Natural Genius: Greater signal. Lighter work.

What happens when technology makes life easier, and also starts to take something from us?In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with designer, author and creativity activist Ben Rennie about technology, agency, adventure, family, systemic design and creating with technology.Ben reflects on writing Be Kind, Rewind, leaving his phone behind, raising children through adventure and snow sports, building an independent creative studio, and why design needs to look beyond the immediate brief. This is a conversation about values, connection, creativity, and designing for the lives and communities we want to shape.This episode explores• Technology, agency and potential boundaries for digital tools • AI, writing, critical thinking and trusting your own voice • Adventure, family, skiing and building a life close to nature • The pressure and possibility of growing a founder-led design business • Systemic design, human-centred design and seven-generational thinking • Values, connection, climate, community and designing for what comes nextGuest bioBen Rennie is a designer, author, speaker and creativity activist working across design, climate, sport and community. He leads Rennie Lab, chairs Design Declares Australia, and is the author of Lessons in Creativity. After 20 years building and leading Reny Studio, Ben’s work now explores systemic design, creativity, technology, and how we reshape the ways people live, connect and build.Guest links• Ben Rennie: https://benrennie.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrennie/ • Reny Studio: https://reny.studio/services/• Ben's book: Lessons in Creativity: https://benrennie.com/pages/lessonsincreativity • Ben’s writing: https://substack.com/@benrennie/posts • Dear Luke & Ben podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/dear-luke-ben/id1598107677Conversation references• Miff Rennie: https://www.instagram.com/miffrennie/ • Zach Bush: https://www.instagram.com/zachbushmd/ • IDEO: https://www.ideo.com/ • frog: https://www.frog.co/ • Christian Duell’s Natural Genius episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1GdoioUsgMWdFLDOb5MotlChapters01:33 Leaving the phone behind and Be Kind, Rewind 07:09 Boundaries, AI and agency 12:31 Adventure, writing and the last 10% 21:29 Systemic design, wayfinding, connection and seven-generational thinking 30:00 Snow, family and rebuilding life around nature 40:43 Values, separation and how we show upExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.au Learn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.au Subscribe to hear future episodes.About Natural GeniusThrough conversations with leaders, thinkers, builders and practitioners across many fields, the podcast explores the signals that guide meaningful work and the choices that shape a life.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Sydney and Kiama, 14 April, 2026Produced at the Kiama office, 14 - 28 April, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Aprill Enright about moving through a sometimes murky transition from co-founder and operator to artist, creative partner, and a clearer new chapter.Drawing on work across technology, customer operations, Knowledge Bird, startup investing, Tractor Ventures, and visual arts, Aprill shares how she has been reconnecting with art, rethinking what her skills are actually for, and bringing systems thinking and creative instinct back into one integrated identity.They talk about personal rebranding, human design, career coaching, AI, art, and the practical value of many coffees when the future is still forming. This episode explores:• Growing up in a creative family and choosing science over art at school• Building a career across technology, customer operations, knowledge management, and startup leadership• Co-founding Tractor Ventures and the toll of extended ambiguity• Career coaching, human design, and personal rebranding as tools for clarity• Using AI to think more deeply, articulate intent, and support creative workGuest bio:Aprill Enright is a Melbourne-based artist and creative partner, NED, startup coach, and former co-founder of Tractor Ventures. Her background spans 13 years in technology and customer operations, 10 years as an independent knowledge management consultant through Knowledge Bird, and 13+ years as a startup investor. She is GAICD qualified, a Venture Catalyst alumna, and was recognised as Investor of the Year at the Governor of Victoria Startup Awards in 2023.Guest links:• Aprill Enright: https://aprillenright.com.au/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprillenright/• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprill.enright/Conversation references:• Tractor Ventures: https://www.tractorventures.com/• Knowledge Bird: https://knowledgebird.medium.com/• National Gallery of Victoria: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/• Jacqui Stockdale: https://www.jacquistockdale.com/• Human Design: https://human.design/reports/free-report-3• Claude: https://claude.com/product/overviewChapters:02:32 Art, science, and growing up in a creative family04:38 Knowledge Bird, consulting, and building Tractor Ventures08:19 Leaving the co-founder role and learning what her skills really are15:50 Courage, ambiguity, and the shape of a new chapter20:16 Family, vision, and creative lineageExplore further:• Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.au• Learn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.au• Subscribe to hear future episodes.About Natural Genius:Natural Genius is a podcast and platform exploring how thoughtful people build meaningful lives, good work, and things that last. In conversation, ideas, qualities, and ways of being that help people access their natural genius come.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Melbourne, 27 March, 2026.Produced at the Violet Town and Kiama offices, 27 March - 25 April, 2026.Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Peppie Simpson about the ocean as medicine, whale song, and what nature helps us remember.A pioneer of women’s surfing in Australia, Peppie brings decades across surfing, swimming, teaching, ocean guiding, and whale and dolphin work in Noosa. This is a wide, heartfelt conversation about deep connection to water, nature as intelligence, and the ways whales, dolphins, and the ocean can open people back into feeling, steadiness, and wonder.This episode explores:• the ocean as medicine for the nervous system, body, and mind• a life shaped by surfing, swimming, and deep relationship with water• Hawaii, Joan Ocean, and extraordinary experiences with dolphins and whales• whale song, dolphins, and animal communication• nature as intelligence, subtle signals, and remembering who we are• songlines, migration, and listening more closely to the natural world• grandmothering, guidance, and simple ways of living well• Noosa waterways, the Everglades, and connection to placeGuest bio:Peppie Simpson is an ocean guide, surfer, swimmer, teacher, and lifelong water woman based in Noosa.A pioneer of women’s surfing in Australia, she founded the Victorian Women’s Surfing Association, which later became the Australian Women’s Surfing Association. She is a 2x Australian surf champion, a multiple state surfing champion, a 4x world champion in surf life saving ironwoman and swim events, and was recently recognised with both an Australia Day Award for services to surfing and the Noosa Festival of Surfing, and the Spirit of Longboarding Award at the Australian Titles.Through Whalesong Noosa, Peppie takes people onto the water to experience whales, dolphins, songs, and deep connection to nature. Her work also draws on decades of swimming, surf coaching, teaching babies and children in the water, time spent in Hawaii with spinner dolphins, and contributions to whale research.Guest links:• Peppie Simpson: https://www.instagram.com/peppiesimpson/• Whalesong Noosa: https://whalesongsnoosa.com.au/• Whalesong Noosa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whalesongsnoosa/Conversation references:• Peppie dives deep into dolphin research: https://noosatoday.com.au/news/13-01-2025/peppie-dives-deep-into-dolphin-research/• Joan Ocean film: https://www.instagram.com/joanoceanfilm/• Ocean Films: https://oceanfilms.vhx.tv/• Pea Horsley: https://animalthoughts.com/Books:• Dolphin Connection - Joan Ocean• Dolphins into the Future - Joan Ocean• Whale Whisperer - Joan Ocean• Heart to Heart - Pea Horsley• Animal Communication Made Easy - Pea HorsleyChapters:00:54 Hawaii, Joan Ocean, and returning charged by the ocean04:22 Dolphins, whales, and extraordinary moments08:54 A life shaped by water, surfing, and Whalesong Noosa11:44 The ocean as medicine14:45 Dolphins, communication, and remembering who we are20:50 Whale song, songlines, and nature’s intelligence29:35 Grandmothering, guidance, and the Everglades44:17 Love, focus, and being a dolphin in daily lifeExplore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.About Natural Genius:Natural Genius is a podcast hosted by Samantha Bell. Through thoughtful conversations with grounded, capable people, it explores how people build, lead, create, heal, and live in ways that are true to who they are, with greater signal and less noise.Credits:Hosted by Samantha Bell in Noosaville, 15 February, 2026 and Violet Town and Noosa, 1 April, 2026.Produced at the Violet Town, Peregian Beach and Kiama offices, 15 February - 24 April, 2026.

Adam Tomas Pangelinan is a technologist and builder from Guam, currently at Network School (ns.com). In this conversation, he shares how curiosity, mischief, and courage opened a path from island life to a fast-moving global coding community, and why he is becoming more deliberate about attention, quality, and the kind of life he wants to build.Sam and Adam explore Guam, robotics, internet curation, courage, improv, belonging, and how acting on what matters have shaped his path. A conversation about choosing fun quests, acting on what matters, and utilising potential.This episode explores:• finding Network School through curiosity, mischief, and acting fast• learning to code, automate, and solve problems early• Guam, island culture, belonging, and the feeling of home• living in a fast-changing community and protecting your social battery• internet curation, trust, quality, and protecting your attention• improv, games, and flow as ways to grow• prioritising and acting, and why career success is not the same as life successGuest bio:Adam Tomas Pangelinan is a focused technologist and builder from Guam with a strong interest in code, media, entrepreneurship, and the kinds of environments that help people learn fast and build well.He brings curiosity, depth, and a playful seriousness to the way he thinks about life and work, and in this conversation reflects on growing up on an island, joining Network School, and becoming more intentional about quality, attention, and the life he wants to create.Guest links:• Adam Tomas Pangelinan: https://adampang.com/ and X: https://x.com/adamtpangConversation references:• Network School: https://ns.com• Tim Ferriss: https://tim.blog/ • Founders podcast / David Senra: https://www.founderspodcast.com/ • Song Exploder: https://songexploder.net/ • Book: The Beginning of Infinity by David DeutschChapters:00:00 Welcome and Adam intro01:24 How Adam found Network School06:56 School, coding, and early automation09:09 Island living and life inside Network School14:28 Guam, culture, and the feeling of home18:46 Code, curation, and protecting your attention23:30 Improv, games, and flow27:57 Quality, prioritising, and success in lifeExplore further:Explore Natural Genius: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodesAbout Natural Genius:Natural Genius is a podcast and platform exploring how thoughtful people build meaningful lives, good work, and things that last. Through grounded conversations, Sam brings forward the ideas, qualities, and ways of being that help people access their natural genius.The show is for people who care about clarity, usefulness, growth, and building with heart, intelligence, and intent.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Network School, 27 January, 2026.Produced at the Violet Town, Peregian Beach and Kiama offices, 27 January - 23 April, 2026.

