Podcasts about brain food

HIRING MANAGER SELF SERVE - THE PAST AND FUTURE OF RECRUITMENT?   It was also the Past of Recruitment - where hiring managers were doing most of the work in hiring for their teams, everything from putting up adverts in shop windows, handling the first enquiries, reviewing CV's, screening candidates, scheduling interviews, interviewing candidates and then offering / hiring said candidates. Perhaps Personnel got involved in the contracts of employment, but 'recruitment' was once handled entirely by the line.   Could it be that this model returns, as AI improves to such an extent that a centralised TA function may not be the most optimal model?   Lets explore how some companies have shifted from centralised TA to empowering hiring managers to do more of the hiring work   - What conditions best suit centralised vs decentralised TA teams? - Pro's / Cons of decentralised vs centralised - What degree of hiring maturity is required for hiring manager self serve? - Retail franchises are the obvious business type for this model: which others? - How to avoid hiring managers bad practice in hiring? - Bias mitigation - realistic in HM? - How to ensure QoH in decentralised model? - What tools are best suited for this model - How does AI support hiring manager self serve? - What role does a recruiter continue to play in such a set up? - How can a business improve its hiring capability if we go hiring manager self serve? - What are the top things to remember if you are planning to making this shift?   We're with Martin Warren, TA Leader (ex-Grab), Lyndsey Taylor, Head of HR Transformation (Brooks Automation) & friends   We are on Friday 16th May, 2pm BST   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)         Ep300 is sponsored by our friends at Ashby   Ashby is what an ATS should be: an integration of sourcing automation, AI-supported outreach sequencing, native interview scheduling, a searchable CRM, and advanced analytics – all in one ATS++ system. That means better data, less context switching, and more streamlined workflows. Chosen by over a thousand companies, including Quora, Docker, Ironclad, and Multiverse, Ashby stands out as the top-rated ATS on G2. It is renowned for its real-time and reliable reporting, the ability to centralize the entire hiring process, and unparalleled customer support.   Talent Trends Reports are freely available: Download the latest here

Martin Hill-Wilson is the founder of Brainfood Training and Brainfood Consulting. He is based in Milton Keynes, close to London, UK. Martin has a long history as a leader inside the CX and BPO industry. For the past 15 years he has focused on strategy consulting and advising on CX leadership and culture. Brainfood Training is a more recent focus on helping non-technical teams to understand the implications of and opportunities for the use of AI - particulary for CX teams. Brainfood Training is focused on helping people understand what AI can really do - not just repeating the hype from the media. In this conversation with Mark Hillary, Martin talks about his experience talking about and training CX teams on how AI can be used and where it is already possible to find real use cases - how is AI really being used to improve CX? https://www.linkedin.com/in/customermanagement/ https://brainfoodtraining.com/

HOW TO BUILD CAREER PAGES WHICH ACTUALLY WORK   One of the biggest mistakes in Talent Attraction is failure to maximise conversion from attention you've already captured! The people who visit your career page are ALREADY declaring interesting in working for your business and you need to have a digital property there that underlines your EVP, helps both self select in/out and makes it easy for the right candidates to enter into the recruiting process.   What do know today about building a career page that does all of these things?   - What does a great career page look like - can we have examples? - 2025: what basic elements must a career page today? - What are some basic errors to avoid on career pages? - Images: how to use this - stock, real, AI generated - what are the pros and cons? - How do we communicate EVP? - What do we do when company brand vs employer brand are divergent? - What do we do if we want to create an inclusive message, even though we might not be demographically diverse? - How AI is too much AI - on copy, image, video? - Humour: do we use this? - What is the right degree of friction on apply? - How does this thing look on mobile? - Integration with CRM / ATS - Who is control of this - Recruitment Marketing if it exists, but TA vs Marketing if it does not? - What are the most common pitfalls in career page design? - How to handle it when your audience is multiplication?   All this and more as we talk brainfood live. We are on Thursday 15th May, 2pm BST with Bas van de Haterd, Author (Talent Acquisition Excellence), Charu Malhotra, Head of Talent Attraction (ex-PA Consulting, McKinsey & Co, Koos Wurzer, Global Director Talent Acquisition and Employer Branding (Danone)   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)       Ep308 is sponsored by our friends at Teamtailor     Great teams start with great hiring — and that's exactly what Teamtailor is built for.   Loved by companies like Happy Socks, OneFlow, Oatly, and Five Guys, Teamtailor is the all-in-one recruitment platform trusted by over 10,000 businesses and 150,000 recruiters worldwide. It combines a powerful ATS with fully customizable, AI-powered tools to elevate your employer brand and deliver a standout candidate experience.   From career sites to collaboration workflows, Teamtailor helps talent teams move faster, work smarter, and create hiring journeys that people actually enjoy — candidates and hiring managers alike.   → See how top teams are hiring better with Teamtailor: Experience the magic today!

RECRUITING REIMAGINED IN THE AI ERA   Friends, we have a special Brainfood Live to kick off the week! Continuing our series of profiling innovative AI solutions in the recruitment space, we have none other than Hari Srinivasan, VP of Product at LinkedIn, joining the show on May 12th to talk about LinkedIn's AI hiring tools for recruiters!   Including LinkedIn's first generative AI hiring experience, Recruiter, and the launch of its first AI agent, Hiring Assistant.   Hear directly from Hari about how LinkedIn is reimagining candidate search and hiring with AI, early feedback on the hiring tools, and why this new tech will help usher a new era of recruiting—that will help recruiters focus on their most impactful work   Register have clicking on the green button and the channel here (recommended) for future updates.

TRANSITIONING TO CV FREE HIRING   The CV has been around for maybe even longer than recruiting itself become a distinct profession, so are we destined to forever have a document like this in our hiring process? What does it look like if we can remove the CV - does it thicken our pipeline, improve it or make it even harder to handle or process?   Lets have a chat with TA leaders who have made the shift to CV Free Hiring and see if we can learn how they did it, what they learned and what they would recommend to others contemplating the same.   - Why CV Free Hiring? - How does this argument translate into the business case? - What types of scenario is optimal for CV Free Hiring? - What kind of roles are most suitable for it? - Conversely, what scenarios / roles are NOT suitable for CV free hiring? - Change management: what were the expected outcomes of shifting to CV free hiring? - What challenges can TA Leaders expect to encounter? - How did you handle them? - What did the recruitment team think of CV free hiring? - What TA strategies are eliminated by going CV Free hiring - presumably, sourcing? - Short / Medium / Long term outcomes of the shift - CX impact?   All this and more as we tackle an issue whose moment may be now!     We are on Friday 9th May, 2pm BST with Jessie Schofer, Founder (Stakked), Matthias Schmeisser, VP People & Operations (Emnify), Tony McCaffery, Founder (Diversity Scotland) & Kare Heward, Talent Acquisition Manager (QVC)   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)       Ep306 is sponsored by our friends at Willo     Recruiting for high-volume positions in a global, diverse workforce is increasingly challenging, especially when relying on traditional methods and the limitations of written CVs. Managing thousands of applications manually is not only exhausting and inefficient, it can also prevent you from finding the top talent your organization needs to thrive.   Enter Willo. The award-winning team is transforming the hiring process with a dynamic candidate screening solution that users love, backed by an NPS score to prove it!   Their web-based, human-centric platform enables candidates to record responses to a predefined set of questions at their convenience. With over 5,000 secure integrations, Willo makes it easy to supercharge your recruitment process, reduce bias, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion goals—all while helping you tap into a larger, more exciting pool of global candidates.   Book a demo at willo.video this month to get 10% off—just use the coupon code "brainfood”. That's W-i-l-l-o dot video.

A Note from James:So Dr. Oz—television personality turned government official—this is such an interesting thing. He's going to be the new administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS. He's going to be in charge of all Medicare and Medicaid. What does he know or think about these parts of our government?Medicare and Medicaid, combined with Social Security, make up the biggest part of government spending. So it'd be interesting to know what he thinks. On his show, he'd talk about everything from medicine to alternative medicine to other healing methods. I want to know how he's going to handle things in the government.This is a republishing of a past podcast I did with Dr. Oz, but it still describes his approach to medicine. And I think, as a citizen, this is useful. That's why I wanted to share it again. He's going to be working closely with RFK Jr. and Marty Makary (who's also been on this podcast and is now head of the FDA).So here's Dr. Oz.Episode Description:In this re-released conversation, James speaks with Dr. Mehmet Oz about his philosophy on medicine, self-care, and the critical role nutrition plays in overall well-being. As Dr. Oz steps into a major government role as the head of CMS, this episode offers valuable insight into the beliefs and strategies he may bring to one of the most powerful positions in U.S. healthcare.Together, they cover the power of second opinions, why most people misunderstand sugar, how gut bacteria drive health, and what it means to choose yourself when it comes to well-being. They also unpack highlights from Dr. Oz's book Food Can Fix It, including practical strategies for brain health, stress, and weight loss.What You'll Learn:Why second opinions can drastically change your medical outcomes.The connection between stress, sugar, and your brain's coping mechanisms.What to eat (and avoid) for long-term brain health and energy.How gut bacteria influence digestion, immunity, and mood.Dr. Oz's personal routine for energy, sleep, and productivity.Timestamped Chapters:[00:00] Dr. Oz's New Role in Government[01:00] Dr. Oz's Philosophy: Empowering Patients[02:45] The Power of Second Opinions[04:00] Behind the Book: Food Can Fix It[06:00] Parenting, Health, and Self-Sacrifice[07:30] Why We Stress Eat—and What to Do Instead[09:30] Fixing the Root Cause with Food[12:00] Brain Food and Omega-3 Fats[15:30] Antioxidants, Alcohol, and Wheat Brain[17:30] Why Sugar Without Fiber Is Dangerous[18:30] Juicing vs. Smoothies[19:30] Food Traditions, Rituals, and Healing[20:15] Using Food as Medicine for Pain[21:00] The Role of Gut Bacteria[23:30] Smart Weight Loss Strategies[26:30] Rethinking Dairy, Gluten, and Processed Foods[28:00] Eating for All-Day Energy[30:30] Daily Routine: Sleep Hygiene and Focus[33:00] Final Thoughts and Dr. Oz's Upcoming PodcastAdditional Resources:

AI REGULATIONS IN TA & HR: 2025 Q2 UPDATE!   2025 has been the year of AI innovation in recruitment technology.   There hasn't been a serious recruitment tech vendor hasn't infused their product with AI, and more than a few are moving toward to next step with Agentic or Agent-like AI now taking on significant chunks of the recruiter / hr workload.   Time is perfect for us to update on our understanding of AI regulations in the US, UK and EU!   - What is the latest with AI regulations across different territories? - Is the EU getting rid of GDPR, and if so, what does this signal? - What technology innovations are clearly within compliance? - Which are clearly outside? - Which are somewhere in the middle? - Humans in the loop: is this ethics or legislation at this point? - Cyber security...what is best practice, what is legal / illegal? - DOGE and AI....how legal is this?? - If law is broken by government, what does this mean for corporations and individuals? - Has anyone been sued for breaches of AI usage yet? - What is the current guidance we can give to vendors and buyers on the usage of AI?   We're with Jess Schofer, Founder (Stakked) , Dan Gallagher, Disrupt HR AI Advocate (Avanade), Martyn Redstone, Founder (genAssess), Bob Pulver, Founder (Elevate Your AIQ), Andrew Gadomski, Founder, (Aspen Analytics) & friends   We are on Friday 2nd May, 2pm BST   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)     Ep305 is sponsored by our friends at Greenhouse   Greenhouse is sponsoring HR Technologies on April 23–24, 2025 at ExCeL London. Swing by stand CC14 to see how an all-in-one hiring platform simplifies and streamlines every step of the hiring process. Also, don't miss an insightful speaker session on April 24 with Nkem Nwankwo from Greenhouse and Chris Lees from Monzo Bank, as they dive into how AI is shaping both recruiter efficiency and candidate experience. Finally wind down your day with Greenhouse and Lattice on 23 April at 4 pm for a happy hour with refreshing drinks, great company and even better conversations.   Register here

MITIGATION STRATEGIES VS FAKE JOB CANDIDATES   Reports of fraudulent job applications are on the rise. A globalised internet, universal job insecurity and the reduction of friction provided by technology innovation from EasyApply to AI-powered mass personalisation, is a producing a perfect storm which is overwhelming recruitment teams.   As these trends accelerate, we can expect the volume and sophistication of fake job applications to likewise increase. Let's talk about the techniques job candidates are using and what counter measures employers are thinking about to ensure only authentic, honest candidates get through to process.   We will explore:   - What do we categorise as fraudulent? - What types of candidate fraud can we describe? - What is our current mechanism of mitigation? - Detect or Deter? - How do we ensure Candidate Experience, whilst protecting employers interests? - Is the best way to change our talent attraction approach (i.e stop advertising) or can there be another solution? - Using tech to fight agains tech - What are the most fraud-proof assessment techniques - How to balance between security vs efficiency? - What skills does a recruiter need to be good at fraud mitigation? - What do hiring managers needs to do to become good at fraud mitigation? - What types of assessment are no longer viable? - What are the long term implications for talent acquisition?   All this and more as we dive into the world of recruiting and the job search in 2025   We are on Friday 25th April, 2pm BST   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)       Ep303 is sponsored by our friends at BrightHire   BrightHire is the leader in Interview Intelligence trusted by the world's fastest growing companies: Canva, Ramp, Toast, Axon, Zapier, Vercel, Klaviyo, Rippling, Attentive, HighTouch, Groq, Navan, and 000s more. Not just another note-taking tool, BrightHire's end-to-end AI platform is transforming how our clients hire — delivering substantial hiring efficiency and consistently raising the bar on quality.   “BrightHire has elevated both the quality and speed of our hiring process” - Tony James, Talent Acquisition Partner at AlphaSense   Discover why market-leaders call BrightHire a game-changer for how they hire.   If you schedule a demo with our team next week, and mention Hung sent you, we'll send you a $50 eGift.

