What if the key to innovation isn’t thinking bigger — but slowing down?
In this episode of What is Innovation?, Jared Simmons is joined by Cynthia Kane, founder of the Kane Intentional Communication Institute and author of The Pause Principle. Cynthia brings a deeply personal and practical perspective to innovation, drawing from her experience teaching over 70,000 people how to communicate with clarity, compassion, and calm.
The conversation explores how communication—with ourselves and others—is a practice that shapes not only our relationships but also our ability to navigate change, uncertainty, and complexity. Cynthia shares her journey from loss to discovery, illustrating how curiosity, mindfulness, and self-awareness can transform the way we lead, build, and collaborate.
Whether you’re leading a company or navigating a tough conversation, this episode offers a grounding approach to innovation that begins within.
Guest Bio:
Cynthia Kane is the founder of the Kane Intentional Communication Institute and the author of four books, including The Pause Principle: How to Keep Your Cool in Tough Situations. A certified meditation and mindfulness instructor and breathing coach, Cynthia has helped over 70,000 people improve the way they communicate through her bestselling courses and training programs. Her work blends principles of Right Speech, mindfulness, and intentional action to create sustainable change in communication and leadership.
What You’ll Learn:
Why innovation isn’t always about doing something new — but doing it differently
How communication becomes a practice of clarity, curiosity, and connection
The link between mindfulness and effective leadership
How to speak to yourself with kindness (and why it matters for innovation)
Why responding is more powerful than reacting in high-stakes situations
The difference between making things easy and making them simple
Highlighted Insight:
“Innovation is a flowing river, not a series of hurdles. It moves. It breathes. It responds.”
Quote to Remember:
“Go where it’s easy. Innovation doesn’t have to be hard. It just has to be yours.”
Resources & Links:
Free 30-Day Pause Challenge available on her website
About the Host:
Jared Simmons is the Founder and Principal of OUTLAST Consulting, a boutique firm helping organizations unlock innovation through intentional action. With leadership experience at Procter & Gamble, McKinsey & Company, and Coca-Cola, Jared blends corporate strategy with entrepreneurial thinking to help clients innovate on their own terms.
What if the true barrier to innovation isn't a lack of ideas, but how we manage them?
In this episode of What is Innovation?, Jared Simmons sits down with Steve Hinch — award-winning author, high-tech executive, and innovation consultant — to uncover the overlooked mechanics of corporate and startup innovation. Drawing on decades of leadership experience at Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies, and startup ventures, Steve breaks down innovation into four clear categories, reframes failure as a learning opportunity, and explains why managing innovation demands a radically different mindset.
Whether you’re in a Fortune 500 boardroom or an early-stage startup, this conversation delivers insight on how to build repeatable innovation processes, manage risk with purpose, and make sure your great ideas don’t die at the delivery stage.
Guest Bio:
Steve Hinch is the author of Winning Through Innovation: Lessons from the Front Lines of Business, winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award. With a long career spanning senior R&D, marketing, and general management roles at Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies, Steve has also served as CEO of TeamLogic IT. He now consults with senior leaders across industries to design innovation strategies and processes that work, from product launches to corporate transformations.
What You’ll Learn:
A simple 4-part framework for classifying innovation: product/process + incremental/disruptive
Why innovation in large corporations fails — and how to fix it
How to manage innovation differently from traditional projects
Why failure is critical to innovation (and how venture capitalists accept it)
How to protect innovation from corporate reporting cycles and quarterly pressure
What support really looks like in a thriving corporate innovation culture
Highlighted Insight:
“Innovation is not just about seeing opportunity — it’s about delivering it profitably. Without delivery, even the best idea is useless.”
Quote to Remember:
“In the startup world, 80% of ventures fail. But that 20% that succeed? That’s where the real return is — and failure is part of the learning.”
Resources & Links:
About the Host:
Jared Simmons is the Founder and Principal of OUTLAST Consulting, a boutique firm helping organizations unlock innovation through intentional action. With leadership experience at Procter & Gamble, McKinsey & Company, and Coca-Cola, Jared blends corporate strategy with entrepreneurial thinking to help clients innovate on their own terms.
What does it mean to build something enduring in a world obsessed with fast growth and quick exits?