Raised in a small town in the south of France, Stephane Laurent Villedieu grew up with deep trust in people and a strong pull towards the wider world. That openness took him into conflict resolution work in the Middle East, through an MBA, into senior business roles across Asia, and into venture building in crypto and frontier technology.Sam and Stephane talk about sweetness and naivety, the Himalayas, betrayal in business, the Satoshi myth, and why AI may sharpen our relationship with consciousness, identity, and choice.Content note: this conversation includes discussion of severe depression, suicidal thoughts, betrayal, legal conflict, and mental health challenges. In Australia, Lifeline is 13 11 14. In an emergency call 000.This episode explores:• a small-town upbringing, Tintin, and the instinct to explore. • conflict resolution work, an MBA, and business leadership across Asia. • severe depression, breath, and rebuilding a life. • brotherhood, success, betrayal, and painful learning.• plant medicine, self-honesty, and deeper learning through pain. • the Satoshi mystery, myth, and collective stories. • AI, agency, and choosing our destiny.Guest bio:Stephane Laurent Villedieu is a serial entrepreneur and investor working across business, blockchain, and emerging technology. Based at Network School near Singapore, he is Co-Founder of Viber and has previously co-founded MANTRA DAO and Rio DeFi while building ventures and holding senior roles across China, Hong Kong, and Europe.His path spans law and political science, UNESCO conflict resolution work, an MBA, and leadership roles across digital marketing, business development, and venture building.Guest links:• Stephane Laurent Villedieu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephane-laurent-villedieu-1b6ab769/• Stephane Laurent Villedieu on X: https://x.com/Stephane_LV• Satoshi project - the Byzantine General: https://thebyzantinegeneral.org• Network School: https://ns.comConversation references:• Barbara Schacht Randall on Natural Genius: Kanyini, Belonging, and the Wisdom of Uncle Bob Randall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww08BIyQEGg&utm_source=chatgpt.com • Sapiens by Yuval Noah HarariChapters:00:00 Introduction 01:13 Small-town France 04:14 The Himalayas 10:45 Trust and business 24:50 Betrayal and pain 32:29 Satoshi and myth 01:01:55 AI and destinyExplore further:Discover your Natural Genius one-on-one with Sam: https://naturalgenius.com.au Learn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.au Subscribe to hear future episodesAbout Natural Genius:Natural Genius is a podcast about thoughtful people, meaningful lives, and the ideas that help us live and work with more clarity. Sam Bell speaks with people who carry practical intelligence, care deeply, and make things happen in ways others can learn from.It is part of the Natural Genius platform designed to help people hear what matters, think clearly, and move good work forward with more signal and less noise.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Network School, 24 March, 2026.Produced at the Violet Town office, 24 March - 9 April, 2026.

In this conversation, Jack Growden shares why digital inequality and other community challenges are being overthought and under-solved, and simple actions that work: get the laptop into a child’s hands, build the classroom, add the toilet, and keep going.From donating one laptop in Papua New Guinea at 20 to leading LiteHaus International across 13 countries, Jack talks with Sam about resilience, practical philanthropy, community-led work, founder dependence, and why the basics still matter if we want real opportunity to reach more people.This episode explores:• how LiteHaus International started with one donated laptop in Papua New Guinea.• digital inequality in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific.• what communities in PNG and Cambodia taught Jack about doing the work that matters.• laptops, classrooms, toilets, water tanks, and electrification as practical foundations.• staying on the tools while building something that lasts beyond the founder.• resilience, kindness, and Jack’s call for more net producers than net consumers.Guest bio:Jack Growden is the founder and CEO of LiteHaus International, a Townsville-based social entrepreneur tackling digital inequality across the Asia-Pacific. He started by donating his own laptop to a school in Papua New Guinea at 20 and turned that instinct into a fast-moving organisation grounded in practical action.Today LiteHaus International works across 13 countries, has supported 630 schools, and has put more than 30,000 laptops and desktops back into use. Jack has been recognised on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, was a Young Australian of the Year finalist, and continues to build practical, community-led solutions through LiteHaus and wider social impact work.Guest links:• Jack Growden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-growden-355542161/• LiteHaus: https://litehausinternational.org/• “The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better” by Kate Pickett & Richard Wilkinson: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-spirit-level-9780241954294Conversation references: • Geraldine Cox: https://www.sunrisecambodia.org.au/• Pete Williams' Natural Genius episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX2G0g4asXcChapters:00:00 Welcome and the last fortnight03:05 LiteHaus, donated devices, and action over words05:47 Why Jack loves the work09:36 Opportunity, PNG, and simple, fixable solutions14:28 How Jack prioritises and why the basics come first17:03 Resilience, founder dependence, and building to last27:28 Who inspires Jack42:20 Kindness, contribution, and a better societyExplore further:Support LiteHaus International: https://litehausinternational.org/Learn more about Natural Genius: https://naturalgenius.com.au Learn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auAbout Natural Genius:Natural Genius is a podcast for thoughtful people building useful lives, organisations, communities, and ideas. Sam Bell speaks with people who carry practical intelligence, care deeply, and make things happen in ways others can learn from.It is part of the Natural Genius platform designed to help people hear what matters, think clearly, and move good work forward with more signal and less noise.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Townsville, 1 April, 2026.Produced at the Violet Town office, 1 - 8 April,

Say yes, solve the real problem, and ship the work. In this conversation, Chris Hocking shares how a childhood around backyard films, touring, live production, and generous mentors led to nearly two decades building LateNite across film, post-production, and software.Sam and Chris talk about impossible briefs, collaborative crews, underwater bars, burning beds, Final Cut Pro tools, CommandPost, Blackmagic RAW, and the kind of practical creative problem-solving that gets useful work over the line. A fun, generous conversation about staying useful, keeping things moving, and building with people who have your back.This episode explores:nearly 20 years of LateNite and why Chris still says yesfamily, grandparents, and early access to film, live production, and backstage workTweenies, animatronics, and growing up fast in touringwhy collaboration and mentorship matter so much in film and TVimpossible projects, small budgets, and making the brief work anywayCommandPost, BRAW Toolbox, and solving workflow problems for real editorshow software became both a business line and a creative pressure pointAI, product thinking, and why Chris cares more about shipping than perfectionGuest bio:Chris Hocking is the co-founder of LateNite, a Melbourne production studio he has helped build since 2007. His path has spanned animatronics on the BBC Tweenies, lighting design for live productions, post-production supervision, filmmaking, workflow design, and software development.Alongside production work, Chris created CommandPost, BRAW Toolbox, and other tools used by editors and filmmakers, and runs FCP Cafe. His credits include The Wizards of Aus, The Legend of Burnout Barry, Lambs of God, and music videos for artists including Peking Duk, Cosmo’s Midnight, Rufus du Sol, Casey Donovan, and Guy Pearce.Guest links:Chris Hocking - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisatlatenite/LateNite - https://latenitefilms.comLateNite Apps - http://fcp.cafe/latenite/Childhood Films - https://www.youtube.com/hockingstudiosChapters:00:00 Chris introduction01:29 Nineteen years of LateNite and saying yes07:14 Backyard films, family influence, and early making12:11 Tweenies, animatronics, and growing up in touring18:18 Collaboration, impossible projects, and making things happen30:09 From tinkering to CommandPost37:02 BRAW Toolbox, software pressure, and AI49:35 Mentors, communities, and a rolodex of geniusesExplore further:Discover your Natural Genius one-on-one with Sam: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodesAbout Natural Genius:Natural Genius is a podcast by Samantha Bell exploring how thoughtful people build, lead, create, heal, and live in ways that are true to who they are.Across conversations with guests from many walks of life, Natural Genius looks for the live signal beneath the noise, and offers insight, encouragement, and practical wisdom for hearing what matters.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Melbourne, 17 March, 2026.Produced at the Violet Town office, 17 March - 3 April, 2026.

Practical intelligence and intuitive intelligence belong together. In this conversation, Serana Hunt-Hughes, also known as Whitefeather, shares the thread running through a life that has included camels, horses, photography, emergency towing, community building, regeneration, and healing work.Sam and Serana explore listening to land, ancestral alignment, relanguaging, peace with Earth, and what it means to restore forms of intelligence many people were taught to dismiss. This is a generous conversation about courage, perception, and building a more relational way of being.This episode explores:• growing up where practical intelligence was everything• spirituality, land, and being guided in the outback• learning to listen to the wind• Eagleheart, apprenticeship, and the name Whitefeather• ancestral alignment and healing across past, present, and future• practical, rational, relational, and intuitive intelligence• relanguaging and peace with Earth• community-led cultural workGuest bio:Serana Hunt-Hughes, also known as Whitefeather, is a medicine woman, healing practitioner, visual artist, photographer, and regenerative land practitioner based near Violet Town, Victoria. Her path has included work as a cameleer, horse trainer, tow truck driver, first responder, artist, and founder of Whitefeather Healing Centre.Through healing work, photography, community cultural projects, and land-based restoration, Serana supports people to reconnect with inner strength, ancestral support, and a more relational way of living. Her work is grounded, intuitive, and deeply shaped by place.Guest links:• Serana Hunt-Hughes (Whitefeather): https://www.linkedin.com/in/serana-whitefeather/• Serana's services writing: https://seranawhitefeather.substack.com/about• Ancestral Alignment: https://seranawhitefeather.substack.com/p/services• Eagleheart: https://www.eagleheart.com.au/• Rose B Simpson: https://www.rosebsimpson.com/works• Dookie Earthed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=3E_WWLmS_Pc• Shepparton Art Museum (SAM): https://sheppartonartmuseum.com.au/collection/about-the-collection/• Tiokasin Ghosthorse's work: https://firstvoicesindigenousradio.org/programsChapters:00:00 Serana introduction03:33 Practical intelligence and spiritual longing07:22 Horses, land, and listening to the wind11:46 Eagleheart, Whitefeather, and early sensing17:31 Cancer, ancestral healing, and intuitive intelligence29:58 Relanguaging, peace with Earth, and regeneration41:26 Dookie Earthed, art, and communityExplore further:Discover your Natural Genius one-on-one with Sam: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodesAbout Natural Genius:Natural Genius is a podcast by Samantha Bell exploring how thoughtful people build, lead, create, heal, and live in ways that are true to who they are.Across conversations with guests from many walks of life, Natural Genius looks for the live signal beneath the noise, and offers insight, encouragement, and practical wisdom for hearing what matters.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town, 26 March, 2026.Produced at the Violet Town office, 26 March - 2 April, 2026

