Deadlines and Detours — The Human Stories Behind Digital Business.

When Matt launched Deadlines & Detours , he thought it was a podcast about digital transformation and tech. It turns out, it’s about people – especially the ones who quietly rewrite how you see the world. In this episode, Matt sits down with Piers Thurston , founder of Quality of Mind , who’s spent 25 years in personal and professional development – from big enterprise to scrappy startups. Wha...

This week on Deadlines & Detours , Matthew sits down with Will Edge , Head of Product and Venture Building at E.ON , whose work spans decarbonisation, digital twins, and the future of urban energy. Will’s career runs from Capgemini and Fujitsu to leading E.ON’s innovation venture team , tackling three missions: decarbonise cities, add social value, and reduce fuel bills. He shares how storytel...

Most people think a CV gets them a job — it doesn’t. It gets you 10 seconds of attention. In this episode of Deadlines & Detours , Matthew sits down with Daniel Atkins , founder of DATTalent , to talk about what recruiters really look for, how IR35 changed the game for contractors, and why relationships will always beat AI algorithms. Dan’s journey from car salesman to founder is full of hones...

Welcome back to Deadlines & Detours — the podcast where we explore the real, human stories behind digital transformation. This week, Matt sits down with Morten Næss , Chief Product & Innovation Officer at Bluestone PIM and Admissions Lead at the MACH Alliance — to talk about nerdy beginnings, smart tech, and the next evolution of AI and product information management. Together they dive in...

Welcome back to Deadlines & Detours , the podcast where we talk to the humans behind digital transformation — the thinkers, tinkerers, and tech obsessives shaping the products we all use. In this episode, Matt Barrington-Packer sits down with Andy Farmer , Co-Founder of MyOxygen — a Bristol-based digital product studio that’s been building apps since the dawn of the iPhone. Andy’s team has cre...

In this episode of Deadlines & Detours , I sit down with Joe Goss , Head of Sales for Fixflo Block & BTR , to unpack three decades of experience across housing, property services, and PropTech innovation. We get into the realities of digital change — including the golden rule of AI: garbage in = garbage out — and how property managers can use tech without losing the human touch. Joe shares...

In this episode of Deadlines & Detours , Matthew Barrington-Packer sits down with Chelsea Austin , Marketing & Events Coordinator at Earl Kendrick and co-founder of Chelsea in Devon. Chelsea shares her unexpected career journey — from nursing and hairdressing to marketing and events — and how she’s built a reputation for being reliable, creative, and authentic. We dive into the now-legenda...

In this episode of Deadlines & Detours , Matthew is joined by long-time friend and seasoned SEO strategist John Jary , whose career has spanned two decades of digital evolution — from the early days of Dreamweaver and Flash websites to the rise of e-commerce, influencer marketing, and now Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). They dive deep into: The truth behind SEO in 2025 Why content is sti...

In this episode of Deadlines & Detours, I sit down with Sarah Chilcott, former Managing Director of the UK’s national Planning Portal — the service that helped standardise applications across England and Wales and scaled to around 50,000 submissions a month. Sarah talks candidly about the multi-year transition from a government unit to a commercial joint venture, moving from central funding to...

In this episode of Deadlines & Detours , Matthew sits down with Jamie Hughes , founder of Inncreate, to explore the realities of digital transformation, the power of personal branding, and the evolving role of social media — particularly LinkedIn. They discuss: Why personal branding outperforms company pages How AI can spark creativity but also flatten originality Why do you have to climb the...

Welcome to the intro episode of Deadlines & Detours — the podcast that pulls back the curtain on what really goes down in digital transformation. I’m Matthew Barrington-Packer, and after years of being dropped into messy projects, impossible deadlines, and chaotic delivery rooms — I’m done with polished nonsense. This show is for anyone who’s been on the frontlines of change and thought: “Sure...