The Decision-Making Studio Podcast

We have released this episode right in the middle of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. You might love football (and you may call it “soccer”). You might revel in Lionel Messi’s unbelievable skills or Cristiano Ronaldo’s athleticism (even though both are now gone from the tournament). Perhaps you play the game. Perhaps your children do. Maybe you support your local club side, one of the big European teams, or both. Your national team’s performance might have a lot of meaning for you. Conversely, you might not care about the game at all. You might be appalled by the amount of money in it, or the fact that people spend far too much time obsessing over it. You might be all of the above.  Regardless, what is often called “the people’s game,” or “the beautiful game,” has a very dark side. It is a side that you should know about because it affects our world. That side is corruption, which we talk about in this episode. My guest is Ken Bensinger. Ken is an award-winning investigative journalist. He has worked at the Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times and now at BuzzFeed News. He was a Pullizer Prize finalist. He has recently written Red Card: FIFA and the Fall of the Most Powerful Men in Sports. Red Card is an enthralling account if the FBI’s investigation into FIFA, football’s global governing body, arguably the most powerful institution in all of sports. The book shows the greed, arrogance and self-interest of those who ran the sport for decades, and how a determined investigation brought this small cabal to justice. It is also a book that asks questions about the role of big money and politics in sport, including geopolitics. We get into that and more, including: How the book came about; How FIFA’s structure facilitates corruption, including why that structure has similarities with organised crime syndicates; How the money flowed and how the corruption worked – and very plausibly, how it still might be working today; How the USA got involved in investigating FIFA; Whether or not FIFA is cleaner now; Things Ken is watching out for in Russia 2018; Parallels to the Russia/Trump investigation; Similarities to Russia’s athletics doping scandal; Risks to the sport; Whether or not it is “ok” to watch the World Cup; Plans for a movie; Much more! Show notes:  Ken on Twitter Red Card: FIFA and the Fall of The Most Powerful Men in Sports – UK edition, US edition here The 2015 FIFA corruption case The 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids Christopher Steele and the Trump Dossier Sepp Blatter Chuck Blazer Jack Warner Jeffrey Webb Gianni Infantino Brazil’s Odebrecht corruption scandal The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act The Icarus Documentary about Russia’s systemic doping in sport The Russian athletics doping scandal _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh 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

We often think of outcomes as binary – either they happen, or they don’t. Think about something you want to happen – this could be a career, relationship or personal goal. Now imagine that at some point in the future, you will learn about the outcome of that objective. You get to that future point, and the outcome is a “no”. Now imagine that you can do something about that – but that this requires you to run a type of weird marathon. At every kilometre marker, you once again get to learn about the outcome to the goal you have been pursuing. In all likelihood, that outcome will once again be a “no”. However, you also know that if you keep running, at some point you will get to a “yes”. You just don’t know when. What is the strategy you take to maximise the number of kilometre markers you reach? How do you get through all of those “nos”? This is in many ways, the story of this episode’s guest, actor Matthew Del Negro. If you were to read through the list of Matthew’s television credits, it reads like a list of some of the most acclaimed and popular shows in American, and world, TV history: The Sopranos, Law and Order; The West Wing; CSI: Miami: Criminal Minds; And most recently the Amazon Prime series Goliath You might think that Matthew’s success was either pre-ordained or that it was the result of a massive lucky break. As you will hear however, that is not how it went down. Matthew had to go through many “nos” (perhaps 10,000 of them as goes the title of his own wonderful podcast), to get to the point where he could call himself “an actor”. This is a conversation about perseverance and resilience. It’s not only about the necessity of having a passion and self-belief, but it is also about practical strategies and tactics necessary to achieve great things in the face of long odds. Show notes: Matthew’s website Matthew’s 10,000 Nos podcast Matthew on Twitter Goliath Frank Vincent The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh 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 is a wonderful conversation under the banner of “resilience”. My guest is Stephanie Harris. Stephanie is an author and a self growth and progress coach. She is a South African based in New Zealand and specialises in supporting those experiencing grief – that could be grief caused by the death of a loved one, friend or pet – but it also could be caused by a major setback. Stephanie book Death Expands Us is based on her personal experience dealing with the sudden loss of her brother. She wrote the book she wished she had when she was going through that loss. Losses and setbacks will happen at various points in our lives and yet, we are often not taught the valuable life skills associated with dealing with them. This is where Stephanie’s work comes in. As you will also hear from Stephanie, a loss could come from not only a death, but also the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, or many other things. We talk about all of that, as well as the way in which our minds and bodies interact under these circumstances in a very honest and valuable conversation.  Show notes: Stephanie’s website Stephanie’s book Death Expands Us Stephanie on Twitthttps://stephanieharriscoaching.com/er  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh 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

