Digitally Curious

As a special holiday edition of the podcast, and the final episode of this current series, I’m joined by Internationally acclaimed Mezzo-Soprano Deborah Humble.She is highly regarded for her Wagner roles and has performed in opera houses around the world including Paris, London, Sydney and Hamburg.She’s also been a friend of mine for over 35 years.Born in Bangor, Wales, Deborah grew up in Adelaide, Australia.  She received her musical and vocal training first at the Elder Conservatory of the University of Adelaide and later at the University of Melbourne.Deborah was a member of the Young Artist Program of the Victoria State Opera, and in 2002 became a principal artist with Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House. She was also the winner at the beginning of her career of the prestigious Dame Joan Sutherland Scholarship in 2004, and the following year, she became a Principal Mezzo with the State Opera of Hamburg.In 2008 she was a finalist of the International Wagner Competition of the Seattle Opera.In 2009 she was included in the Who’s Who of Australian Women.Since 2010 she has been a freelance artist and she has performed over 60 operatic roles worldwide.In 2016, after 25 years living in Europe, Deborah returned to live in Sydney, and today she's coming to us from Brycefield estate in the Hunter Valley where she lives with her Partner Dr Bruce Caldwell.Like many performers, Deborah has had to adapt to multiple cancellations and changes brought about by the global pandemic.In this podcast, Deborah looks back on her 25-year career as a Mezzo-Soprano and also looks at how she has adapted by becoming a winemaker, created a show channelling Julia Child and a look behind the scenes at how Operas are made and what can go wrong, alongside a look at how different cultures respond to Opera.In this fascinating chat, we covered literally Wagner to Wine: Deborah’s journey from Wales to AustraliaWhen did you decide to become an Opera singer?Why pick Opera as the genre to focus on?How Opera singers project their voiceThe preparation required for a huge OperaThe experience of living in HamburgBeing an Australian in HamburgWhy did you return to Australia?The need for resilienceThe Brycefield Music FestivalThe Hunter Valley regionBecoming a winemakerThe need to change direction during the pandemicBecoming Julia ChildPerforming at the Bennelong Restaurant at the Sydney Opera HouseStories from the life on the roadThe story behind Opera costumesPerforming for different audiencesDealing with negative feedbackGerman vs English vs Australian audiencesWhat’s next?Career highlightsMore on DeborahLinkedInTwitterThanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious

We know that cybersecurity presents a huge risk to us both personally and professionally, but what can we do to stay safe? To answer this question I spoke with cybersecurity expert Raj Samani, who at the time of recording was Chief Scientist at McAfee, and is now at Rapid7 on the Actionable Futurist Podcast®.As an international cybercrime expert, Raj has assisted multiple law enforcement agencies in cybercrime cases, and is a special advisor to the European Cybercrime Centre and is on the advisory councils for Infosecurity Europe and Infosecurity Magazine.Cybersecurity threats now have the potential to completely cripple companies and complete supply chains and my discussion with Raj is accessible to audiences of all types, and contains advice for a board of directors, right down to students considering their career options.In this wide-ranging discussion, we covered topics including:Cybercrime in a pandemic worldHow cybercrime has evolvedHow supply chains are now a targetThe Log4j vulnerability and what it meansAre boards taking cyber threats seriously?Making the board uncomfortable about the risksContextualising why cybersecurity mattersCan AI help fight cybercrime?Actionable advice to keep safeHow much security do you need?The industries most at riskNation-states running social media campaignsWhat the FireEye acquisition means for McAfee Criminals now have R&D departmentsIoT and APIs as the next threat areas?Children's toys are getting hackedPutting security at the heart of designBletchley Park's role in cybersecurityThe hot roles in cybersecurityTop 3 cybersecurity trendsDo companies need a dedicated Chief Security Officer?3 things to do today to stay safeRaj provides us with actionable and practical advice on what to do this week to reduce your exposure.Make 2022 the year you lean forward and take cybersecurity seriously.More on RajLinkedInTwitterMcAfee EnterpriseRaj's BlogsResources mentioned on the showHave I Been Pwned? websiteSpeakers for Schools websiteNoMoreRansom.orgThe Cuckoo's Egg bookApplied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid bookDave Grohl BiographyBletchley ParkThanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious

