Modern Mindset

Rory McGowan sits down with Ben Whately, the entrepreneur and CEO of Astron Health, about a partnership his company Astron Health has launched with the NHS to give NHS oncologists access to more second opinions that are fuelled by brand new data about a patient's cancer.

Rory McGowan speaks to the CEO and Chief Guest Experience Officer at Riveria Travel, to talk about the new technology that they're developing to predict river levels almost a week in advance. As their industry struggles with the worst heatwaves ever seen in Europe, the innovation they're undertaking will help to keep customers on river cruises informed and reduce uncertainty.

Rory McGowan sits down with Emma White, the lead Nutritionist at Nutracheck, to talk about some new research they've commissioned into how working mums feel like they have to prioritise their children's physical health over their own. With some mums eating the scraps off their children's plates, Emma talks about easy meals that Mums can cook, as well as how to get the balance between work and health right.

Rory McGowan catches up with Eddie Hooker, the CEO of mydesposits, to talk about how the Renters Rights Act's most basic terms are still not being followed, four months after its introduction. Knowing your rights under this act is vital at this time of year, because August is the most popular time for moving house. For those tenants now settling into their new place, how many know what the new rules are?

Rory McGowan sits down with Doug Glenwright from Fred Olson Cruise Lines about some new research they've published regarding a change in mindset among British travellers - how people are spending money now, rather than saving it for a bigger holiday later. They also talk about how the over-55s are choosing to travel, taking a leap once they don't have children to worry about.

Rory McGowan talks to Stuart O'Reilly, a Wealth Expert from The Royal Mint, about how the gold market is changing and how they've seen people who are choosing to invest in gold change their habits. This podcast is for general information purposes only and does not provide investment advice. Investments in physical bullion products are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and are not covered by the Financial ServicesCompensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. The value of your investment can go down as well as up. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Rory McGowan sits down with Victoria Copeland from the Money and Pensions Service to talk about their newest survey of around 10,000 UK adults about their experience with the cost of living. As you may expect, the statistics are bleak, but Victoria tells us there is some optimism in the data, and gives advice as to what resources are out there for people who are struggling.

Rory McGowan talks to Jonathan Bourne, the CEO of Damar Training who work with over 650 different UK employers to provide apprenticeship placements in different sectors.Jonathan talks about his 20 years of introducing more and more apprenticeship opportunities for young people, and gives advice for both students and employers about how to make the most of the opportunities that apprenticeships provide.

Rory McGowan sits down with Zoe Mason and Gemma Kay from the University of Wolverhampton, to advise students on what they can do when they recieve their results, how to navigate clearing and how to choose a course if the grades you get aren't exactly the ones you expected. There is also advice here for parents, who are eager to help their children through this stressful process.

Rory McGowan sits down with Frederike Berens, an Outdoor Play Expert from Wickey, who comes with new research discussing how parents feel about their kids spending so much time indoors over the summer, and Rory advises parents shouldn't be so hard on themselves over this issue.

Rory McGowan talks to Daniel Ryan, a Family Law Solicitor and Podcast Host, to talk about co-parenting strategies over the summer holidays, as it can often be a tough time for parents who are trying to look after their children after a separation, without the buffer that school provides.

Rory McGowan sits down with Helen Claydon, the Chief Legal Officer at Simpler Law and an expert in will-writing, to talk about how much time and money writing a will actually takes, and what rights co-habiting couples have under UK law if they're not married but are living together.

Rory McGowan talks to Ben Smye from hotukdeals, a community of people who share and rate deals on all sorts of different experiences and products, about new research regarding Brits' holidays this year, and how 20% are already saying that a summer holiday is out of the question for them already.They also talk about how to moderate a platform like this, to ensure that the deals they promote are real and legitimate.

Rory McGowan is joined by Zoe Burke, the Head of Brand at the UK's leading wedding planner app Bridebook, to discuss new research around wedding trends this year, helping people who'll be attending weddings to prepare accordingly and helping those planning one to see what everyone else seems to be doing this year.

Daniel Clewlow sits down with Thomas Eichentopf – Brand & Marketing Manager for Diamant, Germany's oldest bike manufacturer, to talk about e-bikes in the UK and the public's misconceptions around bikes and the rules surrounding them.

Sarah Stannard was paid by YAZIO to conduct this interview today. Rory McGowan sits down with Sarah Stannard, a Health and Wellness Coach, to talk about summer dieting tips. With the season starting in less than two weeks, Rory asks how many of us still diet over the summer, how summer foods can effect our diets and what tips are the professionals giving to stay on track.

Rory McGowan sits down with Eddie Hooker, the CEO ofmydesposits, to talk all about the things that have slipped through the cracks when it comes to the implementation of Renters’ Rights. How many renters and Landlords still don't know about the changes, and what are the consequences ofsuch a gap in knowledge?

Rory McGowan sits down with Steph Lotz, the general manager of Sign Language Interpreter provider Convo, to talk about the progress society has made to improve access for Deaf people, and the major barriers that still need to be overcome. She was joined by her interpreter Adam Price.

