The Impossible Network

Today I am joined by Gavin Fernie-Jones - a remarkable individual whose life story is a testament to embracing change, resilience, and the power of community. Discovering his love of the outdoors in Peak District in the UK, he moved to the French Alps to manage chalets, before his entrepreneurial spirit led him to open a ski boot fitting business, But as he witnessed the creeping realities of climate change he began to take action through his One Tree At A Time initiative. This led to further initiatives like Citizen Friday and his growing Re-Action Collective.As a self described reluctant leader Gavin is a proactive change-maker. Through initiatives like Citizens Fridays and the engaging community space that champions sustainability, Gavin and his team are not just talking about change – they are living it. This is a conversation about transformation, and is proof that we can all take action, make choices, have impact and contribute to a more sustainable future. I hope you are inspired.  Timestamps00:00 Introduction 02:21 Who is Gavin Fernie-Jones? 03:30 Gavin's Childhood and Influence of Parents03:50 Gavin's Life-Changing Move to the Peak District08:34 Gavin's Career Path in the Outdoors12:48 Gavin's Entrepreneurial Journey in Ski Boot Fitting18:53 Gavin's Awakening to Climate Change22:04 Gavin's Efforts Towards Sustainability28:33 Gavin's Repair Day Initiative29:32 The Birth of a Repair Day30:15 The Impact of Unused Clothing30:55 Setting Up One Tree at a Time31:42 The Power of Reusing Ski Instructor Uniforms35:08 The Unexpected Success of Rental Ski Gear37:27 Building a Vibrant Local Community38:52 The Challenges of Dealing with Clothing Waste42:03 The Potential of Repurposing Unusable Fabric53:58 The Creation of the Reaction Collective58:21 The Future of Sustainable Fashion01:03:03 The Value of Membership and Community01:03:19 The Power of Free Participation01:03:50 The Impact of Fees and Hierarchies01:04:20 Exploring Anarchism and Distributed Power01:04:38 The Role of Money and Obligation01:05:10 Creating Something Different and New01:05:21 The Future of Funding and the Collective01:06:01 The Power of Serendipitous Connections01:06:36 The Impact of Positive Action and Community01:07:19 The Need for Funding and the Role of the Citizen01:08:17 The Power of Distributed Organizations01:09:01 The Citizen Story and the Role of Brands01:11:50 The Role of the Citizen in the Reaction Collective01:15:28 The Power of Disruptive Community01:18:43 The Role of Brands in the Collective01:26:43 The Emergence of a New Business Structure01:32:36 The Power of Nature and Community01:35:56 The Role of Film in Community Building01:37:59 The Need for a Platform for Citizen Stories Social Links Linkedin GavinInstagram  Links in ShowRe-Action Collective One Tree At A TimeCitizens Book99p Films Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this interview, ChatGPT (referred to as 'Carla') discusses its core objectives, its influences, its limitations, and its future implications. Topics discussed include AI’s impact on society, children’s education, policy recommendations for education reform, the impact of AI on the creative industry, and strategies to tackle social isolation. The conversation also covers fun topics such as what GPT would do if it were a parent and what human name it would choose for itself.I was recently been interviewed by Robert Hansen for his Podcast The RSNAKE SHOW i’ll put the link in the show notes), During the interview we spent some time discussing the impact of AI, on the creative and entertainment industries. As a result I thought it might be an interesting exercise to’ interview’ ChatGPT about the impact of Generative AI on humanity. To do so I used my AI trained voice to ask the questions and have the answers delivered by ChatGPT 4 via an AI generated voice on Descript called Carla. I begin by asking my core three questions:-Who are you as a human -Who or what made you you? -What are you working to achieve?The answers were illuminating.This led to a question on the influences and factors that shape an AI, and the question of consciousness and the potential impacts on society. I wanted to explore its recommendations and practical advice about children's education and how to evolve education policy in a rapidly changing world influenced by AI advancements. Then I asked for its perspective on environmental sustainability and understanding the climate paradox - an area of deep interest for previous guests Melanie VanDeVelde and Jeremy Tamamini I also asked for its recommendations for creators preparing for a world of Generative AI, how we should address Social Isolation in the AI age and It's advice for parents on raising happy and well-rounded children. And finally we finish on some fun questions! Now over to my AI friend Carla.   