The Decision-Making Studio Podcast

Sometimes, certain iconic film scenes serve as appropriate metaphors for phenomena in real life. In this episode, we talk about the world of cryptocurrencies. In searching for the appropriate comparative movie scene, I first considered the Matrix's red pill / blue pill scene. Depending on what you think about cryptocurrencies, you might have varying viewpoints on whether they represent the red pil...

This conversation will completely change the way you think about networking. Yes, we all know networking is important. But it isn't about how many LinkedIn connections you have or about attending so-called "networking events". True networking is about developing authentic connections with others and starting these from the vantage point of giving, not taking. It's also an art that is increasingly...

This episode is a conversation about the media and advertising in our digital age as much as it is about entrepreneurism, risk-taking and decision-making. My guest is Howard Bareham . Howard is a long-time media, advertising and sales expert who has worked for and with some of the biggest names in the business – for instance Saatchi and Saatchi and WPP. Howard has had an extraordinary career start...

Dictatorships and "strong man" leadership is on the rise across the globe. In addition, and particularly in the West, entrenched special interests are very prominent. Indeed, it appears that democracy is in retreat. How can dictators, with their stranglehold on power through military force, control of media and financial clout be toppled? How can entrenched special interests be overcome? In fact,...

Adventure is about much more than excitement and novelty. It is also about facing challenges and solving problems. It is about venturing into the unknown. It is about moving forward following setbacks. It is about making decisions, and dealing with risk. And yes, adventure can be about wonderful, curious, and frustrating things in far-off lands. This episode is about all of those things and more....

Have you ever scrolled through the comments section of an article or a Twitter thread and wondered – "where do these 'trolls' come from?" If you've ever wondered that causes these often hateful, toxic and often mis-informed opinions, you are not alone. My guest this week wondered the same thing. In fact, he made a book and documentary film about this phenomenon. Meet Kyrre Lien , a 27-year old Nor...

  This is a conversation that emphasises a number of positive things we can do in the face of fake news, lying politicians, disagreements and decision-making. My guest is Gleb Tsipursky and if that name sounds familiar, it might be because he was our guest in episode 45 . Gleb is a professor, a science communicator, the co-founder of Intentional Insights , a non-profit that seeks to promote scienc...

Imagine that you suffer from social anxiety that is so acute that you struggle to answer the phone, open the door to your home if someone knocks, or to go outside. Now imagine that in spite of this, you've become an adventurer, a speaker and writer. Now imagine that in two short months, you will start a journey to be the first person to swim around Great Britain. Meet Paula McGuire – our guest on...

  Threats to democracy, the changing nature of military conflict, cyber threats, bots, China, Russia and disruptive change created by hyper connectivity – what does all of this mean? How should military organisations assess and manage risk? What lessons can we learn that are applicable elsewhere? Today, we dive into these topics. This is both and important and informative "big picture" risk conver...

Today, we talk China and its complex relationship with The United States and the West. My guest is Joshua Phillip , an award-winning journalist at the Epoch Times . He specialises in covering national security in the United States in relation to China and is an expert in China's roles and approaches to espionage, organised crime, and unconventional warfare.  We get into all of that and go down a f...

When we hear about North Korea in the news, it is often about missile tests, diplomatic negotiations, cyber attacks, the threat of war, or even what former pro basketballer Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong-Un are discussing. But, what is going on behind all of this? What is life really like in North Korea? For a country that makes owning a business illegal, a quiet revolution rumbles on as the infiltrat...

How often do you get to listen to an hour's worth of wisdom from the from the FBI's former chief hostage negotiator? Well, today we get that chance. Meet Gary Noesner , who led the FBI's Crisis Negotiation Unit until his retirement in 2003. Gary is now a consultant, speaker and author of the book Stalling for Time , part of which forms the basis of a new miniseries on the Paramount Network called...

This is our second annual "best of" episode which is a compilation of what I and some of you have considered to be your favourite excerpts from our episodes in the past year. It's always difficult to leave things out, and we had an amazing set of guests and conversations in 2017. The clips that didn't make it are in no way "lesser" than those that did – the selection process was not highly "scient...