In this episode of What is Innovation?, Jared Simmons sits down with Shawn Nelson, CEO and founder of Lovesac, to explore the deeper layers of innovation in business, leadership, and life. From making beanbags in his parents’ basement to running a public company approaching a billion in revenue, Shawn shares how clarity of purpose and long-term thinking can turn small product decisions into disruptive innovation.
The conversation dives into how leaders can define their own innovation “domain,” why originality isn’t a requirement for progress, and how the tension between ambition and patience can shape entire organizations. Shawn also unpacks the real cost of growth — from taking outside capital to making tough calls on talent and timing.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the pressure to “do something new,” this episode offers a grounding and practical lens for building, inventing, and innovating — one step (and one season) at a time.
Guest Bio:
Shawn Nelson is the founder and CEO of Lovesac, a public company known for its patented, high-performance modular furniture. A product designer, entrepreneur, and TV personality, Shawn holds a master’s in Strategic Design and Management and teaches at Parsons, The New School for Design. His recent book and podcast, Let Me Save You 25 Years, distills lessons from his two-decade journey scaling Lovesac from startup to publicly traded brand.
What You’ll Learn:
Why innovation can be organizationally specific — and why that matters
How to balance quarterly demands with long-term vision as a public company
Why originality is overrated, and domain clarity is crucial
What “patient ambition” looks like in real leadership
How to use purpose to attract talent and guide product innovation
Highlighted Insight:“Innovation doesn’t have to be original. It just has to be new to you, your team, or your company. And it has to move you forward.”
Quote to Remember:“Maintain top ambition with infinite patience. That’s the hardest part and the secret to building something real.”
Resources & Links:
Lovesac – Modular furniture with a mission
About the Host:
Jared Simmons is the Founder and Principal of OUTLAST Consulting, a boutique firm helping organizations unlock innovation through intentional action. With leadership experience at Procter & Gamble, McKinsey & Company, and Coca-Cola, Jared blends corporate strategy with entrepreneurial thinking to help clients innovate on their own terms.
When most people think about innovation, law firms don’t usually come to mind; Zack Oliva is working to change that. In this episode, Jared Simmons talks with Zack, Managing Partner at Oliva Gibbs and founder of Oliva Partners Management, about how innovation in professional services isn’t always about new technology or radical inventions. Sometimes, it starts with running things a little differently.
Zack shares how treating his law firm like a business--with a clear strategy, leadership team, defined culture, and coaching-based development--has positioned it as a forward-thinking force in the energy sector. He also offers a candid look at the promise and pitfalls of AI in the legal field, what spreadsheets and digital courthouses have done for the oil and gas industry, and why innovation starts with a willingness to embrace uncertainty without fear.
The episode also explores deeper themes: the emotional intelligence required for entrepreneurial leadership, the fine line between risk and danger, and how reframing tough decisions can make innovation more accessible. If you’ve ever wrestled with fear-based decision-making or wondered what innovation looks like outside of tech startups, this episode is for you.
Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction to Zack Oliva
01:19 — Redefining innovation: invention vs. improvement
02:45 — Running a law firm like a business
04:28 — AI in law: ethics, risks, and opportunities
06:26 — Operational innovation in legal services
09:28 — Innovation in oil and gas data & drilling
13:31 — Why the energy sector demands constant innovation
14:24 — Avoiding bureaucracy and staying nimble
15:37 — Innovation ≠ decisions made in fear
17:47 — Reframing risk: uncertainty vs. danger
20:50 — The “go get the bread” metaphor for risk-taking
22:06 — Balancing risk with reputation in law
24:25 — Managing ego and team-based decision-making
25:34 — Advice for innovators: trust your gut and your people
About the Guest:
Zack Oliva is the Managing Partner of Oliva Gibbs LLP, a firm known for its deep expertise in the energy sector. He also leads Oliva Partners Management, a long-only value investment fund for high-net-worth families. With a reputation for bridging legal strategy and business operations, Zack brings a unique perspective to innovation in both professional services and capital markets. He is also a passionate mentor and lifelong learner (and Jiu Jitsu practitioner).
About the Host:
Jared Simmons is the Founder and Principal of OUTLAST Consulting, a boutique firm helping organizations unlock innovation through intentional action. With leadership experience at Procter & Gamble, McKinsey & Company, and Coca-Cola, Jared blends corporate strategy with entrepreneurial thinking to help clients innovate on their own terms.
