

The Curious Advantage Podcast
The Curious Advantage
The Curious Advantage Podcast explores how curiosity drives success in the digital age. Hosted by authors and business leaders Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown, and Garrick Jones, each episode features conversations with global experts across business, science, and culture.
Paul Ashcroft and Garrick Jones are co-founders of Ludic Group and authors of The Curious Advantage and ALIVE: Digital Humans and Their Organizations. Simon Brown is Global Learning & Development Leader, Partner, Talent at EY, and co-author of The Curious Advantage. Together, they share insights and practical tools to help individuals and organizations unlock their potential through curiosity.
Learn more at curiousadvantage.com.
Paul Ashcroft and Garrick Jones are co-founders of Ludic Group and authors of The Curious Advantage and ALIVE: Digital Humans and Their Organizations. Simon Brown is Global Learning & Development Leader, Partner, Talent at EY, and co-author of The Curious Advantage. Together, they share insights and practical tools to help individuals and organizations unlock their potential through curiosity.
Learn more at curiousadvantage.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 14, 2023 • 48min
S5 Ep1: #52 Problem Solving, Curiosity & Living in The Moment with José Manuel Barroso (Former Portugal Prime Minister & President of the European Commission)
José Manuel Barroso's path from academia to politics is a journey fuelled by curiosity and lifelong learning. Starting as a law professor in Portugal, he rose to become the Prime Minister of Portugal in 2002 and later served as the President of the European Commission from 2004 to 2014, steering through critical events like the Lisbon Treaty, the 2008 financial crisis, and the European Sovereign Debt Crisis.
Discover how José's upbringing influenced his curiosity and love for learning, and how these traits played a pivotal role in his successful political career. Explore how his commitment to curiosity has shaped his leadership style and guided him through challenging situations and crises.
Join us for these insightful conversations and more with José Manuel Barroso in the Season 5 premiere episode of The Curious Advantage Podcast. Continue this curious conversation with us over on our LinkedIn page and share your thoughts and feelings on this episode.
Get your copy of The Curious Advantage on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible
Follow The Curious Advantage on LinkedIn
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis, Jessica Wickham & Edited by Roman Pechersky, Danny Cross.
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com

Aug 29, 2023 • 52min
S4 Ep11: #51 Surviving AI with Calum Chace (The AI Guy)
Calum Chase, best-selling author, and AI expert and adviser, specializing in the future of AI and its impacts on our societies and economies, has an insightful conversation with Paul Ashcroft and Garrick Jones about the benefits and challenges of AI. He talks about the future impacts of Artificial Intelligence and how it will affect the future of work, health, and economic sectors.
How can curiosity navigate AI's evolving implications? How does curiosity drive AI innovation and progress? What are the challenges and opportunities in harnessing AI's potential for positive impact?
Are you curious?
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history, and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis & Jessica Wickham and edited by Roman Pechersky & Danny Cross
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com
Get your copy on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible

Aug 14, 2023 • 48min
S4 Ep10: #50 The Olympics going beyond Psychological Safety with Richard Parker (Head of Leadership & Culture & Partner, EY)
Richard Parker, previous CEO of the British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association and current CEO of Leading Line Consultancy and Partner within EY Lane4 joins Paul Ashcroft and Garrick Jones in a thought-provoking discussion on how resilience, not being afraid to fail and curiosity has driven him to move through a career starting as a teacher, professional athlete and CEO to a big 4 partner.
How do you build your confidence to follow different career paths? What do you think is stopping people from trying new things out? What does this mean for leaders and organizations? and what is a leader’s role in creating psychological safety?
Are you curious?
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history, and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis, Jessica Wickham & Edited by Roman Pechersky
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com
Get your copy on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible

Jul 20, 2023 • 54min
S4 Ep9: #49 Nurturing Deep Human Possibility with Tim Munden (Former Chief Learning Officer, Unilever & Director, Kairon)
Tim Munden, award-winning Former Chief Learning Officer of Unilever and Founder and Director of Kairon joins Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown, Garrick Jones in a thought-provoking discussion on igniting and discovering purpose, ensuring wellbeing for individuals and leaders, and focusing on the approach of upskilling employees to shift behaviours. How is purpose connected to curiosity and how does managing the wellbeing of leaders create organizations fit for the future? Why should organisations aspire to be a purpose led, future fit place?
Are you curious?
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis, Jessica Wickham & Edited by Roman Pechersky
#Curiousadvantage #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com
Get your copy on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible

Jul 4, 2023 • 54min
S4 Ep8: #48 Lego, learning & limitless innovation with Johan Roos (Chief Academic Officer, Hult)
Johan Roos, Hult’s Chief Academic Officer, known for his work on intellectual capital and LEGO Serious Play™, and expert in strategy and innovation, meets Simon Brown and Garrick Jones in this episode of the Curious Advantage Podcast in a curious exploration of education, learning, limitless innovation and much more!
How important is curiosity for education? How can you drive innovation and quality in higher education? What’s the role of improvisation, imagination and innovation? Learning to learn, inspiring curiosity in students, the value of skills development versus knowledge, Lego Serious Play and organisational development.
Are you curious? Subscribe today! Join the conversation, connect with the authors, and keep exploring curiously!
#PodcastDiscussion #InspireCuriosity #CuriosityAndEducation #growyourself #learning #CuriousAdvantage #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity #L&D #change #Lego #LegoPlay #innovation #catalizonginnovation #CuriousAdvantage
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis, Jessica Wickham & Edited by Roman Pechersky
#Curiousadvantage #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com
Get your copy on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible

May 25, 2023 • 48min
S4 Ep7: #47 Moderna, Digital & AI First with Noah Rabinowitz (Vice President & Global Head of Learning, Moderna)
Noah Rabinowitz, Moderna Vice President, and Global Head of Learning, joins Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown, and Garrick Jones in a fascinating exploration of curiosity and learning as the catalyst for accelerated change and achievement of mission, purpose and potential. Why should we reject mediocrity and focus on the commitment to excellence and mastery? How can leaders help prepare their people for the future with all the change that's going on around them and the technology that's changing their lives and the way they work? How important is curiosity in this?
Are you curious? Subscribe today! Join the conversation, connect with the authors, and keep exploring curiously!
#leearning #AI #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #explorethefuture #AItechnology #CuriousAdvantage #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity #L&D #learning #change #pharmaceutical
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis & Edited by Roman Pechersky
#Curiousadvantage #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com
Get your copy on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible

May 10, 2023 • 45min
S4 Ep6: #46 AI, Neuroscience & Learning with Mike Vaughan (CEO, The Regis Company)
Mike Vaughan, CEO of The Regis company, joins Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones for a focus on AI, Neuroscience and Learning in this powerful episode of the Curious Advantage Podcast. Subscribe today to hear about mental models, team effectiveness and agility. What are the new business models that AI presents? How will AI be critical in the future of learning? What’s the role of ‘better questions’ – in curiosity and in AI tools?
Are you curious? Subscribe today! Join the conversation, connect with the authors, and keep exploring curiously!
#AI #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #explorethefuture #AItechnology #CuriousAdvantage #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity #L&D #learning #betterquestions #neuroscience
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis & Edited by Roman Pechersky
#Curiousadvantage #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com
Get your copy on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible

Apr 19, 2023 • 48min
S4 Ep5: #45 Microsoft, AI & Experimenting with Brian Murphy (Senior Director & Employee Skilling, Microsoft)
Microsoft’s Brian Murphy, leading Career Development for the Global Sales organisation, joins Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones in this fascinating episode of the Curious Advantage Podcast to talk about AI, meta career competencies, L&D, the future of work, the role of curiosity in navigating the new world of work, skills as a new currency and much more!
How has Microsoft been adopting AI? How can we adapt and thrive with the rise of AI? What are the skills and capabilities that we're going to need going forward that will be sustaining? How does the AI help you prepare or move into this kind of meta career competencies world? Is ChatGPT here to stay? What are the implications on learning?
Are you curious? Subscribe today! Join the conversation, connect with the authors, and keep exploring curiously!
#AI #ChatGPT #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #explorethefuture #AItechnology #CuriousAdvantage #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity #L&D #learning #Microsoft #skills #digitaltransformation
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis & Edited by Roman Pechersky
#Curiousadvantage #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com
Get your copy on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible

Apr 3, 2023 • 14min
S4 Ep4: #44 ChatGPT is our guest! Astonishing, Curious, Human?
This week Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones interviewed ChatGPT directly and had AI read the responses. They also had ChatGPT generate the questions they asked. The result is surprising, coherent, thought provoking and worth listening to.
Are you curious? Subscribe today! Join the conversation, connect with the authors of The Curious Advantage, and keep exploring curiously!
#AI #ChatGPT #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #explorethefuture #AItechnology #thefutureisnow
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis & Edited by Roman Pechersky
#Curiousadvantage #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com
Get your copy on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible

Mar 22, 2023 • 43min
S4 Ep3: #43 Walmart, Curiosity & Learning at a Massive Scale with Brandon Carson (Vice President of Learning & Leadership, Walmart)
“Even as assertively companies are automating and integrating technology, it's always going to be about the people.”
Brandon Carson, Walmart’s VP of Learning and Leadership, joins Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown and Garrick Jones in this episode of the Curious Advantage Podcast to talk about curiosity and learning at a massive scale. Hear Brandon’s curious journey from Sun, Yahoo! And Microsoft, to Home Depot, Delta Airlines and now one of the companies employing the most people in the world, Walmart. What are the challenges such organisations face? What is the role of curiosity in an organisation’s learning culture? What is the Rethinking, Restructuring & Rearchitecting model? How can we better drive talent development for the future?
Are you curious? Subscribe today! Join the conversation, connect with the authors, and keep exploring curiously! #CuriousAdvantage #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity #leadership #learning #podcasts
About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
The Curious Advantage Podcast series is brought to you by the authors of the book The Curious Advantage, Paul Ashcroft, Simon Brown & Garrick Jones and it is about how individuals and organisations use the power of curiosity to drive success in their lives and organisations, especially in the context of our new digital reality. It brings to life the latest understanding from neuroscience, anthropology, history and behaviourism about curiosity and makes these useful for everyone.
Produced by Aliki Paolinelis & Edited by Roman Pechersky
#Curiousadvantage #Curiousadvantagepodcast #curiosity #7CsofCuriosity
About ‘The Curious Advantage’ Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused.
At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7 C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com
Get your copy on Amazon
The Curious Advantage Audiobook is also available on audible