Our panel of medical experts discusses this month's biggest health care headlines.

Nutritionist Leyla Muedin details the impact of chronic stress on the brain, explaining how stress can lead to cognitive decline, weakened memory, impaired focus, and increased emotional reactivity. Leyla highlights the critical roles played by the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala in stress responses. Furthermore, she explores dietary choices that can help mitigate these negative effects, emphasizing foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and magnesium, while cautioning against sugar, refined carbs, and excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption. Leyla advises on the importance of balanced nutrition in fostering brain resilience and reversing stress-induced damage.

Agentic AI in the Wild: Live Demo   Some of you might have noticed that whenever a recruitment software business promotes their Agentic AI, Brainfood is here to challenge them to do a live demo. So far no one has yet shirked the challenge, nor have their agents disappointed - we're beginning to understand that the generalist agent is likely be to an aspiration goal for business, but those that domain specific are going to be in with a chance to truly transform our approach to recruitment.   Next up is Recruitment job advertiser, VONQ   Under CEO Ritu Mohanka and CTO Bill Fischer, VONQ have been experimenting with Agentic AI with enterprise clients already using different agents to optimise their hiring across organisations. What does all this look like for us on the outside? We're going find out as VONQ live demo's the agents on this special Brainfood Live On Air.   We are on Thursday 17th April, 2pm BST   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)       Ep302 is sponsored by our friends at VONQ   VONQ is transforming recruitment advertising with a results-driven platform that combines AI-driven technology, deep ATS integrations, and recruitment expertise.   Trusted by global leaders such as Danone, Bayer, Randstad, and PwC, we help employers attract, vet, and shortlist top-quality candidates efficiently. Our seamless integrations and real-time insights optimize hiring workflows, enhance employer branding, and drive measurable outcomes.   With VONQ, businesses can streamline their recruitment process, improve ROI, and build diverse, high-performing teams.

Sourcing Automation: What can be done in 2025?   Finding and engaging candidates more efficiently remains the No1 concern of recruiters the world over - nothing gets more clicks on the Recruiting Brainfood newsletter than cool new ways! And in 2025, there are so many things we can do - perhaps no time since the beginning of the web era have we seen such an opportunity to massively scale up our sourcing efforts.   Let's see what leading experts in the European sourcing scene have to say about the Sourcing Automation in 2025. What can we do - and are we actually doing it?   - Finding candidates - Enriching candidate data - Pulling email / phone data - Automated, personalised outreach - Automated, multi-channel drip campaign - DIY vs Vendor integrated - How much time saved? - Sourcing outcomes....does it bring results? - GDPR: are we breaching all over the place?? - Candidate experience....what are we seeing? - How long before automation scales outreach to far too noisy levels? - Best targets to apply sourcing automation techniques - Won't your ATS do this all anyway?   All this and more with with Alexey Geht, Talent Sourcing Lead (Added Value), Alla Pavlova, Recruiter (Riot Games), Kanwar Singh Kohli, Global Talent Leader (Booking.com) & friends     We are on Friday 11th April, 1pm BST   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)     Ep301 is sponsored by our friends at Metaview   Run an intake meeting for a new role and automatically get a perfectly-tailored, on-brand, and compliant job post based on the conversation.

Brainfood on Tour - How to Hire in China in 2025 & Beyond?   China has an enormous workforce and therefore a huge amount of recruitment. Most of the rest of the world knows very little about it! So it is time to speak to local Chinese citizens and residents to better understand how labour circulates through what by some measure has been the largest economy in the world since the mid 2010's   We're going to speak with Lin Xin, Marketing Director (Avature), Maria Ma, Talent Acquisition Regional Head APAC and the legendary Beecher Ashley-Brown, CEO of AJINGA.com   - What is the state of the economy in China in 2025? - What are the main strengths, main challenge here? - What sectors are the largest employers? - What is the competition for the top talent? - What defines top talent here? - How do candidates behave - what is the best channel of communication for first contact? - What skills are most in-demand here? - How is the use of AI changing how companies recruit? - What are the 10 things a recruiter should know in order to become more successful in China?   All this and more, on Wednesday 9th April,1pm CST / 4pm AEDT   Click on here to follow the channel (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.

Key Recruitment Trends to Watch in 2025: What Top Agencies Are Doing Differently   Recruitment agencies continue to face major obstacles, including the paradox of a talent shortage despite a decrease in job openings. With more candidates rejecting job offers, it's become essential to expand sourcing efforts for each vacancy.   According to this year's GRID Industry Trends Survey by Bullhorn, the most successful agencies have developed strategies that have enabled them to grow revenue despite economic challenges.   Discover how these agencies are embracing automation, enhancing candidate engagement, and refining their market strategies, all while leveraging AI to elevate recruitment to new heights.   We're bringing proprietary data from Bullhorn with Lia Taniguchi, Senior Research Manager & Liam Ryan, Senior Product Marketing Manager, (Bullhorn) - join us on Thursday 3rd April, 1pm BST   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)

Brainfood on Tour - How to Hire in Australia in 2025 & Beyond?   Australia is the 7th largest recruitment market by dollar value - a very decent barometer to how the global staffing market is performing. Let's dive into the conversation with local recruiters and find out what's going on in 2025   We're going to learn:   - What is the state of the economy in Australia in 2025? - What are the main strengths, main challenge here? - What sectors are the largest employers? - What is the competition for the top talent? - What defines top talent here? - How do candidates behave - what is the best channel of communication for first contact? - What skills are most in-demand here? - How has the cost of living crisis / do more with less mantra impacted hiring demand? - Will a change of government help? - How is the use of AI changing how companies recruit? - What are the 10 things a recruiter should know in order to become successful in Indonesia?   All this and more, on Friday 28th March,12pm AEST   Click on here to follow the channel (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.

Can bacteria make us smarter?

DOGE, US Fed Gov and the Future of HR & TA in the USA   We have to talk about DOGE.   The US Federal Government is the largest single employer in the United States at 2.5 million employees. The intent of the Trump 2.0 administration is to radically reduce this number - by at least 10% in the first tranche - and maybe to end up with a workforce of about 10% when it is all said and done.   This is unprecedented downsizing of government function, the likes of which we have rarely seen outside of active conflict situations. The role of TA / HR and People Ops in general is multi-faceted. On of the one hand, there are thousands of colleagues in these roles who will be impacted (perhaps disproportionately so?) and so might now find themselves abruptly on the job market. On another hand, as People Ops' pros one of the most important functions is to ensure organisational compliance with employment law - how can one do this when the organisation itself seems intent in ignoring it? Finally, People Ops functions have responsibility and duty of care for other employees, who will no doubt by overwhelming HR departments right now with requests for advice and support on what to do.   Brainfood Live cannot solve any of these problems but it can help shine a light into what is going on, so that we can better understand the implications and in so doing, find a way to best support the people most impacted.   It's going to be an open mic style show folks, so if you are in the US and want to talk part in this conversation, dial in. We're with Steve Rothberg, Founder (CollegeRecruiter), Mike Bruni, Partner (Talent Acquisition Strategies), Kate Bischoff, Founder (K8bisch LLC) & friends     We are on Friday 21st March, 11am PST / 2pm EST   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)   Ep297 is sponsored by our friends at Greenhouse   Hiring is hard, and getting it right is even harder. It's a core business-building function with high stakes that takes a lot of moving parts to see real success. You need workflows that accommodate how you function given your company size and goals. You need a user experience that hiring managers actually buy into. And you need an application process that locks talent in.   Only Greenhouse gives you all that in one platform.   Learn more

