Digitally Curious

With the rise and rise of online shopping can the high street survive? To answer this question and others on the future of retail I asked Julian Fisher, CEO of Retail platform Jisp for his expert views.Julian has enjoyed a varied background in technology, payments and new media, and in 1994 he launched the UK’s first internet exhibition.Since then his work has remained inexorably linked to the internet and improving sales, payment and issues with compliance together with information solutions for a wide and diverse group of blue-chip companies.In this episode we discussed:Can the high street be saved from the threat of Amazon?The High street vs the internetWhat can high street retailers do to prevent extinction?The last Blockbuster on the planetSainsbury's and ArgosThe John Lewis online strategyThe problem with showroomingMeeting consumer demands in-storeJohn Lewis in-store iPhonesThe Apple retail experienceRemoving the pay-deskThe John Lewis Partnership modelRetailTainment - Retail + EntertainmentToday at Apple - why it works so wellWhy a helpful store assistant will make you buy moreHow to double transaction revenueHow delivery services are disrupting restaurantsThe delivery channel is not important - it's all businessThe dark kitchen conceptThe latest retail innovationsUsing retail data to create better experiencesWhat will the high street look like in 5-10 years?The role of cash in retailHow mobile is key for retailThe future retail mixThree practical tips for retailersTalk to your staff and customersBe bold & innovative & fail fastMake your customers the focusThanks 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 speak with Dr Elaine Kasket who tells stories about the impact of the digital age on how we live and how we die, and helps others write and speak powerfully about what matters to them. She is the author of a fascinating book on the subject “All the Ghosts in the Machine” which I had the pleasure of reading ahead of our recording.In this podcast, you will also learn·      The ethics and privacy of family letters·      The laws of data ownership·      The deceased's right to privacy·      Why you need a digital will·      The need for a Facebook Legacy Contact·      The legal issues around legacy contacts·      Your digital afterlife on other platforms·      Context collapse and personal brand·      Eulogy for a digital stranger·      The DeathTech space·      Are you ready for your own digital afterlife?·      3 tips to get your digital life in orderThanks 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 Episode 10 of the Actionable Futurist® Podcast we speak with Lauren Walker, who at the time of recording was the Chief Operating & Data Officer in EMEA for leading agency Dentsu Aegis. She is now Managing Director at Accenture Interactive.Lauren joined Dentsu in 2017 from IBM and lead a team of more than 600 people across operations, market research, social science, digital and data science, and engineering. In May 2021 she moved to be Managing Director at Accenture Interactive.Prior to these roles, she spent a decade at IBM with a raft of senior roles - most recently head of data strategy partnerships for Europe.Lauren was also director of competitive strategy at Choicepoint, now part of LexisNexis, and spent two years as a special advisor to the Director of the White House in Washington DC.In this fascinating podcast, we covered the world of data and looked at what's next.Disclaimer: Lauren's comments are her own and not that of her previous or current employer.Connect with Lauren on LinkedInFollow Lauren on TwitterThanks 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 Episode 9 we speak with James Varga, who co-founded The ID Co in 2011 with a mission to create convenience  allowing consumers to sign up to new products and services in seconds.He is active in a number of local and global efforts to help people do more online, including the Fintech Delivery Panel, the Open Banking Excellence where he is Co-founder and Trust In Digital Life.As one of the first to call for Open Banking in the UK, James has a wealth of experience in this space. Having previously built a personal finance management and aggregation service, he has a unique perspective that highlights the importance of customer convenience in the overall success and adoption of Open Banking. Among other things we discussed:What is Open Banking?Applications for Open BankingThe identity challengesMatching the right person to the right productGDPR and Open BankingData ownership is key2018 - the year of regulated disruptionGiving the consumer back controlWhy has Open Banking been slow to take off?Is Open Banking good for banks?The real opportunity for Open BankingWhat's the Open Banking silver bullet?Account aggregation is just the startUsing data for customer onboardingConsumer behavioural changeThe balance between convenience and rewardBanks are bad at using dataBeing a B2C Fintech isn't easyMonzo's IFTTT integrationConsumer data ownership is keyWe need to give consumers an incentive to use Open BankingInstant loans - 45% revenue increase & 7% fraud reductionThe Australian Open Banking sceneThe open data approach is a riskGetting the regulators involved3 things for next weekThanks 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 Episode 8 we speak with Dr. Lynn Gribble, who is one of Australia’s founding coaches, an accidental academic and an award-winning author and university lecturer.She’s known as a digital innovator for her work in technology-enabled academia and she calls herself a “pragmatic futurist coach”. She also helps people to “future proof” their careers in an ever-evolving workplace.We spoke with Lynn from Sydney, Australia where she lives and works.We discussed a range of topics relevant to companies of any size including:The future of work is about relationshipsDo people want to be managed in the digital age?Managing the circumstances not the peopleSoft vs disciplinary skillsWe need people to connect peopleWhat we can't teach AI to do is make a human connectionPeople are the only truly sustainable competitive advantageWhat is the future of work?People need to be agile and take ownership of their skills developmentFlexibility is the key in the gig economyThe serviced office of the futureThe one piece of technology that will drive fundamental changeThe digital agentHome robots are the hardest workersThe receptionist of the futureThe stigma of retrenchmentManaging MillennialsWhat ice skating can teach youWhat organisations get wrongIf you punish risk you will get no innovationAre we addressing ethics in business?The link between risk and ethicsWhat 3 things can you do next week?1. Build relationships not networks2. Take a small risk & do something new3. How can I be kinder & more connected to colleagues?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

