The Decision-Making Studio Podcast

Today we take a look at the important and fascinating world of humanitarian aid and conflict  and disaster response, particularly in some of the world's most crisis-stricken areas. My guest is Ros Kirkland. Ros has eighteen years of experience in this field for both the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the British Red Cross. Ros has been involved in relief operations in North Korea, the Great Lakes Region of Africa, China, Mongolia, Bangladesh and Darfur, Sudan. We talk about these experiences and she provides some interesting insights into how these operations work.  In addition, we also cover: Governance in disaster relief What it's like to have a career in this field, including challenges and ways in which to overcome these Climate change and the future of humanitarian aid Loads more! I'm sure you will enjoy this great conversation! Show notes: Ros on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosalind-armitage-95477623?authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=W3cK&trk=tyah&trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Amynetwork%2CentityType%3AentityHistoryName%2CclickedEntityId%3Amynetwork_82520272%2Cidx%3A1 Ros in her Trustee role in the Women's Sport Trust: http://www.womenssporttrust.com/our-trustees/  The International Committee of the Red Cross: https://www.icrc.org/en  The British Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org.uk/  Mark Blyth on Global Trumpism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkm2Vfj42FY ___________ Did you like what you heard? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media:  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 Visit: allthingsrisk.co.uk– and find all episodes and ways to subscribe  

What happens to our brains when we take risks? How do successful risk-takers process information? Do they look at risk any differently? What does the science of risk-taking tell us? Meet Kayt Sukel, author of The Art of Risk: The New Science of Courage, Caution and Chance.  Kayt is a science writer and traveller who “has no problem tacking interesting and often taboo subjects spanning love, sex, neuroscience and politics.”  Her work has appeared in Atlantic Monthly, New Scientist, The Washington Post and National Geographic Traveller. In the Art of Risk, Kayt studies “risk-takers” of various vocations – from base jumpers to fire fighters. We talk about this, and the conversation brings up loads of great stuff around diligent practice and hard work, decision-making, and how we can all get better at taking risks.  But – there’s more to Kayt than this.  According to Forbes magazine, Kayt “knows more about sex than you or I do.”  Her first book is titled Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex, and Relationships (retitled This is Your Brain on Sex: The Science Behind the Search for Love).  So, as you would do with anyone you speak to the first time, we talk about sex – that’s the beauty of podcasting! Along the way we touch on a range of fascinating topics: Pop science; How the brain works; The nervous system; Decision-making; Gut feelings; And much more! Show notes: Kayt’s website Kayt on Twitter Kayt on Facebook Kayt on Linkedin Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex, and Relationships The Art of Risk: The New Science of Courage, Caution and Chance Josh Fraser’s talk “Snakes versus Staircases” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyydlDsS5I Did you like what you heard? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media:  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 Visit: allthingsrisk.co.uk– and find all episodes and ways to subscribe

  What would life be like if you could read people’s minds? Of course “mind reading” isn’t magic.  However, why mind reading tricks work is fascinating stuff.  What is even more fascinating is knowing the power of an understanding of how the mind works. This can be used to take risks successfully, improve performance, and design your life.  That is exactly what I discuss with my guest on this week’s episode (among many other things). Meet “mind reader”, mentalist, coach, author and entertainer Jonathan Pritchard (check out his main project http://www.likeamindreader.com/).  Jonathan also hosts a podcast and runs a website called “A Life Well Designed” (in which I had the pleasure recently of being a guest).  He’s also a martial artist (he studies Wing Chun) and we connect all of these threads, plus a few more in this super fun conversation that covers: Mind reading and mentalism; How mind reading can be applied to lifestyle design; Why and how pickpocketing works; “Echo time” versus “real time”; Martial arts; Design concepts and lifestyle design; Cognitive psychology and how we navigate reality Much more! Show notes: Jonathan's main project "____ like a mind reader": http://www.likeamindreader.com/ Jonathan’s site and podcast “A Life Well Designed” - http://www.alifewelldesigned.com/ A Life Well Designed on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alifewelldesigned On Twitter: https://twitter.com/alwdtweets On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alifewelldesigned/ A free preview of Jonathan’s book How to Think Like a Designer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8DfZgHPERJ_T3hSWm0zYllISHM/view David Epstein’s book The Sports Gene: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16171221-the-sports-gene?from_search=true Apollo Robbins on “The Art of Misdirection”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZGY0wPAnus _____________ Did you like what you heard? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media: 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 Visit: allthingsrisk.co.uk- and find all episodes and ways to subscribe  