In our previous episode with Justin Recla on cryptocurrencies, we mentioned that we were going to broaden out the conversation on finance, the global economy, technology and how all of that is changing us. This is exactly what we do in this episode – and then some. My guest is Keith Furst. Keith runs a firm called Data Derivatives, which focuses on implementing financial crime systems. He is an expert in anti-money laundering, fraud and financial abuse. However, Keith also has a background in philosophy and brings a wide-ranging and insightful perspective on the world in which we live. If you are interested in understanding the changes we are going through in finance, our economy, and in technology, I think we will enjoy and get a lot out of this episode. We cover all of the above and more including: If the global financial system is safer now than in 2008; Where the next risks to the global economy may come; The benefits and limitations of cryptocurrencies; How the crypto world may evolve; The perils associated with technology and social media; Income and happiness Much more! Show notes: Keith’s firm, Data Derivatives Keith on LinkedIn Keith on Twitter – he is admittedly less active here! The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The US opioid epidemic Mark Blyth – “the Hamptons are not a defensible position” The Steiner Education Approach “Deaths of Despair” Income and Happiness “Digital Amnesia” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh 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

Sometimes, certain iconic film scenes serve as appropriate metaphors for phenomena in real life. In this episode, we talk about the world of cryptocurrencies. In searching for the appropriate comparative movie scene, I first considered the Matrix’s red pill / blue pill scene. Depending on what you think about cryptocurrencies, you might have varying viewpoints on whether they represent the red pill – emancipation from an artificial reality or the blue pill – a blissful, yet false fantasyland. However, in speaking to Justin Recla, my guest in this episode, it actually dawned on me that the world of cryptocurrencies most closely resembles the cantina scene from Star Wars. You might find the best fighter pilot in the galaxy, but you are more than likely to run into many of the unsavoury characters crawling around the place. This is where Justin’s work comes in. Justin is a former counter-intelligence officer with the US Army. Following a career in the military he and his wife Tonya (also my guest in episode 62), brought those skills to the business world. As of late, Justin has focused on cryptocurrencies. Through something called Crypto Bit Verified, a service of his firm Clear Business Directory, Justin conducts due diligence and vetting on cryptocurrency opportunities. Whatever your views on cryptocurrencies are – if you think they are the future of finance, fairy dust, or just don’t know – one thing is clear: the media attention they have attracted has brought with it all manner of scams, ineptitude and other risks that many crypto investors either don’t see or don’t want to see. Justin’s work helps people distinguish between those opportunities that have a fighting chance, from those that have none at all. We get into all of that in this episode. Justin shares his background, talks counterintelligence and how those skills are applied to crypto due diligence and vetting, the world of cryptocurrencies, the types of frauds and scams out there, how investors can protect themselves, and much more. Show notes:  Clear Business Directory CryptoBit Verified Justin on LinkedIn Cryptocurrency due diligence Facebook group Satoshi Nakamoto The Security and Exchange Commission’s alert “Ponzi Schemes Using Virtual Currencies” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh 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 conversation will completely change the way you think about networking. Yes, we all know networking is important. But it isn’t about how many LinkedIn connections you have or about attending so-called “networking events”. True networking is about developing authentic connections with others and starting these from the vantage point of giving, not taking. It’s also an art that is increasingly being lost. Fortunately, Adam Connors is bringing it back. Adam is a master networker and the founder of a firm called Networkwise.  Adam has a diverse background having worked in finance, recruitment and as an entrepreneur. The thing that has connected his endeavours is his ability to connect with people in a deep, meaningful way. Adam joins me in this episode to talk networking and the power of a strong network. From a risk and uncertainty perspective, a strong network provides one with the ability to pivot quickly in the event of an unexpected setback, as well as the ability to take advantage of opportunities we didn’t even know were out there. What’s even better is that great networkers aren’t born, they’re made.  