Michel Kelleher has built a life and business around peace, values, and practical care. In this conversation, she shares how she left a high-stress chapter, built a business in Bali, and learned to navigate grief, menopause, remote work, and change with more clarity and self-trust.We talk about building family through business, creating simple systems that empower people, communicating across cultures, and making a life that feels aligned with what matters. It is a grounded conversation about maturity, compassion, structure, and surrender.This episode explores:• leaving a high-stress life and starting again in Bali• running a business remotely across Australia and Indonesia• using peace as a guide after grief and survival mode• communicating respectfully across cultures and languages• building a values-led team across different faiths and backgrounds• creating a workplace that feels like family• using simple systems to keep progress happening• creating the life you want, and learning to surrender along the wayGuest bio:Michel Kelleher is an Australian business owner who built a business in Bali after leaving a high-stress job and looking for a more peaceful way to live and work. She now runs that business remotely, employs 15 people, and has spent years building simple systems, strong relationships, and a values-led culture across Australia and Indonesia.She is also a mother, grandmother, traveller, and thoughtful leader. In this conversation, Michel brings a grounded perspective on communication, resilience, family, and creating a life that feels aligned.Guest links:Michel Kelleher: https://www.facebook.com/michel.kelleher1Chapters:01:08 Emotional wisdom and the search for peace02:20 Leaving a high-stress life and building a business in Bali04:29 Grief, remote work, and finding the silver lining09:02 Cross-cultural communication and using the right words11:48 Building a values-led business and family through work20:20 Simple systems, remote management, and empowering others40:16 Grandchildren, joy, manifesting, and surrenderExplore further:Discover your Natural Genius one-on-one with Sam: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodesAbout Natural Genius:Natural Genius is a podcast hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell, exploring the people, choices, and ways of working that make life and business more clear, useful, and alive.It is also a Lab for founders, operators, and thoughtful humans who want to hear the signal, make strong next moves, and build what matters with more clarity.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Kiama, 5 March, 2026.Produced at the Violet Town offices, 5 March - 1 April, 2026.

Corinne Proske is CEO of Trust for Nature and brings a rare combination of environmental science, commerce, social impact finance, and executive leadership to her work. In this conversation with Sam, she reflects on returning to her first love, nature, after years shaping financial inclusion initiatives, and on what it takes to build organisations that last.They explore private land conservation, the people drawn to caring for country, and why purpose-led work still needs commercial discipline. Corinne shares thoughtful perspectives on leadership, AI and workflows, giving people room to grow, family and flexible work, learning from failure, reading timing well, and protecting what matters for future generations.This episode explores:• returning to nature after years in financial inclusion and social impact work• what private land conservation looks like through Trust for Nature• why impact organisations still need commercial clarity and business discipline• how to use AI and systems thoughtfully without overcomplicating the work• trusting your gut, creating space to think, and resisting groupthink• hiring capable people, letting them grow, and leading with more range• family, flexibility, office culture, and supporting younger people at work• Budj Bim, First Nations knowledge, and caring for land and water for the long termGuest bio:Corinne Proske is the CEO of Trust for Nature, one of Australia’s oldest conservation organisations, working to permanently protect landscapes on private land. Corinne is passionate about ensuring non-financial value is understood and included in business and has a deep and long-standing commitment to protecting nature. Prior to that, she spent 13 years with NAB in business banking and social responsibility, where she was responsible for NAB’s $130 million financial inclusion programs focused on helping low-income Australians access financial services, in addition to helping the bank become carbon neutral.Guest links:• Corinne Proske: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinne-proske-7093122/• Trust for Nature: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trust-for-nature/about/• Australian Land Conservation Alliance: https://www.linkedin.com/company/australian-land-conservation-alliance/Chapters:00:00 Intro and Corinne’s return to nature02:44 Trust for Nature and caring for land forever05:37 Financial inclusion, Good Money, and designing programs that last09:19 Building a business for forever, revenue for impact, and AI14:24 Leadership, space to think, avoiding groupthink, and letting people grow25:58 Country, First Nations knowledge, and Budj Bim31:17 Family, flexible work, offices, and the next generation42:03 Timing, failure, and protecting land and water for the futureExplore further:Explore partnership or collaboration with Natural Genius: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodesAbout Natural Genius:Natural Genius is a podcast hosted by Samantha Bell. Through thoughtful conversations with founders, leaders, creatives, and changemakers, it explores how people build meaningful work, live with greater signal, and create things that last.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Melbourne, 11 March, 2026Produced at the Violet Town office, 11 - 31 March, 2026

How do you access the intelligence already present within a group?In this episode of the Natural Genius podcast, Sam Bell speaks with Christian Duell, educator, facilitator, and founder of White Light Education, about creativity, co-design, and guiding people and organisations through complexity.Christian’s work explores how individuals and groups think, create, and contribute together. His approach centres on the idea that creativity is available to everyone, and that with the right conditions, groups can access a deeper shared intelligence.This conversation moves through Christian’s career transition from architecture into facilitation, education, and systems work. He reflects on following curiosity, stepping into new directions, and building a body of work that continues to evolve.Together, they explore how to create environments where people can participate fully, contribute meaningfully, and work through complex challenges with clarity.This episode explores:• Creativity as something accessible and expressed in different ways• Collective wisdom and how groups can think and create together• Co-design and facilitation as ways of working with complexity• Career transitions and evolving professional identity over time• The role of curiosity, play, and experimentation in meaningful work• Designing systems, cultures, and experiences that support contributionGuest links:• Christian Duell https://www.linkedin.com/in/duellchristian/ • Clean Break, Christian’s latest EP https://misterrascal.bandcamp.com/album/clean-break • Bionic Chef, Eduardo Garcia’s Do Lectures talk: https://thedolectures.com/speakers/eduardo-garcia/ • Hamish Curry’s Natural Genius: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5BSx26FTvIBn0ASLTNrquQ• Nick Jaffe’s Natural Genius: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJ2kXPGZrE&t=9s Chapters:02:18 Christian’s early career in architecture and the shift toward facilitation06:42 Career transitions and following curiosity into new directions11:05 Creativity and how it shows up in different forms15:27 Collective wisdom and working with groups20:14 Co-design in practice and navigating complexity25:36 Culture, leadership, and enabling contribution30:22 Play, curiosity, and learning through experience34:48 Designing systems and environments for better outcomes39:12 Reflections on meaningful work and evolving a body of work42:05 Closing thoughtsExplore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodesAbout Natural GeniusThe Natural Genius podcast explores how people discover and express their natural strengths, instincts, and contribution.Through conversations with leaders, thinkers, builders, and practitioners across many fields, the podcast explores the signals that guide meaningful work and the choices that shape a life.More at https://naturalgenius.com.auCredits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and the Gold Coast, 29 January, 2026Produced at the Violet Town, Peregian Beach and Benalla offices, 29 January - 27 March, 2026

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Karlie Cummins about saying yes before you have every answer, building trust through action, and growing a business that feels both effective and fun.Karlie is the founder of Bali Buddies and Indo Buddies, two influential travel media platforms helping tourism and lifestyle brands reach Australian travellers through trusted storytelling, digital media, brand trips, PR, and strategic partnerships across Bali and Indonesia. Her background in education still shapes the way she leads, teaches, mentors, and builds.Together, Sam and Karlie explore the accidental beginnings of Bali Buddies, the courage it took to move a family to Bali without a backup plan, the role of trust and generosity in business growth, and why fun is not a distraction from serious work but part of what makes it sustainable. The conversation also moves through online schooling, raising very different daughters, adapting through Covid, and using new technology with curiosity rather than fear.This is a practical and energising conversation about backing yourself, learning in motion, and building a business and life that keep expanding.This episode explores• Saying yes before knowing exactly how• Turning a passion project into a trusted media business• Building trust with clients, communities, and tourism partners• Moving a family to Bali and going all in on a new life• Adapting business models through uncertainty and recovery• Teaching, mentoring, and consulting as a through-line in Karlie’s work• Using AI and new technology to work smarter• Fun as a strategic choice in brand, team, and client experience• Designing work that supports family life, adventure, and growthGuest links• Karlie Cummins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karliecummins/• Bali Buddies: https://balibuddies.com/• Indo Buddies: https://indobuddies.com/Chapters01:34 From classroom teacher to accidental Bali business founder05:07 The first paid client, clear communication, and backing yourself08:18 Moving to Bali and nine years of expat life10:48 Saying yes, figuring it out, and growing through action13:11 Selling everything, moving a family, and going all in15:29 Online schooling, family choices, and raising an academic and a hustler17:03 The 12-year-old candle business and WhatsApp entrepreneurship20:29 Family influence, multitasking, and being most like her dad22:35 Building community and becoming known in Bali24:28 Pandemic in Bali, helping hotels, and the long lead-up to growth28:22 Learning new tech, using AI well, and staying curious30:09 How Karlie likes to be seen: genuine, honest, and fun31:00 Building a brand through parties, delight, and industry connection34:11 Family, adventure, and moments that make the whole thing worth itExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.About Natural GeniusThe Natural Genius podcast explores how people discover and express their natural strengths, instincts, and contributions.Through conversations with leaders, thinkers, builders, and practitioners across many fields, the podcast explores the signals that guide meaningful work and the choices that shape a life.More at https://naturalgenius.com.auCreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Bali, 27 January, 2026Produced at the Violet Town, Peregian Beach and Sunshine Motorway offices, 27 January - 25 March, 2026