On this episode of the Actionable Futurist® podcast, we spoke with Steve Cadigan who has been at the forefront of global talent strategy and company culture for the past 30 years. He is most famous for scaling Linkedin from 400 to 4,000 in just 3 and a half years.Steve also led the development of LinkedIn’s legendary company culture and was at the helm of the Talent function for its period of the highest growth and through their IPO.He’s worked in 5 different industries and 3 different countries, and his focus today is to help leaders and organizations build winning talent solutions to compete in an increasingly complex digital economy.Steve has just released his new book: “Workquake: Embracing the aftershocks of Covid-19 to create a better model of working”.We had a fascinating discussion that I know you will enjoy and included topics such asBeing more human in a digital worldWho is getting the next phase of work right?How important is trust in organisations?How do we instil trust with a distributed workforce?Replacing those stolen coffee moments at workThe more fluid world of workBuilding in social interaction with teamsThe rise of the third placeThe longer-term plan for home workingWill we go back to 5 days in the office again?The professional workforce has tasted freedomGoogle's response to remote workingAdvice for HR directorsEmployee alumni groupsThe one thing that stood out in researching the bookYour digital first impressionThe rise of the gig workerActionable tips for this weekMore on SteveLinkedInTwitterWebsiteWorkquake - the bookThanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious

On this episode of the Actionable Futurist® podcast, we spoke with Mark Schaefer, someone I’ve known for nearly a decade. We first met in 2012 after he published the best selling book “Return on Influence” while I was the CEO of influencer platform Kred.He’s also the author of the world's best-selling book on Twitter, The Tao of Twitter, as well as a raft of other books such as The Content Code about content marketing and “KNOWN” a book on personal branding. I was also fortunate to be featured in his “book “Marketing Rebellion" - an Amazon best-seller.His new book, "Cumulative Advantage: How to Build Momentum for Your Ideas, Business, and Life Against All Odds" guides readers on a path that helps them stand out in a world of overwhelming information density -- when sometimes even being "great" is not enough.Filled with motivating ideas and fascinating case studies, Cumulative Advantage is an indispensable and practical source of inspiration for every person with a dream that’s ready to take flight.We had a fascinating discussion that I know you will enjoy.Topics covered included:The  genesis of influencer marketingHow we can all gain a cumulative advantageWhy it's time for marketers to be humbleThe opportunity for TikTokHow serendipity can play a huge role in your life and careerMark's view on the demographics for each social networkHow social media will fractureHow we now live in a world of infinite mediaHarnessing the era of unintended consequences for marketersResources:Azeem Azar's Exponential view Benedict Evans NewsletterMore on MarkLinkedInTwitterBlogHis booksThanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious

In this episode, we spoke to Bret Greenstein who at the time of recording was Global Head of AI & Analytics for consulting firm Cognizant. He now leads PwC's US AI, Data and Analytics Strategy and Alliances. He has an additional role leading Generative AI for the firm.Bret has worked for over 25 years helping clients to transform through the adoption of new technologies, including Generative AI, Data, Internet of Things, and Cloud, to deliver new business models and new ways of working. He joined PwC from Cognizant where he was the SVP and Global Head of AI and Analytics. Prior to that he worked in IBM as a P&L leader for multiple software and services brands, and he was the CIO for IBM's Growth Markets based in China.In this wide-ranging discussion, we uncovered new uses for AI, around the notion of "Evolutionary AI".We also discussed how AI can help governments and countries prepare for the next COVID-19 pandemic, and Cognizant's involvement with  XPRIZE to launch the Pandemic Response Challenge, a competition to create AI systems that can help societies reopen safely in the wake of COVID-19. Cognizant’s work was based on data from Oxford and John Hopkins and provided data-centric strategies for governments that want to support healthcare professionals in the fight against future pandemics. We also covered:The difference between Artificial Intelligence, Artificial General Intelligence and Evolutionary Artificial IntelligenceBret's view on General AI and how far we are away from it in practiceThe importance of ethics and AI, and conscious biasWhat more can be done in schools to prepare students for a world dominated by AI?What Governments be doing to implement the sorts of solutions uncovered in the challenge to help our societies get back to a pre-Covid worldThe notion of "data credits" to encourage data sharing to solve broader problemsHow AI augments people’s decisions and finds meaning from the noiseThe suggestion that data and access to data should be an asset on a company balance sheetHow AI can be used to develop better predictions for a range of business problemsSome practical advice on what you can be doing to better understand the power of AI and in particular Evolutionary AIBret's viThanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious

