The Growth Distillery

In the final episode of Rules Don’t Apply, Dan Krigstein sits down live at SXSW with two absolute powerhouses: Professor Ganna Pogrebna, behavioural scientist and AI ethics expert and Graham Kenny, one of the world’s leading thinkers on strategy and organisational performance. Together, they’re the perfect paradox: the humanist and the data modeller, the strategist and the scientist and they’re te...

In Episode 10 of Rules Don't Apply, Dan Krigstein sits down with the unstoppable Dr Michelle Dickinson, aka Nano Girl: engineer, nanotechnologist, science storyteller and professional exploder-of-things (in the best possible way). Recorded live at SXSW Sydney, this conversation dives head-first into the very real, very human side of AI, education, curiosity and how we protect the next generati...

In this episode, Dan Krigstein sits down at SXSW with Dr. Kate Renshaw. Founding director of Play in Field Therapy to explore how play is not just for children, but a powerful tool for connection, creativity and wellbeing at every stage of life. Dr. Renshaw, an expert in the language of play, shares how rediscovering play could be the antidote to burnout, disconnection and the “too serious” cultur...

In this episode of Rules Don’t Apply, Lisa Watts, CEO of The Conversation, joins Dan Krigstein for a deep dive into truth, trust, and the future of Australian media. Lisa shares how The Conversation is redefining journalism by partnering with academics to make complex ideas clear, credible, and accessible to everyone and why, in an era of AI and misinformation, that mission has never mattered more...

In this live SXSW Sydney edition of Rules Don’t Apply, Dan Krigstein sits down with Ricky Sutton journalist, strategist and creator of the Future Media podcast for a bold, no-filter conversation about how storytelling, truth and media power are being rewritten by AI. Ricky brings decades of newsroom experience, entrepreneurial grit and a touch of chaos theory to the stage arguing it’s time for med...

Welcome back to Rules Don’t Apply with The Growth Distillery. In this episode, Dan Krigstein sits down with the incomparable Jean Oelwang, Founding CEO and President of Virgin United, and a woman who has spent decades building partnerships that literally change the world. From working alongside icons like Nelson Mandela, Jane Goodall and Sir Richard Branson, to championing unity, moral leadership...

If you’ve ever wondered who really shapes the future, here’s the truth: we do. Every decision we make today defines what comes next. And our next guest helps guide us toward making the right ones. Recorded live at SXSW Sydney, Dan sits down with Reanna Browne: futurist, strategist, unapologetic systems thinker and occasional “bad dinner guest” (in the best possible way). Reanna is on a mission to...

This week, host Dan Krigstein sits down with creative technologist, musician, strategist (and self-proclaimed “maker of cool sh*t”) Manon Dave. From composing tracks for global artists like will.i.am and Snoop Dogg, to shaping innovation inside major broadcasters like the BBC, Manon is the definition of a modern polymath. Together, they dive into what happens when art meets algorithm and why imagi...

Welcome back to Rules Don’t Apply !In Episode Three host Dan Krigstein sits down with the exceptional Sandy Carter, Silicon Valley powerhouse, COO of Unstoppable Domains, bestselling author and one of Forbes’ Top 10 Women in Tech. Sandy has been shaping the future of emerging technology. In this conversation, she breaks down what truly drives success in AI adoption, why culture can make or break i...

Welcome to Episode 2 of Rules Don’t Apply. Dan Krigstein is joined by Dr Frederik G. Pferdt, Future Optimist, Educator, Entrepreneur, Award-Winning Author and Google’s first-ever Chief Innovation Evangelist. For more than a decade, he helped shape the creative culture behind some of Google’s most ambitious breakthroughs and now he’s focused on helping people design more hopeful futures. In this in...

Welcome to Episode 1 of Rules Don't Apply! Dan Krigstein sits down with Sir Martin Sorrell. The industry titan who helped define modern advertising and continues to challenge what’s next as Founder of S4 Capital and Founder & Former CEO of WPP. This conversation takes a clear-eyed look at the forces reshaping our world and what today’s leaders must do to keep up. Sir Martin reveals why qua...

What does it take to be happy in a world that never slows down? In this special event, The Growth Distillery’s Dan Krigstein sits down with Mo Gawdat - former Chief Business Officer at Google [X], best-selling author of Solve for Happy and Unstressable, and founder of One Billion Happy - for an extraordinary conversation on joy, resilience, and human potential. From reverse-engineering happiness t...