What if the future of mental health isn’t about managing symptoms, and is about unlocking human potential?In this episode of the Natural Genius podcast, Sam Bell speaks with Cameron Stewart, entrepreneur and Managing Director of Mirabilis Health, about his journey from building and exiting startups and digital product studios into the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted mental health care in Northern Ireland.In this conversation, Cameron shares how a period of “doing nothing” and going deeply into meditation reset old patterns of thought and opened a new direction. He reflects on stepping into the highly regulated world of trauma therapy and research, and on what it takes to build a centre focused on safety, healing, and transformation.This is an expansive conversation about growth, courage, stillness, family, human potential, and the future of mental health.This episode explores:• Choosing life experiences over convention and creating meaningful memories• From startups and brand strategy into mental health innovation• “Doing nothing” as a deliberate reset and strategic pause• Deep meditation and the effect of stillness on old thinking patterns• Trauma, PTSD, and the limitations of traditional approaches• Psychedelic-assisted therapies and why they are gaining attention in research settings• Building Mirabilis Health and the future of accessible mental health care• Human potential, healing, and creating the right conditions for transformation• Fatherhood, identity, and changing definitions of freedom and funImportant noteThis conversation includes discussion of psychedelic-assisted therapies, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and related mental health treatments. Laws, regulations, and clinical frameworks vary significantly across jurisdictions, including Ireland, Australia, and internationally. This episode is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, mental health advice, or legal advice, and it is not a recommendation to use any substance or treatment outside approved clinical, research, or other lawful settings. Anyone considering treatment should seek advice from appropriately qualified health professionals and comply with the laws and regulations in their location.Guest links• Cameron Stewart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camastewart/• Mirabilis Health: https://www.mirabilishealth.co.uk/Chapters02:22 The Highway One trip and choosing experience over convention06:23 From clothing brand to startups, strategy, and exiting Dawson Andrews09:28 “Do nothing”: the note that changed Cameron’s next chapter10:15 Deep meditation, stillness, and resetting old thought patterns15:24 Entering mental health and building Mirabilis Health19:19 Trauma, PTSD, and the limits of conventional treatment models23:24 Psychedelic-assisted therapies and early research insights29:28 The bigger vision: expanding access and unlocking human potential39:27 Fatherhood, freedom, and redefining funAbout Natural GeniusThe Natural Genius podcast explores how people discover and express their natural strengths, instincts, and contributions.Through conversations with leaders, thinkers, builders, and practitioners across many fields, the podcast explores the signals that guide meaningful work and the choices that shape a life.More at https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Holywood, Northern Ireland, 11 March, 2026Produced at the Violet Town office 11 - 24 March, 2026

What if you don’t solve problems, you earn better ones?Michael Skinner shares how learning to earn bigger problems, and practicing surrender, can reshape how you work, decide, and grow in a fast-moving world.In this episode of the Natural Genius podcast, Sam Bell speaks with Michael Skinner about growth, decision-making, and navigating an increasingly complex world. Michael shares a simple idea that reframes how we think about progress. You don’t eliminate problems. You earn bigger ones. Over time, those problems become more meaningful, more interesting, and more aligned with the life you are building.This conversation explores Michael’s path from running businesses to working across AI, systems thinking, and global communities. Along the way, he shares how he approaches uncertainty, how he decides what to focus on, and why surrender is a skill worth developing.This is a conversation about thinking clearly, following curiosity, and building a life that evolves with you.This episode explores:• Earning bigger problems and changing your relationship to them• Systems thinking and identifying real constraints in business• Digital nomading and building a life across different environments• Learning and applying AI in a practical way• Surrender as a skill in uncertain and fast-moving contexts• Curiosity, intuition, and choosing what to work on next• Community, connection, and creating meaningful environmentsGuest links:• Michael Skinner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/equanimas and https://www.equanimas.com/ • Recommended book: The Surrender Experiment by Michael A SingerChapters:02:10 Michael’s early work and path into business06:45 Earning bigger problems and what it means in practice11:20 Systems thinking and finding the real bottleneck16:05 Moving into AI and learning new domains quickly21:40 Digital nomading and living across environments27:15 Slowing down, novelty, and appreciating place32:10 Surrender as a skill in uncertainty37:25 Decision-making, curiosity, and following signals42:50 Community, connection, and building meaningful spaces48:30 Reflections on growth, work, and what matters next52:10 Closing reflectionsExplore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodesAbout Natural GeniusThe Natural Genius podcast explores how people discover and express their natural strengths, instincts, and contributions.Through conversations with leaders, thinkers, builders, and practitioners across many fields, the podcast explores the signals that guide meaningful work and the choices that shape a life.More at https://naturalgenius.com.auCreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town, Peregian Beach and Network School, 7 & 14 February, 2026Produced at the Violet Town and Peregian Beach offices, 7 February – 21 March, 2026

In this episode of the Natural Genius podcast, Sam Bell speaks with Toni Finnimore, founder of The Social Society, about volunteering, community connection, and designing experiences that bring people together in meaningful ways.Toni has spent more than two decades working in community development, advocacy, and social services across the UK. Through her work she repeatedly saw a pattern: local charities doing essential work while often lacking access to the skills, time, and support they needed.The Social Society emerged as a response.Through creative volunteering experiences, community gatherings, and festival-style team days, Toni and her team bring individuals, charities, and businesses together to collaborate, contribute, and reconnect.In this conversation Toni shares the story behind building The Social Society, the importance of human connection in an increasingly disconnected world, and why volunteering experiences work best when they are designed around people rather than platforms.The conversation also explores experience design, the joy of volunteering, and the quiet power of small moments that help people relax, reconnect, and contribute.This episode explores:• How Toni’s career in community services led to founding The Social Society• Why local charities often need skills and people as much as funding• Designing volunteering experiences that feel like shared adventures• Why bringing people together in real life matters more than ever• Festival-style volunteering events and “team days with purpose”• The idea of volunteer hackathons that tackle real charity challenges• Silent Book Club and creating space for quieter forms of connection• Boundaries, wellbeing, and sustaining energy as a founder• Toni’s vision for scaling hyper-local volunteering communities globallyChapters:01:18 Toni Finnimore and The Social Society03:00 From community services to building a volunteer movement05:28 Festival-style volunteering events and team days with purpose06:33 Volunteering at the DO Lectures and experience design09:06 Designing spaces that help people relax and connect11:02 The power of simple community experiences11:48 Silent Book Club and creating inclusive social spaces14:25 Boundaries, wellbeing, and founder energy17:01 Toni’s vision for global community volunteering18:01 Inspiration from regenerative organisations21:05 Advocacy and standing up for others23:46 Life in Brighton and community culture24:46 Visiting Australia and running volunteer hackathons to help charities solve real challengesGuest Links:Toni Finnimore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-finnimore/The Social Society: https://www.thesocialsociety.org.uk/Silent Book Club (Hove): https://www.instagram.com/silentbookclub_hove?igsh=aW9tYzZvNDN3b2Jm&utm_source=qr About Natural GeniusThe Natural Genius podcast explores how people discover and express their natural strengths, instincts, and contributions.Through conversations with leaders, builders, creatives, and community organisers, the podcast explores the signals that guide meaningful work and the choices that shape a life.More at https://naturalgenius.com.auCreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Brighton, UK, 4 March, 2026Produced at the Violet Town and Peregian Beach offices, 4 - 19 March, 2026

In this episode of the Natural Genius podcast, Sam Bell speaks with Sally Calder, CEO and Co-Founder of RespectX, about leadership, courage, and creating workplaces where people can genuinely thrive.Sally has spent decades working across government, human services, consulting, and organisational culture. After many years as a partner at KPMG leading culture, diversity and inclusion work, she made a bold decision to leave and build a new technology platform aimed at addressing one of the most persistent challenges in workplaces: making it safe for people to speak up.RespectX was born from that conviction.In this conversation Sally reflects on the golden thread across her career, the importance of trusting instinct, and why leaders must learn to make complex challenges simple and compelling.She also shares the design principles behind RespectX and the real-world impact the platform is already having in organisations across Australia.This episode explores:• Leadership courage, culture change, • How individuals and organisations create safe and respectful environments where people can do their best work• Why trusting your instinct can shape a career• The “golden thread” that only becomes visible when you look back• Leaving a successful partnership to start a new venture• Why respectful workplaces matter for performance and wellbeing• The story behind founding RespectX• Five design principles for safer workplace reporting• Making the complex simple and the simple compelling• The role of courage in culture change• Why the next generation may finally shift workplace culture for the betterChapters01:04 Sally’s career journey and the “golden thread”05:18 Trusting instinct and saying yes to opportunities09:02 Creating workplaces that enrich people12:24 The story behind founding RespectX18:16 Designing a safer reporting platform23:27 Early adopters and building the RespectX movement27:23 Measuring trust and workplace safety31:10 Real examples of culture change in organisations36:12 Channeling rage into constructive change40:29 Leadership lessons: making the complex simple44:10 The responsibility of leaders to set clear standards47:00 RespectX as a movement for cultural change49:23 Closing reflectionsGuest linksSally Calder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallycalderRespectX: https://www.respectx.com.au/Shey Newitt (RespectX Co-Founder): https://www.linkedin.com/in/shey-newitt-phd-70200b33/About Natural GeniusThe Natural Genius podcast explores how people discover and express their natural strengths, instincts, and contributions.Through conversations with leaders, thinkers, builders, and practitioners across many fields, the podcast explores the signals that guide meaningful work and the choices that shape a life.More at https://naturalgenius.com.auCreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Melbourne, 4 March, 2026.Produced at the Violet Town and Peregian Beach offices, 4 – 16 March, 2026.