In Episode 7 we speak with Pitching expert Peter Hopwood and answer the question “What’s the Future of … Pitching for Success?”Peter is a communications and presence coach, public speaking and pitch trainer and conference host.We spoke with Peter from Croatia where he lives and works.We discussed a range of topics relevant to companies of any size including:Getting people curious about your businessSimple tricks for networking eventsHow to stand outMistakes people make when pitchingWhy the first 60 seconds is keyThe worst pitch everShow you care what you're talking aboutThink about your style and toneGetting your nerves under controlOwning the pauseHow being different gets you noticedChannelling Don Draper from Mad MenThe importance of rehearsalsThree things you can do next weekWhy should people listen to you?Think about your "sexy secret"Find out more about PeterThanks 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 Episode 6 we speak with the CEO of Integral Communications Group Ethan McCarty  and answer the question “What’s the Future of … Employee Communication?”A former journalist, Ethan joined IBM in early 2000 to manage the web presence for IBM’s $6 billion a year research division, he also co-authored their groundbreaking blogging guidelines, launched IBM’s intranet podcasting platform and worked on IBM’s award-winning annual report to shareholders.He is now the CEO of Integral Communications Group, a consulting firm specializing in employee activation, as well as a masters-level lecturer on digital media and employee communications for Columbia University.We spoke to Ethan from New York where he lives and works.We discussed a range of topics relevant to companies of any size including:Why Ethan started an employee activation companyInternal vs External communicationsHarnessing your external networkEmployee Advocacy beyond: "Please retweet this"How do you measure employee engagement?Helping attract new talent to the firmUsing communication as a recruitment toolHow do you "activate" employees?Stop "interruption messaging"Culture and purposePersonal brand vs company brandRenting your brand to an organisationEminence vs advocacyShowing up with your networkDesign your value proposition to be network permeableGetting your digital tools readyWhat 3 things can you do next week to start an employee engagement program?1. Start talking with employees2. Reinspect the measures of our work3. Inspect your practice of iterationThe Agile ManifestoThanks 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 Episode 5 we speak with Digital Strategist Tiffany St James and answer the question “What’s the Future of … Digital Transformation?”Tiffany is the former Head of Public Participation for the UK Government and an Executive Director of the British Interactive Media Association.She embeds digital and social media capability into national and international organisations and governments, and speaks worldwide on social media, digital strategy, women in tech and tech innovation.We discussed a range of topics relevant to companies of any size including:Digital Transformation in the UK GovernmentWhat would you do differently?Digital Transformation with peopleHow do you transform a large corporate?Changing the physical interior of a businessBeing "digitally curious"Instilling play into corporate educationDeveloping your problem solving muscleUsing escape rooms to aid problem solving"Corporate adventuring" to find out informationRunning a "corporate fire drill"Use Corporate Venturing to solve problemsThe Two Tribes in every organisationOrganising a HackathonBe careful not to over-serve young leadersWhat can the board teach young people?Hackathons to create cultural changeDigital DiversityDigital MaturityThe digital talent crisisGetting people studying the right subjectsGet involved with local schools & unisStudying a 2nd language - codingLearning how to learnWhat is Employee Experience (EX)?Wellness in corporates - a fresh lookQuantified WorkersMore productive employees take breaks togetherWomen in innovationDiversity of ThoughtThree things for next weekThanks 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 Episode 4 we speak with Dom Price, Work Futurist at Australian Unicorn Atlassian and answer the question “What’s the Future of … Work?”This special episode was recorded live in front of an audience at Australia House in London during Tech Week, hosted by The Australia United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce where we discussed a range of topics relevant to companies of any size including:The culture at AtlassianPlace, products, purpose, peopleWhen AI evolves, what will we be doing?Unlearning old ways of workingWhy Dom hates business casesHow can you “unlearn”?The 4 “L’s”- Love- Longed for- Loathed- LearnExample of the 4L’s in practiceDeclining every meetingStaying up to date with latest trendsThe Atlassian scale-up storyWhat would you do differently?How do you hire people before you need them?The best advice Dom ever receivedGetting better not biggerCreating company valuesThe values interviewRecognising excellence against valuesWhat makes the Australian Tech market unique?Learning a 2nd language - codingThe hiring challenge in AustraliaImporting talent to amplify local talentSuccess through diversityYou’re not going to be the next Netflix of ...Attracting talent beyond free lunches & ping-pong tablesHiring for valuesThe secret sauce of AtlassianHow to win the global war on talentRunning a tech campThanks 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 Episode 3 we speak with James Poulter, the co-founder of Voice Agency Vixen Labs and answer the question “What’s the Future of … Voice?”.In this show, we covered a range of topics including:Why James started podcasting back in 2007Key learnings from being an early podcasterHow the next generation will interact with computers using voiceHow smart speakers will drive the growth of all voice servicesIs there a voice “killer app” yet?What will Google Duplex do for voice?Building empathy into voice servicesThe science of voice phrasing for successThe notion of a “brand tone of voice”Predictions for voice in the next 18 months?The possibility for dedicated voice departmentsAmbient listening - what is it and what are the implications?How voice is growing thanks to “screen fatigue”The rise of voice + ARVoice in the enterprisePrivacy vs utility - crossing the “privacy chasm”Three things listeners can do next week to experiment with voiceMore about JamesTwitter: @JamesPoulterCompany: vixenlabs.coVoice 2 CommunityThanks 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