In the final episode of Stories Untold, we sit down with Kate Westgate, Head of Marketing for Unilever’s Home Care division, a leader who brings empathy, clarity and purpose to every part of her work. A people-first leader whose purpose is rooted in inspiring her family and making impactful marketing campaigns. Kate shares how she’s learned to trust her instincts, find her voice, and build teams w...

Welcome to episode ten of Stories Untold, where we sit down with Caroline Wood, Head of Marketing at Fever-Tree. A brand known for its quiet confidence and creative clarity. From agency beginnings to leading a global brand, Caroline shares how clarity, collaboration and an unwavering focus on quality have shaped her approach to marketing and leadership.• The genuine love she has for her product an...

Welcome to episode nine of Stories Untold, featuring Marie-Celine Wiström, or affectionately known as MC, Head of Creative Technology and AI at Made This. From a small New York design studio to global innovation projects, MC shares how her multicultural background and passion for storytelling shaped her unique approach to creative tech. She explores how AI can expand — not replace — human creativi...

Welcome to episode eight of Stories Untold, where we chat with Anna Jackson, Head of Creative Excellence at Telstra — a storyteller, strategist, and champion of brave ideas. From copywriting beginnings to leading creative at scale, Anna shares how she’s learned to trust her gut, embrace vulnerability, and build space for creativity to thrive. She reflects on the power of diverse voices, breaking f...

In this episode of Stories Untold, we sit down with Alex McLean, General Manager of Marketing at BMW, to explore the evolving landscape of automotive branding, leadership, and creative drive. From his early days in front of the camera to leading some of the world’s most iconic brands, Alex’s journey is anything but ordinary. With experience spanning creative agencies and corporate leadership, Alex...

Welcome to episode six of Stories Untold, where we sit down with Melissa Fein, Managing Director, Media, APAC at Accenture Song – a sharp thinker, dynamic leader, and fierce advocate for creativity, innovation and values-driven leadership. In this episode, Melissa reflects on her journey from becoming one of Australia’s youngest CEOs to leading media at one of the country’s most influential market...

Welcome to episode five of Stories Untold, where we speak with Paralympian and CEO of Inclusively Made, Paul Nunnari, a powerful voice for inclusive design, lived experience, and rethinking what real accessibility looks like. In this episode, Paul unpacks why the way we talk about disability matters, and how outdated models still shape the way society, workplaces, and brands think about inclusion....

Welcome to Episode 4 of Stories Untold. Annabelle Herd has shaped Australian culture from both the screen and the stage, with decades in media and now as CEO of ARIA. She’s a leader who believes that empathy is power, that soft skills aren’t weak, and that culture needs more than applause - it needs protection. In this episode, she shares what she’s learned from a life in leadership, the expectati...

Welcome to Episode 3 of Stories Untold. From Big Brother to boardrooms, Maz Farrelly has spent her career mastering the art of commanding attention, and keeping it. In this episode, she shares what four decades of storytelling have taught her about leadership, impact, and the difference between simply being seen and truly being remembered. Because the best stories don’t happen by chance, they’re b...

Welcome to Episode 2 of Stories Untold, a series about redefining success, leadership, and the stories we don’t always share. Sherilyn Shackell spent the first 15 years of her career leading the way she was taught, with pressure, performance, and a belief that success meant rising fast and leading hard. But it came at a cost. To herself. And to the people around her. In this episode, she shares th...

Welcome to Stories Untold! This season is about pulling back the curtain, on the mess, the moments, and the lessons you don’t always hear out loud. In this first episode, we sit down with Xanthe Wells, VP of Global Creative for Pinterest, to talk about what it really takes to grow, as a leader, a creative and a human. From early missteps in management to the reality of building safe spaces for ris...

🎙️ Welcome to Episode 12 of Unfiltered This one is about personal legacy, leadership and learning to bring your whole self forward. What happens when vulnerability meets mentorship? When cultural pride becomes creative fuel? In this conversation, Anuj Chhabra and Jinal Shah explore what it really takes to grow with purpose, and stay grounded while rising. From cocktail introductions to candid conv...

Welcome to Season 2 of Unfiltered This time, we’re talking fierce allyship, honest conversations, and what happens when you choose to back someone you were once told to beat. Bec and Belle started out on opposite sides of the pitch. But instead of staying competitors, they became allies, leaning into shared values, motherhood, and the big questions neither of them could answer alone. In this episo...