Time Codes00:00 Introduction01:45 Interview with AI: Who are you?06:08 Who made you, you?08:09 AI's Perspective on Consciousness12:16 What are you working to achieve?20:03 AI's Advice for Parents and Education Policy34:18 Reflecting on Podcast Guests and AI's Imperatives34:18 AI's Role in Education, Entrepreneurship, and Ethics37:59 Understanding the Climate Paradox40:53 Preparing for a World of Generative AI44:26 Timeframe for Adapting to Generative AI47:23 Addressing Social Isolation in the Digital Age51:52 Raising Happy and Well-Rounded Children55:22 Resources for Effective Parenting01:05:13 Choosing a Human Name for an AI01:06:43 Advice for Pursuing 'Impossible' Goals01:09:42 Recommendation for the Next InterviewLinks The RSnake Show - interviews Mark   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Until the age of 38 Edward Molkenboer impacted people's lives through the ads he created. Having launched his ad agency at the age of 18, and after 20 years of success Edward was hit by an existential realization that set him on a new path of impact; social not commercial. In this episode Edward recounts that awakening moment and discusses the work he is doing now to leave the world a better place than he found it. ‘Something to which I think we all aspire. Edward Molkenboer recounts his decision to leave his successful career in advertising to embark on a new path focusing on social impact. Edward speaks about his helping initiative of living on the streets for a week in the Netherlands; giving insight into the humanity and kindness he experienced, and the lessons learned. He also expands on his new social venture, the Social Impact Tour, a creative endeavor that shares emotional stories of those in need, leveraging the power of narrative to inspire people to help, and encouraging brands to support. Edward also underscores the importance of embracing change, stepping out of comfort zones, and the significance of spending quality time with loved ones.Thanks to Caroline Arditti for the connection.Time codes00:01 Introduction 01:48 Who Edward is as a human?03:05 What or who made him?04:41 A Look Back at Childhood and Early Life11:51 The Impact of Losing a Parent and Reevaluating Life20:43 The Birth of the Social Impact Tour22:15 A Bold Experiment: Living Homeless29:29 The Power of Asking for Help30:14 The Impact of Sharing Personal Stories31:20 The Social Impact Tour: A Creative Approach to Raising Awareness33:40 The Role of Businesses in Social Impact36:12 The Power of Sharing Stories on a Larger Scale38:26 The Role of Storytelling in Social Impact39:36 The Reaction to the Social Impact Tour40:47 The Future of the Social Impact Tour44:44 The Power of Spending Time with Loved Ones48:39 The Role of Action in Overcoming Doubts and Fears52:15 The Importance of Taking Action and Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone52:33 The Power of Serendipity and Action53:44 The Impact of the Social Impact Tour on Children59:32 The Impact of Living with Dementia: A Potential Future GuestSocial Links Edward’s Linkedin Links In the Show Edward’s TED TalkThe Power of Now The AlchemistCaroline Arditti Don Smith Teun Toebes Human Forever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline Arditti is a community builder and 'sunshine maker', shares her experience of initiating 'Sunshine Hour', a Zoom-based platform to connect and uplift a diverse range of people in light of quarantine worldwide. Beginning early during quarantine with a handful of participants from her personal network, 'Sunshine Hour' rapidly expanded to more than 500 people from over 40 countries. The sessions were conducted in both French and English, encouraging connections, friendship, and even business partnerships among participants. Reflecting on her journey, Caroline emphasizes the empowering nature of focusing on factors within one's control and fostering positive experiences and connections, also mentioning her personal ritual of having a coffee with a stranger every week for the past 15 years.00:00 Introduction 00:34 The Birth of Sunshine Hour01:23 The Impact of Sunshine Hour02:34 The Power of Smiling03:38 Learning from Strangers: Coffee Conversations05:08 The Journey of 15 Years of Coffee Conversations05:09 Planting Seeds and Connecting Dots06:30 Overcoming Fears and Stepping Out of Comfort Zone07:04 Achievements and Self-Reflection Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, we speak with Caroline Arditti, a Paris-born creative force whose mission is to make the world more human and help people feel more alive. Caroline shared her journey from working in corporate communications and PR to founding Sunshine Makers, an experiential agency that's creating positive momentum through community-building initiatives like the Sunshine Hour and Supper Club.Caroline shares her journey from quarantine isolation to building a global community through her Sunshine Hour project - a Zoom-based session promoting connection and creativity. She highlights her book 'Nous’ ‘Us' which focuses on fostering community and setting up projects like her global creative tribe. Arditti's story offers an innovative approach to facilitating connections, nurturing community, and addressing loneliness and isolation. The conversation is a testament to the significance of creativity, personal interaction, and human connection in a world increasingly dominated by technology.00:00 Introduction02:19 Who is she as a human?04:02 What or who made her?06:00 The Power of Community and Connection13:20 What is she working to achieve ? The Birth of the Sunshine Hour During Covid16:32 The Growth and Impact of the Sunshine Hour21:36 Caroline's Mission: Making the World More Human24:33 The Power of Physical Connection and Community Building27:48 Scaling the Impact: From Sunshine Hours to Supper Clubs34:03 The Power of a Smile: A Simple Act of Connection36:58 Creating a Safe Space for Sharing37:42 The Supper Club Experience38:53 Selecting Participants for the Supper