The Curiosity Quotient

With the start of 2026 it felt like the right time to embark on season 2 of the Curiosity Quotient. I was delighted to go international for this one and invite the brilliant Calli Adamson Bakken, founder of Wiggle Work. In this episode we got to chat about how Calli's journey has brought her to taking on the challenge of solving the corporate childcare conundrum in the USA. But the episode was much more than that with Calli sharing what makes her tick and her unique take on the world. A great listen in these troubling times!!

For my first episode of 2026 I had the pleasure of being joined by John Wilkinson, Chief Development Officer for Suez UK. And as ever the conversation went in directions I hadn't anticipated starting with discovering John has dad danced at the Blackpool Winter Gardens. It has to be worth listening to this episode simply to understand that reference 🤣. Thank you John for another fantastically Curious Conversation.

In this episode I was joined by Baden Frosen for a brilliant wide ranging episode that began with Baden’s personal fork inthe road moment and ended up with us talking about Psychosocial Safety. It was just a conversation that, for me, had a bit of everything! Magical!

This was an episode that went in unexpected directions, thanks to my wonderfully open guest - Jeremy Hine - we explored a topic still little discussed in UK society. How to reconsider our experience of and engagement with the end of life of a loved one. Jeremy's insight and generosity in sharing his experiences and how they have shaped him is humbling - a truly emotional but worthwhile listen ❤️

For this first post summer episode I was delighted to welcome Anusha Parshotam, a fabulous coach, inclusion consultant and a confirmed optimistic introvert who believes in humankind. It was a joyful, curious exploration of her experiences and perspectives that as ever challenged me to consider my own position on a variety of topics. Enjoy!

For this episode of the CQ Podcast I was joined by the inimitable Dr Stewart Desson. We had a wonderful conversation that ranged from a football tour of Pakistan to trying to unpick the potential future impact of AI. Along the way Stewart shared his how his enthusiasm for Operational Research eventually led him to being the founder and CEO of Lumina Learning and the researcher behind the Lumina Spark Psychometric.

As Dr Rob Archer said at the end of this episode, it really didn't go in the direction anticipated. The 10th episode of the Curiosity Quotient was a wonderfully deep discussion of the human condition and Rob's openness as he shared his own story incredibly humbling. Listening to his journey, and hearing how he has arrived at his appreciation of what is meaningful in his life, is an example for all of us. Which makes the research he shares on High Performance Routines a must for anyone serious about examining their own practices. You can find his thinking here:https://www.highperformanceroutines.com/

This podcast conversation with Alison Tansey, Founder of Simply Brilliance, squeezed in the broadest range of discussion topics of any episode I have been fortunate enough to record to date. Enough range for the most curious person 😉

This episode of the Curiosity Quotient saw me talking with the wonderful Mardi McBrien who is an incredible, mission driven, sustainability champion.Mardi shared a little of her fascinating career to this point and how she sees the opportunities and challenges unfolding in the environmental and sustainability space through the lens of her work.

It was a joy to spend time with Ben Gallacher, co-founder of inRehearsal for this episode.Ben's perspective on the value of imperfection, experimentation and rehearsal that stems from his background in theatre provided a fascinating juxtaposition to what we often expect in the corporate world.

This episode marks my first with two guests - which proved to be a joyful conversation. I was joined by Sharon Curry and Steve McCann for a fascinating dive into leadership, their experiences and insights garnered through their wide ranging careers and how we can curiously learn from these. From talking about their time in the military through to considering the what the future may require of leaders it really got me thinking about the opportunities and challenges that exist for all of us.Sharon and Steve are the co-founders of Paridae CMD - a leadership and coaching consultancy with a difference!

My guest for this episode, Amy Brann, and I had a truly fabulous and far reaching conversation that has made me rethink how I prompt generative AI models using the perspective of Ancient Philosophers. And if that isn't enough to tempt you to listen then why not tune in just to be part of a slower, open and truly curious conversation? Thanks to Amy for what was an incredibly fun chat that really got me thinking!

It was an absolute delight to record Episode 4 of the CQ Podcast with Lori Niles-Hofman who is a true thought leader in the space of EdTech and Learning. I love Lori's directness and her willingness to call out the things that need to be called out in the world I have been part of for so many years. Learning about where her passion and curiosity grew from was fascinating and gives such context to why she cares in the way she does about this space. I invite you to join our curious conversation..

For episode 3 of the CQ podcast I am delighted to welcome Grace Prendergrast. Grace is a hugely successful athlete, winning gold and silver rowing medals at the Tokyo Olympics for New Zealand. She has also now made the transition in the business world and we had a wonderfully expansive and curious conversation about the similarities and differences between these two worlds and transferable lessons that Grace has observed across both.

I was joined for this episode by Toby Kheng who shared his passion for stand up comedy as well as his perspective on where work is broken and what should change between employers and employees. It was a really thought provoking conversation that challenges some of our accepted conventions on these topics.

In this episode I had the opportunity to talk with Jonathan Kini (JK) who is a highly experienced global executive who has a passion for finding ways to achieve the environmental and sustainability challenges we face within the realities of our capitalist systems