In this episode of the Natural Genius podcast, Sam Bell speaks with Barbara Schacht Randall, the custodian and steward of the Kanyini wisdom teachings shared by Yankunytjatjara elder Uncle Bob Randall.Barbara’s life bridges cultures, continents, and traditions. Raised in the United States within a unique community founded by her grandparents, she grew up immersed in a culture of care, inclusion, and connection with nature. Years later, her path brought her to Australia where she met and married Uncle Bob Randall, a traditional custodian of Uluru and a deeply respected Indigenous cultural educator and song man.Before his passing, Uncle Bob entrusted Barbara with the responsibility of sharing the ancient teachings of Kanyini with the world. Kanyini expresses a philosophy of unconditional love, responsibility, and deep connection to all creation. It speaks to belonging, to caring for people and country, and to remembering the responsibilities we hold to each other and to future generations.Barbara shares stories and reflections that offer a gentle invitation to reconsider how we live, relate, and care for the world around us.In this conversation, Barbara reflects on her upbringing, her life with Uncle Bob in Mutitjulu beside Uluru, and what it means to carry forward wisdom traditions in a modern world.This episode explores:• The philosophy of Kanyini and what it teaches about belonging and responsibility• Growing up in a multigenerational community rooted in care and inclusion• Living beside Uluru and welcoming people from around the world to learn from Uncle Bob• Carrying forward ancient wisdom teachings across cultures• Why connection to land, people, and spirit remains essential for humanity’s futureGuest links:Barbara Schacht Randall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-randall/Kanyini: https://kanyini.org/ https://www.instagram.com/kanyini.teachings/ & https://www.instagram.com/bob_randall_kanyini Uncle Bob Randall’s autobiography https://kanyini.org/book/ Referenced in this conversationCanva https://www.canva.com St. Teresa of Avila, “Interior Castle”: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/interior-castle-9780385036436 Waterford Country School: https://www.waterfordcountryschool.org/celebrating/ Chapters:03:12 Barbara’s upbringing at Waterford Country School and a childhood immersed in community07:48 Growing up in a culture of care, inclusion, nature, and shared responsibility12:36 The unexpected path that brought Barbara to Australia16:44 Meeting Uncle Bob Randall and the beginning of a shared life journey20:58 Living in Mutitjulu beside Uluru and welcoming visitors from around the world26:17 Understanding Kanyini: belonging, responsibility, and unconditional love31:40 The spiritual philosophy behind the world’s oldest continuing culture37:22 Uncle Bob’s work sharing wisdom teachings internationally42:18 Being entrusted with carrying the teachings after Uncle Bob’s passing47:05 Ancient wisdom and the modern world: what humanity is remembering 52:34 Why connection to land, community, and spirit matters for our collective future58:41 Barbara’s reflections on responsibility, love, and continuing the work01:03:20 Closing reflectionsExplore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam:

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Tim Buzza about workforce planning technology, leading large contact centre operations, building technology startups, and designing a life that allows both meaningful work and freedom.Tim has spent decades working in customer operations and workforce planning environments where thousands of daily interactions depend on well-designed systems and thoughtful leadership. Alongside his operational leadership experience, he has also built and supported technology ventures focused on improving how organisations plan, manage, and support their workforce.In this conversation, Tim shares practical insights from operating in complex service environments while also experimenting with entrepreneurship, remote work, and international travel.Together, they explore the intersection between operational leadership, workforce technology, startup experimentation, and life design.This episode explores:• The realities of leading large contact centre and customer operations environments• Workforce planning technology and the systems behind large service organisations• Building and experimenting with technology startups• Operational leadership and decision-making at scale• Designing work that supports both performance and personal freedom• Digital nomadding and creating flexibility in how and where work happens• Entrepreneurial thinking inside and outside corporate environmentsGuest linksTim Buzza: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timbuzza/Chapters00:00 Tim’s background in contact centre operations03:41 The hidden complexity behind large contact centres07:56 Workforce planning technology and forecasting systems12:44 The operational realities of managing large service teams17:32 Entrepreneurship and building technology startups23:18 Lessons from building products for workforce management29:11 Technology, automation, and the future of contact centres34:22 Leadership decisions that shape operational culture40:14 Designing a life that allows travel and digital nomad work46:05 Working internationally and experimenting with lifestyle design51:38 Reflections on leadership, work, and future possibilities56:40 Closing thoughts and thanksExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Peregian Beach and Abruzzo, Italy, 25 February, 2026Produced at the Violet Town and Peregian Beach offices, 25 February - 13 March, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Dr. Annie Faulkner about why many organisational change programs struggle to deliver their promised outcomes, and what leaders can do instead.Annie has spent over two decades working in organisational transformation across Europe, Australia, and South Africa. After leading large-scale change programs for global organisations, she began questioning why many traditional approaches repeatedly fail. This curiosity led her into complexity thinking and ultimately to completing a doctorate exploring how organisations attempt change and what is really happening beneath the surface.Now working as an executive coach and leadership advisor in Berlin, Annie supports senior leaders transitioning into board and executive roles. Her work focuses on helping leaders navigate complexity, power dynamics, and uncertainty while staying grounded in their humanity.This conversation explores the realities of organisational change, the courage required to stay in difficult conversations, and how leaders can remain balanced while carrying significant responsibility.This episode explores:• Why many traditional change programs struggle to achieve lasting impact• Complexity thinking and questioning the assumptions behind transformation programs• The transition from expert to executive when stepping into board-level leadership• Staying in difficult conversations rather than resolving conflict too quickly• Power, politics, and whose voices are missing in leadership decisions• Grounded leadership: taking the work seriously without taking yourself too seriously• The role of coaching in helping leaders navigate uncertainty and complexity• Work, life, and balance: recognising that leadership choices shape the whole systemGuest Links• Dr Annie Faulkner https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniefaulkner/• The Transitionists https://www.the-transitionists.deChapters00:00 Introduction and Annie’s journey from Australia to Berlin05:18 Why many organisational change programs fail09:01 Complexity thinking and questioning traditional change models10:03 Coaching leaders transitioning to board-level roles11:06 Staying in difficult conversations instead of resolving conflict too quickly16:00 Experimenting with relational conversations with AI21:41 Bringing overlooked voices and perspectives into leadership decisions29:42 What grounded leadership really looks like33:14 Why “work–life balance” doesn’t exist34:12 Training the body and mind as a leadership practiceExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in North Melbourne and Berlin, 11 February, 2026Produced at the Violet Town, Benalla and Peregian Beach offices, 11 February - 10 March, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

What happens when you are suddenly made redundant and need to rebuild confidence, momentum, and direction?In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Via Tendon about redundancy, rebuilding confidence, and the generosity that can unite and support people during uncertain career moments.After being made redundant, Via began openly sharing her job-search journey on LinkedIn. What started as a simple act of honesty quickly resonated with many people navigating similar experiences. Her posts became a way to reduce isolation, share practical insights, and help others regain momentum in their careers.Drawing on over a decade leading brand and content teams across global agencies and in-house organisations, Via reflects on the emotional realities of job searching, the value of community support, and the importance of developing personal agency when navigating change.This is a conversation about kindness, professional courage, and how people can develop their career agency.This episode explores• Redundancy and the psychological impact of unexpected career disruption• Why honesty during a job search can create connection and community• Developing personal agency when navigating career uncertainty• Practical approaches to networking, learning, and rebuilding momentum• Paying forward the generosity of mentors, peers, and communitiesGuest links• Via Tendonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/vtendon/ “I'm here to support early to mid-career people navigate their careers, especially post-redundancy. My four resources and network for careers:”• Amelia Schubach (Via’s Career Coach)https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-schubach/• Gaurav Valanihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravvalani/• Hilary Gridley - Be a Supermanager (with AI)https://maven.com/hilary-gridley/ai-powered-people-management• Wes Kao – Executive Communication and Influencehttps://maven.com/wes-kao/executive-communication-influence• Via's Metta Playhttps://www.instagram.com/mettaplay• A great job-hunting video Sam has shared a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L02GcDC76I&list=FLD0D7bPli784tcwmLIaYbQg&index=20Chapters00:00 What Happens When You’re Made Redundant02:55 Why Via Shared Her Job Hunt Publicly on LinkedIn06:40 The Community Support That Changed Everything10:30 Rebuilding Confidence After Losing a Job16:40 Networking and Learning During a Job Search22:00 Developing Career Agency During Uncertainty28:30 Paying Forward Help to Others Navigating RedundancyExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Peregian Beach and Melbourne, 27 February 2026Produced at the Violet Town and Peregian Beach offices, 27 February - 10 March 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au 