Adam discusses this and more, including: Adam’s background; The importance of one’s reputation and credibility; Career paths; Working with athletes and entertainers; The premise and power of networking; Networking for “introverts”; Networking, risk and uncertainty; The power of giving; Adam’s attitudes to risk and uncertainty; Much more! Show notes:  Adam’s site – Networkwise: www.networkwise.com Adam’s podcast - Conversations with Connors Adam on LinkedIn ESPN’s 30 for 30 – “Broke” Jim Rohn Dunbar’s Number Give and Take: An Evolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant The UK’s Minister for Loneliness Ep. 38 of All Things Risk with Tom Hardin Lou Holtz __  ___ ____ ____  Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh 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 episode is a conversation about the media and advertising in our digital age as much as it is about entrepreneurism, risk-taking and decision-making. My guest is Howard Bareham. Howard is a long-time media, advertising and sales expert who has worked for and with some of the biggest names in the business – for instance Saatchi and Saatchi and WPP. Howard has had an extraordinary career starting from the ground floor of the industry and working his way up. Recently however, Howard made a bold move and decided to start his own firm, Bareham Media. Shunning the perception that “Howard doesn’t do that”, he has moved ahead and discusses his decision to do so, how he has planned for this and provides a number of other insights that will help anyone making a major decision and taking some new risks. We talk about: Howard’s background in advertising and media, including an infamous “packet of Pole mints” incident; How advertising and the media have changed – and how they haven’t (BTW – this episode was recorded before the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal); His entrepreneurial journey; Networking and prospecting; Enlisting the support of family and friends; Negotiation and deal-making Loads more! Howard is very engaging and I am sure you are going to get a lot from his experience and insights. Show notes: Bareham Media Howard on LinkedIn Paul Weller Saatchi and Saatchi Wireless Group WPP The Peter Principle Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Find all episodes here: www.allthingsrisk.co.uk  

Dictatorships and “strong man” leadership is on the rise across the globe. In addition, and particularly in the West, entrenched special interests are very prominent. Indeed, it appears that democracy is in retreat. How can dictators, with their stranglehold on power through military force, control of media and financial clout be toppled? How can entrenched special interests be overcome? In fact, how can any kind of civic change happen – be that improvements with your local rubbish collection, or overcoming grand corruption? Meet Srdja Popovic. Srdja is a political activist from Serbia and one of the founders of the Otpor! (“resistance”) movement in the country in the 1990s. Otpor helped topple then dictator Slobodan Milosevic in 2000 through its strategies of non-violent resistance. In fact, if you were to try and predict what might bring down the Milosevic regime in the mid 1990s (he held the de facto power in the country before he officially become president in 1997), you certainly would not have bet on the official opposition which was divided and ineffective. You might have bet on the 1999 NATO bombings facilitating this. However, it was a grassroots movement that started small and employed non-violent resistance and in particular, a lot of humour which served as a crucial factor in toppling the Milosevic dictatorship. We talk about all of that but this is a wider discussion. Srdja himself was arrested and beaten and too a lot of risk. However, he and his compatriots had created an unstoppable force. There are many lessons in all of that – including how to disperse the risks associated with resistance to dictatorships. Now, Srdja co-runs the Centre for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) which advocates non-violent resistance to promote human rights and democracy. Srdja speaks all over the world and runs workshops. He is the author of Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men and other non-Violent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, and Simply Change the World. We discuss:  Non-violent resistance, including some tactics and strategies; Democracy in our current global condition; Spreading risk in opposition movements; Laughtivism versus political satire; Fake news Much more! Show notes: Centre for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) Check out CANVAS’ extensive list of “must reads” Blueprint for Revolution Srdja’s TED talk Interview with Srdja in The Guardian Otpor! Gene Sharp From Dictatorship to Democracy by Gene Sharp Gene Sharp’s 198 methods of non-violent resistance Freedom House’s Democracy Index Slobodan Milosevic The Russia Toy Protest Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict by Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan Nothing is True and Everything is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia by Peter Pomerantsev _________ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Find all episodes here: www.allthingsrisk.co.uk