Innovation isn’t just new. It’s radical — and when we treat it like a minor update or a clever tweak, we undermine its potential. In this episode, Jared Simmons speaks with Stefan F. Dieffenbacher, founder of Digital Leadership AG and author of How to Create Innovation, to challenge the status quo around innovation strategy and execution.
With experience leading major transformation projects for companies like Amazon, BMW, and Google, Stefan outlines how most organizations fail by mislabeling incremental improvements as innovation — and by applying the same tools and processes across all types of change. He explains why innovation requires its own distinct mindset, resource model, and methodology, and how most companies neglect the “accelerator” side of innovation, leading to promising ideas being crushed by their own systems.
This episode explores topics like the Three Horizons of Growth, how to structure incubators and accelerators, and how applying engineering principles to innovation can drastically reduce the failure rate. Stefan also shares insights from his global community of 60+ contributors, whose work has culminated in the most comprehensive innovation framework currently available.
If you’re looking to better understand what makes innovation succeed — and why so many companies get it wrong — this conversation offers clear, actionable insights rooted in years of hands-on experience and research.
Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction to Stefan F. Dieffenbacher
01:00 — Innovation, transformation, and radical change
02:13 — Why “new to us” is not innovation
04:13 — Aligning methods with the type of innovation
06:45 — Incubators vs. accelerators
09:59 — The danger of putting $1M ideas in $1B portfolios
11:28 — When a business is ready to integrate innovation
12:29 — What happens when we mislabel change as innovation
13:22 — Why most innovations fail — and how to change that
16:10 — Innovation as an engineering discipline
18:49 — Underinvestment and innovation’s ROI potential
22:05 — Integration > excellence in individual domains
25:14 — Is innovation an industry or a project type?
27:04 — Focus innovation where you differentiate
29:54 — Why finance probably isn’t the place to innovate
31:45 — Advice for innovators and free access to tools
Resources Mentioned:
➤ How to Create Innovation (book + open source toolkit)
About the Guest:
Stefan F. Dieffenbacher is the founder of Digital Leadership AG and lead author of How to Create Innovation. With more than 20 large-scale innovation and transformation projects under his belt, Stefan helps global organizations mature their innovation capabilities and drive strategic growth. His open-source innovation platform has reached over 100,000 users worldwide.
About the Host:
Jared Simmons is the Founder and Principal of OUTLAST Consulting, a boutique firm helping organizations unlock innovation through intentional action. With leadership experience at Procter & Gamble, McKinsey & Company, and Coca-Cola, Jared blends corporate strategy with entrepreneurial thinking to help clients innovate on their own terms.
Title: Innovation is delivering something exceptional (with Jeremy Kourdi)
Description:
What separates innovation from imitation? In this episode, Jared Simmons talks with business author, coach, and entrepreneur Jeremy Kourdi about how innovation creates both impact and long-term value, and why originality and authenticity matter more than ever.
Jeremy shares lessons from NASA, Amazon, and even sport, while unpacking his view that innovation requires both visionary thinking and the discipline to follow through.
About Jeremy Kourdi:
Jeremy Kourdi is an executive coach, business writer, and co-founder of Expert Leader, an AI-powered leadership development platform. A former SVP at The Economist and Managing Director with Duke Corporate Education, Jeremy has written or co-authored 29 books translated into 17 languages. His latest title, 50 Ideas That Changed the World of Work, is out now from Pegasus Books.
About Jared Simmons
Jared Simmons is the Founder and Principal of OUTLAST Consulting, a boutique firm helping organizations unlock innovation through intentional action. With leadership experience at Procter & Gamble, McKinsey & Company, and Coca-Cola, Jared blends corporate strategy with entrepreneurial thinking to help clients innovate on their own terms.
Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction to Jeremy Kourdi
01:26 — What is innovation? Jeremy’s definition
04:35 — The difference between value and impact
07:35 — Innovation in sport: originality vs. reapplication
09:59 — Authenticity and creativity in innovation
12:00 — Innovation as a moment of achievement
15:07 — Innovation requires vision and execution
18:45 — Bezos, long-term thinking, and value
19:56 — How innovation shaped Jeremy’s career
23:15 — The Gary Flandro/NASA story
25:00 — Predicting vs. creating the future
28:29 — Advice for innovators: vision, priorities, ethnography
32:55 — Innovation starts with asking the right questions
What if innovation isn't about having the best idea — but about letting go of the need to be right?
