The Decision-Making Studio Podcast

Imagine that you suffer from social anxiety that is so acute that you struggle to answer the phone, open the door to your home if someone knocks, or to go outside. Now imagine that in spite of this, you’ve become an adventurer, a speaker and writer. Now imagine that in two short months, you will start a journey to be the first person to swim around Great Britain. Meet Paula McGuire – our guest on Episode 75. Paula hails from Glasgow and for many years has suffered from acute social anxiety. She was bullied at school growing up, was eventually placed on medications for the condition, and found it nearly impossible to figure out what she truly enjoyed and wanted to do in life. Fear was pervasive. And yet somehow, Paula took control. She started to try things – beginning with having a go at every sport of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She moved on to try other things – rally car driving, farming, and even being an astronaut for a day. She is a speaker and gave a wonderful TEDx talk. She is an author and has a book coming out called Must Try Harder – Adventures in Anxiety.  In April 2018, she set out on her biggest challenge yet – a 1800 mile (2897 km) swim around the coast of Great Britain – the Big, Mad, Swim Around Britain. That’s not bad for an aquaphobe! As you’ll hear, Paula has not eliminated anxiety. A big part of this episode and of All Things Risk is that we all grapple with fear and anxiety to an extent. We all deal with the reptilian part of our brains which wants us to avoid losses at all costs. We all have part of our psyches that want to keep us in our comfort zones. So, what Paula is doing is not only inspirational, it is also a great example of healthy risk-taking. We get into tons of wonderful stuff in this episode. I am sure you will enjoy it. Show notes: Paula’s website Paula on Twitter Paula on Facebook Paula on YouTube Paula’s TEDx talk The Big, Mad, Swim Around Britain Paula’s forthcoming book Must Try Harder: Adventures in Anxiety on:             Amazon UK             Amazon USA             Barnes and Noble             Waterstones  ______________ 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

  Threats to democracy, the changing nature of military conflict, cyber threats, bots, China, Russia and disruptive change created by hyper connectivity – what does all of this mean? How should military organisations assess and manage risk? What lessons can we learn that are applicable elsewhere? Today, we dive into these topics. This is both and important and informative “big picture” risk conversation. It is also highly enjoyable. In this episode, we discuss the USA’s military power, “grey zone” competition, and tons more with Nathan Freier. Nathan is a military strategist, researcher, and risk professional. He is an associate professor of National Security Studies at the Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College. He recently led a research project that culminated in a report entitled At Our Peril. It asks and attempts to answer the question, of how the US Department of Defence should adapt to the type of disruptive change we have discussed in recent episodes and that we see playing out in today’s headlines. Indeed, we live in a world of international “grey zone” competition – not quite war, not quite peace. The project Nathan led contains some very interesting insights and innovative thinking on these and related topics. It will provide you with a deeper level of understanding of our world and you don’t need to be a risk professional to follow along and get a lot out of the conversation. We cover: The art of strategy; “Softer” aspects of American power in the world; The very useful concept of “risk confusion”; Cyber warfare; Why the US Department of Defence would commission this piece of work – and make it public; Tons more!  Show Notes: Nathan’s page at the SSI Nathan on Twitter Nathan on LinkedIn At Our Peril Outplayed – Regaining Strategic Initiative in the Gray Zone Known Unknowns: Unconventional “Strategic Shocks” in Defence Strategy Development The Art of War ______________ 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

Today, we talk China and its complex relationship with The United States and the West. My guest is Joshua Phillip, an award-winning journalist at the Epoch Times. He specialises in covering national security in the United States in relation to China and is an expert in China’s roles and approaches to espionage, organised crime, and unconventional warfare.  We get into all of that and go down a few rabbit holes in this one – each more fascinating than the previous. Of course, Joshua approaches these topics from a certain viewpoint and it is important to note that the Epoch Times focuses on news about China and human rights issues associated with it – it takes an anti-communist and anti-Communist Party of China editorial stance.  We get into a range of topics including: ·      China’s persecution of Falun Gong; ·      The Chinese state’s relationship with organised crime; ·      China and its alleged attempt to subvert US and Western democracy; ·      The dark web; ·      The role of the People’s Liberation Army in counterfeiting and gray markets; ·      Prospects of China-US relations under Xi Jingping ·      Loads more! Show notes: Joshua’s website Joshua on Twitter Joshua’s award-winning investigative work Murder, Money and Spies  The Epoch Times Falun Gong Li Hongzhi New York Times Article - Born on a Queens Street, a Battle Over Falun Gong Goes to Court Bloody Harvest by David Matas and David Kilgour 1989 Tiananmen Square protests Tibetan sovereignty debate Fuk Ching Organised Crime Group The Coming Collapse of China by Gordon Chang Ali Express _______________ 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

