Margaret Van was born in a Shanghainese family in Hong Kong. From early on, she has had a deep interest in other cultures, which has also led her to learn various languages with the main goal of being able to communicate with people from all over the world. Since 2005, Ms. Van has embarked on a new chapter as she discovered the practice of mindfulness. She is now a certified teacher and continues her journey of evolving every day.Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/qbgj5u3aps5pc7hhContents:Introduction (00:00)The Birth of a Multi-Cultural Identity (06:44)Nepal: A Life-Changing Trip (15:55)From Canada to Hong Kong Through Singapore (21:23)Discovering the World of Mindfulness (24:44)

Vanessa Stelling is the author of the book Julian and I: A Mother’s Journey Through Regressive Autism, a deeply personal narration of the fears, the struggles and the evolution that she went through by raising her autistic son. She talks to Georgina Godwin about the book, about her journey with Julian and about where they are in their lives today. Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/shb62r2mt3m5yfmnContents:A Pregnancy in the Aftermath of 9/11 (00:00)From New York to Switzerland: A Journey in Search of Answers (08:21)Day-To-Day Challenges of Autism (11:58)Seeing Life Through Julian’s Eyes (14:47)The Art of Communicating Without Language (20:32)Embracing Diversity (27:08)

In this episode, Guy Spier talks to William Oliver and William Barnes, the founders of In Practise, a research network with a slightly different business model compared to other companies in the primary research business. They give valuable insights on the primary research industry and on topics such as how to conduct high-quality conversations and what part of management to interview when researching a company. Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/tw73wc9ef3gp3t4a Contents:Introducing William Oliver and William Barnes (00:00:00)The Primary Research Industry (00:05:54)The Beauty of Learning in Public (00:14:30)Why Aren’t Investor Relations Enough? (00:24:34)What is High-Quality Conversation? (00:34:47)Top Management vs. Mid-Level Management (00:46:47)The Pitfalls of Conducting Primary Research (00:54:36)Who Should Be a Part of the In Practise Community? (01:06:15)

Jackie Shoback is a Harvard graduate who has spent the last 25 years of her career as general manager and C-suite executive, with a lot of experience in launching, scaling and growing businesses from startup up through multiple billion dollars. She talks to Guy Spier about co-founding her new venture firm, balancing family and a professional career and the future of digital identity.Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/cpvr23pqya95q9mz Contents:Staples: A Journey of Incredible Growth (00:00:00)The Changes in Financial Services (00:18:42)Boston: A Magnet for Talent and Financial Expertise (00:32:44)Integrating Work and Family (00:51:43)Timing is Everything (01:01:22)The Future of Digital Identity (01:09:46)The Power of Personal Connections (01:26:41)

Adam Mead is a practicing capital allocator, the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Mead Capital Management, an investment management business he founded in 2014. He recently published a book, The Complete Financial History of Berkshire Hathaway: A Chronological Analysis of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger's Conglomerate Masterpiece, which provides a comprehensive and detailed history of Berkshire Hathaway to date. Mr. Mead talks to Guy Spier about the extensive research for his book and shares some valuable lessons that he learned through the process. Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/n7zmwj8y4aj3ea3u Contents:Introduction (00:00)What Has Not Been Written About Berkshire Hathaway (03:41)Behind the Scenes of the Research Process (15:35)Insightful Lessons About Businesses (32:36)Cryptocurrencies: With Them or Against Them? (43:44)A Future in the Community of Learning and Teaching (51:38)

Brian Murray is a partner in Glancy Prongay & Murray, a class action litigation firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. He talks to me about contingency lawyers, Robinhood and the history and importance of arbitration clauses. Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/erfj4tazu4zf7qpz Contents: The Benefits of Working with Contingency Lawyers (00:00)Class Actions and Mass Actions: How Do They Differ? (11:54)Process of Review of a Legal Case (21:53)GameStop and Robinhood: The Obstacles to a Class Action (26:47)Is There a Future Without Arbitration Clauses? (39:39)The Law is Not Flawless (46:17)An Introduction to Litigation Funding (50:29)The Newest Addition to the Supreme Court (54:03)