ABOUT CHARLES LEON:CHARLES' LINKEDIN PAGE: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chleon/COMPANY WEBSITE: charlesleon.uk CHARLES' BIO:Writer and Illustrator of Sketch Journals, including The Kew Sketch Journal. International Speaker and Trainer on the Creative Process and how Applied Innovation actually works. With more than 30 years experience in design, and an extensive knowledge of neuroscience and the working of the creative mind, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to helping Organisations and Individuals overcome Innovation Stagnation and achieve Creative Breakthrough.SHOW INTRO:Welcome to the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast.EPISODE 77… and my conversation with Charles Leon. On the podacast our dynamic dialogues based on our acronym DATA - design, architecture, technology, and the arts crosses over disciplines but maintains a common thread of people who are passionate about the world we live in and human's influence on it, the ways we craft the built environment to maximize human experience, increasing our understanding of human behavior and searching for the New Possible.    he NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD Magazine part of the Smartwork Media family of brands.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. The IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing the discourse forward on what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.org On this episode I connect with Charles Leon who has 30 years experience in design, and an extensive knowledge of neuroscience and the working of the creative mind.We'll get to all of that in a moment but first though, a few thoughts…                 *                                  *                                  *When I was nine years old my mom put me in a after school art program in a small little studio a few minutes walk from my school. Every Thursday afternoon, after my regular school classes were done, I would walk down the street, sit in an art studio and learn how to paint in oils. For the next 10 years this was a welcome change in my daily routine that became in some sense a safe place. A place where all the world's troubles or the typical challenges I was having as a teenager would disappear and I would spend a couple of hours focused on painting. My mom had recognized early on that I was pretty handy with a pencil and very interested in creative expression. She did her very best to make sure that I was continually engaged in creative processes whether it was doing Ukrainian Easter eggs or sketching and drawing or baking creative Christmas cookies.She was always there pushing the go button on creativity. As it turns out, she was actually a pretty good artist herself and later in her life she began doing decorative painting which she became exceptionally adept at and the house was full of wonderful pieces of her craftsmanship.My interest in art followed me through the first few years of high school and finally landing in a place where it was just time to decide where I was going to university and to which program I would go.My mom, recognized that I was firmly sitting on either side of the creative and scientific fence, 1 foot firmly in both worlds, and she suggested architecture since it seemed to combine both of my interests.While I was studying to be an architect I took every single drawing and painting course that I could possibly take, whether they were weekly freehand drawing studios or evening classes or sketching schools.These courses during my university years were a safe place there I had more confidence than in doing pretty much anything else.But it really wasn't until those years in university under the tutelage of a great art teacher Gerry Tondino that I really began to understand drawing and painting.It wasn't so much that I was learning technical aspects of drawing or painting but that I was more learning how to see rather than simply look at things.Gerry would say, ‘once you learn to see and draw what you actually se, rather than what ou think you see, the drawing takes care of itself.'I had deep respect for Gerry Tondino and I think I really finally learned how to deeply appreciate the world around me to see the color, texture and value relationships. To understand how objects exist within a context and it wasn't specifically the thing you   looking at but everything around it that helped to define its edge.In college I would continue to take afterschool watercolor courses thinking that it was more convenient than painting in oils since there was a technical challenge of oil painting taking much longer to dry.There was something about the immediacy of watercolor that I liked. You had to think fast and plan. Watercolor was the process of painting in the shade and shadows leaving the white of the paper as the light and highlights. In oils, or now acrylic which I use almost exclusively, you are starting from the dark tones and building in layers to bring out the light.In watercolor there was equally some unpredictability and a learned skill of being able to get certain effects like running a clean wash of graduated blue for a sky over a background or how some pigments we opaque and others transparent, or how colors would interact with each other as water spread across the paper.I was taking workshops once and the teacher said to me “well it's clear you can draw and you've got, you know, a good hand, but I guess the question really is what do you want to say with the work that you create”That was a whole different way of thinking that I'd never really spend time with prior to that moment. I painted and drew simply because it was fun.What did I want to say?...And so I began to think pretty significantly about what message I wanted to convey or rather what stories the things that I drew or painted I might want to share with other people.It was interesting when I began to study architecture and think about design of places and things that I was drawn to the same question about what the architecture meant and what stories it would hold over the years that people would use it.I was always fascinated with traveling and standing within old buildings and wondering what the people wore when they were visiting here hundreds of years ago.What would they talk about. What was the news of the day or the politics what secrets were being not told as people visited and who came and went from within a building's walls.As I moved along my career, thinking about the stories that buildings would hold, it's perhaps not surprising that I somehow serendipitously end up in the world of brand experience place making,that the places that I would create for retailers would be imbued with a brand narrative and that somehow the buildings, stores or hotels would need to be able to demonstrate that subplot about who the intended user was, what their story was and how the place was a physical expression of both the person and the brand.Another experience while an architecture school was with a visiting professor and while I don't remember the exact project we were working on, I do remember her saying a phrase including the word “hodological”Hodological refers to the study of pathways or connections. It's used in fields of neuroscience sometimes thinking about the pathway and connections between neurons and synapses how signals move from one place to the other how information is shared across brain functional areas – In psychology it talks about things like paths in a person's life space and in the world of philosophy it might be considered to take in things like the interconnection between ideas a pathway between thought exercises and where one thought leads to another and what conclusions we might draw from that that decision making treein terms of geography it's really is about actual paths, walking paths for example, connection paths between geographic locations thing like trade route pathsThe interesting thing about the word hodological is not just that all these years later I clearly recall that word but that it also seemed to me that the idea of ‘transition' - moving from one place to the other - was very much a part of experience - that we don't stand still in buildings or public squares or on streets, we move and as we move, we naturally have a different experience at every moment.Sure, there's a gestalt experience of being in Times Square for example but every time we take a step our perspectival view of the context around us ends up changing and every moment technically speaking is also new,We're are clearly taking in some constants in sensory input but our point of view within that context ends up changing.I love this idea of walking through space and experiencing it differently with every step. Every step is a different vantage point to learn something new to see something from a different angle. In a broader sense, my fascination with the nature of change totally aligns with the idea the early -learned term – hodological.Pathways of change. Change through experience or experience through change. We may think that buildings don't change, but they do, albeit in some cases slowly. And over their lifetime they may be experienced be multitudes each one leaving and taking away a story.Transitions are important. I might suggest that all the good stuff happens in the in betweenness of moments in time, places and things. Transitions are where learning lives.Transitions become important as experience makers. So, things like stairs become fascinating places for architectural study. It's not surprising that many of the great architects also spend time designing stairways so that transitions between floors were less about a practical matter of moving your body up to a different level, but could be seen as an opportunity to experience new things along the way. An experiential moment that requires the person's commitment, to willingly give them self over to the idea of change. Cities have memories and our bodies have memories of cities. Buildings have memories and our bodies have memories of buildings.I have expressed before that I believe that there's very much a ‘give and make' of experience - that we interact and share with the built environment around us and it affects us as well. We and the environments we spend time in are deeply connected and our experience lives within us, within our bodies, not just within our heads. Our experience of building leaves within us a body memory, a narrative residue of how we felt while in one place or another.If you look at buildings overtime and understand that they've been used for years, they too have held countless numbers of stories of people that used them. Where they came from. Where they would go back to. Maybe they were transitioning through for a moment. Maybe they were lost and ended up taking a wrong turn and discovering something new.Those stories of buildings are interesting because it gives a life to architecture beyond stone, steel and glass. And this is where my guest Charles Leon comes into the story. Charles is a writer and illustrator of Sketch Journals, including The Kew Sketch Journal. He is an international speaker and trainer on the Creative Process and how Applied Innovation actually works. With more than 30 years experience in design, and an extensive knowledge of neuroscience and the working of the creative mind, Charles brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to helping organizations and individuals overcome Innovation Stagnation to achieve Creative Breakthrough.During the COVID pandemic Charles had a challenge simply staying inside while all of us were held up in our homes for months. With sketchb  ook in hand, Charles saw London England as a hodological space – one to be experiences not in the scientific, objective and measurable sense of streets of a certain distance ad width, buildings of a certain height, pathways connecting purpose driven users or as seen from a 3d person sense but more in the Jean-Paul Satre sense aptly described in Satre's essay, "Sketch for a Theory of Emotions," where his city was to be experienced in a lived-existential subjective sense. One in which he would travel daily, which sketchbook in hand, not always sure about the destination but certain that the path would be one of discovery, connection, and collecting through drawing and painting the memories of the buildings he encountered along the way.The output of these wanderings yielded 5 volumes in drawings and paintings of learnings about the buildings, their architectural details as well as the stories they revealed from within their walls…                 *                                  *                                  *ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites:  https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com.  The next level experience design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

IDEAL STRUCTURE OF AI-ENABLED TA   You might have noticed a run of AI Agent demo's on Brainfood Live recently - product makers are increasingly confident that they are going to produce intelligent software which will increasingly behave more like a colleague than a tool. What does this mean for the humans in the recruitment function?   Transformation is closer than we think and we need to get busy thinking about a future where AI indeed transforms our function, how that function needs to be structured for maximum efficacy and perhaps most importantly, how we ensure the efficiency gains provided by AI, convert to experience gains secured for humans.   We will discuss:   - State of AI in TA today - Current structure of TA teams - what are the options? - Will AI simplify TA structure - Y/N? - What functions will human TA retain, which will be automated? - How do humans 'stay in the loop'? - SHOULD humans stay in the loop? - What do we know about candidate experience and how will AI improve this? - Bias: how do we ensure AI does not exacerbate bias in hiring? - Where will recruiters be spending time in 2026? - How will the role of hiring managers change with the increase use of AI? - What does the optimal structure of TA look like going forward? - How do TA leaders start the journey toward getting there today?   All this and more, with some of the smartest people in the industry talking us through it. We're with industry legends John Vlastelica, Founder (RecruitingToolbox), Kevin Wheeler, Founder (Future of Talent Institute), Jim Miller, VP of People & Talent (Ashby), Syeda Younus, Director Research (Gartner) & Mary Kay Baldino, Head of Talent Acquisition (Morningstar)   We are on Friday 14th March, 12PM PST / 3PM EST / 7PM GMT     Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)     Ep296 is sponsored by our friends at Ashby   Ashby is what an ATS should be: an integration of sourcing automation, AI-supported outreach sequencing, native interview scheduling, a searchable CRM, and advanced analytics – all in one ATS++ system. That means better data, less context switching, and more streamlined workflows. Chosen by over a thousand companies, including Quora, Docker, Ironclad, and Multiverse, Ashby stands out as the top-rated ATS on G2. It is renowned for its real-time and reliable reporting, the ability to centralize the entire hiring process, and unparalleled customer support.   Talent Trends Reports are freely available: Download the latest here

Send us a textIt's Therapy ThursdayYour screen time is shaping you in ways you might not realize. Every show, movie, and social media scroll leaves an imprint on your mind, influencing everything from your daily thoughts to how you interact with others.Candace and Janet take us on a revealing journey through their personal media consumption habits, examining how what we watch creates a "mental diet" that nourishes or depletes us. Candace shares the surprising story of experiencing her first panic attack while watching a television drama during her separation, highlighting the powerful connection between emotional vulnerability and media consumption. Janet explains why she deliberately avoids fear-based news programming, choosing instead content that fosters hope and community connection.The conversation takes delightful turns as the hosts laugh about their Grey's Anatomy obsession leaving them convinced they could diagnose medical conditions ("I could probably give some surgery!"), while also exploring deeper territory about how religious programming can bring ancient texts to life. The contrast between "trash TV" and spiritual content reveals that it's not about judging what we watch, but rather understanding its impact on our mental well-being.What makes this discussion particularly valuable is the practical wisdom shared. The hosts suggest mindfully observing how different shows affect your mood, behavior, and outlook, then adjusting accordingly. They explore how algorithms shape what appears in our feeds and how we can take control by deliberately curating content that aligns with our values and goals.Whether you're a binge-watcher, social media scroller, or selective viewer, this conversation will transform how you think about your screen time. Take a moment to reflect on your own media habits – are they feeding your mind with what truly nourishes you? Subscribe now and join our community of mindful media consumers who are learning to harness the power of what they watch to create more positive, purposeful lives.Support the showHost Candace FlemingCo-host Janet Halevisit the website at https://www.essentialmotivation.com/visit the store at https://shopessentialmotivation.com/Instagram instagram.com/essentialmotivationllcTo be a guest on our show email me at candacefleming@essentialmotivation.comIn the subject line put EMH Guest Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988Music by Lukrembo: https://soundcloud.com/lukremboProvided by Knowledge Base: https://bit.ly/2BdvqzN

Send us a textIn this vibrant episode we dive deep into the science and magic of eating a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. Join your Health Coaches, Gina and Kristin as we explore the nutritional benefits of consuming a wide spectrum of colorful foods—from reds and oranges to greens, blues, and purples. Each color in the food spectrum provides unique vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support everything from heart health and immunity to brain function and skin radiance.Listeners will learn why a “rainbow plate” isn't just for aesthetics but a powerful tool for boosting overall well-being. We share our insights on how eating a variety of colors can prevent disease, improve mood, and even enhance mental clarity. Plus, we'll hear tips on how to make incorporating more color into your meals fun and easy, with simple ideas and practical advice.Whether you're a foodie or just looking to improve your health, this episode will leave you inspired to add a little more color to your plate and embrace the natural, delicious bounty that nature offers!Join us in our private Facebook group. Stop Chasing Wellness: Inner Circle Stop Chasing Wellness is an online wellness coaching company founded by two Holistic Health Coaches, Gina and Kristin. Be sure to check out all of our offerings including our book, Stop Chasing Wellness; Create It, and our growing catalog of Hormone Specific coaching courses. All of our courses and offerings are designed to help you feel and live your best life in a simplified way that works for you. You can find Stop Chasing Wellness on Facebook and Instagram

The human body has a deep interconnection with food. The food we eat undergoes the process of digestion, assimilation and absorption of key nutrients, and provides energy to every single cell in our body. Today, you're going to learn more about how your nutrition impacts your body and your ability to heal. On this episode of The Model Health Show, you're going to hear my interview with Max Lugavere on The Genius Life Podcast. You're going to learn about the best foods for brain health, the importance of sharing meals with your family, and why being dogmatic about nutrition can actually be harmful in the long run. We're going to talk about the state of health in the United States, and simple, science-backed things you can do to have a positive impact on your children's health outcomes. You're also going to hear about the powerful influence you have with the people in your household, and the best tip for inspiring others to make healthier choices. I hope this conversation reminds you of the innate power you hold to create change, not only in yourself, but for your family and community. Enjoy! In this episode you'll discover:  What you need to understand about how your dietary inputs affect your biology.  How the human body creates adaptations to unideal circumstances.  Why food is a powerful tool for healing.   What percentage of the average American's diet is ultra-processed foods.  How children's diets have evolved over the last few decades.   What culture is.   The important role you hold in influencing your family culture.   What percentage of American families eat together.   The protective health benefits of a shared meal.   What the most powerful epigenetic influence on our health is.   How to harness the power of instinctive elaboration to transform your life.  The difference between real food nutrition and synthetic versions.   What the best foods for brain health are.   The pros and cons of dietary frameworks.   How to cook for fat loss.     Items mentioned in this episode include:  Piquelife.com/model -- Get exclusive savings on bundles & subscriptions!   Eat Smarter Family Cookbook -- Transform the health, fitness, and connection of your entire family with the Eat Smarter Family Cookbook!  The Genius Life Podcast -- Subscribe to Max Lugavere's podcast!     Be sure you are subscribed to this podcast to automatically receive your episodes:   Apple Podcasts  Spotify  Soundcloud  Pandora  YouTube     This episode of The Model Health Show is brought to you by Pique. Go to Piquelife.com/model for exclusive savings on bundles & subscriptions on cutting-edge solutions for your head-to-toe health and beauty transformation. 