Imagine that an obstacle (like a wall) that has been in your way is removed.  Would you take that risk you’ve always been meaning to take?  How about when you no longer find joy in what you are doing?   What steps would you take to change it? Meet Anke Herrmann.  Anke is my guest on Episode 26. She is an entrepreneur and coach and lives in Andalucia Spain where she runs her own studio specialising in making custom flamenco dance costumes.   Anke takes both an inspirational and very practical approach to these types of questions.  And, while we’re on the topic of uncertainty and obstacles, Anke took her first (and biggest) risk in February 1989.  Born and raised in East Germany, she moved across the Iron Curtain to West Germany.  At the time, no one had any idea how long the Eastern Bloc would remain closed to the world. When the Berlin Wall came down later that year, a world of opportunities opened up for her and she took full advantage.  She lived in Australia and the UK and has worked in areas as diverse as translations to software development.  Throughout her career and life, she seemed to know when and how to make a change. Eventually, she found her way to Granada, Spain where she opened her studio. We talk about all of this in a fascinating conversation that I am sure you will not only enjoy, but get a number of pearls of wisdom that you can apply in your own life.  We discuss: Growing up in East Germany before the fall of the Iron Curtain; Moving to West Germany Taking risks and balancing certainty with uncertainty; How and why she decided to move to Spain; The beauty of flamenco; Lessons in entrepreneurship Coaching others (Anke helps self-employed creative women “kick the stress out of their business”) Loads more! Show notes: Anke’s about.me site: https://about.me/anke_herrmann Anke’s coaching: http://sewingenious.co/ Anybody interested in learning how to sew flamenco dance costumes? http://www.flamencodressmaking.com/ Anke on Medium: https://medium.com/@sewingenious.co Anke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anke-herrmann-751a8965 Anke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/anke_herrmann Anke on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/herrmann.anke or https://www.facebook.com/flamencodressmaking/ Anke on Pinterest: https://es.pinterest.com/sewflamenco/ Anke on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sewflamenco/ _________________  Did you like this episode? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media: 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 Visit: allthingsrisk.co.uk- and find all episodes and ways to subscribe

Where does the rise of anti-elite sentiment, as evidenced by Brexit and Trumpism come from? Why and how have much of the Western world, particularly in the EU, been told what to do by a bunch of technocrats?  Why is government debt not like household debt? And why is austerity (the policy of cutting back public spending) dangerous? This episode is a “big picture” conversation with a focus on the global economy. Don’t worry - you don’t have to be an economist or a financier to only follow and enjoy it. However, you do have to think critically to get a lot of it. Fortunately, my guest will help you do that. He is economist, researcher and author Mark Blyth.  Mark teaches political economy at Brown University in Rhode Island, USA. If you were to place a bet on Mark ending up teaching at an Ivy League school, you would have received long odds.  Mark was born and grew up in Dundee, Scotland in relative poverty. As he puts it, “probabilistically speaking, I am as an extreme example of intragenerational social mobility as you can find anywhere.” He is a product of the welfare state. Mark’s background is part of the story.  Mark’s book Austerity: History of a Dangerous Idea discusses the history of the (empirically wrong) theory that cutting public spending (austerity) can spur economic growth.  You may have seen video clips of Mark talking about austerity and describing The Hamptons as “not a defensible position” in describing the anti-elite sentiment and the results of the Brexit vote in the UK. Mark is not only knows his subject, he is very engaging and entertaining. He’s the economics and political economy professor you wish you had. We have a fascinating and fun conversation that covers a lot of very important ground: Mark’s background; The history and practice of austerity; Technocracies; The Euro and Europe’s future; Brexit, globalisation and anti-elite sentiment; His outlook and the risks he sees to the global economy (it's much more positive than you might think); Loads more!  Show notes: Mark’s site – markblyth.com Mark on Twitter - https://twitter.com/MkBlyth Mark on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MkBlyth/ Mark’s page at Brown University’s Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs - http://watson.brown.edu/people/faculty/blyth Austerity: History of a Dangerous Idea: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0199389446/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F9ZFN7SGZ64NYMS8PJ6V Mark’s book Great Transformations: Economic Ideas and Institutional Change in the Twentieth Century - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0521010527/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F9ZFN7SGZ64NYMS8PJ6V Mark and Matthias Matthjis’ book The Future of the Euro - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-Euro-Matthias-Matthijs/dp/0190233249 Mark’s talk on AthensLive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGvZil0qWPg ______________ Did you like this episode? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media: 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 Visit: allthingsrisk.co.uk- and find all episodes and ways to subscribe