Yishai Kiczales is an Israeli film critic, songwriter and lecturer, who currently lives in Zurich with his family. He writes for the daily newspaper Israel Hayom, and his third solo album, "Inside Yishai Kiczales", will be released on May 22. He talks to me about classic books and movies, about the recent changes in the world of cinema, and highlights some things the streaming services are missing.  Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/jmvgmsxhb8vupfze Contents: Ulysses by James Joyce: A Rock in a Mountain of Classics (00:01:45)Should One Read the Classics? (00:10:20)Christopher Nolan’s Best Movies (00:13:32)The Movie Classics and Their Origin (00:21:21)How to Escape the Algorithm? (00:27:49)Past and Future Changes in the Movie World (00:37:44)Building Bridges Through Cinema (00:52:31)The Struggle of Creating Art (00:58:47)

William Green talks to Guy Spier about his new book, Richer, Wiser, Happier. He shares the long journey he has been on, before finally reaching the confidence and courage to publish his own book, which is full of insights from extraordinary people on how to think better, invest better and live more wisely. Mr. Green believes in compounding goodwill and does not hold back from sharing with the listeners' wonderful ways to become a mensch and live a much happier life.Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/9zh4znveqda63arq Contents:Introduction (00:00:00)The Journey to Becoming a Writer (00:03:42)How to Be Helpful Through Writing? (00:08:42)Replacing Fear Through a Sense of Service (00:14:50)The Birth of Richer, Wiser, Happier (00:22:03)The Art of Distilling the Essence (00:30:30)Concealed Truths: How to Aspire to a Better Life? (00:44:03)The Rewards of Being a Mensch (00:59:02)William Green’s Journey of Transformation (01:13:44)A Final Thought: Tasting the Benefit of Simple Ideas (01:22:46) The book is available to buy here:www.amazon.com/Richer-Wiser-Happ…1618847240&sr=8-2

Georgina Godwin interviews Philippe Taieb, an accomplished and respected consultant and coach with a unique experience of working both in the corporate world as a consultant at Braxton Associates, a strategy consulting firm, and in the social impact sector, for The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest environmental non profit, a role he was recruited for from Harvard Business School. Philippe discusses his upbringing in France, as the son of Tunisian immigrants and the origin of his Arabic name, Taieb. Armed with a very common Christian first name, he believes that as an immigrant family his parents wanted him to have a good start in life but also blend in and integrate in Paris, a very diverse city, with people from all backgrounds and origins. History then repeated itself, when Philippe himself became an immigrant when he moved to America 23 years ago to grab the opportunities that America offered. Philippe is a very passionate individual and his passions originate from his background and his keen awareness from his youth about equality and social justice. This ingrained ethos and the skills Philippe’s business education has given him, means he can apply that to the social impact sector to help organisations maximise their social impact instead of maximising just their profits. When he made the transition from the corporate world of the Harvard Business School to the social impact arena of The Nature Conservancy, he was in a unique position to start mentoring.  Philippe’s business expertise led him into the coaching work he does with leadership and career development, making people realise their potential, working with them to try to understand where they want to go and how to help them get there.                                                            Philippe’s passions away from the workplace are art and dance, which he believes should be a component of the fabric of any society. From gazing at Rosko’s at the National Gallery, going to the Opera in Paris or watching dance groups in Boston, he has immersed himself in the arts wherever he has lived in the world.              Finally, Philippe addresses the question about being interviewed rather than being the interviewer. He reflects on the positives of self reflection and that as long as you keep your integrity, work hard, continue to keep your goals in mind and be very aware of what’s going on around you, you will be fine. Full Transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/mj5gye4qgui5cu58 ContentsAbout Philippe Taieb (00:00)Philippe’s Identity and Roots (01:26)Life in America as an Immigrant (06:56)Philippe’s Passions and Career (10:00)The Non Profit Economy (12:52)Thoughts on Another Passion - Dance and the Arts (21:06)Harvard Business School Students – have they become less arrogant? (27:12)The Future of Politics in France (31:04)

In this episode, Guy Spier and Jeremy Deal speak about Hamilton Helmer’s Seven Powers and how Deal uses the framework in his own investment research as well as some of the major takeaways from this research. Finally, they discuss LinkedIn usage, informational podcasts and CEOs they both admire.Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/agr4ggjf2rsuijbuContents:Transitioning to Europe (00:01:29)Accessing Investment Research (00:06:12)Major Takeaways (00:16:30)Hamilton Helmer’s Seven Powers (00:24:29)The Past is Not Representative of the Future (00:32:11)Ad-Tech (00:47:19)Admirable CEOs (00:54:15)