The New Abnormal

Series Two In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal podcast, I interview the filmmaker, photographer and story finder Simon Kreitem. He's also the CEO at Lonelyleap, a collaborative, transatlantic team of strategists, directors, cinematographers, designers and producers; whose films are based on human truths. They communicate at a deep level, stimulating intelligence, feeding curiosity and inspiring acton. In this episode, we cover how he approaches the 'story discovery' process, regarding the evaluation of this on the basis of 'what is it that you've found, what did you discover, how does it move you, what insight does it give you'? Those rules are, he says, as true as they've ever been. Simon also mentions a great truism of storytelling..."that so often it's the little person who says the most profound things". (To which any researcher or journalist listening to this podcast will no doubt agree). Along the way, he discusses a range of their films, which included subjects ranging from Death Row to Local Communities to Cutting-edge Technology. Incidentally, the film about Death Row is about inspiring a piece of work as you can expect to see. Bet you didn't expect that...

Series TwoIn this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview Sophy Roberts, journalist and author of 'The Lost Pianos of Siberia'.  She focuses on travel stories in remote parts of the world, with a special interest in literature, history, culture and conversation. The ex-Travel Editor of The Economist and a Special Correspondent for Conde Nast Traveller, she shoots articles as well as writing them, including cover features for the Financial Times. Her first non-fiction book, The Lost Pianos of Siberia was named a Times, Sunday Times and Independent ‘Book of the Year’, a ‘Best Travel Book of 2020’ by Smithsonian Magazine, The Spectator, and i paper, and recently shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of 2021. As she says of the book, which is currently being translated into seven languages, "Siberia's expansive history is traditionally one of exiles, bitter cold and suffering. Yet there is another tale to tell..." (The Wall St Journal commented "these pages sing like a symphony"). Sophy also contributes to radio, podcast and panel events, including the BBC, The Economist, Times Radio, Tortoise and The Royal Geographical Society. So, we discuss all of the above, along with issues inc the business of tourism vs the serendipity of travel, music as a conduit of hope, the solace of culture, travel as an act of empathy, and the need to 'keep looking outwards' in the age of Covid. Having been to Siberia myself (before Putin's horrendous attack on Ukraine) I have to say that I found her stories about the people, landscape and history of that extraordinary region to be fascinating.  

Series ThreeIn this episode of 'The New Abnormal' I interview the renowned journalist and author Ian Williams, who was Foreign Correspondent for Channel 4 News, based in Russia and Asia, before joining NBC News as Asia Correspondent, when he was based in Bangkok and Beijing. As well as reporting from China over the last 25 years, he has also covered conflicts in the Balkans, Middle East and Ukraine. (He won an Emmy and BAFTA awards for his discovery and reporting on the Serb detention camps during the war in Bosnia). His latest book "Every breath you take - China's new tyranny" illustrates the world's first digital totalitarian state, where a system of hitherto unimaginable control threatens to make the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four a terrifying reality. In our discussion, he therefore illuminates the extraordinary rise of the Chinese surveillance state, the war against truth and liberal values, and the vital need to make artificial intelligence democratically accountable. Ian also describes the implications for the rest of the world regarding the urgent challenges facing the West, in what has become a technological Cold War... 

Series Two In this reposted episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview Julian Boulding, owner of 'thenetworkone' which is the world's largest independent advertising & marketing agency network, with over 1,200 agencies in 109 countries. They also provide “open source creativity” and communications services from independent agencies, for a growing number of leading int'l marketing companies. Before founding thenetworkone, Julian spent many years with the DMB&B Group (now part of Publicis) in a succession of senior roles in the UK, Europe, USA and Latin America. During this time, he directed global advertising campaigns for companies like Procter & Gamble, M&M Mars, Avon and Philips Electronics; rising to be President, International for DMB&B’s sister network, NW Ayer. He rightly has absolutely stellar reputation throughout the agency world, and in this episode, he illuminates his knowledge as we discuss everything from behavioural economics to customer experience, leading-edge agencies and the internal working cultures that enabled them to achieve their success, the vital need for empathy and the increasing role for a collaborative approach. 

Series Two This episode features the amazing Dan Burgess. He's spent 25 years working at the leading edge of creative engagement, eco-innovation, creative activism and cause-led campaigning. As he says "there's an enormous regenerative and creative potential in care, love, empathy, responsibility, generosity, co-creation and participation". In his opinion, these are the most positively disruptive innovation practises today. And who could argue with that? We talk about a wide range of issues, including what the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed to us about the systematic problems that were already all around us, and how we can try to solve at least some of them re: #TheGreatReset. Check him out at GoodForNothing.com or via his brilliant podcast 'Spaceship Earth'. 