In this episode, Jared Simmons talks with entrepreneurial coach, author, and facilitator David Greer about the power of thinking differently and acting differently. They explore the critical role belief systems, fear of success, and perfectionism play in holding back innovation — and why real innovators treat life like an ongoing experiment.
If you're an entrepreneur, executive, or innovator stuck between ideas and action, this conversation offers simple, powerful ways to move forward.
About David Greer:
David Greer is an entrepreneurial coach, author of Wind In Your Sails, and a catalyst for business transformation. He specializes in working with entrepreneurs facing challenges — offering coaching rooted in action, growth, and personal transformation.
Episode Guide:
00:00 — Introduction: Meet David Greer
01:10 — Innovation is any new way of thinking or doing
03:19 — Innovating through business processes
07:42 — Show, don’t tell: Why demonstrations matter
10:55 — The hidden beliefs that block innovation
13:00 — Why failure is part of real innovation
15:15 — Getting unattached to the outcome
18:21 — Efficiency culture vs. creativity culture
21:32 — How environment fuels or stifles innovation
23:44 — Learning from different industries
24:41 — Finding simple solutions to complex problems
26:38 — Advice for innovators: Take one step this week
28:40 — How to connect with David Greer
More about David
David J. Greer is an entrepreneurial coach, author, andfacilitator. He is the catalyst who gets you to fully live your dreams now. Spend one hour reading his book Wind In Your Sails, attend a one hour talk with him, or get one hour of 1-to-1 coaching and you will have 3 concrete action items that will shift and accelerate your business within 90 days. David specializes in working with entrepreneurs challenged with alcoholism or addiction. He and his wife Karalee are committed to each other and their three children, spending time supporting them in the many and varied activities they are involved with. They live in Vancouver, Canada.
About the Host:
Jared Simmons is the founder of OUTLAST Consulting and the host of What is Innovation? After building a career at Procter & Gamble, McKinsey & Company, and The Coca-Cola Company, Jared now helps organizations and individuals unlock their potential through innovation and intentional action. He’s passionate about making innovation practical, personal, and accessible — whatever that means for you.
Join us on "What is Innovation?" as we explore the true meaning of innovation with Kris Forrest, Co-Founder and CEO of C&D Tools USA. From his background in the intelligence community to leading an American manufacturing company, Kris shares insights on how innovation can be about improving existing ideas rather than just creating new ones.
Discover how his unique journey shapes his vision of innovation.
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
1:05 - What is Innovation
1:40 - Improvement over Newness
3:39 - Behind C&D Tools
5:11 - Design Choices and Engineering Challenges
8:14 - Supply Chain Innovation
10:!9 - Balancing Cost and Quality and Innovation
13: 43 - Overcoming Industry Skepticism
21:19 - Advice for Innovators
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Kris spent nearly 16 years working for Uncle Sam, four as a young Marine and the rest in various capacities, including the intelligence community and as a Diplomat with the State Department. He has thwarted warlords and worked on critical issues across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
Kris is the Co-Founder and CEO of C&D Tools USA, an American manufacturing company, where he leads go-to-market strategy and focuses on developing client and partner relationships.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
#americanmanufacturing #entrepreneurship #supplychain #WIIP
Join us as we explore the essence of innovation with Dave Martin, founder of 280 Capital Partners. From Silicon Valley's most groundbreaking technologies to the leadership qualities that drive innovation, discover how to transform your business and stay ahead in a rapidly changing world.
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:47 - What is Innovation?
