Modern Mindset

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.

Rory McGowan sits down with Stephen Dean from Yamaha to talk about the iTunes 25th anniverary (9th January 2026). iTunes was one of the pioneering apps that eventually gave way to the rise of streaming and the modern landscape of music distribution that we know today. Stephen and Rory discuss how this has changed music for both listeners and artists, the history of iTunes and the evolution of the music industry over across the last 25 years. 

Rory McGowan sits down with David Russell, the CEO of Goldcore, to talk about new research that's come out of the industry suggesting that gold might be more popular than cash for Christmas, alongside other painful truths regarding the cost of living and how the vast majority of people believe that christmas is only ever getting more expensive. The research delves into why people think that their cash is losing value and what people can do to get around this issue.

This episode deals with investing. As with all investing, if you choose to invest, your capital is at risk and there is a possibility to lose money. Adam Cox is joined by Rob Halliday-Stein, the Founder & Chairman at BullionByPost, about investing in gold and his experience building the UK's biggest bullion dealer. In this episode they talk about the upcoming autumn statement in the UK, how Rob started his business and how the profile of those investing in gold has changed over the last 10 years. 

Rory McGowan talks to Tara Jarrett, a nurse advisor who's been dealing in continence care for 21 years, about how this taboo area of healthcare works and how care homes and hospitals are saving money via standardised training and product usage. They discuss updating our mindset around how we think of continence care, and why we should talk about it more if we have issues around our bladder and believe that we can save money on care.

Rory McGowan sits down with Jennifer White from PETA to talk about the climate impact of our clothes, and how Plant Wool could be the next step in sustainable fashion - wool made from unused plant matter and from materials like Hemp. Rory challenges Jennifer on just why this distinction matters, how much impact it has on the climate and why this isn't more widespread if it's a eco-friendly way to make the clothes that everybody wants. They also talk about the challenges of fast fashion, and the different types of climate damage caused by current supply chains.

Rory McGowan sits down with Simon Onyons, a Senior Advisor to the UK National Cyber Security Centre and someone with over 20 years experience in information technology and cybersecurity, to talk about the state of UK business' cyber security and what businesses should be doing ahead of the Christmas period to ensure that they're safe from hackers and bad faith actors trying to gain access to their data and disrupt their business. Currently working with the risk management firm Kroll, Simon discusses what both businesses can do to tighten their cyber security but also what consumers should be doing if their data is stolen in a cyber attack.

Rory McGowan sits down with Samantha Duffy, a Senior Manager of Global Water Programs at NSF to talk about some disturbing findings that reveals that thousands of people across the UK may have illegal water fittings, and that not only could they be contaiminating their water but also how the law leaves homeowners liable for legal reprocussions for the consequences. Samantha talks about how you can check your water fittings and how bad water fittings can contaiminate your water as someone who helps run a water testing non-profit facilitiy that tests taps and certifies their safety. There is also discussion about how the law could change to protect homeowners from unknown illegal water fittings. 

Rory McGowan sits down with Julie Cameron, the Associate Director for Scotland at the Mental Health Foundation charity, to share her best tips on getting a better nights sleep just in time for the clocks going back. The Mental Health Foundation is one of the oldest mental health charities in the UK, and Julie shares their latest data around our sleeping habits and the general public's ability to recognise their own mental health changes after a poor nights sleep. Rory and Julie talk about just how stark the problem is, and what the best things you can do to ensure everyone can get a good's night sleep.

Rory McGowan speaks to Founder of The Level Group George Williamson about new research that sheds light on the UK's relationship with inheritance, and how over 1 in 3 people are financially depended on that money right now. They talk about how family farms and pensions may be hit by the proposed inheritance tax changes presumed to be in the next UK budget and how that'll impact families across the UK, using data to back up what many Brits' response will be to try and protect their family's money, once their older family members pass away.

Rory McGowan speaks to Dr Alice Ashby, a consultant psychiatrist at the London Psychiatry Clinic, about why ADHD in women is underdiagnosed and why society has found it more difficult to spot symptoms of ADHD in women. They talk about what those symptoms are, her own experience with talking to women with ADHD and the importance of being mindful and checking in with the women in our lives to make sure that everybody's mental health is as good as it can be. 

Rory McGowan speaks with Nick Sanderson, the CEO of the Audley Group, to talk about new research into retiree types and how knowing what retirees are after shapes how retirement villages are built. They talk about how older people are adventurous than the stereotypes would have people believe and how these villages are designed with that in mind, combatting lonliness and other problems that older people face in the 21st Century. 

Rory McGowan speaks with Jack Smith, CEO of Love Finance, about the challenges faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. They discuss the sectors that are struggling, particularly construction and hospitality, and the importance of quick access to finance for these businesses. Jack shares insights from his journey in the lending industry and emphasises the need for lenders to support SMEs effectively.

Rory McGowan speaks with James Kaberry, a non-executive director at IO Finance Partners, about the current state of SMEs in the UK. They discuss the significant role SMEs play in the economy, the challenges they face in accessing capital, and the rise of alternative lending solutions. James emphasises the importance of supporting SMEs to foster growth and stability in the economy, while also providing practical advice for those struggling to navigate the current financial landscape. https://iofp.co.uk/ 

Rory McGowan speaks with Sherine McCarthy, Director of Impact and Change at the Start Network, about the importance of anticipatory action in humanitarian aid. They discuss how pre-arranging funding can lead to more effective disaster responses, the role of governments in supporting these initiatives, and real-world examples of successful anticipatory action. https://startnetwork.org/

Etholle Davies fills in for Daniel Clewlow & Rory McGowan to speak to Chris Teasdale from Handelsbanken. They've conducted some new research regarding frustration and mistrust regarding automated customer service. In fact, a significant majority says they want the human touch back. https://www.handelsbanken.co.uk/en/

Rory McGowan is joined by Dermatologist, Dr Rima Clayton. With the kids heading back to school, Dr Rima gives her expert insight into the impact acne can have on teenagers. As well as some treatment advice.  https://www.dermareading.co.uk/ 

Etholle Davies fills in for Daniel Clewlow & Rory McGowan. She speaks to Milly Dyer, a Student Success Manager at Le Wagon and Ellis Whaley, a former student of Le Wagon. They discuss alternatives to university and the benefits that Le Wagon can provide as A Level students get their results. https://www.lewagon.com/ 

Rory McGowam is joined by Laurence Kemball-Cook, CEO & Founder of Pavegen. Laurence talks to Rory about how he has designed a system to convert our footsteps into electricity. With walkways popping up all over the UK and across the globe, could this be the solution to the energy crisis and a key tool in the fight against climate change? https://www.pavegen.com/  https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/pavegen2/pitches/qD9yNl?_gl=1*1jyl4zg*_gcl_au*MTM0MTM3MzY3Ny4xNzUzNzgwMjEy 

Rory McGowan is joined by Dan Harwood, a wine expert and strategiest. They discuss Gen Z's desire to go out but drink less. They also look at the shift in drinking in social situations and mindful drinking. https://eisberg.co.uk/

Rory McGowan is joined by Craig Allan from ABAX. New research reveals how much of our workday is spent searching for misplaced items, rather than focusing on our job. Rory and Craig discuss this and more about all things tracking tech.  https://www.abax.com/en-gb