Autonomous Agentic AI Recruiters: Here, Now?   If 2025 is going to be year of the Agentic AI, then companies like SeekOut are going to be one of the tech companies at the frontier of building them. We have already reviewed what Agentic AI is (see Ep293!) - and discussed how close and how far we are away from seeing them in production. Can product builders shed more light on where we currently stand - can we even see some of these agents in action?   I challenged SeekOut CEO Anoop Gupta to show us what is on the roadmap, and of course Anoop was up for the challenge! Not only will we see the next evolution of one of the most popular recruiting tools on the market, but in doing so better understand how this will shape the contours of future recruiting work.   Expectations are high: lets see whether Agentic AI is here, now!     We are on Friday 7th March, 1pm PT   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)     Ep295 is sponsored by our friends SeekOut   SeekOut is one of the world's most popular recruitment technology platforms. Trusted by 1000's of employers worldwide to provide exceptional AI-enhanced candidate sourcing and personalising messaging services. Help your team hire the best talent by using SeekOut.

Brainfood on Tour - How to Hire in Indonesia in 2025 and beyond?   Indonesia has nearly 300 million people and therefore MUST have a huge amount of recruiting going on! And yet, it will come to no surprise to anyone that this is yet another country of which I am shamefully ignorant! Let's talk to local recruiters and found out how exactly recruiters, employers and candidates interact in this incredible country. We're going to learn: - What is the state of the economy in Indonesia in 2025? - What are the main strengths, main challenges to the economy here? - What sectors are the largest employers? - What is the competition for the top talent? - What defines top talent here? - How do candidates behave - what is the best channel of communication for first contact? - What is the education level of the general population? - What skills are most in-demand here? - Does Indonesia export talent / skills? If so, what? - Does Indonesia import talent / skills? If so, what? - What is the relationship employers have with recruitment agencies here? - How is the use of AI changing how companies recruit? - Are the island economies effectively separate? - How has the new capital impacted demand in Jakarta? - What are the 10 things a recruiter should know in order to become successful in Indonesia?   All this and more, on Tues 4th March, 11AM WIT   Click on here to follow the channel (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.

Hiring Insights Report 2025   One of the best value changes for Brainfood Live in 2025 is showcasing proprietary data from recruitment technology companies who are able to aggregate data on how TA teams actually behave. Join us for an exclusive webinar as we dive into the key findings from GoodTime's 2025 Hiring Insights Report, including trends, challenges, and strategies shaping talent acquisition in 2025. Here's what we'll cover: The state of hiring in 2025 Why TA teams only hit 47.9% of their hiring goals in 2024 How time-to-hire increased for 60% of companies Top hiring challenges revealed What's causing interview scheduling bottlenecks The rise of competition in a shifting talent market How AI and automation are changing the game How 93% of TA leaders plan to use tech to achieve hiring goals Real-world examples of smarter tools driving efficiency and better candidate experiences And so many more actionable strategies for success in 2025. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights that can transform your hiring strategy and set your team up for success in 2025!     We are on Friday 28th February, 7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm GMT   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)     Ep294 is sponsored by our friends GoodTime   GoodTime supercharges your recruiting coordination team to schedule 2-10X more interviews and helps them become more efficient and error-free. Automated, intelligent and human-centric interview scheduling is the simplistic way to deliver impactful improvements on how your business recruits. Schedule a demo here  

Brainfood on Tour - How to Hire in Singapore in 2025 and Beyond?   Friends, we're always on the move and visiting local recruiter communities to find out how those folks here in their local territories. I am delighted to be visiting Singapore once again - the Mighty Mouse of SE Asia! One of the smallest countries by landmass, yet one of the economically most important, the city state has been a huge centre of financial innovation and a place where many MNC's have operations. What is it like to hire for talent in Singapore?   We're going to learn: - State of the Singapore Economy 2025 - Major challenges, major opportunities - Political environment - how does business feel about Lawrence Wong? - Economic plans from the Govt, what is the plan for employment / growth? - Demographics …where is Singapore getting the workforce? - Employment law…what do foreigners need to know about hiring in Singapore? - Local vs Ex-pat vs Immigrant - who hires who and how? - In-demand sectors - How do recruiters operate here? - Recruitment technology - who is using what? - Talent import / export …who is going, who is staying? - JB / Singapore economic zone…who big a deal? - What do Recruiters need to know to become successful in Singapore?   All this and more, on Weds 26th February, 930am local time.   Click on here to follow the channel (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.   See you all later this month!

INTRODUCING AI AGENT BY JUICEBOX   AI Agents promise to revolutionise the work of recruiting but early experiments with generic products like OpenAI Operator have shown there is still some way to go - humans still needed to oversee, correct and train, especially for the unique use case of finding other human beings as candidates for the jobs we're recruiting for.   It's time for the recruitment technology vendors to step up and fill this need!   David Paffenholz, CEO of Juicebox, the company behind the groundbreaking talent sourcing tool 'PeopleGPT', think they have got the first breakthrough AI Agent focused on the recruiting use case. Let's put him and the AI Agent to the test in this LIVE DEMO of the how the product (or is it now, 'colleague'?) works.   We will learn:   - What instructions does AI Agent need to carry out its tasks? - How does AI Agent identify candidates from natural language prompts? - What sources does AI Agent use to find candidates? - How does it ensure data currency? - Does AI Agent score or rank candidates? - What is the mechanism if so? - Can AI Agent conduct outreach? - Can AI Agent conduct prescreening? - What can AI Agent NOT currently do? - How does a company optimally use AI Agent? - What is the story with compliance, especially with anticipated transatlantic divergence on AI safety? - What else do we need to know before we deploy AI Agent??       We are on Wednesday 26th February, 7am PT / 3pm GMT     Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)     Ep294-a is sponsored by our friends PeopleGPT by Juicebox   PeopleGPT is the leading outbound recruiting platform built on Generative AI. Find talent across 30+ data sources, get interactive Talent Insights, and reach out with personalized AI email campaigns.   Key features include:   PeopleGPT (Search): the world's first people search engine that uses natural language. Describe who you're searching for and find the perfect match from over 30 data sources. Talent Insights: Visualize your talent pool with 15+ interactive charts. Refine your search and dive deep into stats based on location, employers, job titles, skills, and more. Email Outreach: Maximize candidate engagement with AI-powered email campaigns. Personalize messaging at scale using AI commands, and boost response rates by 40%.   Get 15% off your Juicebox subscription with code: BRAINFOOD15   Trusted by 400+ companies including Scale AI, Mindbloom, and Patreon. Free trial available - try it now here

ABOUT NATALIA OLSZEWSKA:NATALIA'S LINKEDIN PAGE: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalia-olszewska/COMPANY WEBSITE: improntaspace.com EMAIL: gardener.natalia@gmail.comNATALIA'S BIO:Natalia is a versatile professional with a foundation in medicine and neuroscience, dedicated to applying neuroscientific principles to architectural design. She adeptly connects these two realms, striving to improve our built environment by making it more human-centered and conducive to well-being. Furthermore, Natalia is an accomplished researcher and practitioner in the field of neuroscience applied to architecture, specializing in evidence-based and neuroscience-informed design. She garnered invaluable experience during her tenure at Hume, a pioneering architectural and urban planning firm founded by Itai Palti, where she led the 'Human Metrics Lab.' Natalia lent her expertise to design projects for prestigious clients such as Arup, Skanska, HKS Architects, EDGE, the Association of Children's Museums, the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, Google, as well as numerous individual clients.Her interdisciplinary approach transcends boundaries, allowing her to craft built environments that foster individual well-being across various dimensions - social, psychological, and cognitive. Natalia's co-founding role at IMPRONTA, a consultancy specializing in health and well-being design, underscores her commitment to leveraging neuroscience and applied sciences in architecture. Since 2020, she has also been contributing to the NAAD (Neuroscience Applied to Architecture) course at IUAV University in Venice.Natalia's educational journey is characterized by a distinctive blend of backgrounds, encompassing medicine from Jagiellonian University and Tor Vergata, neuroscience from UCL, ENS, Sorbonne, and neuroscience applied to architectural design from Università IUAV.SHOW INTRO:Welcome to the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast.EPISODE 76… and my conversation with Natalia Olszewska. On the podacast our dynamic dialogues based on our acronym DATA - design, architecture, technology, and the arts crosses over disciplines but maintains a common thread of people who are passionate about the world we live in and human's influence on it, the ways we craft the built environment to maximize human experience, increasing our understanding of human behavior and searching for the New Possible.    The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD Magazine part of the Smartwork Media family of brands.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. The IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing the discourse forward on what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.orgOn this episode I connect with Natalia Olszewska is a versatile professional with a foundation in medicine and neuroscience, dedicated to applying neuroscientific principles to architectural design. We'll get to all of that in a moment but first though, a few thoughts…                 *                                  *                                  *For a while now I have had a fascination with the connection between buildings and brains. While I loved psychology, and studied it before getting into architecture school, it occurred to me in the middle of the 20-teens that buildings, or the environments we design and build, have a direct effect on our psychology. There are places in which we feel good or bad or uneasy or exhilarated, or a sense of awe or agitation. There are places where we feel calm, and others that make me feel ill at ease. And all of those feelings have a body sense to them as well. Heart rises or decreases. I sweat more or less. My chest feels tight or relaxed.  Cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and other neurochemicals and hormones are released and coursing through my body as I experience places. And many of these hormones and neurochemicals being released into my blood stream I have little control over. My brain-body reacts to environmental stimuli and biochemistry does its thing.Buildings may make me feel certain way, induce certain emotions, that we may think are just about your thoughts, brain activity, but at the core, our body too is in a relationship with conditions in the environment.We feel architecture with our bodies, we don't just intellectually experience them in our heads. The experience of buildings, and our emotional reactions to them, is as much a ‘bottom-up process' - our body's sensory processes taking in stimuli from the environment - as a ‘top-down' process – our brains processing that sensory information and making decisions about who we should behave in response to them.Our bodies and brains are in continual dialogue with the world around us. In fact, through a process of neuro plasticity, our brains are wired partly in response to our experiences. Yes we are hard wired through our millions of years of evolution to have what we consider innate responses to the environment and then there are those neuronal connections that area direct result of experiences in the here and now. As you listen to this podcast, your brain is creating new wiring shaping the neural pathways that allow for learning and behaviors.And as we repeatedly experience something, those pathways are reinforced facilitating understanding. Those pathways recognize patterns in our experiences, and they are codified so that when we experience them again our brains are not continually trying to decipher every element anew. If it weren't for our brain's ability of recognize patterns and anomalies in them, we would live a life of extreme ground hog day and would likely be immobilized with the processing necessary to analyze every element we encounter every moment of every day. Over millions of years some of these patterns have become deeply ingrained in our neurobiology. They are part of our brain structures that allow us to react instinctually. You might say that some of them operate ‘below the radar' of our conscious awareness. But because they are not front row center in our awareness doesn't mean that they don't have an influence of our mindbody state.Colors, lighting, materials, geometries, visual patterns and spatial arrangements, to name of few, have an effect on us. We might not necessarily pay attention to these elements of our environment as we move through it, but they have an effect on us. We may not consciously feel the influence of these things, but the effects are there, nevertheless. Acute angles, loud sounds, bright fluorescent lights, certain colors and texture patterns, repetitive and banal patterns, things devoid of detail and out of scale with our human body all have an effect on our sense of well-being. University of Waterloo cognitive neuroscientist Colin Ellard has worked for more than three decades in the application of psychology and neuroscience to architectural and urban design. His work illustrates the impact of ‘boring buildings' on how we feel and our sense health and well-being. We humans, it turns out, function and feel better in environments of physical and visual intricacy. We seek our variety and complexity, layered environments that pique our curiosity and sense of intrigue. And yet…far too many of our built environments at simply banal.Ellard says the  - “The holy grail in urban design is to produce some kind of novelty or change every few seconds,” “Otherwise, we become cognitively disengaged.”Imagine for a moment what is happening inside our mind-bodies when we live 8 + hours in a sea of detail-less white cubicles under a blanked of fluorescent lights. We might think this is an efficient office space, but we are creating brain numbing environments and at the same time asking people to reach optimal performance in the workplace. We may wish hotels guests a good night sleep on a heavenly bed and then we fill the room with light that completely counteracts the production of melatonin telling our brain that it is still daytime and to stay alert.And… we have built city block after city block of repetitive, banality. Efficient to build, very economical yes, but a boredom inducer for the brain.Now this doesn't mean that every environment needs to be a rollercoaster for the senses nor be pristine and bucolic. In fact, some environments are better because they are well…messier. Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design suggest that successful design is about “shaping emotional infrastructure.” Montgomery argues that some of the happier blocks in New York are “kind of ugly and messy.” The energy of New York can be both energizing and exhausting.It would be perhaps unfair to heap the responsibility for inhabitants' psychological and physical well-being entirely on buildings but given that we now spend the overwhelming proportion of our days enclosed in them, it stands to reason that they have a clear effect on how we feel. For whatever it's worth, Aarhus, Denmark is the world's happiest city, according to the London-based Institute for Quality of Life's 2024 Happy City Index. The Institute for the Quality of Life identified five categories it believes have the most direct impact on happiness, including citizens, governance, economy, mobility and environment.Based on these factors, Aarhus, Denmark, achieved the highest score, particularly excelling in governance and the environment. I think Copenhagen also held the title at some point I believe due to its building stock being human scale, detailed and varied engendering intrigue and visual delight.And this is where this episode's guest Natalia Olszewska comes into the story.Natalia went to medical school but always had a fascination with architecture. When on a trip to the Venice Biennale it clicked for her that she could combine both of these interests considering that neuroscience could be linked to how buildings make us feel.The rest as they say is history…Natalia adeptly connects these two realms, striving to improve our built environment by making it more human-centered and conducive to well-being. Natalia is an accomplished researcher and practitioner in the field of neuroscience applied to architecture, specializing in evidence-based and neuroscience-informed design.Her interdisciplinary approach transcends boundaries, allowing her to craft built environments that foster individual well-being across various dimensions - social, psychological, and cognitive. Natalia's co-founding role at IMPRONTA, a consultancy specializing in health and well-being design, underscores her commitment to leveraging neuroscience and applied sciences in architecture. Since 2020, she has also been contributing to the NAAD (Neuroscience Applied to Architecture) course at IUAV University in Venice a city that is most definitely not boring…                 *                                  *                                  *ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites:  https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com. The next level experience design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too. The next level experience design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