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Pete Williams about action, experimentation, and creating constant progress.Pete Williams has spent more than three decades working at the intersection of technology, innovation, and business transformation. He began working with internet technologies in 1993 and founded Deloitte Australia’s eBusiness Consulting group in 1996, which later evolved into Deloitte Digital. Today he is Chief Edge Officer at Deloitte’s Centre for the Edge, where he explores how emerging technologies and societal shifts are shaping the future of business and institutions. Alongside his work with large organisations, Pete has co-founded and supported a number of startups including Packform, and has contributed extensively to community initiatives including bushfire recovery efforts across Australia and education initiatives in Papua New Guinea.This conversation moves through Pete’s philosophy of action, the importance of simply picking up the phone when something needs to happen, and the idea of paying forward knowledge and help across communities. Pete also shares why he believes AI represents a profound shift in how humans access and use knowledge, comparing its impact to the early internet, and potentially far beyond.This is a practical conversation about leadership, technology, community responsibility, and getting meaningful things done quickly.This episode explores:• The simple leadership habit: just pick up the phone• Action over words and stepping forward when nobody knows what to do• The “pay it forward” mindset in disaster recovery and community leadership• Why prototypes matter more than PowerPoints• Experimenting through doing rather than endless planning• Lessons from rebuilding communities after Black Saturday• Building startups that focus on real problems and real customers• AI as a profound shift in knowledge access and human capability• Why the biggest risk with AI may simply be laziness• Kindness, responsibility, and leadership in uncertain timesGuest links:• Pete Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexster/ • Lifetimes: https://lifetimes.co/• Packform: https://www.packform.com/ • Jack Growden, Founder of LiteHaus International (education initiative in Papua New Guinea) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-growden-355542161/ and https://litehausinternational.org/• From Pete “This article might be useful for people struggling with approaching Ai. It was co author with Peter Evans-Greenwood and Kellie Nuttall” https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/rethinking-future-of-work-models-to-predict-the-unpredictable.html Chapters:02:30 Indigenous art, heritage, and community connection06:00 Black Saturday and entering disaster recovery work11:30 “Just pick up the phone” — lessons from Greensburg, Kansas17:00 Action over words and stepping forward when nobody knows what to do24:00 Building startups: prototypes not PowerPoints30:00 Packform and redesigning the packaging supply chain36:00 AI as a new knowledge superpower45:00 The biggest risk of AI: laziness52:00 Social media, technology cycles, and what actually matters58:00 Kindness, leadership, and paying it forwardExplore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and North of Melbourne, Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung lands, 4 March, 2026Produced at the Violet Town and Benalla offices, 4 - 8 March, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Gina Rembe about testing what works, pragmatic systems and process design, and creating structural change that holds.Gina is Head of Human & Organisational Development at ProjectTogether in Berlin, leading complex, cross-sector transformation initiatives. Her career spans Associate Director of Human-Centered Design at PwC New Zealand, systems-intervention leadership at Lifehack, and deep involvement with Enspiral’s global network. She has led youth mental health innovation, circular futures initiatives, large-scale stakeholder processes, and experience design across government, construction, and social impact sectors.Drawing on more than a decade of systems work across Europe, Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand, Gina reflects on what actually creates durable impact: testing and iterating, designing strong containers, shaping pragmatic next steps, and building relationships that outlast projects.This is a conversation about structural ambition grounded in practice, community resilience in uncertain times, and why scrappy prototypes can become lasting systems.This episode explores:• Process design as craft: shaping invitations, containers, and stakeholder journeys • Pragmatism in complex systems: test, iterate, build on what resonates• Prototypes, stories, and output as communication tools• Youth wellbeing innovation and open-source resources that continue to ripple years later• Scrappy prototypes and communication to provide vision, structural ambition, and learning through “loose” systems• Enspiral’s networked model and long-term community development• Experience design and adding delight to serious work• Impossible projects, limited budgets, and making them real• Geopolitics, civic responsibility, and strengthening local community ties• Relationships first: lessons from New Zealand about connection before agendaGuest links• Gina Rembe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-rembe-3a607014/• Enspiral: https://www.enspiral.com/• The youth wellbeing innovation initiative – Lifehack: https://lifehackhq.co• Dan Burgess and Good for Nothing: https://goodfornothing.co• Maggie Doyne @ the DO Lectures: https://thedolectures.com/speakers/maggie-doyne/Chapters03:08 Choosing mission-driven challenges and structural change07:42 Testing, building prototypes and using stories as communication tools11:38 DO Lectures Wales and life-changing moments14:26 Family lineage, craft, and mediation16:47 Slowing down and ‘relationships-first’ in New Zealand24:19 Building community intentionally in Berlin27:23 Long-term networked impact with Enspiral and Lifehack (youth mental health), and open-source innovation33:30 Scrappy systems, governance tensions, and learning by doing40:24 Experience design, adding delight to retreats and spaces of care48:28 Impossible projects and doing more with less51:14 Digital lightness vs real-world weight52:30 Neighbours, local resilience, and small acts of communityExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.au Learn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.au Subscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Berlin, 1 February, 2026Produced at the Violet Town and Peregian Beach offices, 1 February - 3 March, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Vasu (Vasudevan) Sreenidhi about building meaningful success in high-pressure environments, aligning growth with integrity, and creating education systems that serve students, families, and partners with dignity.Vasu leads the B2B India business and global MBBS vertical at MetaApply, working with thousands of recruitment agencies, universities, and institutional partners to make international education more aligned, transparent, and effective. With over a decade across training, operations, strategic partnerships, and overseas education platforms including AcadFly and Adventus, he brings a practitioner’s lens to scale, trust, and decision-making in complex systems.This is a practical, grounded conversation about bringing heart to work, being aware of the impact on others and having integrity, while creating business success.This episode explores:• Choosing family over prestige, including turning down a top-tier US business school offer • The Indian “pressure cooker” and how comparison becomes a treadmill • Detachment from outcomes and staying devoted to effort • Building scalable international education systems grounded in trust and clarity • Aligning students, universities, and recruitment partners without losing human judgment • Clarity for students, teams, and families when stakes feel high • Parenting, perspective, and the dignity of everyday work • Appreciation as fuel: reducing burnout and reinforcing what matters • Faith across traditions and the practice of being human • A question worth returning to: are you building something impressive or something meaningful?Guest links• Vasu (Vasudevan) Sreenidhi: https://in.linkedin.com/in/sreenidhi-vasudevanChapters02:40 Ambition and peace, putting family first and the comparison treadmill06:09 Parenting as a teacher: life is lived while you figure it out10:39 Detachment from outcomes, devotion to effort, and “upgrade time”12:49 Building international education systems with dignity, trust, and access18:09 The reality of global education sales, sector change, and increasing student confusion27:35 India: delivery riders, teachers, wealth, and perspective30:46 Faith across traditions and the practice of being human35:18 Appreciation: invisibility, uncertainty, fatigue, and ambition with gratitudeExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Terang and Telangana, India, 1 February, 2026Produced at the Violet Town and Peregian Beach offices, 1 February – 2 March, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with leadership practitioner, systems designer, and PhD candidate Em Roblin about thriving as vitality and learning, and flourishing as something we build together across an ecosystem.Em works at moments of transition, when something new is emerging. She has over two decades of experience across thirty countries and has designed and facilitated transformational leadership programs for multinationals, venture capital firms, startup ecosystems, and business schools. Her work spans inclusive leadership, cross-cultural collaboration, thriving cultures in frontier environments, and learning ecosystems designed for adaptive capacity.Em is also a PhD candidate in Transformative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies and a Fellow of the International Humanistic Management Association, bridging rigorous transdisciplinary research with co-creative practice.In this conversation, Em shares what she is learning through deep work, research, and facilitation, including what it looks like to design playful, low-risk spaces where people can practise leadership in complexity, sense what is needed, and learn in real time.Together, they explore the new "Flourishing Lab", the “hold the inquiry” stance, cultural unicorns who lift communities, and how we can shift from envy into celebration as part of building healthy cultures.This episode explores: • Thriving as vitality and learning• Why achievement can still feel like stagnation • Flourishing in an ecosystem: “If you’re not alright, can I be alright?” • Deep work as a habit in family and client ecosystems • The Flourishing Lab: leadership simulation practice, reflection, and integration • “What is this situation asking of me now?” • Flourishing in complexity: uncertainty, paradox, and staying human • Cultural unicorns: people who see, hear, and lift others in ways that build health • Turning envy into celebration and path-trust, as a leadership capacityGuest links: • Em Roblin (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/emroblin/• Em Roblin (Website): https://www.emroblin.com/• Em's news: https://emroblin.substack.com/• Flourishing Lab (2-day workshop): https://luma.com/zamnd95h• Dawn’s Cultural Unicorns X Post: https://x.com/dawninthewild/status/2024007977402069436?s=46• Learn your Principles You archetype: https://principlesyou.com/ Chapters: 01:19 Thriving vs flourishing: vitality, learning, and the ecosystem lens 06:10 Deep work as a habit, and the real constraints of family and clients 10:24 Designing conditions to flourish at Network School with PrinciplesYou 18:08 Playful simulations, change, and reflection as a learning engine 21:10 Leaving day one “unfinished”, and why integration takes time 27:13 Holding the inquiry, dancing the edge of growth without getting hurt 29:10 Otto Scharmer, transforming business education, and humanistic leadership 34:33 Cultural unicorns: seeing, hearing, and lifting others as community currency 40:39 Crafting your own conditions for thriving in chaotic timesExplore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Peregian Beach and Bali, 19 February, 2026Produced at the Peregian Beach and Sunshine Motorway offices, 19 February - 1 March, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Jacqui Simpson about backing yourself as a commercial generalist, human-centred leadership, and believing you can “work stuff out” in complex environments.Jacqui brings over thirty years of senior business, people and culture experience, and more recently as a business co-owner. Jacqui shares stories from major transformation work across Australia and internationally, and reflects on how clarity is often created through prioritisation, discernment, and staying close to the people who will live with the outcome. Together, they explore successful transformation across corporates and SMEs, technology-enabled progress, and what becomes possible when leaders combine instinct with disciplined execution.This episode explores:• Confidence from being a generalist who can “work stuff out”• Cross-cultural teams, belonging, and what great collaboration can feel like• Change anchored in human context that works• Commercial leadership grounded in lived experience• The role of intuition, discernment, and “knowing where something comes from” in leadership decisions• Staying focused on what matters when you are stretched thin• Ultra-distance paddle-boarding, dark training and steady commitment• Parenting as a mirror and learning through relationshipGuest Links:• Jacqui Simpson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-g-simpson2023/Chapters:01:30 Courageous women skiers and taking on scary challenges to learn fast07:20 Stoicism, beyond a perfect facade, and achieving balance for performance10:27 Strategy, tactics, and focusing on the valuable  “big rocks”  for the business19:00 The opportunity for People and Culture people and being a straight shooter22:01 The human differentiator, AI agents and asking instinctual questions37:43 Standup paddle-boarding, competitions and sharks44:34 Being constantly courageous, constantly pushing yourself out of your comfort zone51:54 Surprising ourselves with achieving physically and setting yourself up for the day53:18 Parenting teens and the delight on the other side of itExplore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Violet Town and Auckland, 4 February, 2026Produced at the Peregian Beach and Sunshine Motorway offices, 4 - 24 February, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with David Stancel about teaching complex ideas clearly, building practical tools with AI, and designing infrastructure that supports individuals gaining freedom and sovereignty over their lives.David is an educator, entrepreneur, advisor and founder of Polystate.io.  He's spent the last 12 years in crypto, initially researching and then building infrastructure for financial freedom. He first had a failed crypto startup, then successful Fumbi, the market leader for Czech and Slovak Republic crypto investing then CorkProtocol, backed by a16z. Drawing on his work in crypto education, network states, and remote-first systems, in this conversation, David reflects on teaching, his entrepreneurial experiences, and why grounded thinking matters at the edge of technology.This conversation is about digital literacy, autonomy, and building thoughtfully with emerging tools.This episode explores• A simple explanation of Bitcoin, blockchain, and why it matters• Teaching as translation and credibility• AI tools for building faster, learning faster, and shipping more often• Polystate.io and infrastructure for digital nomads• Building tools for digital nomads, for autonomy and mobilityGuest links• David: https://davidstancel.com/• Learn about crypto and network states with David: https://davidstancel.com/slides• David's news https://davidstancel.substack.com • David’s latest company: https://polystate.io/• Coin Story, David's book: https://coinstory.tech/ • Cursor: https://cursor.com• VS Code: https://vscode.dev/• Replit: https://replit.com/• Loveable: https://loveable.dev/• Network School: https://ns.comChapters3:06 Teaching crypto clearly7:40 Beginner-friendly definition of blockchain and Bitcoin13:44 Building community and belonging through inspired events18:40 Ninety million digital nomads, autonomy and building Polystate.io22:00 Solo time: writing a book on Madeira Island, deep work and getting things done25:07 The future skill: getting fluent with AI tools and AI use cases27:40 App-building stack: IDEs, Claude Cowork, VS Code, Cursor, Replit, and LoveableExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne and Network School, January 22, 2026Produced at the Travancore, Violet Town, Peregian and Sunshine Motorway offices, 26 January - 22 February, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Jen Goss about food as care, teaching cooking through doing, and creating systems that help people look after themselves and each other.Drawing on Jen’s experience across hospitality, catering, and building the charity Cegin y Bobl (The People’s Kitchen), this conversation explores practical capability, community resilience, and the quiet leadership of feeding people well. Jen reflects on education, curriculum reform, and how cooking restores confidence, agency, and belonging.This is a conversation about nourishment, systems thinking in education, and the everyday practices that strengthen communities.This episode explores• Food as a practice of attention, care, and belonging• Teaching practical skills that