Modern Mindset

Rory McGowan talks to Chris Wilson, the CEO of Golden Charter, about new data revealing how the fear of talking about funeral plans with loved ones is costing families more in funeral costs, and funeral poverty more widely. They discuss how 4 in 5 people haven't told their families about what they'd like about their funerals, and how doing so can ease the shock and grief that bereavement c...

Rory McGowan sits down with Zoe Burke, former editor of You and Your Wedding and now Head of Brand at Bridebook about how couples can afford weddings in 2026, after the cost of the average wedding is now just over £25,000 in the UK. Around 15,000 couples propose on Valentines every year. Zoe, who has 15 years experience in the wedding industry now, talks about if people find that behaviour cringew...

Rory McGowan is joined by Dr Luis Costa, a former UCL fellow and Cybersecurity researcher to talk about a new report published by VPN provider Surfshark revealing that the UK is the 6th most vulnerable country to data leaks. The two of them talk about how to protect your accounts from hackers, what kinds of accounts hackers target and the state of the UK's cyber defences, after 2025 was a big...

Rory McGowan talks to Julie Sullivan from Lincoln College and Hazel Bunting, a student there, to talk about the shortage of workers in the UK's aviation industry and how apprenticeships are filling those gaps. Lincolnshire is a prime location of the UK's aviation sector, housing a number of RAF bases alongside being the home of the iconic red arrows. Together they talk about the kinds of a...

Rory McGowan talks to Dr. Aurimas Širka, an Orthopaedic Surgeon from Lithuania who's operated on British citizens, about what his surgery has seen in the last few years, in regards to people who have gone abroad to procedures that they would've had to wait years for on the NHS. Both of them talk about what the most popular procedures are, how to vet any abroad surgery and the consequences...

Rory McGowan sits down with Sarah Vachon, an Olive Oil expert and the founder of Olive Oil producer Citizens of Soil, to talk about the state of the olive oil industry and what makes a bottle of olive oil "extra virgin". They discuss the health benefits and production different between sets of olive oils, and what consumers should know about the types of oils they have in the home and see on the s...

Rory McGowan sits down with Burns Night and Whisky extraordinaire Matthew Cordiner from Aberfedly to talk about new research around Burns Night, and how many people across the UK are actually interested in celebrating it outside of Scotland. They talk about Robert Burns' poems, how to begin with a Burns Night celebration and what it's like being in the whisky business for over 18 years and...

Rory McGowan sits down with Dr Bruna Sanader Vukadinovic, a Specialist Associate Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and specialist at Private Psychiatry. They talk about an increase in insomnia diagnoses across the world, how sleeping issues could be down to a wide array of different conditions and how they can be treated.

Rory McGowan has a brief conversation with Mary Hubbard, the Executive Director at WordPress, about the 35th anniversary of the first website, and the future of websites on the internet.  Together they talk about their importance in the face of growing large language models, why people still trust websites, and the origins of the first website, which came to be all the way back in 1990.

Daniel Clewlow sits down with Chief Revenue Officer at Bell Integration, Mark Nicholas, regarding a survey of business leaders conducted by the company, revealing that many business leaders believe that AI is the key towards a 4-day working week. According to Bell's new data, two-thirds of UK business leaders say AI already makes a 4-day working week possible, and Dan and Mark sit down to disc...

Daniel Clewlow sits down with Sarah Stannard, a Health and Wellness Coach, to discuss new data diagnosing Britain's most common eating habits, specifically our relationship to unhealthy and ultra-processed foods (UPFs). 72% of us now eat UPFs like chocolate, ice cream, instant soups and many others on a weekly basis, with 11% saying they eat them daily. The two of them discuss the impact of th...

Rory McGowan sits down with Dr Ritz Birah, a consultant counselling psychologist, about new data diagnoising the UK's sleep situation. How many of us have it as our number 1 new years resolution, how many struggle to form good sleeping habits and what are the biggest obstacles to good sleep? Dr Ritz tells all.   The two then talk about tips to help get to sleep, and how sleep can be powered by goo...