Today, we look back at "big picture" events of 2017 and forward to risks that may not be on people's radar for 2018 with 4-time guest of the podcast Daniel Wagner . Those of you who have caught my previous episodes with Daniel know that he is a geo-political risk expert, CEO of Country Risk Solutions , regular media commentator, and author of many articles and books – most recently " Virtual Terro...

What can we learn about ocean animals that can tell us about the environment? What happens to birds when they take their physiologies to their limits? How close are we to seeing a sub-two hour marathon? This is a somewhat different episode of the podcast in which I talk to three speakers from this year's Humanature conference. The conference brings together experts from a number of fields to explo...

  How does Israel's approach to public security differ from that of the USA and Western Europe? What can we learn? Today, we explore public security, terrorism, body language, mindset and more. My guest is Eldor Arbel. Eldor is the CEO of Arbel Consulting and Training. He brings a unique perspective to security – "security from the inside out". This isn't surprising considering Eldor is an Israeli...

  Today, we talk cycling, making decisions and taking risks with Monika Sattler .   Monika is an adventure cyclist, writer and vlogger. Monika competed in this year's Haute Route Alps. In fact, she actually completed the Haute Route Triple Crown – completing 21 days across the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites! Monika is currently based in Griona, Spain – one of the world's best cycling destinations. G...

Our latest episode is about the beauty and value of extremes. Extremes are fascinating. We face uncertainty at extremes, and we learn and discover at extremes. My guest today is all about that. Mark Hannaford is an entrepreneur, adventurer, and a veteran of many expeditions. He is the founder of World Extreme Medicine and Across the Divide. He is also the co-founder of the World Extreme Medicine C...

Sometimes, when I have conversations with people about some of the amazing things my guests have done, I hear a common refrain. In fact, I sometimes think the same things – they are inspiring and instructive stories, but they do things that I cannot quite do because they "don't have [insert obstacle, constraint, complication]". One of the things mentioned is a family – or more specifically, the re...

Among the things we like to do here, is speak to people who look at phenomena from slightly different lenses. Today, that phenomenon is evolution and my guest is Perry Marshall . Perry is an entrepreneur, an engineer, an expert on online market, and someone who has very thoroughly looked at the science of evolution. He has written a book entitled Evolution 2.0 - Breaking the Deadlock Between Darwi...

This is an episode about play, fear, power, and in fact "super powers". My guest is Tonya Recla . Tonya is a former US counter-intelligence agent. She and her husband own a company that specialises in online reputation and risk management . She is also the Executive Director of something called " Super Power Experts " which helps people achieve enlightened self-actualisation. This involves helping...

We have had many conversations here about successful risk-taking and effective decision-making. Now imagine having to make tough decisions within split seconds, when not only are the highest stakes possible on the line, but you are affected by the immense G forces that come with flying combat aircraft. What is involved in all that and what lessons can this provide to other areas? Meet Tim Davies ,...

Stepping outside one's comfort zone is a critical element of effective risk-taking. This is true for many pursuits, from physical challenges, career decisions through to personal relationships. It is also a crucial component in negotiation. My guest in this episode is Linda Swindling . Linda is a negotiation expert, speaker, author and self-professed "recovering attorney". Her latest book is entit...

This week, we talk mountains. My guest is Cathy O'Dowd . Cathy is an adventurer, speaker and author. She was the first woman to have summited Mount Everest from both the North and South sides. In addition to the Himalayas, Cathy has climbed mountains in Central and Southern Africa, the Alps, and South America. She also completed a dog sled expedition across the Norwegian Arctic. Cathy speaks and c...

Around here, we like to take risk and push ourselves. There is a high (pun intended) chance that you will be listening to this episode while I am cycling through the Alps. I will be taking on an event called the Haute Route . "Haute route" literally means "high road" in French and Haute Route cycling events are at the very top end of amateur cycling "sportives" both in terms of difficulty and prof...