Talent Trends: Recruiter Productivity 2025   Ashby produce some fantastic quarterly reports, taking information from their platform to better understand the behaviour of the recruiters in the market. Hot of the press with the latest report, we are going to take this session to deep dive into a topic we all need to care about in 2025 - Recruiter Productivity.   We will find out:   - What are the productivity benchmarks for recruiting in 2024? - Can we distinguish between how A+ performers behave compared to C- performers? - What are the most impactful changes TA teams can make when deciding to uplevel their productivity? - At individual level, what are the ways leaders can fairly measure performance? - Can we discern the impact of AI on recruiter activity? - Are there any sectors, regions, company types that seem to be most productive? - If so, what is transferrable from these to others?   All this and more, as we deep dive into the numbers, followed by panel discussion with Heads of TA!   We're with with Willem Wijnans, Community & Talent Advisory Lead (Ashby), Andrea Marston, Talent Acquisition Director (Nutanix), Alexa McWilliam, Global Head of Talent Acquisition (numa) & Andy Mountney, Global Head of Talent Acquisition (Chainlink)   We are on Friday 21st February, 2pm GMT   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)     Ep293 is sponsored by our friends Ashby   Ashby is what an ATS should be: an integration of sourcing automation, AI-supported outreach sequencing, native interview scheduling, a searchable CRM, and advanced analytics – all in one ATS++ system. That means better data, less context switching, and more streamlined workflows. Chosen by over a thousand companies, including Quora, Docker, Ironclad, and Multiverse, Ashby stands out as the top-rated ATS on G2. It is renowned for its real-time and reliable reporting, the ability to centralize the entire hiring process, and unparalleled customer support.   Talent Trends Reports are freely available: Download the latest here

If you've ever had a patient complain about brain fog, forgetfulness, or mental fatigue, you're not alone. Cognitive health isn't just a concern for aging patients—it affects everyone, from kids in school to busy professionals juggling a million tasks.In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jenna Stedman, a Cognitive Performance Dietitian, who breaks down the science of brain health and what we can do to support it—starting with food.What You'll Learn:The top nutrients that support memory, focus, and mental clarityThe solution to "brain fog" that people completely missThe Brain Power Plate—a simple way to build meals that boost cognitionThe facts about smoothies Plus, practical tips you can share with patients—so they don't reach for energy drinks when food is the real solution.Resources & Links:Episode 80 | The MIND Diet: What To Eat For Brain HealthDr. Stedman's Brain Power Plate breakdownBlog: 9 Questions to Ask About Cognitive HealthConnect with Dr. Stedman: masternutritionlab.com | LinkedInAny Questions? Send Me a MessageSupport the showConnect with Colleen:InstagramLinkedInSign up for the Nutrition Wrap-Up Newsletter - Nutrition hot-topics and professional growth strategies delivered to your inbox each week. Support the show!If you love the show and want to help me make it even better, buy me a coffee to help me keep going! ☕️Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.

AI Agents in TA & HR Hype vs Reality?   Some people are saying that will be the year of the AI Agent - an advancement of AI where it crosses over from being an amazing tool to being a competent colleague. The Google Whitepaper shared in recruiting brainfood a few weeks ago was an outstanding introduction to the topic and we're going to use this session to deep dive into state of play when it comes to Agentic AI   You will learn what TA Leaders think about:   - What is Agentic AI? - Why is this a step change from 'normal AI'? - Do we have AI Agents currently out there in production? - In what fields or sectors: can we see one in action? - How are AI agents built? - What might be the use cases for Agentic AI in Recruitment? - How do we anticipate Agentic AI making an appearance in the workflow? - Are there any Agentic AI's operating in recruiting or HR right now? - What is the best thing that TA / HR should do in given what we know about Agentic AI?   All this and more on Brainfood Live On Air. We're with Johannes Sundlo, People Director, (Avalanche Studios Group), Jessie Schofer, Founder (Stakkd), Simão Nogueira, Head of AI (Talent Protocol) & Jose Kadlec, Author (HR Robosapiens) - on Friday 14th Feb, 11.00am GMT   Follow the channel here (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.     Ep292 is sponsored by our friends Metaview   Metaview is the No #1 AI Scribe purpose-built for recruiting.   Now with Metaview Free Plan, there is no excuse not to have an AI interview note taker. If you want to improve your hiring efficiency in 2025 and NOT yet implemented an AI interview note taking tool, then there is no longer any excuse: Metaview Free is a zero cost opportunity to build efficiencies into your own workflow; Metaview are SO confident that you will see the value that you will want to get your whole team and hiring managers on it too.   Sign up for a demo here, or just get on with the free plan here.

Nutrition Nugget! Bite-size bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about walnuts! You might be surprised by just how much these little nuts offer—beyond being a tasty snack. From brain-boosting nutrients to heart health benefits, walnuts pack a serious nutritional punch. But did you know they might also affect appetite regulation, gut health, and cancer prevention? What makes walnuts unique compared to other nuts, and how can they support overall wellness? Tune in to find out! Like what you're hearing? Be sure to check out the full-length episodes of new releases every Wednesday.  Have an idea for a nutrition nugget?  Submit it here: https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/index.php/contact/       RESOURCES:Become A Member of Salad with a Side of FriesJenn's Free Menu PlanA Salad With a Side of FriesA Salad With A Side Of Fries MerchA Salad With a Side of Fries InstagramNutrition Nugget: AntioxidantsNutrition Nugget: Omega 6s

How to Hire in Malaysia in 2025   Brainfood On Tour is back on folks - we're now in Malaysia and its time to deep dive into this fascinating country made of many ethnicities, faiths and regions. A nation of 70 million people, Malaysia is a coming powerhouse of SE Asia region with huge economic potential   We will find out:   - What are the main things people need to know about hiring in Malaysia? - In economy, what are the most dynamic sectors? - What are the demographics looking like here? - What are the main government policies which employers need to be aware of when hiring in Malaysia? - Language & diversity: how do employers navigate this? - What are the main qualities of a great recruiter for the Malaysia market? - What tools / technologies are important for the recruiter community here? - How does one find out more about how to hire in Malaysia?   All this and more as we deep dive into what makes the Malaysia recruitment market tick!   We're with Ian Turnpenny Andrei Perevalov, Head of People Ops (Virtual Internships) , Elena Argyriou, Head of People & Culture (SnappyMob), Rodica Belocosov, VP of People (MoneyLion), Sam Baxendale, CEO (Kinetik) & friends     And on Friday 7th February, 12pm KUL   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)

State of Hiring - What Do 100 Talent Leaders Think for 2025?   Every year Willo put together a report from an in-depth survey of 100+ Heads of Talent. And every year Brainfood Live gets CEO Euan Cameron on screen to talk us through it. If you're a TA Leader who needs to benchmark what your peers are thinking, this show is for you:   You will learn what TA Leaders think about:   - Budget allocation in 2025 - Tech / Tools which are the priorities - TA upskilling, what are the skills gaps in the current Talent Acquisition set up - Hiring: what is the scale of hiring for TA, what skills / attributes are most important right now? - Compensation: what rates for which levels in TA - How does the TA structure look like 2024 vs 2025? - What is the degree of off shoring in team? - FTE vs Non-FTE in team - What even is the right size of a TA team?     All this and more on Brainfood Live On Air. We're on Friday 7th Feb, 10am GMT   Follow the channel here (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.     Ep291 is sponsored by our friends Willo   Increasingly, recruiting for high-volume positions within a global, diverse workforce requires moving beyond traditional methods and the limitations of written CVs. Handling thousands of applications manually is not only exhausting and inefficient, it can prevent you from finding the talent your organization needs most to succeed.   The award-winning Willo team is transforming hiring with a dynamic candidate screening solution that users love, backed by an NPS score to prove it!   Their web-based, human-centric platform allows candidates to record responses to a predefined set of questions at their convenience. With over 5,000 secure integrations, Willo makes it easy to supercharge your recruitment process, reduce bias, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion goals—all while helping you tap into a larger, more exciting pool of global candidates.   Sign up at willo.video this month to get 10% off—just use the coupon code "brainfood”.   That's W-i-l-l-o dot video.

Valleant has published its latest article covering various foods beneficial for brain health, highlighting the essential nutrients they provide and their positive effects on cognitive function and mental well-being, which is aimed at Health-Conscious Individuals. The article is available for viewing in full at https://valleant.com/what-are-the-best-foods-for-a-healthy-mind-and-why-essential-nutrients-for-cognitive-well-being/ Valleant City: Austin Address: 11320 North FM 620 Website: https://valleant.com

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth and Pique Life. We know the seeds of Alzheimer's are planted at least twenty years before a diagnosis. So, it's never too early to make crucial lifestyle changes that can influence brain health and the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.  Today on The Dhru Purohit Show, we're bringing you a special compilation episode featuring Dhru's conversations with leading experts on Alzheimer's and brain health.  Dr. David Perlmutter explores the key factors that influence Alzheimer's risk and shares his top lifestyle strategies for prevention. He also discusses tools to assess brain energy usage and dives into the gut-brain connection. Dr. Mosconi explains what happens to a woman's brain during menopause and its connection to Alzheimer's disease. She also shares how recent research validates women's experiences in perimenopause and menopause, along with key lifestyle habits to prevent dementia and support a smoother transition. Dr. Perlmutter is a board-certified neurologist and five-time New York Times bestselling author. He is a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and serves on their Board of Directors. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Archives of Neurology, and Neurosurgery. Lisa Mosconi, PhD, is an associate professor of neuroscience in neurology and radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and the director of the Women's Brain Initiative and the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The XX Brain and Brain Food. In this episode, Dhru and his guests dive into: Genetics vs. Lifestyle: Their roles in diagnosis and impact on health (1:39) How Insulin Resistance Affects the Brain: Compromised brain energetics (04:20) Key ingredients that impact the body like sugar  (11:11) Blood Sugar Game-Changers: Strategies for better management (20:14) Foods Dr. Perlmutter avoids & the gut-brain connection (27:32) The brain's energy demands & top antioxidant-rich foods (34:32) What's happening in the brain during menopause (38:31) Validating menopause symptoms and women's experiences (47:32) Brain changes in perimenopause & key transitions (52:02) Why the brain is unique and why consistency is key (59:32) Also mentioned: Full episode with David Perlmutter Full episode with Dr. Lisa Mosconi This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth and Pique Life. Right now, get 40% off your Cozy Earth sheets. Just head over to cozyearth.com/dhru and use code DHRUP. Right now, Pique Life is offering 20% off the Pu'er fermented black and green teas. Plus, you'll get a free beaker and frother when you go to piquelife.com/dhru. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the key to a resilient mind and a lighter, brighter you lies in the foods you eat? In this enlightening episode of Mirror Talk: Soulful Conversations, we sit down with the brilliant Delia, a psychologist turned nutritional neuroscience expert. Her journey from clinical psychology to the intricate connection between nutrition and brain health will leave you inspired. Join us as Delia shares practical, science-backed insights on how to nourish your brain, cultivate stress resiliency, and shift your mindset towards positivity. From understanding how food affects mental well-being to uncovering the best brain-boosting recipes, this episode is packed with wisdom to help you thrive. Plus, we dive into her two bestselling books, Feed Your Brain - 7 Steps to a Lighter, Brighter You! and Feed Your Brain - The Cookbook, exploring simple yet powerful ways to optimize brain function through diet. What You'll Learn in This Episode:  ✔️ How nutrition directly impacts brain function and mental well-being. ✔️ The 7 steps to a lighter, brighter you, based on Delia's book. ✔️ The best foods to eat for preventing dementia, depression, and anxiety. ✔️ The truth about chocolate – is it really a brain food? ✔️ How stress affects our bodies and how to manage it through nutrition. ✔️ The power of neurophysiology and how to become more resilient. ✔️ Practical tips on eating for optimal brain health and reducing stress. Connect with Delia:

