The Decision-Making Studio Podcast

It may sound trite, but when The Economist this week talked about the end of the internal combustion engine this week, and we hear stories about ransomware , the hacking of Game of Thrones , or cyberwarfare, we truly are experiencing the dawn of a new age. That new age is driven by the virtual world and it involves hackers, bots, cyber warriors and cyber terrorists – and it may evolve into somethi...

Every great conversation, particularly when listening as a podcast episode, is like a work of art. While we are all listening to the same thing, each individual listener will pick up on slightly different things or points. Every great conversation is also an experiment in uncertainty because we don't know exactly where it will go. Today's episode is a great conversation. Laura Dal Farra makes her...

This is a discussion that encompasses technology, health, innovation, the future, and of course risk and uncertainty. It raises a number of fascinating and challenging questions around personal freedom and public protection. Today, we're talking transhumanism . My guest is Michele Battle-Fisher. Michele was my guest on episode 20 . She is a respected systems theorist, bioethicist and futurist. Mic...

When I started the All Things Risk podcast, I very deliberately stayed away from discussing the risk management profession (which is also my day-to-day profession). This is because I wanted the show to make risk and uncertainty concepts available to everyone. I didn't want to make a podcast by risk professionals, for risk professionals. Risk isn't something to be the sole domain of a small group o...

In this short inbetweenisode, I discuss how to use the power of "maybe" to set meaningful objectives, and then what how to approach risks to those objectives. I bring a powerful analogy from the world of cycling into the mix. Show notes: Chris Boardman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Boardman Chris Boardman 1994 Tour de France Prologue Time Trial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjJ60Kx2j8I H...

  Did you know that in the 18th, 19th and early 20th Centuries there were some extraordinary women explorers? You might be forgiven for not knowing this. However is out to change all of that. Meet Jacki Hill-Murphy . Jacki is an explorer, teacher, film-maker and author. Jacki has recreated and written about the journeys of early female explorers like: Isabel Godin, the first known woman to travel...

How do we move from a "death economy", characterised by short-termism and environmental degradation, to a "life economy"? We tackle this question on this week's episode, and after listening to it, you will understand how it fits into the arc of my guest. That arc goes from being in the Peach Corps, to becoming an "Economic Hit Man", through to expertise in shamanism and indigenous wisdom.   I am d...

What are the odds that a skinny teenager from Latvia goes on to become a world-class fitness model? What are the odds that that same kid goes on to develop his own fitness methodology and to help others achieve and exceed their health and fitness objectives? Meet Ru Wikmann. Ru is a London-based fitness expert, personal trainer, WBFF pro fitness model, and body transformation coach. As you will he...

Somewhat coincidentally with this week's episode, I came across this article written by the late Alex Tizon, a Pullitzer prize winning journalist entitled "My Family's Slave". In it, Tizon describes how his parents effectively kept a woman against her will to cook, clean and take care of his family. This falls squarely under the modern definition of slavery. This week, we delve into the topic of h...

Building personal resilience involves taking care of both body and mind. To help do this, many people are increasingly turning to "alternative medicine" as Western medicine seems inadequately equipped to deal with disease prevention and optimal performance. At the same time, the world of alternative therapies is fraught with confusing information and dishonest practitioners. This is why Dr. Kathy...

From the Stoics to Shakespeare, from Gandhi to Nelson Mandela - wisdom is something that seems to transcend societies and cultures. We might hear that a certain person is "wise" or even "wise beyond their years". What exactly does this mean? Can we zero in on the essence of wisdom and learn to become wiser?  Can doing so help us manage life's uncertainties? Can it make us happier? Meet Charles Cas...

My guest on this week's episode doesn't get awestruck very easily. Neville Johnson is a Hollywood lawyer in California, USA. He has represented a number of celebrities, artists, actors, and writers, particularly against the bullying tactics of large companies over royalties. His clients have included the Beatles, amongst other. However, there is one individual with whom Neville has worked that lef...

