances are you kept thinking “life and business will go on as usual” and that's where you are setting yourself up for an unwelcome surprise.You need to realise the world has become increasingly VUCA, which is an acronym that stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, and the old rules of business don't work anymore. Companies and their leaders have to accept the business model which made them successful may be outdated five years from now, if it's not yet, and that embracing change could be the smartest thing to do, and they have to be CLEVER about it.The guest of today's show, Professor Alessandro Lanteri, is the author of the book “Clever, the six strategic drivers for the fourth industrial revolution” and with him, I aim to understand what companies and individuals can do to not just to stay afloat, but to strive and be relevant in the years to come.Professor Lanteri teaches at various business schools and works with multinational companies, and public organizations across five continents, helping them set strategies and creating road maps to capture the opportunities an ever-changing marketplace will present, and minimise the challenges they will inevitably face.