Rory McGowan sits down with Stephen Dean from Yamaha to talk about the iTunes 25th anniverary (9th January 2026). iTunes was one of the pioneering apps that eventually gave way to the rise of streaming and the modern landscape of music distribution that we know today. Stephen and Rory discuss how this has changed music for both listeners and artists, the history of iTunes and the evolution of the...

Rory McGowan sits down with David Russell, the CEO of Goldcore, to talk about new research that's come out of the industry suggesting that gold might be more popular than cash for Christmas, alongside other painful truths regarding the cost of living and how the vast majority of people believe that christmas is only ever getting more expensive. The research delves into why people think that their...

This episode deals with investing. As with all investing, if you choose to invest, your capital is at risk and there is a possibility to lose money. Adam Cox is joined by Rob Halliday-Stein, the Founder & Chairman at BullionByPost, about investing in gold and his experience building the UK's biggest bullion dealer. In this episode they talk about the upcoming autumn statement in the UK, how Rob st...

Rory McGowan talks to Tara Jarrett, a nurse advisor who's been dealing in continence care for 21 years, about how this taboo area of healthcare works and how care homes and hospitals are saving money via standardised training and product usage. They discuss updating our mindset around how we think of continence care, and why we should talk about it more if we have issues around our bladder and bel...

Rory McGowan sits down with Jennifer White from PETA to talk about the climate impact of our clothes, and how Plant Wool could be the next step in sustainable fashion - wool made from unused plant matter and from materials like Hemp. Rory challenges Jennifer on just why this distinction matters, how much impact it has on the climate and why this isn't more widespread if it's a eco-friendly way to...

Rory McGowan sits down with Simon Onyons, a Senior Advisor to the UK National Cyber Security Centre and someone with over 20 years experience in information technology and cybersecurity, to talk about the state of UK business' cyber security and what businesses should be doing ahead of the Christmas period to ensure that they're safe from hackers and bad faith actors trying to gain access to their...

Rory McGowan sits down with Samantha Duffy, a Senior Manager of Global Water Programs at NSF to talk about some disturbing findings that reveals that thousands of people across the UK may have illegal water fittings, and that not only could they be contaiminating their water but also how the law leaves homeowners liable for legal reprocussions for the consequences. Samantha talks about how you can...

Rory McGowan sits down with Julie Cameron, the Associate Director for Scotland at the Mental Health Foundation charity, to share her best tips on getting a better nights sleep just in time for the clocks going back. The Mental Health Foundation is one of the oldest mental health charities in the UK, and Julie shares their latest data around our sleeping habits and the general public's ability to r...

Rory McGowan speaks to Founder of The Level Group George Williamson about new research that sheds light on the UK's relationship with inheritance, and how over 1 in 3 people are financially depended on that money right now. They talk about how family farms and pensions may be hit by the proposed inheritance tax changes presumed to be in the next UK budget and how that'll impact families across the...

Rory McGowan speaks to Dr Alice Ashby, a consultant psychiatrist at the London Psychiatry Clinic, about why ADHD in women is underdiagnosed and why society has found it more difficult to spot symptoms of ADHD in women. They talk about what those symptoms are, her own experience with talking to women with ADHD and the importance of being mindful and checking in with the women in our lives to make s...

Rory McGowan speaks with Nick Sanderson, the CEO of the Audley Group, to talk about new research into retiree types and how knowing what retirees are after shapes how retirement villages are built. They talk about how older people are adventurous than the stereotypes would have people believe and how these villages are designed with that in mind, combatting lonliness and other problems that older...

Rory McGowan speaks with Jack Smith, CEO of Love Finance, about the challenges faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. They discuss the sectors that are struggling, particularly construction and hospitality, and the importance of quick access to finance for these businesses. Jack shares insights from his journey in the lending industry and emphasises the need for lenders to support...

Rory McGowan speaks with James Kaberry, a non-executive director at IO Finance Partners, about the current state of SMEs in the UK. They discuss the significant role SMEs play in the economy, the challenges they face in accessing capital, and the rise of alternative lending solutions. James emphasises the importance of supporting SMEs to foster growth and stability in the economy, while also provi...