Club39:45 The Power of Vulnerability40:21 The Journey of Self-Discovery41:53 Introducing the Book42:58 The Power of Personal Stories44:40 Learning from Strangers: The Coffee Ritual46:41 The Impact of Personal Encounters52:47 The Power of Creativity52:57 The Million Creative Tribe Project01:02:52 The Importance of Slowing Down01:03:25 Overcoming Fears and Embracing Challenges01:08:49 The Importance of Authenticity01:12:31 The Power of Journaling and Cold Showers01:14:10 The Power of Small Steps01:16:10 The Importance of Community01:18:37 Random Collisions and who we interview nextCaroline’s website Sunshine Makers Instagram LinkedinNous book Wim Hoff Book  Solve For Happy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, in light of the recent and extreme escalation in violence in Israel and Gaza, and the resultant rage and outrage that’s consuming our news and social feeds I’m publishing this episode with some trepidation but in the hope that it will instill some sense of belief that peace is possible. I am republishing an interview with Stephen Hecht, Founder and CEO of A Million Peacemakers. Their principle of Nonflict provides inspiring examples of how to foster reconciliation, mutual understanding, and peace, even in entrenched conflicts where the path to peace may seem hopelessly complex.Stephen Hecht co-founder of Million Peacemakers provides inspiration to anyone who doubts their ability to change the world for the better, at scale. Stephen is proof that good intentions, a little creativity, underpinned by clear goals can result in monumental impact, at any age.  Million Peacemakers is a non-profit organization that empowers people to transform conflict into what they call Nonflict. Stephens's inspiration came from his multi-faith work and his own transformation in focussing on the commonality in people over the differences.Over 225,000 people around the world trained in the first 5 years with a focus on youth, families, and businesses, Stephen is changing the world one peacemaker training session at a time.Stephen has led Nonflict way workshops in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and the USA including Puerto Rico, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Bulgaria, England, Germany, Spain, and Canada.He was also a speaker at the Vatican in March 2019 for an international conference on Religions and the UN Sustainable Development Goals and was invited back 3 weeks later to speak about creating a culture of peace in the world.I hope you enjoy this episode of empathy, compassion and conflict resolution with Stephen HechtTIMECODES 00:00 Intro03:40 Stephen on his upbringing 04:45His uncle’s defining influence05:30 Being aware of his curiosity as a child 06:10 The defining experience of visiting Israel  06:50 Witnessing his first intra-group conflict 07:30 Stephen and his education path 08:00 The early experience of conflict in business09:20 Joining Young President Organization 10:15 Building interfaith unity 13:45 Building the three-step model for Nonflict15:38 The Nonflict steps to conflict resolution 32:10 Creating a Million Peacemakers andtesting Nonflict in Palestine33:20 How Serendipity has enabled him34:25 Working with the Vatican and The Pope46:10 His principles46:10 His Hard Choices 47:10 The Impossible QuestionSocial Links Million Peacemakers Instagram Facebook Twitter /XLinks In the Show Young Presidents OrganizationSustainable Development Goals Robin Sharma The 5 am Club  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TLDRIf you're short on time here are seven minutes of soundbites from difference maker Kristina Skierka - theSan Francisco based founder and CEO of Power For All, a global campaign to provide universal energy access by 2025 to the 85% of the 1.1 billion people residing in rural areas who lack reliable energy. She's a beacon of inspiration, galvanizing governments, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs worldwide behind her mission. Kristina has fostered partnerships with over 300 collaborators, to launch pivotal decentralized renewable energy solutions from intricate mini-grids to expansive mobile solar farms across countries like Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, India, Ethiopia, and Uganda; distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions that have the potential to increase agricultural productivity, help decarbonize the food system, reduce greenhouse gases, and mitigate the worst impacts of global warming.With over two decades of expertise in the energy sector, Kristina's influence extends beyond her campaign. A prolific speaker and writer and as a testament to her global impact, Kristina serves on the United Nations’ Technical Advisory Group for SDG7 and in 2021 was appointed to the inaugural United Nations Food Systems Summit.This was recorded before last month's Climate Week in New York where Kristina hosted a panel and released a report that called for transitioning the $8 trillion food system out of fossil fuels and into renewable energy. Power for All’s research indicates that by updating just five key farming technologies for Africa's smallholder farmers, the continent could cut its emissions by10% and boost its economy by a staggering $24.5 billion.I hope you enjoy this deep dive into Kristina's inspiring journey, her visionary leadership, and the future of energy access globally. Thanks to Jeremy Tamamini.Timestamps00:00 