Daniel Clewlow sits down with Natalie Acton, Co-CEO of the UK's leading family charity Home Start UK to talk about Parental Loneliness. As families struggle to balance social time with parenting young children, what help is out there for people who are struggling and just how big a problem is it across the UK?

Rory McGowan sits down with an honorary fellow at the University College London, Dr Kavi Samra, to talk about AI's role in revision. GCSE exams are underway, with A Levels not too far behind. How is AI being used by students, and how are companies trying to design AI to make it appropriate and reliable for exam purposes?

Rory McGowan is joined by Dr Amy Perkins, an NHS Consultant Dermatologist and honorary University of Glasgow lecturer, Dr Amy Perkins, to talk about the work that she and charities in the UK are doing to stop young people from tanning, and to give them good quality skincare advice to reduce their risk of skin cancer later in life.

Rory McGowan sits down with Katie Monach and Dr Nikhila Deshpande, a consultant psychiatrist, to talk about Katie's story with bipolar disorder, the different treatments out there and the importance of talking to experts if you have concerns around your own mental health. Dr Deshpande's expertise lies in a non-invasive therapy called TMS, which they talk about as well.

Rory McGowan sits down with Jan Skyoles, Head of Research at UK bullion dealer GoldCore, about the uncertain world we live in and gold investment's place in that world. They also talk about the consequences of the UK selling off a significant chunk of its gold reserves during Tony Blair's first term, and how much that gold would've been worth today.

Rory McGowan sits down with Keenan Cronyn , an AI Recruiting Strategist who creates AI recruitment software that reads CVs and helps businesses to shortlist job candidates. They talk about what tricks AI CV readers use, how they work and Keenan answers questions about how trustworthy these AI agents are for businesses who may want to use them.

Rory McGowan sits down with Hugh Longland from the Westerleigh Group to talk about new data his company is publishing where they surveyed over 55s, the constituency most likely to be organising a funeral, about the things that make the process stressful for them, and how to combat those stresses with conversations and prior planning.

Rory McGowan sits down with Matt West, the CEO of tenancy management companies The Lettings Hub & Canopy Group, to talk all about the newly implemented Renters' Rights Act, giving new rights and responsibilities to tenants and landlords alike.

Rory McGowan sits down with Marie Troughton from the Skincare brand Clinique about easy skincare tips ahead of the warm spring and summer weather, and together they discuss Rosacea, a more serious skin condition that effects around 1 in 10 people here in the UK - including what the symptoms are and when red marks on your skin mean something more serious.

Rory McGowan talks to Christian Tucat, the CEO of Home Healthcare Provider Sciensus, about a new report they've presented to parliament regarding the types of healthcare possible from home, and how that helps the NHS' 10 year plan to bring more care into the community.

Daniel Clewlow talks to Sarah Mills, the Director of Services at the UK charity Porchlight, about how charities like theirs support people into permanent housing. She shines a light on the inaccuracy of the stereotypes around homelessness, and they discuss Hidden Homelessness - the idea that it's not just people on the treats, but also those who live in their cars, or on a friend's sofa.

Rory McGowan speaks to Alan Graves, the Founder and Clinical Research Advisor at DoNotAge, about new research around what Brits want out of their old age - and how it's trending away from looking great to being healthy as the top priority. Alan knows what it's like to look older than he is, as a unhealthy lifestyle in his 20s meant that he looked like he was in his 40s. However, after founding DoNotAge, he's transformed his lifestyle and now is helping millions around the world do the same to help them be healthy and look younger.

Rory McGowan is joined by Graeme Privett, a Private Client Tax Partner from HaysMac with more than eleven years accountancy experience, to talk about what small businesses and landlords can do to make tax digital, even if they've missed the deadline for the new financial year.

Rory McGowan sits down with an expert in Bereavement Legal services, Jonathan Upton, to talk about the NS&I scandal and why financial institutions like them have been unable to deliver the money of deceased family members to their next of kin. They also touch on how this money also is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to lost money, as millions of pounds are also tied up in pension pots that most people forget or do not claim.

Rory sits down with Stuart Miller from Xero Accounting Software to discuss one of the biggest changes for taxes on small businesses in the last 30 years - replacing annual physical tax returns with quarterly digital updates.The two of them talk about what changes small businesses are making, how it will effect them and pros and cons of this new system.

Rory McGowan sits down with George Oborne, the CEO of Wowcher and SpaBreaks, about how busy this time of year is for his business, and why vouchers for Mother's Day are popular among customers of all ages. They talk about the most common experiences bought for their mums and gift ideas for Dad's who are helping their kids get Mother's Day right.

Daniel Clewlow talks to Tara Cunningham from Egg Free Cake Box about Mother's Day gift ideas and what Mum's actually want present-wise.Whilst Chocolate and Flowers are the most popular gifts, personalised more thoughtful gifts are the most wanted and Tara can talk about why this is, and how personalised cake might be a winner this year.

Rory McGowan speaks to Fiona Loud, the Policy Director at Kidney Care UK. They talk about how widespread Kidney disease is is the UK, and why it's not talked about as much as heart or lung disease in the country. Having had kidney disease herself, Fiona's own story is powerful and she warns against the idea of not getting your kidney's checked out, something you can do for free at time of recording.