  We have long-form conversations in large part because we get to go deep with our guests.  Today, we almost get to do that literally as we go under the surface of the ocean and discuss a fascinating world.  My guest is maritime historian, shipwreck expert and author Taylor Zajonc.  Taylor is an incredibly interesting guy and we have the rare opportunity to talk about topics that are both fascinating and have few people know as much about them as Taylor. At the age of 19, Taylor was part of an expedition to explore the deepest archeological site on the planet – a trading ship three miles (over four km) under the ocean’s surface in the Bermuda Triangle in the 1800s.  Having done this, it was clear that Taylor was not going to become an accountant!  Instead, he became a shipwreck researcher and has now studied numerous shipwrecks (from The Titanic to many others).  We talk about all of this in this very interesting conversation that covers: What the ocean floor looks like several thousand meters below the surface; Risk in undersea expeditions; Insights into the commonalities in the causes of shipwrecks; Wilderness survival – Taylor is also a trained wilderness survival expert; The psychology of human beings when everything goes wrong; Becoming an author and his inspiration for writing his first novel The Wrecking Crew. And loads more! Taylor is very interesting and a lot fun.  I am sure you will enjoy the conversation! Show notes: Taylor’s site: http://expeditionwriter.com/ Taylor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaylorZajonc Taylor’s first book The Wrecking Crew: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27181669-the-wrecking-crew?from_search=true Taylor’s upcoming sequel Red Sun Rogue: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29887294-red-sun-rogue Taylor’s interview with Outside magazine: http://expeditionwriter.com/undersea-survival-stories-with-outside-magazines-new-podcast/ Article in National Geographic referencing Malcolm Gladwell’s “cockpit culture” theory in his book Outliers: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130709-asiana-flight-214-crash-korean-airlines-culture-outliers/ __________________ Did you like this episode? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media: 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 Visit: www.allthingsrisk.co.uk - and find all episodes and ways to subscribe

Imagine bringing together some of the world’s most distinguished artists to tell the story of arguably the most important advancement in the recent history of humankind.  That advancement is the vaccine.  And just some of the artists we’re talking about are: Photographers and photojournalists Sebastiao Salgado, Mary Ellen Mark, Glen Wexler, and Annie Leibovitz; Writers Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Geraldine Brooks; Visual artist Han Feng; Musician Angelique Kidjo Filmaker Luc Jacquet (of March of the Penguins fame)  Imagine working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to make something called “The Art of Saving a Life”.  Who could make something like this happen? Meet Christine McNab. Christine is my guest on this week’s show.  She is a photographer, development consultant, TED speaker, and many other things (including being a fellow Canadian). Christine is one of those rare and wonderful people who can connect things.  She was the designer and driver behind the Art of Saving a Life and joins me to share the story of this amazing initiative. However, there is more to Christine than this (and to understand how the project came to be you need to understand how Christine approaches things). We discuss a wide range of topics, including her most recent project “A River Runs With Her”.  We also cover: Christine’s background in journalism; Her work as Director of Communications at the World Health Organisation (WHO) – and we get into things like SARS, risk communication and related areas; Moving on from that role (and taking risks); The Art of Saving a Life of course A River Runs With Her And much more!  I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and am very excited to share it with you! Show notes: Christine’s website: http://www.christinemcnab.com/ Christine McNab Photography on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineMcNabPhotography/?fref=nf Christine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Christine_McNab Christine on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinemcnab Christine’s wonderful TEDMED talk “Capturing the Art of Saving a Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U12agLV1DAI The Art of Saving a Life: http://artofsavingalife.com/ __________________________  Did you like this episode? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media: Subscribe and/or leave a rating and review on: iTunes: http://apple.co/1PjLmKhSubscribe on Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcastSubscribe on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Follow the podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiskThings   Drop us a note: allthingsrisk@gmail.com Visit: www.allthingsrisk.co.uk - and find all episodes and ways to subscribe

Sometimes, that “edge” you may be looking for ends up providing you with an advantage, but in unexpected ways.  That’s just how uncertainty works.  This was true for my guest on this episode Drew Taddia.  Drew spent many years as a professional baseball player.  Being from Canada, one of the disadvantages he had to contend with is not playing as many games as his American counterparts prior to taking a risk and moving to the USA to try his hand at that country’s “greatest pastime”.  Trying to bridge the gap, Drew turned towards nutrition.  He started to figure what works (mostly a plant-based whole foods diet).  Eventually, these efforts paid off – but not exactly as intended.  Drew decided to try his hand at coaching and training others in diet and nutrition.  What started off rocky, has turned into a successful career as an author, fitness expert, podcast host and many more things.  Today, Drew joins me for a fun, engaging and informative conversation about: Drew’s background story including his baseball career; Taking risks; Building resilience through: Nutrition, particularly of the plant-based (vegan) variety; Managing stress Mindfulness How to make positive changes that will endure Finding a career that you love Loads more It was a blast speaking to Drew and I am sure you’ll find it entertaining and extremely useful. Show notes: Drew’s website: http://trueformlife.com/ Drew’s podcast “Exploring Mind and Body” - http://exploringmindandbody.com/ Drew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrueFormLife Drew on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trueformlife Drew on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewtaddia/ Drew’s book Detoxify Yourself: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21398927-detoxify-yourself?from_search=true   Did you like this episode? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media: 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 Visit: www.allthingsrisk.co.uk - and find all episodes and ways to subscribe