1:15 - Recipe for Innovation
2:41 - IBM's Innovation Legacy
3:47 - Leadership in Innovation
4:10 - Entrepreneurship and Innovation
6:48 - Intel's Microprocessor Revolution
10:28 - Apple's iPhone Innovation
12:44 - Amazon's Retail Revolution
14:10 - AI and Future Innovation
27:49 - Government and Innovation
32:00 - Advice for Innovators
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Dave Martin, founder and managing director of 280 Capital Partners, is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. He has been CEO Leader of four information technology (IT) companies and a strategic advisor and/or executive chairman for dozens of other IT companies, where he coached hundreds of CEOs, executive leaders, and members of the board of directors. His coaching focuses on how to apply more effective thinking to a company’s leadership and strategic direction. He has coached in the same capacity as an officer or board member for non-profit industry associations and educational institutions. He received a BSE degree from Princeton University, where he also started and lettered on the varsity football and baseball teams. It was as a freshman at Princeton that he first developed the MegaCept thinking process. After graduating, he joined IBM, where he became knowledgeable in computer science and began his career in IT. Davie has led or advised many technology companies.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
Innovation: A way of thinking about the world
Is your company's culture stifling innovation? Dr. Laura Hamill, organizational psychologist and author of "The Power of Culture," argues that innovation is fundamentally about mindset.
"Innovation is a mindset. It's a way of thinking about the world," says Dr. Hamill. She emphasizes the importance of creating a culture where people feel encouraged to innovate, think differently, and connect dots.
How can leaders foster a culture of innovation in their organizations?
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:56 - What is Innovation?
2:55 - Innovation Beyond Technology
5:39 - Culture, Mindset, and Success
6:58 - Shared Mindset and Challenges in Startup Cultures
9:09 - Experience with an Insurance Company
10:51 - Book: The Power of Culture
15:28 - National Association of Corporate Directors' position paper on culture
23:04 - Familiarity Bias
26:30 - Openness and Curiosity in Career Growth
31:48 - Advice for Innovators
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Dr. Laura Hamill is an organizational psychologist and business leader, focusing on the intersection of science and HR. Laura is an expert on creating great places to work and is the owner of Paris Phoenix Group, a consulting firm specializing in forming and transforming culture. Previously, Laura worked at Microsoft and was a co-founder of Limeade. Laura has written a book called The Power of Culture with The Economist.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
Innovation isn't just about having ideas—it's about getting them done. As Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, says: "I define creativity as the ability to have an idea. We can all do that. But I genuinely believe everybody is creative, and I define innovation as the ability to get it done."
In his new book, "The Imagination Emporium: Creative Recipes for Innovation," Duncan distills his experience into a practical guide to getting things done--and having fun doing it.
How can your organization foster a culture of innovation that turns ideas into reality?
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Episode Guide:
0:52 - What is Innovation?
0:17 - Challenges in Fostering Innovation: Innovate or Die
2:26 - Four Models of Innovation at Disney
03:44 - Creating a Culture of Innovation: Imagination and Training programs
05:22 - "Yes, and" vs "No, because" Exercise
08:34 - Learning Styles and Innovation
14:21 - Resourcefulness and Creativity
16:02 - The "Whys" and Death of Curiosity by Education
18:07 - Understanding Gen Z's Purpose-Driven Mindset
21:41 - Reverse-Thinking Innovation
25:21 - The Power of "What If" in Innovation
30:31 - "The future of education is Gaming"
31:14 - Advice for future Innovators
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As the former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, Duncan Wardle played a pivotal role in fostering innovation across Imagineering, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, and Disney Parks, crafting enchanting new storylines and experiences.
Now, in his forthcoming book, The Imagination Emporium: Creative Recipes for Innovation, Duncan shares his extensive expertise to make innovation accessible to all, demystify creativity for those uncomfortable with ambiguity, and infuse the process with joy and excitement.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
Innovation is evolving - are you? In a recent conversation with Pam Buchanan, founder of Quantum Sense, we explored the deeper dimensions of innovation. Pam challenges us to think beyond products and technologies, emphasizing that true innovation starts at the soul level. "Innovation is about evolving yourself, evolving your environment, and evolving the world," says Buchanan. She argues that by focusing on soul health and creating positive, love-based environments, we can unlock unprecedented levels of creativity and innovation. How are you fostering a culture of soul-driven innovation in your organization?
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:53 - What is Innovation?
3:21 - Love-based vs Fear-based Innovation
6:15 - Innovation as Living and Evolving
11:21 - Elon Musk and Connectedness in Innovation
14:51 - Geographic Distribution and Innovation
18:33 - Creating Optimal Environments for Innovation
21:23 - Soul Health and Innovation
25:05 - Soul-driven vs. Intellect-driven Innovation
29:43 - Advice for Innovators
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Pam Buchanan, the founder of Quantum Sense, stands at the intersection of corporate prowess and soulful innovation. With over 40 years of experience in corporate America, including pivotal roles at Nasdaq where she worked closely with tech titans like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, Pam brings extensive experience to the table. Her journey to Quantum Sense began with a profound assertion: that the modern world is missing a focus on a very vital contributor to success, Soul Health.