Cossacks have much to learn from the Wise Fools. (This tale was inspired by a story in Chaim Topol's "To Life!") From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Talent Insights for 2025 from 1000 CHRO's   Nobody doubts this 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for how businesses organise. Transformational breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence, rapid remodelling of organisation structure, requirement for re-skilling and re-deployment, almost every job will be impacted. How do CHRO's think about this year, and what do they see as the priorities?   - Demographics of respondents - Priorities: talent acquisition, talent density, talent retention? - Technology & tools - Budget allocation, where is it going in 2025? - Non-FTE vs FTE - DEIB: is HR under attack? And if so what do we need to do about it? - Generational differences in the workforce - Impact of AI in the job market - Has it changed your source of hire?   All this and more on Brainfood Live On Air. Greenhouse Co-founder Jon Stross with run us through the results. We're on Friday 31st Jan, 2pm GMT   Follow the channel here (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.     Ep290 is sponsored by our friends Greenhouse        

ABOUT LOUISA WHITMORE:TIK TOK: LOUISA'S BIO:Louisa Whitmore is an architecture content creator on TikTok with over 350K followers, as well as the host of the cable television documentary series “The Nature of Design.” A former commentator for the USModernist podcast, Whitmore has also worked as a live radio host and PSA producer at CHMA 106.9FM, the local radio station at Mount Allison University, where she's currently an honors student studying international relations and French. She enjoys telling stories, and is passionate about sustainable design.SHOW INTRO:Welcome to the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast.EPISODE 75… and my conversation with Louisa Whitmore. On the podacast our dynamic dialogues based on our acronym DATA - design, architecture, technology, and the arts crosses over disciplines but maintains a common thread of people who are passionate about the world we live in and human's influence on it, the ways we craft the built environment to maximize human experience, increasing our understanding of human behavior and searching for the New Possible.    he NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD Magazine part of the Smartwork Media family of brands.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. The IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing the discourse forward on what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.orgLouisa Whitmore is a TikTok creator phenom whose content is about architecture. With almost 400 thousand followers her no holds-barred, straight from the heart and to the point commentary about the buildings she loves and loves to hate, brings a user experience point of view and accessible critique into the mainstream.We'll get to all of that in a moment but first though, a few thoughts…                  *                                  *                                  *The great thing about doing this podcast is it gives me an opportunity to rethink some of the assertions that have held to be true and cross check whether in fact they are immutable or whether there is room for challenging myself and maybe digging into some subtleties and nuances… and seeing things a different way.Like for example the idea of criticism – who does it and its value…I have to admit I haven't been particularly fond of the idea of critics for a very long time. This would be generally true of the kind who dole out the negative kind of commentary.Years ago when commenting on something, I think it was some art piece, and my son said to me “…dad why is it that you never really say you hate anything…”which I sort of thought was kind of funny then. I think I responded “…well because I don't really hate anything… I try to always view things from the other side - a different point of view. I try to get beyond the visceral reaction and look to design principles and comment from a place of applying principles to the work and see how they line up…and then make a comment that is based yes on whether I simply like it, the colors, shapes, energy, feeling , may be a message it is trying to impart AND  whether I can see the value in it based on principles determined to be generally accepted by experts in the domain…” so yeah I don't really hate things…If I apply the idea of casting judgement on art, music, architecture… it got me thinking… again…What is the value of judgement? Is it to determine the appropriateness of something to a particular context or challenge?I have my favorite architects and artists and musical performers, I like different styles and periods. But I don't listen to heavy metal (though my sons love it). I don't know that I can say that I hate it. Perhaps I just don't understand it and maybe if I did, it still wouldn't jibe with me.It just doesn't go in my body well. It's a sensory mismatch.I don't hate it – It makes me agitated. So, I just don't listen to it. And I guess you could say the same thing for certain genres of art.For example… I'm not particularly crazy about a lot of contemporary art.I have a hard time understanding a performance artist dipping her hair in paint and swinging aloft from a rope while her hair drags across a canvas and the painting while on lookers wrapped in dimly lit light bulbs stand slightly by  selling for millions of dollars… it isn't something I quite get. And I know that authorized replicas of the Marcel Duchamp sculpture called the “Fountain” - which is a urinal - sell for somewhere between 3 and $4 million each and here's the kicker... apparently because the original has been lost the financial the value of the original piece is unknown and might be considered as being priceless. I don't know… it sort of leaves me just trying too hard... knowing I'm falling profoundly short of ascending to the intellectualized rarefied air that somehow makes this sort of thing makes sense. And I also suspect that if I'm voicing these concerns or questions that I am likely to get a lot of people commenting that my remarks point out my ignorance, that I just don't understand and I would …well…agree with them.I'm ok with that. Really.And I think I'm not alone in this category of not understanding contemporary art and the extraordinary prices that contemporary art paintings fetch at auctions and then again maybe if I did, I still wouldn't spend $25 million on a Rothko painting.The thing about critics, I think, is that we entrust these individuals with being in the know, of having deep insight, knowledge or experience into the making of the art. That these are people who understand its value and relevancy to culture and somehow able to unfold the deep meaning in the work whatever format the creativity comes in and to bestow upon us their opinion as if it is fact.The challenge of course is that I think there may be an ignorance in the public and that the deeper inner meaning of things is somehow held in reserve for the creators of the work or select few who follow it.But I've always had a challenge with the idea that the critic seems to have the extraordinary power to completely destroy the creative work as well as raise it to high levels of adulation and praise.I think that in some ways we have come to trust to the critic as certainly knowing more than we do and therefore what they say about a particular piece of art or architecture should be taken as truth and the presumed value of the creation lies in whether their commentary is positive or negative.How many people have not gone to see a movie because it only got 2 stars… and who said it should only have two stars?Maybe I would have found the comedy hilarious… but not the critic.I often don't even check reviews by the masses on restaurant or hotel booking sites and if I do read the reviews, I do it very carefully. I look to see what it was that these people did or didn't like. What it was that made their experience a must see or a definite red tomato. Personally, I dig to see if there is anything at a lower level that suggests what was driving the positive or negative review? What it was in this message that this particular critic is trying to convey?I've often thought that to be able to criticize art or other forms of creative invention you'd have to understand what it was the maker was intending to convey.You'd have to understand the basic ideas, for example, of composition to be able to determine whether a Jackson Pollock or a Kandinsky or a Basquiat was worth all the fuss and on what basis you were making the comments about the work.I guess it's not all critics that I have a problem with but maybe more those who simply present negative opinions. And it's not like I should even care that critic X didn't like thing Y. It was their opinion. Okay so they have an opinion. The challenge is the uninformed may come to accept the opinion as fact and turn away from somethings simply because some one says its not good.I guess the role of the professional critic is to study and assess the value of a creative work and pass judgment on the product based on facts and logical assertions. This is kind of like knowing a bit about composition before offering an opinion the write something off.It seems to me that the idea of a critic is to connect ideas, arrive at reasonable conclusions and perhaps open avenues for discussing new directions and fostering an awareness of ideas and cultural trends.It also seems to me that the role of the critic is to challenge our general assumptions about things to get us to look more deeply at our assertions and to get us to not simply accept things at face value but to continue to search for excellence, challenge the status quo, in all of the things that we bring into the world so that we don't fill it with the mundane or banal.There's something about the critic as ‘educator' - increasing our collective level of understanding of things, pointing out where things might likely be improved and offering positive commentary on what might be a series of next steps in order to develop the output and make it better - that I align with.And I know that the idea of making it ‘better' is full of all manner of subtext and necessity to consider contextual considerations… ‘better' for whom, for what and why?And maybe this is where I mostly land on the idea of the value of the critique is that of using constructive criticism for the value of enhancing people's understanding of a particular subject or giving the creator tools to go back to the drawing board, so to speak, and make it better.Jazz master saxophonist David Liebman wrote a concise piece on his website called “The Critic Dilemma: Criticism vs. Review”. He describes many of the same ideas about who's making he comments, are they objective facts or subjective opinions, and why should we trust one critic's opinion over another? Liebman differentiates between critique and a review:“…When the writer's opinion and taste is the focal point, this constitutes a critique. On the other hand, a review should be the dissemination of information with the desired intention being elucidation. The idea is that with this information, the listener is equipped to form his own opinion…”.And this is where this episode's guest Louisa Whitmore begins to fit into the story.When Louisa was 16 years old she began to share architecture commentary on Tik Tok. She blew up the social media sphere with posts that were personal and occasionally pointed. She came at her critiques of buildings not from the expert or architectural practioner point of view but from that of the user, the general public mindset.She didn't profess to be a building expert, to have deep knowledge in construction but rather to simply be part of the general public who experienced the built environment every day but who had little to nothing to do with how buildings got there in the first place.Her negative commentary on 432 Park Avenue - the luxury condo building designed by Rafael Viñoly and SLCE Architects – lit up the digisphere with 100s of thousands of followers lining up behind her to voice their impressions of this building. Most of them not very good I might add. Which was actually ok since there was a ton of press – not particularly good I might add – about problems with the building. Now, Louisa didn't know about these issues about the engineering, the building swaying (which would be natural by the way) and other problems but felt vindicated nevertheless with the press that effectively substantiated her intuitive feelings about this super-tall condo on the Central Park's edge.I see her posts more like David Leibman's construct of the ‘Review' – “…that with this information, the listener is equipped to form his own opinion…”.And opinions her followers had. 1000's of them.In the spirit of “…the dissemination of information with the desired intention being elucidation…” Whitmore turned her attention to projects thatfocused on Biophilia and how buildings with ample integration of plants seemed to simply feel better. Her noteriaty on Tik Tok, articulate whit, intuition and ability to articulate the ‘person on the street's' perception of the built environment, landed her the role as host of “the cable television documentary series “The Nature of Design”.Over the course of a number of episodes Whitmore tours properties talking about biophilic principles and with the support of a variety of experts ranging from architects to neuroscientists she dives into the science of how buildings with a biophilic approach effect our well-being…Whitmore is called a teenage architecture critic. While her rise on social media platforms may have been based on the building she loved to hate, it seems that she is using her notoriety to review and elucidate…. ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites:  https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comTwitter: DavidKepronPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com. The next level experience design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too. The next level experience design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

How to Hire in India in 2025   Brainfood On Tour is back for another season! I am delighted to back in India - for the first time since before Covid. This is one of the most diverse, vibrant, populous and important countries in the world - and potentially one of the major engines of economic growth for the future. Let's find out what it is like to hire in India!   We will find out:   - What are the main things people need to know about hiring in India? - In economy, what are the most dynamic sectors? - How do employers plan for the talent surplus that India consistently produces? - What are the main government policies which employers need to be aware of when hiring in India? - Language & diversity: how do employers navigate this? - What are the main qualities of a great recruiter for the India market? - What tools / technologies are important for the recruiter community here? - How does one find out more about how to hire in India?   All this and more as we deep dive into what makes the India recruitment market tick!   We're with with Bharath C, Senior Manager Talent Acquisition (Ultraviolette Automotive), AK Menon, Director (Options Exec Search), Ridhi Malhotra, Demand Generation, Deepa Joshi, Head of Talent Acquisition (Novonesis) & friends   And on Tuesday 28th January, 12pm IST   Register by clicking the green button and follow the channel here (recommended)