When we hear about North Korea in the news, it is often about missile tests, diplomatic negotiations, cyber attacks, the threat of war, or even what former pro basketballer Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong-Un are discussing. But, what is going on behind all of this? What is life really like in North Korea? For a country that makes owning a business illegal, a quiet revolution rumbles on as the infiltration of illegal commerce grows. North Koreans are taking more risks to serve themselves. Today, we peer inside the so-called “hermit kingdom”. We’ll hear about the human rights crisis in the country, North Korea’s “quiet revolution” of capitalism, and about two harrowing escapes from the country. My guests in this episode are Ji-Hyun Park, a North Korean refugee living in the UK, and Michael Glendinning, Founder of the charity ‘Connect: North Korea’.   Ji Hyun shares with us the immense trials and tribulations she experienced from her first escape from North Korea in 1998 to her arrival in the UK a decade later. Michael moved to South Korea in 2009 to teach English. There he volunteered in charities supporting North Korean refugees. Seeing how the UK could play a bigger part, he got involved with The European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea in 2009, and set up Connect: North Korea in 2017.   This conversation is fascinating and deeply moving. We discussed: North Korea’s human rights crisis and the Western media’s focus on nuclear weapons over this crisis; North Korea’s “Songbun” class system; Ji -Hyun’s experience of the N Korean school system; The collapse of North Korea’s public distribution system, and its effects; North Korea’s quiet revolution of illegal capitalism; Access to foreign media in North Korea and its impact; Human trafficking; Ji-Hyun’s two escapes from the country; What ‘Connect: North Korea’ does and how you can help Show Notes: Connect: North Korea The European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea Michael on Twitter Ji-Hyun on Twitter Connect: North Korea on Twitter Ji-Hyun and Michael’s talk in Funzing Talks at Night 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Volunteer to teach English/ mentor with North Korean refugees Universal Declaration of Human Rights _____________ 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

How often do you get to listen to an hour’s worth of wisdom from the from the FBI’s former chief hostage negotiator? Well, today we get that chance. Meet Gary Noesner, who led the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit until his retirement in 2003. Gary is now a consultant, speaker and author of the book Stalling for Time, part of which forms the basis of a new miniseries on the Paramount Network called “Waco”. Yes, Gary was involved in negotiations with Branch Davidians in the lead up to the 1993 Waco Siege, and his efforts saved lives in the process. Gary talks about that, but this is an episode about so much more. We have a wide-ranging conversation about crisis management, negotiation, the importance of listening, and tons more. I am highly appreciative of Gary coming on to the show and in spite of cold and sore throat, Gary provided an enormous amount of insight into: The different types of hostage negotiations that can happen, including those involving ideology like the Waco siege; The importance of relationships and creating connections in negotiations; Why listening is a fundamental skill in hostage situations; Speaking truth to power; Dealing with nuance and finding common ground; How these skills can be applied to all types of situations; Much more! Show notes:  Gary’s website; Gary on LinkedIn; Gary’s book, Stalling for Time; Waco on the Paramount Network; The 1993 Waco Siege; Michael Shannon; Steven Covey; The book, Nonsense, the Power of Not Knowing by Jamie Holmes; Dragnet; Colombo; Cats in the Cradle, by Harry Chapin; If, by Rudyard Kipling; “My Way” sung by Frank Sinatra; Behavioural Change Stairway model ___________________ 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 www.allthingsrisk.co.uk

This is our second annual “best of” episode which is a compilation of what I and some of you have considered to be your favourite excerpts from our episodes in the past year. It’s always difficult to leave things out, and we had an amazing set of guests and conversations in 2017. The clips that didn’t make it are in no way “lesser” than those that did – the selection process was not highly “scientific”. However, we had to exclude more than we could include. This year’s compilation features clips from: Ep. 66: Monika Sattler – Adventure Cycling and Listening to Your Heart Ep. 64: Caspar Craven – Sailing Around the World With A Family Ep. 61: Tim Davies – Decision-Making and Performance on Fighter Jets Ep. 60: Linda Swindling – Negotiation and Why You Should “Ask Outrageously” Ep. 59: Cathy O’Dowd – Decision-making and Risk on the World’s Highest Mountains Ep. 54: Michele Battle-Fisher – Transhumanism is Coming, Are We Ready? Ep. 53: Alex Sidorenko – Making Great Decisions “With Risks in Mind” Ep. 52: Jacki Hill-Murphy – Recreating Journeys of Extraordinary Adventuresses Ep. 51: John Perkins – From Economic Hit Man to Life Economy Champion Ep. 47: Charles Cassidy – Evidence-Based Wisdom Ep. 44: Erik Newton – Risk and Resilience in Love and Relationships Ep. 43: Marc Stoiber – Authenticity, Future-Proofing and Brands in the Post-Mad Men Era Ep. 41: Tim Stanley – What Does Russia Want? Ep. 38: Tom Hardin – “Tipper X” on Ethics, Decisions, and Resilience Ep. 37: André Goeritz – Art, the Unknown, and Ultra Cycling World Records Ep. 36: Ford Fischer – On Transhumanism  _________ 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 www.allthingsrisk.co.uk     