Pam has developed programs tailored for companies that are proven to enhance employee well-being, reduce anxiety, and boost creativity, ultimately fostering a more satisfying work-life balance. Covering topics from neuro-aesthetics to sound engineering, Pam explores how these can be used to benefit the soul from the outside in, through the gateway of the senses.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
Innovation: Driving Better Outcomes or Reinforcing the Status Quo? In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, true innovation is more crucial than ever. But what separates genuine innovation from mere change? David Sinkinson, co-founder of AppArmor and author of "Startup Different," offers a thought-provoking perspective: "Innovation is not changes that reinforce the status quo. It's about doing something differently with better outcomes." How can leaders ensure their initiatives truly innovate rather than simply maintain the current state? Are your organization's "innovations" creating value or just shifting it?
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:59 - What is Innovation?
4:25 - Importance of being mission-driven
8:43 - Data-driven innovation
14:18 - What isn't innovation?
19:27 - Innovation's impact on career
24:49 - Advice for innovators
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Brothers David Sinkinson and Chris Sinkinson are proven SaaS entrepreneurs. Their bootstrapped startup, AppArmor, helped keep people safer with innovative mobile apps and emergency notification solutions for individuals across the globe. In February of 2022, their company was acquired by US competitor Rave Mobile Safety for tens of millions of dollars. Later in 2022, Rave and AppArmor were acquired for over $550 Million by Motorola Solutions. Now Dave and Chris have launched Startup Different - a book and podcast to help show you that there’s another, better way to build your business. Startup Different debunks startup myths, tackles some of the toughest challenges and gives you the tools to build your business. These down-to-earth founders prove making a successful startup has little to do with unicorns or ten-baggers and instead focuses on a proven, different method for startup success.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
Join us in a profound discussion with Rani Al Hajji, a trailblazer in the FMCG sector with over 25 years of experience at leading companies like L'Oréal and Colgate. Rani shares his unique insights on turning complex technologies into consumer-friendly solutions that not only innovate but resonate widely.
"Innovation has 4 criteria: it has to be new, it has to bring a positive dimension to people. It has to be easily understood, and it has to make commercial sense ." - Rani Al Hajji
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:51 - What is Innovation?
5:05 - Consumer Needs in Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry
8:47 - Sustainability in Innovation Processes
10:00 - Balancing Product and Brand Innovation
14:50 - Leadership Style and Innovation
18:50 - Navigating Market and Consumer Dynamics
26:18 - New Environments and Trust-Building
27:05 - Advice for future innovators
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Rani Al Hajji is a seasoned global executive with over 25 years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. Having held key roles in renowned companies like L'Oréal and Colgate, Rani has spearheaded innovation and commercial strategies across Europe, North America, and Asia (including notable work in China). His extensive career has been dedicated to transforming cutting-edge R&D and tech innovations into consumer-friendly, marketable solutions that resonate with diverse audiences.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
Purandar Das, a two-time CTO and the current CEO of a leading data protection company, shares his insights on redefining innovation in the tech world:
"Innovation is creating a new process, a new product, or a new approach to doing something better—solving a problem that's not been solved before." - Purandar Das
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:56 - What is Innovation?
2:30- The Role of Mobile Technology in Innovation
3:19- From Physical Media to Streaming: A Case Study
9:53 - What Isn't innovation?
11:25 - Innovation, Optimization and AI
13:57- Innovation in Cybersecurity
14:31 - Data security innovation and ransomware protection
20:03 - Evolution of data protection and data governance
23:45 - Advice for future innovators
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Purandar has been a 2x CTO of 2 of the largest marketing services companies & is now the CEO of one of the leading data protection companies; Sotero. Purandar went from Collecting & monetizing personal data to protecting personal data. He made the transition because he was very concerned about the security products on the market & decided they needed a new approach.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
In a world where the term 'innovation' risks becoming a buzzword, understanding its true essence is crucial. Joia Spooner-Fleming, a seasoned innovation executive with a decades-long track record of developing people and products at Procter & Gamble, joins the show to discuss what innovation looks like in practice.