Req Load: How Much is Too Much Per Recruiter in the Age of AI?   If Artificial Intelligence going to make recruiters hyper productive, how many requirements can we now expect to manage? There's no question that this question is going to be on the mind of CEO's going into 2025. Whilst we CAN expect some increase in req load, how much is too much?   In this session, we are going to discuss the variables which go into calculating requirements per recruiter, and how to explain that numbers don't capture everything a recruiter does.   - Volume of roles - Number of repeats - Complexity of hire - Availability of talent - Condition of employer branding - are we an attractive employer? - Calibre of current team - EVP - Tools / techniques - do we even have a LinkedIn Recruiter license (jk) - Impact of DEIB, are we invested and committed? - Hiring philosophy: open hiring, skills based hiring, traditional hiring? - Structure of organisation - Regional variance - Functional variance.   All this and more on Brainfood Live On Air. We're with Matthias Schmeisser, Head of Talent, (Emnify), Mark Deubels, TA Leader (Synthesia), Oksana Strippentow, Head of Talent (ex-Mangopay) & Mary Kay Baldino, Head of Talent Acquisition (Morningstar)   We're on Friday 24th Jan, 2pm GMT   Follow the channel here (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.     Ep289 is sponsored by our friends BrightHire   BrightHire's market-leading Interview Intelligence platform powers hiring for game-changing companies like Canva, Ramp, Rippling, Multiverse, Vercel, and 000s more.   Not just another notetaking tool, BrightHire's platform transforms hiring quality and efficiency with AI that builds exceptional hiring plans, automates interview notes, improves decision-making, drives interview consistency, and delivers powerful talent insights. And they've just completed an independent 3rd party AI bias audit – a first in the Interview Intelligence category.   Learn more at BrightHire.com, and find out why companies from the most disruptive AI platforms in the world to the Fortune 100 trust BrightHire to transform their hiring with powerful, responsible AI.   Learn more

Gut, Food, & Health series “The food that you eat affects everything, including your mental health.” —Dr. Edison de Mello   What if the key to better mental health was as simple as the food on your plate? Emerging research reveals the profound influence of gut health on cognitive function, mood, and emotional resilience. By nourishing the body, we may unlock the path to nourishing the mind. Dr. Edison de Mello is an integrative medicine specialist and the founder of the Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine. As a physician and psychologist, he has dedicated his career to exploring the intricate connections between physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Tune in as Dr. de Mello shares his insights on leveraging the power of nutrition to support brain health, combat depression, and optimize cognitive performance. Meet Dr. de Mello: Dr. Edison de Mello, MD, PhD is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine. He is a board-certified integrative physician and a licensed psychotherapist. Dr. de Mello completed his residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, where he trained in a biopsychosocial model and integrated complementary medicine into Family Medicine. Inspired by his grandmother, Nana, who practiced natural healing, Dr. de Mello's approach combines Western and Eastern medicine, focusing on treating the mind, body, and spirit. He has written several articles and contributed to Dr. Andrew Weil's upcoming book on the microbiome and food addiction. Dr. de Mello is also on the advisory board of several organizations and a member of various professional associations. Website  Instagram Facebook YouTube X   Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Episode Highlights: 02:16 the Impact of Diet on Mental Health 05:35 Dietary Reboot 08:46 How IV Therapy Works 14:22 Addressing Memory Issues and Depression  19:53 Gut and Mental Health Connection    

Valleant wants to help you eat better and think more clearly with a new guide dedicated to cognitive support through nutrition. Read it now at https://valleant.com/what-are-the-best-foods-for-a-healthy-mind-and-why-2/ Valleant City: Austin Address: 11320 North FM 620 Website: https://valleant.com

Forecasting Recruiting in 2025   Happy New Year Everybody!   And welcome to Season 5 of Brainfood Live On Air - the weekly show where we gather the world's top experts to come on and discuss live on air the topics of the day. The year would not make a proper start without a forecast of what we think the recruiting environment is going to look like. Lets review how we think the market is going to shape up:   - Investment in TA / HR Tech - Assessment & Candidate use of AI - Volume of job applications / job advert volume - TA organisational set up / and role distribution - Decentralised hiring - will more recruiting work be pushed back to the line? - State of DEI - Use of Artificial Intelligence - where do we stand on this? - Future for Employer branding, what innovations do we expect? - TA job market - any recovery, and if so, where?   All this and more on Brainfood Live On Air.   We are bringing all of the big guns: join George LaRoque, Founder (Workbench), Madeline Laurano, Founder (Aptitude Research), Bas van de Haterd, Author (Talent Acquisition Excellence), Tim Sackett, President (HRU), Torin Ellis (himself) & friends   We're on Friday 10th Jan, 2pm GMT   Follow the channel here (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.     Ep288 is sponsored by our friends Ashby   Tired of spending hours on manual recruiting tasks?   Ashby's responsible AI and automation has got your back.   With smart scheduling that turns multi-hour coordination into just a few clicks and AI-powered email outreach that boosts reply rates by 46%, recruiting has never been easier — at least when it comes to process.   Ashby's AI-Assisted Application Review tool lets you fly through your inbound volume — think 1,500 resumes in just 6 hours!   Plus, Ashby's AI-generated feedback summaries speed up collaboration across teams.   Ready for an ATS that elevates your recruiting game with thoughtful AI and automation? Book your demo here.

ABOUT TREVOR BULLEN:LINKEDIN PROFILE:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-bullen-6b55b615/DUNWOODY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY: https://www.linkedin.com/school/dunwoody-college-of-technology/TREVOR'S BIO:Trevor is the Dean of the School of Design at Dunwoody College of Technology. He is an award-winning architect with over 25 years of professional experience. He has significant international experience; working on a wide range of architecture, landscape architecture and planning projects in Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States. In addition to his role as Dean, Trevor has taught architectural design at the Boston Architectural College, the City College of New York as well as the University of Minnesota and is a frequent guest critic at schools of architecture nationwide.Prior to joining Dunwoody, he was a Senior Associate and Director of Operations at Snow Kreilich Architects, the recipient of the 2018 AIA Architecture Firm Award. From 2000 to 2016, he co-founded and led an architecture and planning studio on the island of Grenada, completing more than 30 built projects. The work of his firm has been published extensively in journals and books as well as being exhibited at the 2021 Architecture Biennale in Venice. SHOW INTRO:Welcome to the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast.EPISODE 74… and my conversation with Trevor Bullen. On the podacast our dynamic dialogues based on our acronym DATA - design, architecture, technology, and the arts crosses over disciplines but maintains a common thread of people who are passionate about the world we live in and human's influence on it, the ways we craft the built environment to maximize human experience, increasing our understanding of human behavior and searching for the New Possible.    The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD Magazine part of the Smartwork Media family of brands.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. The IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing the discourse forward on what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.orgTrevor is the Dean of the School of Design at Dunwoody College of Technology. He is an award-winning architect with over 25 years of professional experience who believes that design and teaching architecture is synonymous with discernment.We'll get to all of that in a moment but first though, a few thoughts…                 *                                  *                                  *When I think back to my architecture education, it seems like another universe to today's practice. And then again, in some ways it is much the same.Architecture school was 4 long years of hard work and all-nighters that, at the time, we wore as a badge of honor. It seemed that there was never enough time to do what we were being asked to accomplish. Or maybe I was trying to do more than was necessary to fulfill the learning objectives. I certainly felt I had a lot to prove since it had taken me a couple of years to finally get accepted into the program after not doing particularly well at calculus and linear algebra in junior college. I also took extra math in fifth grade. Yeah… math wasn't my thing.Or at least it wasn't my thing until I had a good tutor in second year who helped me understand that I was visual spatial learner and if I could draw or make models of the problems they would all make sense. Seeing algorithms… my eyes would roll back in my head.Anyway…I stuck with it, took every drawing class I could, loved design studio and managed the engineering. I was proud to graduate from the McGill School of Architecture school, go on to study for my licensing exams - another series of all-nighters – pass and be able to enter the profession of reserved title and call myself an “Architect.”I was proud to wear the traditional pinky-finger white gold ring with 7 notches in it representing the 7 Lamps of Architecture by John Ruskin. Ruskin was an English polymath – a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. The Seven Lamps were seven principles which Ruskin viewed should be reflected in a building: Sacrifice, Truth, Power, Beauty, Life, Memory, and Obedience. The white gold ring was a tradition of McGill 4th year architecture graduates, as symbols of having legitimately put the time in, done the work on the design thesis and survived it. In those days we drew our projects by hand and built models in the workshop. We got our hands dirty. There were 4 years of design studio projects that, in the real world, would take months or more, and we were trying to get them done in weeks. Back in those days, the mid 80's, Computer Aided Design was emerging as a new tool. I remember that we had to take a class in computer programming – I think it was Fortran or something – and we had dinosaur computers that some students were playing around with to create drawings.In the mid-80's email didn't exist, or not to students in any case,Cell phones had just arrived with the Morotrola DynaTec 8000 which was the size of a brick and weighed almost the same, We used this thing called a fax machine that magically sent images across the telephone wires and could print it out on the other end on thermal paper (which you didn't want to leave on the window sill, because it would fade away),The blue print shop was an ammonia fumigated workplace where diazo prints, as they were technically called,  were actually blue hence the term “blue prints.”We used pencils or ink pens on paper or mylar, and if you screwed up you actually used an eraser to rub the error out and you drew it again.I remember one of my first summer jobs in an architecture office, I was quickly assigned renderings due to my love of drawing. I had made some mistakes when plotting out a perspective using the Plan Projection Method, and I was erasing what I had drawn. One of the principals came by my desk, stopped, watched and then remarked “hey… we hired you to draw not erase…” and then walked away.Nice…Our go to reference books were by Francis D.K Ching – ah… the drawings and hand lettering in “Architecture Construction Illustrated”, or “Form Space and Order”And… the social media, google, Ai and computer generated 3D modeling didn't exist.It wasn't until around 2005 or so that Facebook became popular and the iPhone came out in 2007.Then the world seemed to shift on it axis and life as we know it was on the path towards Artificial General Intelligence and all of the miraculous - and scary - things we are now so familiar with shaped our everyday lives. The world sped up and the way I learned in university was both a thing of the past and then again it wasn't.Many of the ways architecture is taught are similar to my experience. Courses are taught as individual, disaggregated subjects, that graduates have to piece together in actual life experience. A wholistic approach to learning the discipline of architecture is not generally the norm. Which when you consider all of the components of a building it is a challenge since everything is connected to everything and the amount of ‘everything' in a building can indeed be overwhelming if you try to consider it all at the same time.The number of professional and skilled labor disciplines is enormous. And most of us simply see buildings as ‘fait a complis' – completed works - with no idea what actually had to be wrangled to go from concept to completed construction.Going back to social media and the internet for a moment, students now have never known a time without ubiquitous access to the world's information through the internet. The tools for designing buildings have changed.One could say it is easier to some degree now. Computer programs manage all of the interrelationships between engineering, architecture, building systems, interior design elements, as well as the cost estimating, construction management and more.It is also easier to rely on tools to think for you and disconnect you from discernment – one of the key features of the architects' role in puting a building together.And this is where my guest on this episode comes into the frame. Trevor Bullen is the Dean of the School of Design at Dunwoody College of Technology. Trevor is an award-winning architect with over 25 years of professional experience. He has significant international experience, working on a wide range of architecture, landscape architecture and planning projects in Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States.In addition to his role as Dean, Trevor has taught architectural design at the Boston Architectural College, the City College of New York as well as the University of Minnesota and is a frequent guest critic at schools of architecture nationwide.He believes in introducing real world problems into the architecture curriculum so that students begin to understand the relationships between theory and practice as well as that good projects are built on good relationships between architects and their clients.He suggests to students that new tools should not supplant their discernment – That key to their success as a professional will be their ability to consider the multitude of factors in building design, determine what matters and to not let the remarkable tools that are afforded us through the development of computer aided design relace their voice.Trevor pushes the idea that great advances in visualization with Ai should not be and end in itself but a means to that end. The tools should be a part of the process not the end point in the evolution of a concept and that their personal voice, point of view, vision should not be lost in the use of the app.And in Trevor's experience, oh what a voice students of today have. Projects are influenced by subjects of racial equity, restorative justice, indigeneity, political orientations, sustainability and climate change and more.And this, it seems to me, is what architecture has always been partly about – the 3-dimensional representation of cultural ideologies. Architecture and ideas are inseparable. Buildings stand as testaments to what we believe, want to influence and aspire to. They are much more than the materials that bring them into being or the space planning at accommodate human interactions. They are epicenters of human relationships imbued with stories and meaning. That said, it brings to mind the famous quote by Marshal McLuhan - "The medium is the message." McLuhan suggested that the way information or an idea is communicated, like in a television broadcast, newspaper, social media post or I dare say architecture, has as much impact on the message itself as the content of the message.I think that this suggests that the form of communication, even if the form of architecture, significantly influences how the message is perceived by the audience.In architecture parlance – I think Mies van der Rohe phrased it as “Form Follows Function.” If beyond utility, architecture is made to convey ideas, then its Form, Space and Order are brought together as a 3-dimension embodiment of them.Thinking back to my architecture education, the tools of today's professional practice have drastically changed and some of my classmates when on to other careers other than being architects, but the education we got then gave us a understating of the interconnectedness of things and the ability to solve multilayered challenges while wielding stone, steel, glass, light all forged into a unified whole by learned discernment. Teaching discernment is not just in the service of good building design and construction, it is a life skill as emerging students navigate the volatile, unpredictable, complex and often ambiguous world that face them beyond their architecture degree.             *                         *                         *ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites:  https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comTwitter: DavidKepronPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com.  The next level experience design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

