The Decision-Making Studio Podcast

  Today, we talk China and how it is attempting to create a world in its own image. My guest is Daniel Wagner, someone we have had on the show quite regularly. Daniel is an author, speaker and expert on country risk – he is the founder and CEO of his firm Country Risk Solutions. Daniel is also a prolific writer and his latest book – China Vision: China’s Crusade to Create a World in its Own Image is out now and it brings a much-needed, more nuanced look at China and its place in the world. In the book and in this episode, Daniel explains how China is on the precipice of global supremacy, why the Chinese government acts the way it does, and what that means for the world. We get into all that and more. Daniel gives us an overview of: Where its global vision comes from; China’s relationship with the West and the US specifically. China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” and the neo-colonial bent of that; China’s very different approach to the rule of law; Its ambitious and highly successful project to control the internet – and some of the dark implications of that; Its “Social Credit System” – a real-life version of Black Mirror; Prospects for violent conflict between China and the West; Cyber security; The internal pressures China faces; Much more Show notes: China Vision on Amazon’s US site China Vision on Amazon’s UK site Daniel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/countryriskmgmt Daniel’s company, Country Risk Solutions: http://countryrisksolutions.com/ Ep. 91 with Daniel and Keith Furst, Ep 98  Ep 69,  Ep 57, Ep 17 and Ep 10 with Daniel Wagner China’s China’s “Social Credit System”; The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); “Assassin’s Mace” China’s moon landing _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmK Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Get your free audio book and 30 day free trial at Audible: US listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible UK listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ I’d like to hear from you! I want to make the show even better – please take two minutes to complete our listener survey.

Today, I get to share a conversation with one of my favourite people – ultra endurance athlete, adventurer, speaker, coach and author Luke Tyburski. This is Luke’s second appearance on All Things Risk. If you listened way back to episode 9, you know that Like completed a crazy adventure called the Ultimate Triathlon. This involved swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar, cycling along the coast of Spain, and running along southern France into Monaco – 2,000+ km over 12 days. The Ultimate Triathlon is now the subject of an award-winning documentary. However, there is a deeper, more interesting, raw and inspirational side to Luke. For years, Luke concealed a diagnosis of clinical depression – and it is only very recently that he shared how he persevered through some of the darkest moments in his life in his new book Chasing Extreme. The message of Chasing Extreme and that Luke brings is particularly important to us men – we don’t typically acknowledge our feelings – and the longer that goes on, the more we suffer – the outcomes of that are never positive. Luke is a great role model to inspire us to talk about these things more openly (as I do at a point in the conversation). In doing so, I think we all benefit. We get into all of that, as well as the importance or purpose in facing uncertainty and facing challenges, Like’s future challenges, and loads more. Show notes: Luke’s website Chasing Extreme The Ultimate Triathlon documentary  The 500 Man Challenge film by Fizeek Media  Jane O'Connell Michael Gervais Peter Carroll The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins The Mask of Masculinity by Lewis Howes Start with Why by Simon Sinek _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The46in219 - my 46 km birthday run – https://the46in219.carrd.co/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmK Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Get your free audio book and 30 day free trial at Audible: US listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible UK listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ I’d like to hear from you! I want to make the show even better – please take two minutes to complete our listener survey. Find the latest episode here!

Some thoughts on uncertainty and that special moment when you know you will meet and overcome a tough challenge. That, and my upcoming 46 km run, The46in219.  Show notes: My 46 km birthday run - https://the46in219.carrd.co/  David Goggins - https://davidgoggins.com/  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmK Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Get your free audio book and 30 day free trial at Audible: US listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible UK listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ I’d like to hear from you! I want to make the show even better – please take two minutes to complete our listener survey.

Today, we talk about something we all feel - fear. Unfortunately, it is accurate to say that there is a lot fear in the world. It is equally accurate to say that we rarely acknowledge our fears openly. This creates unrealised potential, division, and paralysis. If only there was a better way to approach fear. Meet Hilary Gallo. Hilary is an author, speaker, and enabler. His latest book Fear Hack offers a unique and powerful take on fear. Instead of fighting your fear, Hilary advocates befriending it. We talk about all of that and more, including: Hilary’s background as a lawyer and negotiator – and what he learned during his extensive time in the corporate world; Fear in politics and society; Fear and the narratives we use; The power of reframing; Why Hilary believes we are on the cusp of something amazing; The importance of backing yourself; Tons more! Show notes: Hilary’s website Hilary on Twitter Hilary on LinkedIn Hilary on Instagram Fear Hack www.hive.co.uk Hilary’s earlier book The Power of Soft “We must rethink the purpose of the corporation” by Martin Wolf in the Financial Times Positive News www.hive.co.uk George Lakoff _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmK Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Get your free audio book and 30 day free trial at Audible: US listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible UK listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ I’d like to hear from you! I want to make the show even better – please take two minutes to complete our listener survey.  