restore confidence• Cooking as agency and companionship• Rethinking education curriculum and real-world capability• Building community kitchens and systems that support everyday life• The dishes and places that carry memory and meaningGuest links• Jen Goss: https://www.ourtwoacres.co.uk• Cegin y Bobl: https://ceginybobl.co.uk• The Do Lectures (watch a talk, apply to attend): https://thedolectures.com/events/do-wales/• Welsh blankets, Sian and fforest: https://www.instagram.com/coldatnight/• The delicious cheese store, Ultracomida: https://www.ultracomida.co.uk/page/venues/aberystwyth  Jen’s books• Do Preserve https://thedobook.co/products/do-preserve-make-your-own-jams-chutneys-pickles-cordials• Do Smoke https://thedobook.co/products/do-smoke-a-modern-guide-to-cooking-and-curingChapters03:00 Creating food for many, simple curation and beauty09:30 The simple omelet and how food gathers people14:10 Community kitchens and collaborating to cook for the masses19:30 Teaching cooking to children and teachers, transforming communities 34:00 Delegation, favourite dishes and wild, wintry West WalesExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne and Wales, 22 January, 2026Produced at the Travencore, Violet Town, Langwarrin and Peregian offices, 26 January - 20 February, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Iris Ray Nunn about deep listening, attunement to nature, and remembering what we already know.Iris's background spans social entrepreneurship, clinical aromatherapy and body-work, activism, growing businesses and more recently regularly guiding at Uluru, one of the sacred sites at the centre of Australia. This is a welcoming and spacious conversation about sensing, slowing down, and reconnecting with the intelligence within. Iris guides us through deep listening practices, nature-based awareness, and presence.This episode explores• Deep listening as a way of knowing• Nature as an intelligent collaborator, when we tune in• Sensory awareness and embodied perception in nature• Intuition and the unique, inner signal• Creating space for emerging insight Guest links• Iris Ray Nunn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irisraynunn/• Deep Listening to Nature: https://www.deeplisteningtonature.com/contact• Deep Listening to Nature Retreats (individual / group / team): https://www.instagram.com/reels/DVZpNsDkrZz/• Latest updates via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deeplisteningtonature and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deeplistening2nature• 10,000 AMEND https://www.facebook.com/AncientMotherEarthNewDreaming • Words from Iris: “Learn rare, simple deep listening skills that awaken an embodied knowing of our belonging in Nature. Skills which can be easily shared with family and friends to bring greater peace and comfort in our world. If you would like to know more about how you can help young Anangu mothers in their self employment efforts at Uluru, please get in touch."All welcome to send a request or private message to https://www.facebook.com/iris.r.nunn Chapters02:10 Iris’ childhood in the Gap, Brisbane, by the Enoggera Creek07:20 The influence of water and nature13:00 Uluru, ngangkari, healers and wisdom of elders17:18 The origin of the Aṉangu and animal and plant family21:30 The present moment, Aṉangu learning and sacred site insights37:00 Finding the wild spirit through book writing46:00 Having courage to go beyond the comfort zone and dropping fearExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Peregian Beach and Crabbes Creek, 16 February, 2026Produced at the Peregian Beach office, 17-18 February, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Nick Jaffe about focus, responsibility, and designing a life that is both enjoyable and exacting.Drawing on Nick’s experiences as a freelance photographer, filmmaker, sailor, overlander, craftsman, writer, builder, entrepreneur, surfer, and dad, this conversation explores hyper-focus, tolerance for discomfort, and how life changes with responsibility for others.This is an honest conversation about agency, endurance, and choosing how to live well. This episode explores• Hyper-focus and decisive execution• Designing life for freedom and readiness• Responsibility as a clarifier• Risk, endurance, and tolerance for discomfort• Activism, privacy, and moral seriousness• Building work and products that lastGuest links• Nick Jaffe: https://www.nickjaffe.com.au• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nick_jaffe• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@NickJaffe• Kohutt™ - Nick's Australian-made goods label https://kohutt.com.au • Kohutt Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kohutt.workshop• "The Years of Thunder" by Nick Jaffe https://www.nickjaffe.com.au/bookChapters02:20 Hyper-focus, full commitment, and getting things done06:20 The best life experience: children08:04 Designing an interesting life15:34 Flow, Federation Square, privacy, and partnerships19:10 Privacy, apps, and AI agents23:00 Wild surfing, remote Tasmania, and secret lagoon barrels34:00 Readiness, opportunity, fool-hardiness, and being lucky38:04 Circumnavigation, big ambitions, and containerised efficiency42:00 Establishing Kohutt™ and building heirloom, outdoor gearExplore furtherBook a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne, 25 January, 2026Produced at the Travancore, Violet Town, Tullamarine and Peregian offices, 1 - 15 February, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Peter Spence about accessing natural genius through joy, presence, and expansive ways of thinking.Pete reflects on decades of work across elite sport, coaching, arts, and leadership, drawing insights from cricket, ballet, and Cirque du Soleil. Together, they explore how inner focus, openness, and joy support sustained performance, meaningful collaboration, and more fulfilling ways of living and working.This episode explores• Joy and satisfaction as foundations for performance• How high performers access “no thought” states• Self-organisation, spontaneity, & non-linear thinking• Coaching as listening, facilitation, & restraint• Moving beyond mechanical toward quantum perspectives• Self-organisation as a core human capacityGuest links:• Peter Spence: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-spence-6021016/• Shawn Green: The Way of Baseball (stillness and “no thought”) • Dr Amy Saltzman: mindfulness in sport, medicine, and education• Graham Winter: hleadership, sport psychology, and Olympic work https://www.grahamwinterpsychology.com• Debbie Muir: coaching, leadership, and Great Traits https://medium.com/@debbiemuir/about• Meg Wheatley: Soul-grounded Leadership and systems thinking https://margaretwheatley.com/• Kalvinder Shields: economics, leadership, and meditation https://meditationaustralia.org.au/about-us/ma-council-and-patrons/• Dr Elise Bialylew – Mindful in May https://www.mindfulinmay.org/• Chris Laszlo https://www.sustainablevaluepartners.comBooks:• The Way of Baseball: Finding Stillness at 95 mph by Shawn Green & Gordon McAlpine https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Way-of-Baseball/Shawn-Green/9781439191200• A Still Quiet Place for Athletes by Dr Amy Saltzman https://stillquietplace.com/product/a-still-quiet-place-for-athletes-mindfulness-skills-for-achieving-peak-performance-and-finding-flow-in-sports-and-life/ • Quantum Leadership: New Consciousness in Business by Tsao & Laszlo https://www.sup.org/books/business/quantum-leadership• Works by Danah Zohar on quantum thinkingChapters:02:17 High performance across arts, sport, business07:15 Cricket in Australia alongside ballet and rugby11:22 Innovation in elite sport, openness, and fulfilling lives20:00 AI, directorship, mindful technology, and Graham Winter27:00 Joy as a foundation for satisfaction and achievement35:00 AIS, VIS, and Cirque du Soleil performance models48:20 Mindfulness and recognising individual talentExplore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne, 16 January, 2026Produced at the Travancore and Violet Town offices, 26 January - 6 February, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Olena Severyn about building a grounded, mobile life through community, presence, and thoughtful communication.Olena shares how choosing the right environments, cultivating presence, and how writing genuinely human emails support meaningful work, wellbeing, and connection. Drawing on her experience as a digital nomad, email strategist, and wellness practitioner, this conversation explores how calm, clarity, and simplicity create work that people want to engage with.This is a practical and reflective conversation about community, attention, and designing rhythms that support both performance and optimism.This episode explores:• Community as a compass for travel, work, and decision-making• Presence and self-awareness in a mobile, nomadic life• The freediving mindset: calm, grounded, and steady under pressure• Writing emails people actually want to read• Simple communication that builds trust and connection• Work rhythms that support focus, wellbeing, and optimismGuest links:• Olena Severyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olena-severyn/• Network School: https://www.ns.com• Recommended book: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle https://eckharttolle.com/the-power-of-now/Chapters:01:02 Olena’s background, destination travel, and community-first living11:40 Freediving, presence, and calm under pressure19:00 Staying connected through simple communication21:40 Writing emails people actually read30:05 Belonging and contribution35:00 Building successful communities at Network School38:00 Productivity, structure, and balance as a digital nomad41:00 Listening to your body: nutrition and self-trust43:22 Inner work, optimism, and imagining positive futuresExplore further:Discover your Natural Genius one-on-one with Sam: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne and Bali, 18 January, 2026Produced at the Travancore and Violet Town offices, 26 January - 5 February, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with long-time friend and leadership practitioner Rosalinda Batson about emotional intelligence as a lived practice, intuition, and committing fully to meaningful work without keeping a plan B.Drawing on decades of experience in leadership development, organisational dynamics, and emotional intelligence, Ros reflects on courage, integrity, motherhood, friendship, and long-term contribution. This is a conversation about leading with awareness, backing big decisions, and building a life with boundaries that hold.This episode explores• Emotional intelligence as a daily leadership practice• Intuition, sensing, and decision-making• Fear, love, and commitment without an escape hatch• Leadership, motherhood, feminism and sustainable boundaries• Long-term contribution, volunteering, and integrity• Deep friendship and what it createsGuest links• Rosalinda Batson: https://au.linkedin.com/in/rosbatson• Neural Networks: https://neuralnetworks.com.au• Emotional Intelligence for Leaders, Coaches and Changemakers: Free version: https://www.neuralnetworks.com.au/free-ebook and full book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Leaders-Coaches-Changemakers-Emotional-Intelligence/dp/B0FF538YSW/ Chapters00:14 Introduction to Rosalinda02:42 Knowing what you stand for as a leader06:29 Intuition, sensing, and decision-making11:00 Commitment without a plan B19:36 Writing, feminism, and self-actualisation27:25 Courage, contribution, and volunteering at scale33:40 Getting a lot done together and cultivating curiosity40:00 Emotional Intelligence for Leaders, Coaches and Changemakers45:00 Friendship, parenting, and shared adventuresExplore furtherSignal Check-In: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.CreditsHosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne, 23 January, 2026Produced at the Violet Town, Terang and Warrnambool offices, 26 January - 1 February, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with educator and collaborator Hamish Curry about curiosity as a way of moving through life and work, designing conditions for serendipity, and education that builds agency.Drawing on Hamish’s work across Cool.org, the State Library of Victoria, and the DO Lectures Australia, this is a conversation about playfulness, designing experiences, and creating environments where people deeply learn and can’t quite explain why they’re feeling a certain way.This episode explores:• A “go have adventures” operating principle• Curated serendipity and the conditions that invite meaningful collisions• Curiosity as a driver of learning• Designing memorable experiences using people, place, and program• Building community through education and shared experiences• Hope, optimism, and practical frameworks that support action• The success of the DO lectures AustraliaGuest links:• Hamish Curry - General Manager, Cool.org. Educator, enabler, collaborator, schemer. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishcurry• Eddie Harran https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardharran • Cool.org’s Hope and Act Frameworks & AI Literacy for Teachers Course• Enjoy a DO lectures Australia talk: https://thedolectures.com/everything/?eventType=DO%20Australia • the DO lectures Australia venue & (hosts) Tess & Graham Payne - payneshut.com• Apply for the DO lectures https://thedolectures.com/events/do-wales/ • Pete Spence, Sports & Performance Consultant and creator of Creative Performance Exchange (CPX) https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-spence-6021016/Books:• Orbiting the Giant Hairball – Gordon MacKenzieMusic:• To Let a Good Thing Die – Bruno Majorhttps://open.spotify.com/track/2nMeu6UenVvwUktBCpLMK9Chapters:02:30 Playfulness in work, curiosity, learning through experience and sagacity06:10 Designing successful experiences09:30 Curated serendipity12:00 People, place, program: designing deeply memorable experiences18:40 Creating community and memorable learning experiences39:47 Hope and Optimism, the Hope + Act framework and working with Harvard researchers Explore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne, 16 January, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Nicklas Wallberg about social entrepreneurship, trust, and designing work that people genuinely want to show up for.Drawing on experience across facilitation, social entrepreneurship, and cross-sector collaboration, Nicklas shares how trust is built early, how conditions for truth-telling are created, and why joy is not a by-product of good work but a deliberate design choice.This is a grounded conversation about courage, collaboration, and making thoughtful career decisions that create freedom and long-term impact.This episode explores:• Social entrepreneurship and individual leadership• Trust-building that starts early and compounds over time• Collaboration across systems and sectors• Creating truth invitations and conditions for honest dialogue• Joy and fun as deliberate design choices in meaningful work• Making hard career decisions that lead to growth and freedomGuest links:• Nicklas Wallberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nwallberg/• Tram Sessions: https://www.youtube.com/@TramSessionsChapters:00:13 Introduction to Nicklas01:04 Improving systems through social entrepreneurship and Tram Sessions08:00 Facilitation, trust, and early conditions17:40 Why social impact attracts good people and how joy is embedded in work31:00 Choosing when to leave a great role and trusting the next chapter35:00 Lessons from Nicklas’s grandfather on kindness and leadershipExplore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne and Stockholm, 20 January, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with strategic advisor Lisa Gamboni about strengthening your voice, holding clarity under pressure, and leading in ways that create space for others to succeed.Drawing on decades in high-stakes commercial environments, Lisa reflects on self-belief, empathy, and discernment as essential capabilities for clear thinking and grounded leadership. This is a practical conversation about agency, courage, and  effective leadership.This episode explores:• Strengthening your voice in complex environments, being your own snowflake: doing “you” (uniquely) • Self-belief under pressure, and saying what others won’t• Calling out bullying• Developing capability: high performance teams, senior leaders, new consultants• Deep empathy and natural instinct as core advisory capabilities• The conditions that let executive teams “make room” for each other• Lisa's observations of successful, high performance teams and leaders from her time as a senior partner at KPMG, Deloitte, and boutique consultancies, working with private equity firms and businesses across the globeGuest links:• Lisa Gamboni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-gamboni/• Dealside: https://dealside.com.au/Chapters:02:06 Thinking for yourself, and backing your own view06:50 Empathy and the human context behind performance10:27 Challenging unacceptable behavior in leadership15:40 Lisa’s sixth sense in assessing leaders capabilities24:20 “Big buckets of cold water” to calm inflamed, high-pressure situations30:10 Telepathy and flow in high performing teams35:00 The “Mickey Mouse” approach: listening more38:20 Leadership that makes room for everyone’s success 43:49 Under pressure: “Do you want the answer or the lesson?”48:00 Highly valued advisory: one slide, one phrase, one story Explore further:Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Credits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne, 16 January, 2026Natural Genius Podcast https://naturalgenius.com.au