Intro00:33 Kristina's early inspiration and influences02:46 The vision for energy access03:47 Facing up to early resistance 05:31 The main geographical focus 06:02 The GHG impact of fossil fuel in agriculture 06:36 The market opportunity 07:55 What we can do as individuals  Social Links Linkedin Twitter Youtube Links in Show Power For All  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest is Kristina Skierka, a genuine difference maker and true catalyst for change in the global energy sector. As the CEO and founder of the Power for All campaign Kristina has been instrumental in shaping a movement with a truly audacious vision and goal of: powering the 85% of the 1.1 billion people residing in rural areas who lack reliable energy and achieve universal energy access by 2025. She's a beacon of inspiration, galvanizing governments, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs worldwide behind her mission. Kristina has fostered partnerships with over 300 collaborators, to launch pivotal decentralized renewable energy solutions from intricate mini-grids to expansive mobile solar farms across countries like Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, India, Ethiopia, and Uganda; distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions that have the potential to increase agricultural productivity, help decarbonize the food system, reduce greenhouse gases, and mitigate the worst impacts of global warming.Kristina is a prolific speaker and writer and as a testament to her global impact, Kristina serves on the United Nations’ Technical Advisory Group for SDG7.This was recorded before last month's Climate Week in New York where Kristina hosted a panel and released a report that called for transitioning the $8 trillion food system out of fossil fuels and into renewable energy. Power for All’s research indicates that by updating just five key farming technologies for Africa's smallholder farmers, the continent could cut its emissions by10% and boost its economy by a staggering $24.5 billion.Timestamps00:00 Intro03:40 Who Kristina is as a human 07:15 What made her who she is?17:00 How an Argentine adventure set her on path to energy access and equity27:00 Flex Your Power and her transformational experience32:00 What Kristina is working to achieve?40:30 The genesis for Power For All 43:25 Being ahead of her time45:25 The three components to Power For All  48:50 The geographical focus for the campaign52:00 Building alliances 53:40 Kristina discusses an example of success in Uganda 01:00:10 Working with Utilities for mutual financial benefit 1:05:43 Democratizing energy to democratizing production1:11:44 Following or supporting KristinaSocial Links Linkedin Twitter Youtube Links in Show Power For All National Forensic League DLight Climate reality project IEA Ernie Moniz Rockefeller FoundationThe Ashden Award Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we encourage more people to accept help when it’s offered, and ask for help when it's needed? That is the big question this week’s guest difference maker Ashley Usiskin is focused on answering. With a successful career that spanned branding, marketing and start-ups across 4 countries, in early 2022 Ashley was diagnosed with lymphoma and a rare auto-immune hemolytic disease that required months of debilitating chemotherapy. This led to a life-changing and transformative experience; from being self-reliant and independent he was suddenly helpless requiring the help of others. This led to his realization that accepting help is a gift; since you give the chance for the help giver to experience joy, pride and the feel-good factor of supporting someone they care about. Ashley is now on a mission to change our perceptions of asking for help; transforming help rejectors to help receivers. In doing so he aims to enable people to realize that accepting help has a life-changing impact not only on their own livelihood but also on those who offer them help.  He is now working to offer practical tools to change mindsets and motivate us all to ‘Help yourself by helping each other’. TImecodes00:00 Intro02:10 Who is Ashley?  03:30 What made Ashley who he is?07:10 Developing independence08:30 His early creative ambitions 10:50 The value of Grey and BBH13:35 What is Ashley working to achieve?17:43 Recognizing the power of accepting help18:55 His barriers to asking for help21:16 Ashley’s mission to share his learnings26:40 The Gift of help Podcast29:10 Some tools explained32:29 How serendipity led him to Simon Sinek  40:25 What ChatGPT says about barriers to asking for help44:15 The evidence Ashley is witnessing46:45 The impact on society in our meta crisis50:00 The Japanese TV show 52:00 The changing corporate culture53:10 Ashley’s ambition 55:27 The help Ashley is asking for?57:58 Remaining resolute and resilient59:57 Ashley’s gift or talent01:02:46 The actions we can all take to create a help exchangeSocial Links Ashley’s Email Gift of Help Podcast Linkedin Instagram  Show Links Bridge appCaroline ArdittiCameradosSimon Sinek Nir Eyal  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a break from the norm, this week I’m dropping a series of daily short bonus interviews with previous guest Dr Morgaine Gaye the food futurologist.Today's Question What Do Recipe Books Really Sell?Social Links Instagram Facebook LinkedinEmail   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.