How many people can draw a line in their lives that connects living in the West Bank, yacht racing around the world, doing polar expeditions, and becoming the CEO for a highly successful technology firm?  Probably one - and this week, he joins me on the All Things Risk Podcast to talk risk, digital media, leadership, and much more.  Meet Tony Haile, founding CEO of Chartbeat (www.chartbeat.com), explorer, adjunct Professor, and many other things. The things that Tony has done may, at first glance, seem disparate and unrelated.  However, as you'll soon grasp, the way that Tony looks at them, they are completely connected.  One of the threads that runs through Tony's endeavours is around risk and risk-taking.  Tony has for instance, applied many lessons from his polar expedition days to the world of tech start-ups. Chartbeat, the company Tony led as CEO for seven years is similarly an interesting story - not only because it went from start-up to market leader in its field, but also for what it does.  Chartbeat helps media companies understand how its audience engages with content (as opposed to the blunt instrument of measuring clicks and page views). Tony's work at Chartbeat revealed that in spite of the click bait economy of which we are a part, there is a massive demand for thoughtful and nuanced content.  We talk about this, including the future of digital media and investigative journalism in part of this episode. This all makes for a fun, wide-ranging and very insightful conversation that I am certain you will not only enjoy, but also take away some practical things you can use.  We cover: Tony's background, including studying International Relations and living in the West Bank Palestinian territory; Polar expeditions and working with explorer and endurance athlete Ben Saunders; Lessons in risk management Tony took from the world of yacht racing and polar expeditions and applied to the world of tech start-ups - this part of the conversation will perhaps challenge any preconceptions you might have about tech entrepreneurs being risk-seeing mavericks prone to recklessness; Chartbeat - what it does and how he helped make it a success; Lessons from his time as a CEO; The state of digital media; The future of investigative journalism; Book recommendations - Tony is a avid reader and lists the books he as read each year on his website (www.tonyhaile.com) - this led to an interesting discussion on genes and transhumanism (although we did not have enough time to cover this properly!) And much more! Show notes: Tony's website - www.tonyhaile.com  Tony on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arctictony  Tony on Linkedin: http://bit.ly/2c7fb7E  Chartbeat: https://chartbeat.com/  Tony's article in Time Magazine "What You Know About the Web is Wrong" - http://time.com/12933/what-you-think-you-know-about-the-web-is-wrong/  Feature on Tony and Chartbeat in the Columbia Journalism Review: http://www.cjr.org/innovations/tony_haile_chartbeat.php  Ernest Shackleton - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Shackleton  Ben Saunders - http://www.bensaunders.com/  The Scott Expedition: http://scottexpedition.com/  Control Risks: www.controlrisks.com  Article "What ISIS Really Wants": http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980/  The Last Lion 3 by William Manchester and Paul Reid (although also check out 1 and 2): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/746673.The_Last_Lion_3?from_search=true  The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddharta Mukherjee: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27276428-the-gene?from_search=true  ________________ Did you like this episode? Subscribe to the All Things Risk podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it on social media: 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 Visit: www.allthingsrisk.co.uk - and find all episodes and ways to subscribe

This is just a short in-betweenisode in which I look ahead to our exciting autumn line-up and make a few announcements about the show. Enjoy the rest of your summer and check in for the next full episode on Sept 6th! Also, if you are wondering about how to get the show on you Android device but don't know how, there are several ways.  You can download and listen to the show on any of the following apps: Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ben-cattaneo Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/all-things-risk/the-all-things-risk-podcast  Spreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-all-things-risk-podcast  Tunein: http://tunein.com/radio/The-All-Things-Risk-Podcast-p869339/  Acast: https://www.acast.com/allthingsrisk  Or any one of the apps here: http://subscribeonandroid.com/feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:119601698/sounds.rss  And check out our new website (shh - still a secret!): www.allthingsrisk.co.uk