TIE Unearthed

How can we move the gender divide conversation on without anger and defensiveness? What truths need to be unearthed for that to be possible? And then, once the lid has been lifted on these issues, what solutions can truly make a difference? Today my long time super close friend Victoria Brooks is with us. And she has a love for things that matter. Victoria is a strategist specialising in the devel...

What does it mean to be a citizen? What are we doing to ourselves when we tell ourselves we’re consumers over 3000 times a day? How is the world changing? And what would the impact be on society if the private sector started to treat its people as citizens and not consumers? Jon Alexander, Co-Founder of the New Citizenship Project, a strategy and innovation consultancy that aims to shift the domin...

There is a lot going on at the moment isn’t there? As we settle into 2022, there is a lot of talk about purpose. The great resignation is also still hitting headlines, and many companies are feeling it. At TIE, due to the application process, and the type of experience we offer people, we really do have some interesting reflections on the current state of the workforce and what is happening out th...

What goes into being a successful artist? And what is fundamental when it comes to making a living in the art world? Today I’m speaking with Ben Ashton, a master of subversion. His art is both beautiful and challenging; a clash of past and future that merges classic techniques with new ideas. GQ style called him a modern master, and his work, inspired by old master techniques, has been embraced by...

We have to cut emissions by half by 2030. That’s what came out of the Cop26. So, HOW are we going to do that? Where is that going to come from? And more specifically, where is the tool to say we’re on track? Who is monitoring this? And then the million dollar question – are the box ticking ESG strategies going to be enough? In this podcast I talk with Gabriela Herculano and Shaila Leekha, co-found...

When there is a hurricane, the first line of defence are the reefs. But after a hurricane, then what? The reefs will of course be damaged, but who repairs them to ensure they recover as fast as possible, so they can continue to be that line of defence? This is something I never thought about before this conversation. Reef systems around the world are under threat. Hurricanes are one major one. But...

Did you know that 75% of glass bottles in the US end up in landfills? Did you know we are facing a serious glass shortage? Have you ever stopped to think about the carbon footprint of a glass bottle? And how easy it is to decrease it? Today I’m chatting with Caren McNamara, Founder and CEO of Conscious Container, a benefit corporation bringing the refillable glass bottle marketplace back into the...

With the COP26 upon us, it’s making us all more acutely aware that we are living in a moment of profound disruption. And I think it’s fair to say, we are all looking for our way to respond. In today’s episode, Jo Higgins and Monique Barns talk about just this. Monique is Brand Manager at Australia’s largest not-for-profit health insurer. And Jo is responsible for designing and building IAG’s futur...

You can’t breed a whale shark. Or a humpback whale. When they are gone, they are gone. And, what about borders when it comes to the ocean? Who is responsible for caring for these charismatic creatures when they go into other territories? I had never thought of ocean conservation in those terms before. Today I speak with Andrea Marshall, known as the Queen of Mantas, as coined by the BBC for their...

There are millions of people surfing in Africa and yet, there was no African surf brand out there. And you’ve had generations of Africans growing up with a narrative of blond-haired, blue-eyed surfers, presented by surf brands. It just didn’t feel right. And, what about the brands in Africa, telling the positive stories? Today we are going to be talking about the power of African surf – and what m...

What does it mean for a brand to be a living idea? Why is the humanisation of brands so important? And why do ideas with substance really matter? Today I chat with Michael Jager, Chief Creative Officer of Solidarity of Unbridled Labour, a studio that conceptualizes and realizes ideas that help guide and create culture and positive change within it. It’s his vision that has shaped some of the bigge...

I know that climate change is on most of your minds right now in one form or another. The IPCC report came out, and it has got us thinking about so many aspects of life as we know it. And what needs to change in order to decrease emissions. Today we will be talking about responsibly feeding the world and protecting the planet. My guest is Juliana Xavier, Director of Brand Management at Yara Intern...

Imagine being given the opportunity to make a positive difference to 3 billion people around the world. Then imagine being told you had 6 weeks to help Malawi present at the High-Level Dialogue for Energy meeting hosted by the UN in New York and bring a voice to these 3 billion people - helping save their lives and work towards decreasing climate change. Involving the president of the country. Sou...

What does it take to walk away from a successful career in Investment banking? Today I’m speaking with Vanessa Barboni Hallik, founder and CEO of Another Tomorrow, a woman’s sustainable fashion startup and what New York Times described as a ‘Brand as Ethically Minded as It Is Refined’. When Vanessa suddenly became aware of the reality on the ground in the clothing industry, there was no turning ba...

Being one of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi presents so many challenges to the people from there. Challenges that those of us who have grown up in the Global North probably couldn’t even fathom. And to add to the challenges that the country faces because of the poverty, the pandemic has pushed the children’s rights movement back by at least 30 years. If not more. Life is not easy. But...

If you have ever had to raise money for an organisation, then this episode is for you. If you get hot sweats just thinking about having to ask people for yet more money, then this is also for you. Or, if you are a corporate, and wondering how your relationships with your NGO partners could improve, then I’d also love for you to have a listen. Today I speak with Mallory Erickson. She is THE non-pro...

What makes you tick? What motivates you? What really matters to you? These are some big questions. But when you really stop and think about the answers, it truly gets you approaching life in a different way. Right before Emily Murren even knew about the TIE Accelerator programme, or applied for it, she had just done an exercise that had her reflecting on her values. And this then set her on a tran...

What does it mean to make a contribution as an executive and a leader? At what point in your career do the skills you’ve accumulated need to be leveraged for the wellbeing of the people around you? Today I speak with Alex Garden. Alex is a dear friend of mine, an extremely successful entrepreneur, executive, inventor and scientist. And these were the questions he started to ask himself, which lead...

Today I speak with Carly Avener, Managing Director of Leo Burnett London. I had so many questions. I was keen to understand how COVID has changed things at the London ad agency. What they are doing differently as a result of everything. And what they did to support people when things got really difficult. We then hear Carly talk about the silver linings, and the biggest learning. She tells us what...

That question. “Where are you from?” How does someone who doesn’t really belong anywhere respond? Today I’m chatting with Özlem Özkan, who, in her own words, is a culturally diverse woman, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Born and raised in The Netherlands, comes from Turkish parents, and has lived and traveled all over the world. She’s a teacher, founder, podcaster, author, and coach. She tal...

Tess is a CEO of an Australian resort marketing agency focusing on the sustainable travel sector. But, 15 months of having borders slam shut and there being no international travel – she and her team had to reinvent. And find new ways to respond to the new normal. So what did she do when her business started to take the biggest hit? She applied for TIE Accelerator. And here Tess tells you why. Tes...

On May 25th 2020, the world changed. And it changed forever. After the tragic murder of George Floyd, something happened. Three days after that murder, 80 countries had protests of Black Lives Matter. Today I speak with Rene Carayol about this, and much more. René is the accidental Executive Coach and has worked with many CEOs of multinational companies, heads of state and leading global entrepren...

Keen to know what the massive untapped commercial opportunity is for businesses to engage with social issues? Today I speak with Gib Bulloch. And he will explain how changing the world is not an impossible dream – not if we’re successful in changing the world of business. Gib is the author of The Intrapreneur: Confessions of a Corporate Insurgent”, which is a personal story of his 15-year journey...

The question the world is asking. What is really happening on the ground in Brazil, right now, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic? Today I speak with Claudio Fernandes, a Brazilian Economist and Policy Advisor who has participated in a number of UN negotiations, has been part of working groups to develop strategies for the G20, and is the co-founder and member of the Brazilian working group for...