Rory McGowan sits down with Dr Mhairi Crawford, CEO of LGBT Youth Scotland, to talk about her role in supporting Scotland's efforts to prioritise inclusion and representation for young LGBTQ people in public life. They talk about the fundraising events going on for Purple Friday, and the things she believes politicians, the media and the general public need to do to better support young LGBTQ people.

Daniel Clewlow talks to Charlotte McNamara, the Royal Kennel Club's Head of Health and Breeding, about their new UK Dog Census of over 20,000 UK dog owners.As it's Cruft's season, they talk about dog agility and the data behind how long the average dog walk is and the habits of the average dog owner.

Rory McGowan talks to Chris Wilson, the CEO of Golden Charter, about new data revealing how the fear of talking about funeral plans with loved ones is costing families more in funeral costs, and funeral poverty more widely. They discuss how 4 in 5 people haven't told their families about what they'd like about their funerals, and how doing so can ease the shock and grief that bereavement can bring to an individual or a family.

Rory McGowan sits down with Zoe Burke, former editor of You and Your Wedding and now Head of Brand at Bridebook about how couples can afford weddings in 2026, after the cost of the average wedding is now just over £25,000 in the UK.Around 15,000 couples propose on Valentines every year. Zoe, who has 15 years experience in the wedding industry now, talks about if people find that behaviour cringeworthy and how engaged couples can save money on the best day of their lives.

Rory McGowan is joined by Dr Luis Costa, a former UCL fellow and Cybersecurity researcher to talk about a new report published by VPN provider Surfshark revealing that the UK is the 6th most vulnerable country to data leaks.The two of them talk about how to protect your accounts from hackers, what kinds of accounts hackers target and the state of the UK's cyber defences, after 2025 was a big year for high-profile cyber attacks in the UK.

Rory McGowan talks to Julie Sullivan from Lincoln College and Hazel Bunting, a student there, to talk about the shortage of workers in the UK's aviation industry and how apprenticeships are filling those gaps. Lincolnshire is a prime location of the UK's aviation sector, housing a number of RAF bases alongside being the home of the iconic red arrows. Together they talk about the kinds of apprenticeships students can do, alongside Hazel's experience with the military and defence engineering she does as part of her course.

Rory McGowan talks to Dr. Aurimas Širka, an Orthopaedic Surgeon from Lithuania who's operated on British citizens, about what his surgery has seen in the last few years, in regards to people who have gone abroad to procedures that they would've had to wait years for on the NHS. Both of them talk about what the most popular procedures are, how to vet any abroad surgery and the consequences of being stuck with a bad hip or knee over the long term.

Rory McGowan sits down with Sarah Vachon, an Olive Oil expert and the founder of Olive Oil producer Citizens of Soil, to talk about the state of the olive oil industry and what makes a bottle of olive oil "extra virgin".They discuss the health benefits and production different between sets of olive oils, and what consumers should know about the types of oils they have in the home and see on the shelves.

Rory McGowan sits down with Burns Night and Whisky extraordinaire Matthew Cordiner from Aberfedly to talk about new research around Burns Night, and how many people across the UK are actually interested in celebrating it outside of Scotland. They talk about Robert Burns' poems, how to begin with a Burns Night celebration and what it's like being in the whisky business for over 18 years and working during a time with a heightened demand for Scotch Whisky.

Rory McGowan sits down with Dr Bruna Sanader Vukadinovic, a Specialist Associate Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and specialist at Private Psychiatry. They talk about an increase in insomnia diagnoses across the world, how sleeping issues could be down to a wide array of different conditions and how they can be treated.

Rory McGowan has a brief conversation with Mary Hubbard, the Executive Director at WordPress, about the 35th anniversary of the first website, and the future of websites on the internet. Together they talk about their importance in the face of growing large language models, why people still trust websites, and the origins of the first website, which came to be all the way back in 1990.

Daniel Clewlow sits down with Chief Revenue Officer at Bell Integration, Mark Nicholas, regarding a survey of business leaders conducted by the company, revealing that many business leaders believe that AI is the key towards a 4-day working week.According to Bell's new data, two-thirds of UK business leaders say AI already makes a 4-day working week possible, and Dan and Mark sit down to discuss the benefits of this for both working people and the businesses themselves.

Daniel Clewlow sits down with Sarah Stannard, a Health and Wellness Coach, to discuss new data diagnosing Britain's most common eating habits, specifically our relationship to unhealthy and ultra-processed foods (UPFs).72% of us now eat UPFs like chocolate, ice cream, instant soups and many others on a weekly basis, with 11% saying they eat them daily. The two of them discuss the impact of this, and how Britain can keep itself healthy in the face of an overreliance on these kinds of foods.

Rory McGowan sits down with Dr Ritz Birah, a consultant counselling psychologist, about new data diagnoising the UK's sleep situation. How many of us have it as our number 1 new years resolution, how many struggle to form good sleeping habits and what are the biggest obstacles to good sleep? Dr Ritz tells all.   The two then talk about tips to help get to sleep, and how sleep can be powered by good bedding and small, healthy habits.