This is our now 3rd annual “best of” episode – some of my and your favourite clips from the podcast over the past year. Let me be honest with you – this is probably the most difficult episode to put together. That’s because not only is it a lot of work, it is brutally difficult to leave stuff out. The method is highly unscientific. In putting this together, I was reminded of this scene from the film Dead Poets’ Society. A good long-form conversation is like a piece of art – there are a multitude of ways of looking at it and there are different things that different people can take away from it. So, you will probably think that this collection is missing some great clips – and you’d be right. It's "best of" in quotes / inverted commas. Nonetheless, these are some of the conversations that stuck with me and with some of you. If you are new to the podcast, this is a great way of understanding the show. If anything piques your interest, go back and check out the full episode. And please go back and check out any of our other great episodes. In this one, we’ve got clips from: Ep. 98: Daniel Wagner – The Big Risk Picture in 2018 and 2019 Ep 97: Oliver Bullough – Moneyland – How to Take the World Back from Kleptocrats Ep. 96: Chris Solarz – Running, Ultra Endurance and Mindset Ep. 93: Lloyd Figgins – Travel Survival to Push Boundaries Ep. 92: David Quammen – The Tangled Tree Ep. 91: Daniel Wagner and Keith Furst – AI Supremacy Ep. 90: Annie Duke – Thinking in Bets Ep. 89: Dan Davies – Lying for Money Ep. 86: Ken Bensinger – “Red Card”, FIFA, Corruption and the Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game Ep. 85: Matthew Del Negro – Perseverance and “10,000 Nos” Ep. 81: Adam Connors – Rediscover the Lost Art of Networking Ep. 79: Srdja Popovic – How to Topple a Dictator Ep. 78: Oscar Scafidi – Kayaking the Kwanza River Ep. 76: Gleb Tsipursky – How to Seek Truth Ep. 75: Paula McGuire – Adventures in Anxiety, and a Big, Mad, Swim Around Britain Ep. 71: Gary Noesner – Hostage Negotiations, and Why Listening is More Important Than You Realise _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmK Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com

Our final episode of 2018 is a look back at how some of the year’s “big picture” risks played out and a look ahead at 2019 in geopolitics, technology, the economy and society. My guest is Daniel Wagner, who I have had the pleasure of having on the show half a dozen times now. We did an episode in the same format at this time last year and it was fun and interesting, so thought we should do it again. If you don’t know Daniel, he is the founder of Country Risk Solutions and a prolific author and commentator. We get into a variety of things including the USA, China, Saudi Arabia, cybersecurity, technological change, sex robots, and a few things to be positive about as well. Show notes: Daniel and Keith Furst’s latest book:  AI Supremacy: Winning in the Era of Machine Learning www.ai-supremacy.com Daniel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/countryriskmgmt Daniel’s company, Country Risk Solutions: http://countryrisksolutions.com/ Ep. 91 with Daniel and Keith Furst, Ep 69,  Ep 57, Ep 17 and Ep 10 with Daniel Wagner

Today, we take a little trip to a place called “Moneyland”. Moneyland is a virtual place – but it is also very real. In fact, it is the third richest “country” in the world. Moneyland is the title of the Times of London’s Business Book of the Year, written by our guest Oliver Bullough. Oliver is an award-winning investigative journalist. He previously wrote two non-fiction books on Russia’s history and politics. The book’s full title is Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Rule the World and How to Take it Back. It is where many of the world’s mega rich, particularly kleptocrats in a variety of countries characterised by high levels of corruption, hide and spend their stolen wealth. As you will hear from Oliver, Moneyland is a lawless, stateless place. It is also one that the West’s own institutions have helped to create, and in the process undermine the foundations of Western stability. We cover that and more in this enthralling conversation, including: What Moneyland is and how it got created; How Moneyland works – how kleptocrats can steal, hid and spend their ill-gotten wealth (and do things like buy passports); Tax havens and how they work; The role of the West in creating Moneyland, and how Moneyland is undermining democracy; What we can do to fight back against Moneyland Show notes: Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Rule the World and How to Take it Back Oliver on Twitter A Kleptocracy Tour of London with Oliver Kleptocracy Tours Viktor Yanukovych Francis Fukuyama Walid al-Juffali The Eurobond Gabriel Zucman’s The Hidden Wealth of Nations Civil Society Groups:             Global Witness             Transparency International             Corruption Watch             FACT Coalition             The Hudson Institute’s Kleptocracy Initiative             Sherpa _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Get your free audio book and 30 day free trial at Audible: US listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible UK listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmK Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com