In this episode, we spoke to Sue Walter who is the former CEO of Maggie and Rose, London's first and best-loved family members club.Sue is no stranger to Member’s clubs, having been the CEO of the Hospital Club where we met back in 2011.The Hospital Club was a club for creatives and was founded by Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen and Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics. It opened in 2004 and sadly closed in 2020.Sue has had a diverse and interesting career having started in HR with the Metropolitan Police before being the HR Director at the Royal Opera House, worked for Universal Music, and joined the Hospital Club for the first time in 2002. She’s also worked in the Education sector and was Group CEO of the Coppa Club before joining Maggie and Rose at the end of 2019.Sue is an amazing and inspirational leader and we had a lot to talk about including:The Maggie and Rose conceptAdapting to the pandemicDeveloping a digital platform in 4 daysUsing the learnings from the pandemicRapid product development by knowing your audienceHow the Maggie & Rose staff adapted to the changes?How  junior members respondOptions for keeping the digital offering post-pandemicSue's choose to challenge for International Women's Day (her answer will surprise you)The roles mentors have played in Sue's careerMicrosoft Co-Founder Paul Allen's influenceDo women make better leaders and better boardroom decisions?Diversity of thought and the 2 tribesWhy Sue believes we need men at the table to solve gender equalityAdvice for Gen Y, Gen Z and Gen AlphaSue's favourite memory of the Hospital ClubThe secret of a great member's clubThe best piece of advice she’s ever receivedAdvice you have for her 19-year old sonWho inspires Sue and why?Challenges as we move out of lockdownLearning how to relate to each other againThe best use of technology during the pandemicManaging a good work/life balance in 2021Sue’s biggest hope for 2021What Sue is reading at the moment3 pieces of practical adviceShow resourcesWhat sue is currently reading: The Naked Sun by Isaac AsimovMore on SueLinkedinInstagram Maggie and RoseThanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious

Braintrust is the new model for how work gets done, says founder and Chief Revenue Officer Gabriel Luna-Ostaseki on this episode of the podcast.Braintrust is the first user-controlled talent network that connects organisations with highly skilled tech talent. In this fascinating discussion, we covered topics such as:Why the way we work is outdated and what needs to be done to fix itHow the old hierarchical model is breaking down and the need for companies to flex and bend and be very, very agile How Braintrust allows people to do work they love on their own termsHow companies can now access reliable and highly vetted talentHow Braintrust differs from other sites such as Fiverr and DoordashThe new market for highly skilled independent workersHow the way in which work happens will increasingly become networked versus work happening in the traditional command and control hierarchy Gabriel argues that the move to distributed work has been going on for 10 years but it just got accelerated by a decade in the last few months.One of the most interesting parts of our discussion centred around how to best manage people when they are distributed, and how companies and managers need to move to asynchronous communication. He argues that this is one of the things that a lot of big corporates have had difficulty doing, they basically moved out of their offices, but then they just kept all the same meeting structure.With “people are just sitting on zooms for 10 hours a day”, meaning they actually don't get the benefits of distributed work when you're synchronous but distributed. He says that moving spoken to written communication unlocks a global talent pool, versus people having to be within your two hour time zone.  He sees this as a huge unlock, especially if you're if you are talent constrained, if you're trying to find the best technical talent in the world, if you can now expand to a global footprint, that's huge unlock for large corporations. Another key topic centred around an HBR article that suggests introverts are better at managing remote worker than extroverts. Managers that are more like introverts that are really successful in remote environments that are empathetic, and that are focused on attention to detail, really clear communication, and, more servant leadership, where they're focused on helping their people to succeed.  If you’re interested in the future of work, and how distributed teams, backed by a distributed culture will be the ones to succeed post-pandemic then this podcast is a must-listen. Show resourcesHBR article on Remote Managers having trust issuesBraintrust websiteMore on GabrielGabriel on LinkedIn Gabriel on Twitter @gabelunao Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious

Today's guest is the founding member and drummer from 1980s pop sensation Scritti Politti - Tom Morley.We had a fascinating discussion about how Tom moved from being a bonafide rockstar to become a "Rockstar Activator", motivating audiences and driving teamwork at events around the world through the use of music, instruments and a healthy dose of fun.Tom's journey to corporate speaker is a great story in itself and helps set the scene for the 43-minute episode. For the last 20 years, Tom has been using his unique blend of storytelling and percussion to get teams focused and motivated and break down silos.Fast forward to 2020 and like most people, his business was massively disrupted.All of his USPs were gone overnight- rhythm, harmony, the safety of performing behind closed doors.Instead of "going off and writing a book for 12 months", Tom looked at the objectives behind his events: energise, connect, get outside your comfort zone, and do something unusualTom explains why his events work - he brings out the "wild twin" inside all of us. We also discussed how Tom moved his business online, and how the first event we worked together on - The Podcast Festival on May 28th 2020 was a catalyst to shift gears in his online performance.There are also a number of gems in this episode and only a real rockstar could name drop David Bowie!Find out more about Tom at TomMorley.comThanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious

Today's guest is Jeremy Thompson, who is Executive Vice President of Huawei UK, and oversees the development of Huawei's UK businesses.Jeremy joined Huawei UK in 2012 as deputy managing director with specific responsibility for carrier strategy, business change, and key customers. Prior to Huawei, Jeremy worked for 20 years in senior management roles, including product leadership and telecoms joint venture development for BT group in the UK and other parts of Europe, including Spain and the Nordics.Jeremy's also previously worked in the USA and the UK for an IBM software company and consulting businesses. We spoke at length about Huawei's reaction to the recent UK Government decision to force UK mobile operators to remove all Huawei 5G equipment by 2027.We also addressed a number of other issues:How early generations (1G, 2G, 3G etc) helped form the current 5G standardsThe inherent benefits of 5G for the UK and beyondHow Jeremy has been leading Huawei through the current crisisHow Huawei has embraced the Covid-19 lockdownWhat is next for Huawei in the UKHow the telecoms industry will evolve towards 6GHow standards are important to drive innovationHow the current US-China trade war is bad for innovationThanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious

On this episode, we spoke with James Cridland, Editor of leading podcast news site Podnews.Podcasting is on the rise, with 96,500 new podcasts in May 2020 alone. In this episode we discussed a number of topics related to podcasting, including:Is Podcasting is on the increase?The half-life of a podcast seriesIs podcasting the new blogging?How Podnews startedProducing a daily podcast and newsletterThe future of RSSApple's dominance in RSS standardsSpotify as a competitorIs Google number 3 in Podcasting?Is the Joe Rogan/Spotify deal the first of many?Will we see the rise of "walled gardens"?Apple's dominance with podcast discoveryIMDB as a podcast directory?The importance of measurement & monetisationMonetisation beyond advertisingThe future of corporate podcastingPrivate corporate podcastingWhat is the future of podcasting?Quick fire round Favourite Podcast Favourite podcast app Apple or Spotify? Favourite length of podcast The last podcast you listened toThree things to take advantage of podcastingSubscribe to Podnews.netListen to other podcastsLearn how to edit audioMore information on James can be found at jamescridland.netThe podcasts and products mentioned on the podcast are listed belowPodcast Festival - podcastfestival.eventsThe Bugle PodcastFreenoter PodcastAudacityAdobe AuditionHindenberg Journalist ProSign up for the Podnews daily newsletter at podnews.netThanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/orderYour Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew GrillFor more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social ChannelsAndrew on LinkedIn@AndrewGrill on Twitter @Andrew.Grill on InstagramKeynote speeches hereOrder Digitally Curious