‘I Need New Tools’: A Journey from a Foster Home to Entrepreneurship, Recovery and Fatherhood with Andrew Missingham

After being fostered, Andrew Missingham became a drummer and musical director on gold-certified UK records, then spent three years running British Council music programmes across 43 countries in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, then lead arts programming at the ICA. He later moved into data and strategy, becoming a Chief Data & Insights Officer and AI adoption pioneer for clients including Nike, Google, Unilever, Discord and the Southbank Centre, and a serial entrepreneur who founded 8 businesses and built and exited a 30-person consultancy. In 2020, the pace caught up with him. A nervous collapse forced Andrew to rebuild his life from the ground up, and 1,300 consecutive days of vipassana meditation later, he's become one of the most thoughtful voices on what it looks like for a man to lead by listening instead of force. Andrew now lives by a mantra tattooed on his arm: Live to Listen. Listen to Learn. Learn to Share. Andrew is one of the most genuinely curious people I've met, and someone who has spent decades doing the connective, uncredited work of bringing people, culture and data together without ever chasing recognition for it.In this episode we cover:Choosing to be fosteredHow drumming led to managing and producing Blacktronica Club nights at the ICA and other memorable eventsWhat is an ‘insight’? His 2020 nervous collapse and what it forced him to rebuildThe 4 key steps of his recovery: his new tools  A 10-day Vipassana that led him back to his foster parents What gentle masculinity looks like in practice, and leading by listeningHis fears of being a good father & his relationship with his daughter Mentions:Emergency on Planet Earth by Jamiroquai (1993 album)The Messengers (1995) by BarungwaBlacktronika https://www.blacktronika.com/ The ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) Dhamma Sukhakāri https://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schsukhakari The Eye's Mind by Bridget RileyAbout a Boy (film)Shakara by Fela Kuti, ft. Tony Allen on drumsLinks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmissingham/This season of The Slow Down is sponsored by female-founded, greek swim and resortwear brand Kiohne. The Slow Down listeners can use code theslowdown for 20% off their first shop on kiohne.com Enter their world, explore their collection and buy beautiful pieces designed to be enjoyed while slowing down this summer.