Brainfood Live Christmas Party 2024 - Open Mic   Friends, this is the last Brainfood Live of the year!   This will be our 50th show of the year, so our cadence of doing these more or less once per week, every week, remains pretty much unbroken - not even sure where the two missing weeks went!   In any case, we're going to do an Open Mic session where all the years panelists and guests can come on and say their piece to the camera on what they thought of 2024. See the great and the good join Brainfood Live one last time for 2024 - and feel welcome to join on screen if you want to say your piece.   What do you think about:   - Job market for TA - Skill Based Hiring - Talent Density - Offshoring - Automation and AI - DEI vs Wokelash - Pay equity - Fractional HR / TA - LinkedIn search / copilot - Content and Audience building - Network value - Conference scene   All this and more on Brainfood Live On Air. We'e with the great and the good and YOU! We're on Friday 20th Dec, 2pm GMT   Follow the channel here (recommended) and click on the green button to register for this show.

Send us a textAmber O'Hearn is a returning guest on our show! Be sure to check out her first appearance on episode 90 of Boundless Body Radio, and her second appearance on episode 301, all about low-carbohydrate diets and sleep, which is one of our most talked about episodes of all-time!Canadian born Amber O'Hearn, MSc, is a data scientist by profession with a background in mathematics, computer science, linguistics, and psychology. Amber has been studying (and eating!) low-carbohydrate diets of some form or other for the last 25 years, the last half of which has been specifically the Carnivore Diet, which she helped bring into modern awareness by giving the first conference talks on the diet in 2017, organizing the first Carnivore conference in 2019, and writing the first scientific paper with "Carnivore Diet" in the title in 2020.As such, she has unique insight into the history of this trend and the common pitfalls of new adopters and influencers. Amber is a free speech maximalist and advocate of privacy-enhancing and censorship-resistant technologies. Amber lives on the other side of the hill from us is Boulder, CO!Find Amber at-TW- @ketocarnivorefacultativecarnivore.commostly-fat.comFind Boundless Body at- myboundlessbody.com Book a session with us here!

ABOUT MARDI NAJAFI:LINKEDIN PROFILE:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mardi-najafi-rdi-idc-772b1328/MARDI'S BIO:Mardi Najafi is an award-winning, multidisciplinary designer with over 30 years of experience at the forefront of the design world. A visionary leader in the field, Mardi believes that design has the power to evoke emotion, create unforgettable experiences, and leave a lasting impact. His work spans a diverse range of high-profile retail environments, from intimate boutiques to large-scale, branded experiences for some of the world's most iconic companies, including Coca-Cola, Adidas, Virgin Mobile, Telus, Loblaws, Penguin Random House, Keilhauer, and Versace. His global portfolio reflects his ability to blend innovation and cultural context, with projects across Paris, New York, Toronto, and beyond.As the Principal, Chief Creative Officer, and Retail & Hospitality Practice Lead at SDI Design, Mardi is passionate about pushing the boundaries of design to craft immersive, transformative environments that captivate audiences. Known for his attention to detail and his ability to seamlessly merge art and commerce, he excels at creating spaces that are not only visually striking but also deeply meaningful and engaging. His work continues to redefine the retail landscape, setting new standards for brand experiences that resonate long after customers leave.Beyond his design practice, Mardi is an active voice in the industry as an accomplished speaker, educator, and panelist. He is deeply committed to fostering innovation, sharing his expertise with the next generation of designers through mentorship and his involvement in various professional advisory committees. A lifelong advocate for education, Mardi has taught at prestigious design schools around the world, inspiring students and shaping the future of the design community.In 2023, Mardi was honored as the first Canadian inductee into the Retail Design Institute's prestigious Legions of Honor, recognizing his exceptional contributions to the field. He is also currently serving as the President of the Retail Design Institute Canada, where he continues to shape industry standards and advocate for the advancement of design excellence. SHOW INTRO:Welcome to the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast.EPISODE 73… and my conversation with Mardi Najafi. On the podcast, our dynamic dialogues based on our acronym DATA - design, architecture, technology, and the arts crosses over disciplines but maintains a common thread of people who are passionate about the world we live in and human's influence on it, the ways we craft the built environment to maximize human experience, increasing our understanding of human behavior and searching for the New Possible.    The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD Magazine part of the Smartwork Media family of brands.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. The IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing the discourse forward on what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.orgMardi Najafi  is the Principal, Chief Creative Officer, and Retail & Hospitality Practice Lead at SDI Design.We discuss his life of growing up the son of an Iranian diplomat, a professional path through the fashion, exhibit design and retail industries and how teaching is about giving back to young designers in their fledgling careers…We'll get to all of that in a moment but first, a few thoughts…             *                         *                         *There are interviews that I have done over the past 73 episodes that have been specifically about a person's work, There have been those that have been about a brand or product category, Or the study of neuroscience and its role in experience making,  We've delved into art and creativity, leadership, climate issues, and many other subjects.And there are other interviews that I have done that focused in on a person's career path, how their experiences brought them to where they are today. In these cases, I often find that my guest and I identify how serendipity stepped in front of them as they careened through a career, how taking the road less traveled lead them to creative professional journeys that were unexpected, and how a shift in their mindset resulted in profoundly rewarding roles at companies or with personal and professional relationships. I love discussions about serendipity – how our life paths seem to be guided by novel circumstances that were unforeseen, yet when confronted with them, we found a moment to step aside from our pre-determined story, one that we might have created with specific objectives, a place to be at some future moment, and in the midst of new circumstances, a choice was to be made about what the next move would be without really knowing where it would lead.There seems to be some magic in this process – a sense of wonder that keeps the creative spirit alive. There is also a good dose of courage needed at the nexus of ‘now and next, when a calling summons new thinking and a re-evaluation of our pre-suppositions about how things are supposed to be now, or in the future, need re-evaluation.I think it is often the case with creative paths or projects.To start out knowing where you are going would suggest that you have you have already been. To start out with the end in mind creates a path of production, of doing, rather than one of seminal discoveries along the way.There is something in the unknowing that I believe maintains the creative path as an adventure, one where in the doing of the thing we are continuously discovering rather than just in production mode.In the discovering, we remain engaged, learning, exploring and the path is laid out as we move along it. However… being in a place of unknowing, can be fear inducing since I think we so often like the assuredness of the pre-determined and predicable.I have found this particularly true in teaching at universities in design fields. Students don't like the unpredictable so much. Many prefer the determinism of knowing where their projects will eventually end up. But I think in taking this approach we short circuit the opportunity to discover something new – something we could not have predicted but when discovered, results in a sense of awe that shifts our perspective and maybe our purpose. And I think it takes courage to follow a set of rules about designing something, call it strategy, and let the rules of the strategy guide the process. As we pursue the path of the work the rules help to guide decisions that make the next step self-evident. Then the next, and the next and so on, until a conclusion to the process meets the requirements of the design brief.Assuming the strategy is well founded, you can rely on the rules to guide the process and decision-making. Along the design path, all decisions can be cross-referenced against the strategy and the outcomes that don't align with the determined set of rules can be set aside in a preference for the ones that best exemplify them.Then there is the emergence of circumstances that throw you a curve ball – conditions shift within which you have little control – and your path necessarily changes. The resilience and the flexible mindset that is required in these moments are factors that influence your ability to adjust – to find yourself in a place of positive transformation or maybe to simply survive.I have found that the key to positive transformation is to keep saying yes to serendipity. To loosen the rigidity in my mindset and welcome the unexpected. It can be a struggle because I have generally been geared to knowing where I'm going. I don't mind saying that I have long preferred the predictable over the mercurial. It is at times not easy, but these moments of re-alignment with new realities can be the success factor supporting our determination to keep going and to leverage the “new” for the purpose of re-making ourselves. I think that in this, there is a sense of agency. I think that we are, in fact, in little control of anything but for our own reactions to adversity or the everchanging circumstances of life.Perhaps this is the proverbial ‘making lemonade out of lemons.' When life gives you lemons… you know… make lemonade.And this is where the life path of my guest in this episode comes in. Mardi Najafi has had a colorful host of experiences influencing his professional path.Having grown up the son of an Iranian Diplomat, he was schooled in multiple countries including Iran, France and Russia. He was conscripted into Iranian military service and made a friend with whom he, after his release from service, created a business bringing watches into Iran. That adventure eventually allowed him to earn enough money to buy his father's release from prison and ironically lead to a career in design.After a building a successful professional track record working in Europe, he landed in Canada where he fostered his interest in retail design. In 2023, Mardi was honored as the first Canadian inductee into the Retail Design Institute's prestigious Legion of Honor, recognizing his exceptional contributions to the retail design field. He is also currently serving as the President of the Retail Design Institute Canada, where he continues to shape industry standards and advocate for the advancement of design excellence.Mardi Najafi is an award-winning, multidisciplinary designer with over 30 years of experience at the forefront of the design world. A visionary leader in the field, Mardi believes that design has the power to evoke emotion, create unforgettable experiences, and leave a lasting impact.His work spans a diverse range of high-profile retail environments, from intimate boutiques to large-scale, branded experiences for some of the world's most iconic companies, including Coca-Cola, Adidas, Virgin Mobile, Telus, Loblaws, Penguin Random House and Versace.Mardi is deeply committed to fostering innovation, sharing his expertise with the next generation of designers through mentorship and his involvement in various professional advisory committees.After having a few conversations with Mardi, I would say he lands squarely in the camp of actually following Robert Frost's ‘Road Not Taken' welcoming the discovery born of life's moment of significant change - even when it is uncomfortable.             *                         *                         *ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites:  https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comTwitter: DavidKepronPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com.  The next level experience design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

What if people aren't buying your product or service because their idea of what it does is wrong? In this episode, Shane asks April Dunford to reveal all her secrets about what makes good and bad product positioning, how a startup should differ in its communications from a big company, and the difference between B2B and B2C positioning. Dunford also shares how a startup can better identify pain points their customers face, how to write the best sales page copy, and the best way to objectively evaluate a product's positioning. If you're an executive at a company, this episode will make you reflect on your current marketing and sales pipelines and ask, “Are we doing this right?” If you're a designer, engineer, or marketer at a company, this episode will teach you the secrets to selling a product that will help get you promoted and earn trust within your organization. Dunford spent the first 25 years of her career as a startup executive running marketing, product, and sales teams positioning products acquired by companies like IBM and Siebel Systems. Since then, she's worked with over 200 companies as a consultant, developing a system to better position technology products and companies. She studied Engineering at the University of Waterloo and is most recently the author of Sales Pitch. Watch the episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/theknowledgeproject/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Newsletter - I share timeless insights and ideas you can use at work and home. Join over 600k others every Sunday and subscribe to Brain Food. Try it: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Book! Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results is out now - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/clear/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/ (00:00) Intro (02:07) Positioning, explained (16:47) Why is positioning important? (20:40) B2B vs. B2C positioning (29:03) When re-positioning a product failed (32:31) How to identify customer's pain points (34:35) How to position a product on a sales page (38:06) How technology has changed positioning (41:40) How to evaluate product positioning (45:43) Who's in charge of positioning at a company? (50:27) On storytelling (56:35) Should a company have a point of view on the market? (1:00:21) Dealing with gatekeepers in B2B marketing (1:03:02) Mistakes people make with positioning (1:05:21) What schools get wrong about marketing (1:08:59) Secrets of B2B decision-making (1:11:18) On success