Series TwoIn this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interview Stephen Colegrave, the Executive Editor & Co-Founder of the Byline Times, Byline TV and Byline Festival. He's also a film producer and author of three books. The Byline Times is a fearless independent newspaper, featuring a daily national news and investigation site that's all about "what the papers don't print". The Byline Festival is the world's only festival for independent journalism and free speech, where you can "dance, discuss, laugh and change the world".  In this episode, we cover a lot of ground regarding 'Facts / Argument / Reportage / Culture'.  So, please take a listen and hear all about topics inc the Climate Emergency, Democracy under Attack, Independent Journalism, Propaganda & Disinformation...and how to put on a festival where you can go to a discussion about corporate surveillance, hear a leading-edge comic, get drunk with a feminist punk band, learn about creative activism, then dance to a legendary DJ. (And not necessarily in that order). 

Series Two In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal I interviewed Richard Watson, Futurist-in-Residence at Judge Business School, Cambridge University.  He helps organisations to think, especially about emerging opportunities and risks. Particular interests include emerging tech, AI, robotics, education, energy, and water. Richard has written extensively on societal trends and the impact of technology, and has given over 300 talks to various organisations throughout the world. He's worked extensively on scenario planning projects having been introduced to the discipline by one of the founders of GBN. The author of five books about various aspects of the future (inc the scenario process), he's blogged on innovation for Fast Company and written for Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies and McKinsey & Co. He's also a visiting lecturer at both Imperial College Business School and London Business School, co-founder of 'Thinking Allowed' and one of the people behind Sci-Fi nights at the Royal College Of Art. So, we discuss all of the above alongside issues such as a potential corona chronology, leadership, the merits of studying politics, philosophy & economics, and the entrepreneurial mind. Finally, Richard outlines a strategic approach based on 'scenario worlds or a preferred future'...

Series TwoIn this reposted episode of #TheNewAbnormal I interviewed Matt Rivitz, founder of the activist community "Sleeping Giants". (He's also a freelance copywriter - his past jobs inc being Creative Director of TBWA/Chiat/Day and Senior Copywriter at Goodby Silverstein & Partners).  After witnessing the public rise of racism and sexism in the media and social media in 2016, he started Sleeping Giants, a crowdsourced campaign dedicated to advertiser safety and responsibility in the digital age. It now has an international network of Sleeping Giants chapters in numerous countries and territories including Australia, Canada, Brazil, and across the EU. In year three, Sleeping Giants is continuing its mission for brand safety and responsibility by working directly with advertisers to help them understand and navigate this complex and ever-changing media environment. Therefore, Matt and I discuss his inspiration for setting up the Sleeping Giants community, and issues relating to social trust, brand transparency, corporate responsibility, misinformation and disinformation. Oh - and the issue of 'moral neutrality' for brands and those working to promote them...

Series TwoIn this episode of #TheNewAbnormal podcast, I interviewed Mark Vernon, a psychodynamic psychotherapist, writer and broadcaster, who has a keen interest in spirituality and the inner life. He has a PhD in ancient philosophy, as well as degrees in physics and theology. His books (which have appeared in translation around the world) cover subjects from friendship and belief, to wellbeing and love, and his latest one is 'A Secret History of Christianity'. Mark contributes to and has presented a number of radio programmes such as 'The Moral Maze' and 'In Our Time'. He teaches at The Idler Academy and also leads workshops and gives talks re: 'Ancient Greek Philosophy and How to See Spiritually'.  So, as you can no doubt imagine, I found it fascinating to talk with Mark about his thinking on subjects ranging from Plato to Freud to Blake to Augustine; and on issues ranging from  friendship to religion to generational angst  to Pandora's Box. Along the way, we discuss the Socratic Question, his viewpoints on the Stoics, Epicureans, Skeptics and Cynics, all things ego-related, why it's hard for science to question itself, along with the parables of Jesus and Buddha. 

Series ThreeIn this episode of #TheNewAbnormal, I interviewed Kathleen Higgins, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas, at Austin.  Kathleen's main areas of research are continental philosophy, philosophy of the emotions, and aesthetics.  She has published a number of books: Nietzsche's “Zarathustra” , The Music of Our Lives,  A Short History of Philosophy,  A Passion for Wisdom , What Nietzsche Really Said , and The Music between Us:  Is Music a Universal Language?  She has edited or co-edited several other books on such topics as  German Idealism, aesthetics, ethics, erotic love, non-Western philosophy, and the philosophy of Robert C. Solomon.  In this episode, we discuss her thinking on topics including post-truth, autonomy, the Noble Lie, filter-bubbles and echo chambers, public opinion and media narratives, heuristics vs critical thinking; alongside the lessons of today that we can learn from philosophers ranging from Rousseau to Kant to Schopenhaur to  Derrida. And, of course, Nietzsche.