The New Abnormal

Series OneThis episode of #TheNewAbnormal podcast features a deeply interesting individual... Michael Cohen, based in New York, is a developmental psychologist and the President of MCG NYC, He has a great international reputation, partly due to his immense experience at dealing with crises: ranging from Chernobyl to 9/11.For example, in the aftermath of the 9/11 World Trade Centre attacks, he counselled the New York City Mayor on the effects of public trauma and advised on the hugely impactful actions that were then taken.So, in the context of C19, we discussed his theory and approach to society/individuals coping - as different from society/individuals recovering.  Along the way we cover everything from Confucius to McDonald's. As you do. Finally, Michael had a cold when we spoke, so he sounds a little rough... 

Series OneIn this early episode of #TheNewAbnormal I interviewed Katrina Dodd, Editor at Large, Head of Trends and a writer at the mighty Contagious. She's also a former consultant at Contagious Insider, and has worked on diverse projects for clients inc BBC Worldwide, Universal Music, Louis Vuitton and Diageo. Katrina was also the launch editor of Contagious FEED, a bespoke intelligence service delivering targeted news and insights to a wide range of agency and brand clients. In this interview, we discuss her views on authentic brand behaviour, conscious consumerism, the accusation of 'complicity' towards adland from Extinction Rebellion, and why asking 'Heretical Questions' is so important. 

Series One In this reposted episode, I interview Carsten Beck, who heads up research at the famous Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (CIFS). I've known him for years, and we've given speeches together in various parts of the world over the last decade. He also kindly gave highly insightful quotes for my books. CIFS specialises in scenario planning and trend analysis for clients in a wide number of countries inc: the US, Norway, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, The Czech Republic, Dubai, China and Japan. In the podcast, we discuss his 'tech optimism' in a C19 world where trust is of paramount importance, and of his views regarding a wide array of trend forecasting issues...

Series One In this episode, I interviewed the dynamic Joanna Catalano. Her cv is daunting - President of Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific / Board Member of WGI Worldwide / Advisor to Enrupt / the D&AD Impact Council / and President of the Female Founders - Singapore Chapter. Previously, she spent several years as a Regional Head at Google, and she has an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. In the podcast, we discuss her views on issues ranging from leadership in our contemporary social / business environment, HR and spiral dynamics, values communication, the future of work, brand authenticity, sustainability and the power of community. (Please note: following our interview, she became Chief Growth Officer at Piano, the analytics & activation platform).

Series OneIn this episode of The New Abnormal, I interviewed Stephen Hayward, an anthropologist and historian. After completing his PhD at the Royal College of Art, he's worked as a consultant on a number of exhibitions, and has been published widely on design history and theory. For nearly twenty years, he's been responsible for the critical context element of MA design programmes at Central Saint Martins.In this podcast, we debate widespread attempts to write history in real time and indeed what the quotes and icons of the future may be, as society looks back to the pandemic. Along the way, we cover surveillance capitalism, social capital, critical thinking, progress & modernity, tech time vs real time, and a range of contemporary media narratives. We also discuss why Stephen would like to write an updated version of Camus' The Plague, and, of course, remind ourselves of Bowie in 'The Man Who Fell to Earth'. So, while I'm dying my hair orange and watching multiple TV's, you can enjoy your coffee while listening! 

This episode of The New Abnormal podcast was recorded soon after the Russian attack on Ukraine, and features the serial social entrepreneur Mark Hanis, who co-founded the Ukraine Corporate Index, which tracks corporate stance re: Putin's Russia in the aftermath of its invasion. He also co-founded two startups: Inclusive America (a nonprofit to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in government) and Progressive Shopper (a technology company to harness conscious consumption). Previously, Mark has helped found several social impact organizations: to engage global leaders to drive social change at scale; to address the unnecessary deaths due to a shortage of transplantable organs; and to empower citizens and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide. He also served as a White House Fellow working in the Office of VP Joe Biden as the National Security Affairs Special Advisor for South America, Africa, and Human Rights. Named as a 'Young Global Leader' by the World Economic Forum, Mark and his colleagues have been covered by media outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC and NPR.So, in this episode, we discuss all of the above, but naturally the main focus is on the activity undertaken by the Ukrainian Corporate Index, which  asks 'on which side of the war do your brands stand?' 

Hi there – this is an introduction to ‘The New Abnormal’ regarding me (your host), the sponsors and the background to the series. I’m Sean Pillot de Chenecey from the independent foresight/strategy /innovation consultancy Brand Positive, who specialise in #NowNextWhy projects for clients ranging from corporates to agencies to NGO’s, on a national and international basis.My podcast was set up at the start of the first Covid lockdowns, and features dynamic conversations with guests including activists, creatives, writers, philosophers, strategists, artists, investors, psychologists, lecturers, futurists, researchers, etc.The series focuses on ‘understanding today and anticipating the future’ – themes which (as a foresight strategist) I’ve spent over 20 years working on via catalytic projects around the world. I’m also the author of ‘The Post-Truth Business’ which focused on trust, empathy and ethics, and that went to No1 in the Business Charts, and ‘Influencers & Revolutionaries’ which focused on innovation re: sustainability and AI, and that was shortlisted for the ‘Business Book of the Year’ awards. (My next book will focus on applied foresight, and will be published in 2024). I’m a frequent public speaker, and have given keynotes at events in the US/EU/MENA/Asia for over a decade, speaking at venues including boardrooms, congress halls, stadiums and festivals. I've also been a university lecturer (on brand strategy / applied foresight / disruptive comms) for twenty years - and am proud to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.Now, in an exciting move #TheNewAbnormal is bought to you in partnership with The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, a global leader in applying futures studies to solve strategic challenges within organisations. (The podcast will also dig deeper into topics explored in their quarterly issues of FARSIGHT magazine).The Institute’s core offerings include megatrend analysis, scenario planning, risk assessment, innovation processes, and strategic foresight. Clients use these services to help them be #FuturesReady.So, I hope you enjoy listening to ‘The New Abnormal’ and that the series will also help you to understand today and anticipate the future!(As a final note, the episodes are divided into Series One  [2020-21] Series Two [2021-22) and Series Three [2022-23], which are indicated at the top of the info about each interview. I reloaded all of the early episodes, starting on 1st Dec 2022, the day after ChaptGPT was launched...)