Having meaning and purpose in our lives is vital. This not only makes us happier, but it also makes us more resilient. An organisation with a very strong sense of purpose is better able to withstand headwinds and any crises that may arise.  Similarly, we as individuals become more resilient in the face of uncertainty if we can connect our activities to a deeper sense of purpose. What do we do howe...

Introversion and extroversion are misunderstood.  What is introversion and how does it relate to risk-taking? I offer some thoughts in this latest in-betweenisode. Show notes: Introversion-Extroversion test:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/tests/personality/extroversion-introversion-test   Myers-Briggs Type Indicator:  http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/   Susan Cain'...

This week, we discuss risk in love and relationships. I must admit, it isn't the type of topic that I feel comfortable discussing and if you were to ask me two years ago what the chances of me hosting a podcast episode on this, I'd tell you the chances would be infinitesimally small. And yet, this being a podcast on risk, here we are. My guest this week is Erik Newton. Erik is a former family law...

What is your brand? If you are into marketing, media or are and entrepreneur or business owner, you are going to love this week's episode. If you aren't, I think you will still love it, perhaps even more. You might even think "brand? I don't think that way, I'm not a brand". As you will soon find out from my guest, another way of asking the same question might be "what is your purpose?" or "what i...

  Have you ever caught yourself thinking that you could solve the vast majority of your problems if you somehow won £$1 million / £$5 million / £$x million in the lottery or playing the slots in Las Vegas? I think we've all been there.  This being a show about risk and randomness, let's talk some probabilities. Here in the UK, the odds of winning the jackpot in the Lotto is about 1 in 14 million....

This week's episode not only demonstrates the importance of context and nuance, but also of going beneath the various layers to develop a better understanding of a topic. In this case, we will be exploring a place that is being talked about quite frequently: Russia. I grew up during the Cold War, when Russia was the enemy. It would appear that this is a country on the path to being the enemy once...

Today, I have the honour of bringing you the youngest guest I have had so far on All Things Risk – but you perhaps wouldn't know that from speaking to him.  Meet 18-year old Souleyman Bah (remember that name!).  Souleyman is a sprinter on Team GB (Great Britain)'s paralympic team. In 2015, he gold in the 100 metres at the Paralympic School Games in Rio – a junior paralympic games.  He is currently...

We now live in a "post-truth" world where objective facts are seemingly less relevant than personal emotions and beliefs.  What does this mean for the concepts of "gut feel" and critical thinking? Are these two concepts at odds with one another?  I explore this question in this in-betweenisode. Show notes: Post-truth:  https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/word-of-the-year/word-of-the-year-2016   The...

What's the formula or recipe for making a living as a "One Man Variety Show" in which you travel the world and connect with audiences? Well, there isn't one. The probability of following someone else's exact journey is infinitesimally small.  However, there is a formula for creating a path that is your own and which leads to fulfilment and success. The first step is to "just go".   Meet Chris Rugg...

Why is it that sometimes, good people do "bad" things?  This is a question that has been on my mind as late, and it's also one that tees up this week's episode.  Tom Hardin, AKA "Tipper X"  - the most important FBI informant in the largest insider trading case in decades - is my guest, and I am both grateful and delighted to have him on the show to share his story. Tom is a former Wall Street exec...

What does it take to set a world record for cycling the largest distance in one month? Meet this week's guest, André Goeritz. André is an artist and an ultra endurance cyclist. Last year, he set the world record for the highest mileage cycled in one month – 6,679.8 miles or 10,750 kilometres. What goes into doing something like that and why would anyone attempt it? It's not for the money (there is...

What happens when the world of science fiction meets science fact, particularly human meeting machine? We are getting ever closer to such a world. This raises all kinds of interesting questions around the risks new technologies like genetic engineering pose, ethical and political issues, and even questions around what it means to be human. In fact, there is an entire movement dedicated to advancin...