Today, we look back at “big picture” events of 2017 and forward to risks that may not be on people’s radar for 2018 with 4-time guest of the podcast Daniel Wagner. Those of you who have caught my previous episodes with Daniel know that he is a geo-political risk expert, CEO of Country Risk Solutions, regular media commentator, and author of many articles and books – most recently “Virtual Terror”. Daniel’s views are often contrarian and always insightful. We talk US politics, climate change, the Middle East, North Korea, China, the global economy and lots more!  Ep 57 of the All Things Risk Podcast Virtual Terror (USA) Virtual Terror (UK) Daniel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/countryriskmgmt Daniel’s company, Country Risk Solutions: http://countryrisksolutions.com/ http://riskcooperative.com/ Daniel’s recent piece in the Huffington Post “A Year of Rising Risks for 2018”  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

What can we learn about ocean animals that can tell us about the environment? What happens to birds when they take their physiologies to their limits? How close are we to seeing a sub-two hour marathon? This is a somewhat different episode of the podcast in which I talk to three speakers from this year’s Humanature conference. The conference brings together experts from a number of fields to explore the links between extreme life and human performance and health. I was fortunate enough to have three short conversations with: Dr. Andreas Fahlman about the physiology of marine animals and what that means for the health of our environment;     Dr. Carl Soulsbury about birds “exercising” to their limits and beyond;   Dr. Andrew Jones about his work on Nike’s bold recent effort to crack the sub-two hour marathon.   These were all short conversations that took place in London’s Natural History Museum. Show Notes: Humanature Symposium Society for Experimental Biology Natural History Museum Dr. Andreas Fahlman Dr. Carl Soulsbury Dr. Andrew Jones Epigenetics Nike’s “Breaking2” initiative including this National Geographic documentary Eliud Kipchoge _________________ 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  www.allthingsrisk.co.uk

  How does Israel’s approach to public security differ from that of the USA and Western Europe? What can we learn? Today, we explore public security, terrorism, body language, mindset and more. My guest is Eldor Arbel. Eldor is the CEO of Arbel Consulting and Training. He brings a unique perspective to security – “security from the inside out”. This isn’t surprising considering Eldor is an Israeli national living in London, spend four years in the Israeli Defence Forces and has worked for many years in the private security industry in the country. Israel of course, has had to deal with terrorism for decades. I was interested in Eldor’s take on how countries like the UK and USA deal with terrorism and security. We get into this (and if you follow the podcast you know I thinke that we overestimate the chances of a terror attack). However, this is a conversation about much more than this we get into: Eldor’s time in the Israeli Defence Forces; The private security sector in Israel; Terrorism and other types of security threats; Eldor’s security philosophy, including: Mindset; Normalcy bias; Behaviour detection; Body language; Security versus freedom; The training AC&T offers, including the very interesting “Confined Spaces Training” Loads more! Show notes: Eldor on LinkedIn Arbel Consulting and Training (AC&T) AC&T on Facebook Normalcy bias Israel Defence Forces Krav Maga Brazilian Jiu Jitsu  2006 Israel-Lebanon War   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 www.allthingsrisk.co.uk

  Today, we talk cycling, making decisions and taking risks with Monika Sattler.   Monika is an adventure cyclist, writer and vlogger. Monika competed in this year’s Haute Route Alps. In fact, she actually completed the Haute Route Triple Crown – completing 21 days across the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites! Monika is currently based in Griona, Spain – one of the world’s best cycling destinations. Girona is perfect for what Monika does – adventure cycling and inspiring others, especially women, to live their passions. Monika has completed numerous epic cycling challenges like the Haute Route, the Tour du Mont Blanc, and others.  We talk about all of that but there is much more to Monika than life on two wheels and this is a conversation that is much broader than cycling. It is about pursuing your passion, making decisions, mind set, taking risks, and loads more. Think about it, how do you make a living doing something like what Monika does? As you’ll hear, it is a non-linear path with lots of starts and stops along the way. Monika is amazing and has a lot of great stuff to share. We cover: Monika’s background, including moving from her native Germany to the USA to pursue a volleyball scholarship; Getting into cycling and adventure racing, including a cool story; Competing in her first pro race and in the women’s pro circuit in Europe; Giving a prestigious career to pursue her passion – twice – first while she was working at the World Bank and second when she worked in management consulting; The awesome adventure she has planned for next year. Loads more! Show notes: Monica’s Website Monica on:             YouTube             Facebook             Instagram             Linkedin Check out and support Monika as she will ride the full 3,330km course of next year’s Vuelta a España – www.thevueltaride.com www.hauteroute.org The Philadelphia International Cycling Classic Trans Iowa Cycling Race The Transcontinental Race The Indian Pacific Wheel Race Race Across America The World Bank IBM Consulting __________ 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