Adventure is about much more than excitement and novelty. It is also about facing challenges and solving problems. It is about venturing into the unknown. It is about moving forward following setbacks. It is about making decisions, and dealing with risk. And yes, adventure can be about wonderful, curious, and frustrating things in far-off lands. This episode is about all of those things and more. My guest is adventurer, teacher, writer and political risk consultant Oscar Scafidi. In 2016, he and Alfy Weston kayaked the full length of the Kwanza River, the longest river in Angola – from the source all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. They did this for and with the Halo Trust, a charity that removes land mines around the world. The remoteness of the journey, natural and human hazards, the country’s civil war legacy and associated land mine problem meant that this was no ordinary journey – it was fraught with risks. Along the way, Oscar and Alfy were chased by hippos, sank their kayak, dealt freezing temperatures (yes, you read that correctly) and even got arresting at gunpoint. We get into all of that as well as: Angola’s post-colonial history of civil war and the tragedy of land mines in the country; Where Alfy and Oscar got the idea to do this journey; Preparations, including the risks they faced; The journey itself; Lessons Oscar took away; Much more! Show notes: www.Kayakthekwanza.com Kayak the Kwanza, the book Kayak the Kwanza on Facebook Kayak the Kwanza on Twitter The Halo Trust Kayak the Kwanza Documentary on YouTube Another Day of Life by Ryszard Kapuśiński Science weighs in on “bad vibes” Episode 5 with Tarran Kent-Hume – Kayaking the Amazon – did you know that Angola and Brazil were once part of the same land mass?  ______________________ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Find all episodes here: www.allthingsrisk.co.uk

Have you ever scrolled through the comments section of an article or a Twitter thread and wondered – “where do these ‘trolls’ come from?” If you’ve ever wondered that causes these often hateful, toxic and often mis-informed opinions, you are not alone. My guest this week wondered the same thing. In fact, he made a book and documentary film about this phenomenon. Meet Kyrre Lien, a 27-year old Norwegian journalist and documentarist. Last year, Forbes magazine named Kyrre one of the 30 young media entrepreneurs “defining the every shifting world of news and content.” Kyrre spent three years researching, and travelling the world to meet and spend time with the “Internet Warriors” – read internet commentators or less charitable, trolls. The “Internet Trolls” became the title of the book and documentary.   The project took Kyrre from his native Norway to the UK, middle America, the Ukraine, Russia and Lebanon. These people let him into their homes and lives. The film certainly captures many of their often hateful views, but it also captures many of their inconsistencies and contradictions, along with the loneliness and even humanity of its subjects. One might think that a project like this gives some of these people even more of a platform to voice hateful views – and in a sense that may be true – but it is not a project about celebrating these people. In fact, when I watched it the sentiment I often had was one of pity. Kyrre talks about all of this in the episode, going from the origins of the project, how he put it together, through to its broader implications. He also discusses his approach to risk, having been to the Donbass region of the Ukraine to cover the Ukraine-Russia conflict. This is a fascinating conversation that reveals a number of insights. Show notes: The Internet Warriors Kyrre’s photography webpage The Internet Warriors Book Article in the Guardian: “Internet Warriors: Inside the dark world of online haters” Kyrre on Twitter “EGRIP” – How to engage with someone we disagree with Ep 76 with Gleb Tsipursky  ________ Like what you heard? Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKh  Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast Find all episodes here: www.allthingsrisk.co.uk