MetaLearn Podcast

The future of learning will be determined by a number of key issues - from the impact of technology and the rise of EdTech, to the evolution of the educational system and the need for lifelong learning in personal and professional contexts. In this episode I explore all of these issues in depth and answer the question I always ask guests at the end of my podcast interviews - "What's your vision fo...

Jordan Poulton is the co-founder of Makers Academy, London's leading Web Developer Bootcamp which teaches you how to code in just 12 Weeks. He is a former president of Oxford Entrepreneurs and previously appeared on the BBC's hit show The Apprentice in 2013. Coding is arguably the skill with the fastest growing demand in the modern economy and more people are looking to acquire the skill every yea...

Ed Cooke is the founder of Memrise, an online platform that uses memory techniques to optimise learning. Ed has also previously competed in memory sports and became a Grand Master of Memory when he was just 23. Human memory is something that few people understand well but the secrets behind improving it are both simple and fun. Ed is someone who has applied these techniques to himself and his busi...

Tom Chatfield is a author and speaker who's written several books about the digital age. He's also worked with several companies as a consultant including Google and Mind Candy and spoken at forums including TED Global. We all need to think more critically about how we interact with digital technology, because the secret to living and learning well with it is not related to which devices we use, b...

Not everyone can go down as a master orator like Lincoln, King or Churchill, but we can all learn to become better speakers. And in an age where ideas are the main currency, being able to communicate them effectively is a huge advantage. Plus, we spend 30% of our communication time speaking, whether it's in a presentation at work or a conversation with a friend – so it's definitely a skill worth w...

Rob Fitzpatrick is a serial entrepreneur who teaches early-stage entrepreneurship in Europe via his company Founder Centric. Rob is a Y Combinator alum and is the author of The Mom Test, a handbook on customer development that teaches you how to learn from customers even when they're lying to you. One of the most crucial parts of building a successful business is developing a rounded skillset that...

Studies on listening have show that we spend 60% of our communication time listening and that the average person can only remember 10% of that 3 days later. For a skill that we need to use so often and neglect so heavily, you'd think that listening was pretty useless. But this couldn't be further from the truth because every one of us needs to learn how to become a better listener. In this episode...

Scott Young is a lifelong learner and online entrepreneur who runs the business ScottHYoung.com where he tries to answer the question: "What's the best way to learn?" through free articles, and a series of books and courses. In a world of limitless access to information, it's become possible for all of us to direct our own learning like never before. And Scott is a great example of someone doing t...

While it may be difficult to put your finger on that special something that geniuses like Tolstoy or Shakespeare had, being able to communicate well in writing is a skill that can be learned like any other. If we deconstruct the art of writing, its three main components are research, storytelling and the organisation of ideas. So if you can develop these skills by putting in consistent deliberate...

John-Paul is an entrepreneur and best-selling author with a mission to spread awareness of better communication. A former associate editor at The Financial Times, he has worked with people at the top of government, business and the creative arts, and some of the world's leading companies. Asking questions is an essential skill that few of us ever learn how to do properly - but it's of vital import...

There's a feeling nowadays that reading isn't as important as it used to be – we have many other ways to get information including television and the internet. While all of these are useful in the right context, they can't replace reading fully. In the US only 40% of people who graduate college ever read a book again. But it's been well documented that most successful and intelligent people across...

Mads Holmen is the CEO of  Bibblio , a platform helping knowledge publishers deliver smarter content recommendation. Bibblio's clients include the University of Cambridge and Oxford University Press as well as the BBC and YouTube. It's been well documented that the educational system in the West has problems, but if you want to improve a system you need to look at the ways people think and interac...

What if one of the most powerful tools for igniting change in the world was something that's been available to us since childhood? Questioning - deeply, imaginatively and critically – can spark unique insights and unleash our innate creativity. It can help us see the world through fresh eyes and notice things others don't. And it can inspire us to take focused actions that improve the quality of o...

Vincent Dignan is an entrepreneur and growth hacker who helps early-stage companies acquire users. Through his company Magnific he's driven thousands of followers, conversations, and signups for startups using a combination of social media growth and guerrilla community management tactics. On top of this he's a great public speaker regularly giving talks around the world on marketing and growth ha...

Many people assume that great communicators possess an intrinsic talent – they look at the abilities of Martin Luther King, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and assume that it's a gift that can't be learned or improved. While I think it may come easier to some people than others, the reality is that almost anyone can become a great communicator with consistent, deliberate practice over a period of ti...

Will Reynolds and Erin Potter are the founders of the New Work Order, a close-knit network of ambitious people, building careers on their own terms. I met Will at a workshop he was running on entrepreneurship and the vision he's crafted with Erin to help people take control of their own careers resonated with me as it's something I've been trying to do since graduating from university. The importa...

There's something about learning teams that magnifies any achievement we gain in isolation. We've all been part of a team, whether at work or in sports or the arts where everything just works – every one's strengths complement each other and compensate for individual weaknesses to produce amazing results. I've been exploring how we can learn better in teams recently, diving into organisational the...

Alex Rawlings is a polyglot and language teacher who runs the blog Rawlangs as well as a series of Polyglot Workshops and Conferences all over the world. In 2012 Alex was named Britain's most multilingual student after winning a nationwide competition, where he was tested for fluency in eleven languages. One of the most common language learning myths is that you have to live in a country to learn...

Olly Richards is a language learning expert and entrepreneur, who speaks 8 languages (including French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Cantonese) and runs the blog and podcast I Will Teach You A Language. There are a lot of myths about language learning - and while natural ability and upbringing definitely influence someone's ability, I believe that everyone is capable of learning a fo...

Habits are so important because up to 90 percent of our behaviour is based on them, which means they make up nearly all of what we do on a daily basis. When it comes to learning, we all have good habits and bad habits. And over a longer period of time, these very small behaviours can add up to produce very positive or very negative results. The good news is that all of them are malleable which mea...

Tom Rogers is an entrepreneur and the Founder of Music Gurus, a platform that provides music courses & training from the world's top musicians. Tom is also a keen musician – he started his own band at school and went on to study at music college before getting an MBA at INSEAD. Many of us wish we could learn a musical instrument but don't know how to start. Without music in our lives, we're not on...

There is a tradeoff between following multiple interests and focusing on one thing - but the key is to find the right balance in a way that works for you. If your friends and family tell you that you should be focusing more, then you probably fall into the category of someone with multiple interests. If so, I've got you covered here with strategies to help you explore these interests, integrate th...

Alexis is a transformative coach who works with TV personalities, CEOs and award winning authors through his coaching business, the Live Life in Full Colour Project. He also has 10 years of experience in the British Army where he worked as a communications specialist and fitness instructor. In this conversation we discuss a range of topics including: - The strategies Alexis used to rapidly pick up...

Greta Rossi and Mark Spokes co-founders of Akasha Innovation, a not for profit social enterprise which gives social entrepreneurs the mindsets and skill sets and they need to succeed on their journey as change makers. Greta is a social entrepreneur, transformative coach and the acting CEO of Akasha, while Mark is the academic director of the organisation and designed their learning program using a...

Dr. Anthony Metivier is the creator of the Magnetic Memory Method - an effective and fun method that helps you remember virtually any kind of information using memory techniques. So many people believe that having a good memory is linked to intelligence or brain structure. But we're all capable of remembering a remarkable amount of information if we use the right techniques. Put simply, your memor...