I try to find words and concepts that encapsulate my guests, what they are about, and what we cover in each episode. In thinking about this one, the word that kept coming back to me was “mindset”. My guest is ultra endurance athlete Chris Solarz. Chris has set nine world records, including the total combined time for marathons on all seven continents, number of stairs climbed in 12 days, fastest time to visit all 468 stations in the New York City subway system, and more. He has completed hundreds of marathons, the Ultraman triathlon, the Epic 5 challenge, and recently raced the Deca Man, 10 Ironman distance triathlons in 10 days. So, who is this guy? Is he some type of professional ultra endurance athlete? Actually, no. Chris is married, a father of three and a Managing Director at a hedge fund. This is where the concept of mindset comes in. Chris has an incredible way of prioritising and integrating family, his passion for endurance sport, and his career. Of course, this isn’t easy, as you will hear. However, there is a lot we can take away from the mindset that Chris has developed and apply it to any aspect of life. We get into that. Chris talks about his background, how he got into running and ultra endurance events, some of the world records he has set and more. However, this isn’t a conversation about endurance training. It is about motivation, family, overcoming obstacles, managing time, prioritising, decision-making, and much more. I feel very privileged to bring this one to you. Chris is very authentic and insightful. I think you’ll love it. Show notes: Chris on LinkedIn; Interview with Chris in The Week; Chris’ 12 hour treadmill world record; Chris’ stair climbing world record; Chris at the Epic 5; Arthur Lydiard; “It’s Okay to be Good and Not Great” by Brad Stulberg _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Get your free audio book and 30 day free trial at Audible: US listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible UK listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard?  Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmK Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com

This one is a conversation about personal risk-taking, “skin in the game”, democracy, values, geopolitics and much more. It is a conversation that resonates based on what is happening across much of the world – particularly the rise of populism and authoritarians like Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, and the entrenchment of old hands like Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Erdogan, to name a few. However, it is also a conversation about personal and collective values and taking risks based on these. It, therefore, offers many lessons across a variety of contexts. My guest is Philippine Congressman and opposition member Gary Alejano. Before becoming a Congressman, Gary was a soldier in the Philippine Marine Corps and risked his life in various combat operations. He was awarded the Medal of Valour for his service to his country. In 2003, he was one of a group of young officers who led a mutiny to protest corruption in his country’s armed forces. Yes – I said this one is about risk-taking. This was known as the “Oakwood Mutiny” (named after the luxury Manila hotel Alejano and his colleagues occupied). It was an incident that received worldwide attention. We talk about that. We also talk about his becoming a Congressman and getting into politics – including the negative perception people in the Philippines have about their politicians (which of course, is a phenomenon many people have about their politicians across most countries in the world, particularly now!). We also discuss: Opposing his President’s bloody and ineffective “war on drugs”, which by some estimates has led to the deaths of over 20,000 people; What is happening inside the Philippines; Fake news, democracy and authoritarianism; China and geopolitics in the region; Running for a Senate seat next year; Taking acute personal risks in public life; Much more! I came away from this thinking that Congressman Gary Alejano is one of the world’s good guys. I hope you enjoy this fascinating conversation. Show notes: Gary Alejano’s page                 On Facebook                 On Twitter                 On YouTube The Philippines “War on Drugs” Rappler Antonio Trillanes The Oakwood Mutiny Philippine v China South China Sea Arbitration case "debt-trap diplomacy" Failure of the UN’s 10 year War on Drugs _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Want to learn how to make great decisions? Join our decision-making course for individuals or for small-businesses and startups and get a discount using the code “ALLTHINGSRISK” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Get your free audio book and 30 day free trial at Audible: US listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible UK listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmK Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com

It’s great to be back with another episode! This one is about quite a few things, but if I had to define it with one word, it would be fear, and what happens when we take on our fears in the face of uncertainty. My guest is Deepak Shukla. Deepak is many things – CEO of Pearl Lemon SEO, an award-winning Search Engine Optimisation company, an ultra endurance athlete, a rapper, and many other things. If there is anything that underpins what Deepak is about, it is a willingness to face his fears and to do difficult things – and the power in doing that. Deepak grew up in London, is the son of immigrant parents and as you will hear, followed a non-linear and unconventional path. It is one that has led him to some interesting places in his career and life. This has included the TEDx stage, kick-boxing in Brazil, ultramarathons, Ironman triathlons, a stint as a tax consultant, his rap career, and loads more.  We get into all of that and along the way cover some valuable ground about facing uncertainty, managing your career, having an experimental mindset, dealing with mental health challenges (which we as men need to speak more openly about), entrepreneurism, and more, Show notes: Deepak’s website; Pearl Lemon SEO; Deepak’s rap channel; DJ Luck and MC Neat - A Little Bit of Luck; Books mentioned:             The Four Hour Work Week;             Rich Dad, Poor Dad; The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari; The Alchemist; The Secret; _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Join our Decision-making course and get a discount using the code “ALLTHINGSRISK” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Get your free audio book and 30 day free trial at Audible: US listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible UK listeners: get your free trial and audio book at Audible _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmK Subscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Subscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com