This is a short, repeatable Signal Check-In you can return to whenever you need clarity. It’s designed for moments when things feel busy or unclear. A few minutes to listen, trust and focus. Bring your phone timer, a pen, paper and open mind.In this episode: • A way to settle your system • A question to reveal what matters • Space for knowing to emergeExplore further: Natural Genius Signal Reply: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Chapters:0:12 Introduction0:22 Signal Check-in2:23 Close & SuggestionsCredits:Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne, 4 January, 2026Natural Genius Podcast: https://naturalgenius.com.au 

Natural Genius is a podcast and Lab for founders, operators, and leaders who want greater signal and a clear next move.In this opening episode, Natural Genius Founder, Samantha (Sam) Bell, shares why this podcast exists, who it’s for, and how clarity often arrives when we  listen and trust.This episode explores:• Why inner signal matters• How listening changes decision-making• What “natural genius” actually points toExplore further:Signal Check-In: https://naturalgenius.com.auBook a Natural Genius Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.auLearn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.auSubscribe to hear future episodes.Chapters: 00:14 Welcome & Sam's background 04:30 Tapping inner knowing 05:27 Creativity in business06:00 Apply for a free Natural Genius LabCredits: Hosted by Samantha (Sam) Bell in Melbourne, 4 January, 2026Natural Genius Podcast: https://naturalgenius.com.au