Throughout the process of transforming ideas into value, it's critical to distinguish invention from innovation. Joia emphasizes that true innovation requires a solution that is not only novel but also significantly improves upon existing alternatives.
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:57 - What is Innovation?
2:48 - Market's Feedback Loop
4:53 - Decision Making Process
6:18 - What isn't innovation?
8:11 - Human Curiosity and Solution
9:41 - Organizational Innovation
10:32 - Holistic Innovation Strategy
14:43 - Sustainability Innovation
17:31 - Innovation in Life
25:00 - Advice to Innovators
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Joia Spooner-Fleming is an innovation executive and independent consultant, after a 22 year successful career with P&G. Most recently she was R&D VP for Gillette. Joia has a proven track record of transformational innovation leadership and results. She is adept at partnering with leaders across the business to build unified strategies that capitalize on emerging trends and grow brands. Joia excels at building innovation organizations. She holds a chemical engineering degree from MIT. Outside her professional life, Joia is a voracious reader, devoted mother of two children, and loves walking with her dog.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
Join us this week for a conversation with Shanil Ebrahim, Partner and National Life Sciences & Healthcare Consulting Leader at Deloitte Canada! We challenge the common misconception that innovation requires constant efficiency. Shanil shares why some "wasted work" is inevitable, and even essential, for groundbreaking ideas.
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:42 - What is Innovation?
2:20 - Technology in Innovation
3:55 - Innovation: Solving Problems
4:51 - Not (inherently) efficient
7:12 - Innovation, Efficiency, and Problem-Solving
10:40 - Internal usage of innovation processes
13:47 - What isn't Innovation?
17:09 - Dangers of Gen AI
20:26 - New Technology, New Hype, Wrong Implementation
22:38 - Advice to Innovators
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Shanil Ebrahim is a Partner and the National Life Sciences and Healthcare Consulting Leader at Deloitte Canada. He is a senior advisor for clients in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and retail and special pharmacy sectors, and has supported a diverse set of public and private stakeholders in innovation-based business transformations and technology implementations. Shanil held roles as a Clinical Epidemiologist, Faculty Member and Researcher, and also serves as a Board Director in multiple non-profit organizations focused on vulnerable patient populations.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
This conversation with Collin Graves, CEO of North Labs, revolves around simplifying complex processes, removing technical debt, and streamlining workflows to increase efficiency and productivity. Jared and Collin also discuss the challenges of managing technical debt in complex systems and the importance of a slow and steady approach to AI adoption.
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:43 - What is Innovation?
2:28 - Impact of Simplification in Tech
5:23 - Consequences of Adding Complexity
9:47 - What is Technical Debt?
11:12 - Technical Debt, Healthcare, and AI
12:20 - North Labs Technical Debt and Innovation
15:54 - Downstream and Future Potential Implications
18:13 - Simplification, ROI, and Innovation
23:19 - Generative AI adoption and data quality
26:18 - AI nuances and ethics in business
30:27 - Gen AI is not intelligence
34:18 - Advice to Innovators
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Collin Graves is the visionary leader and CEO of North Labs, a leading fractional cloud data analytics firm empowering growing companies with data-driven strategies. Under his leadership, Collin has propelled over 1,000 organizations towards transformative success. Before founding North Labs, he served with distinction in NATO Special Operations during his tenure with the US Air Force.
More about our guest:
OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
Host Jared Simmons talks with Tatsuya Nakagawa, Co-Founder and CEO of Castagra Products. Tatsuya offers a unique take: "For me, innovation is value creation towards some sort of goal or aim." This reflection springs from the story of his junior high school decision about whether to alter his name to overcome social barriers, highlighting how innovation is woven into the human experience.
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Tatsuya Nakagawa is the Co-Founder and CEO of Castagra Products, a sustainable roof coating manufacturing company. Castagra's Ecodur Roof Coating was voted top "Greenvention" by the reality show Dragons’ Den. Over the past 20 years, Tats has launched hundreds of products and services, co-authored the book Overcoming Inventoritis: The Silent Killer of Innovation (forward by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple), and spoken to a variety of industry groups including: Chartered Accounts of Canada, Canadian Bar Association, The American Chamber of Commerce, and The International Internet Marketing Association. He’s also written articles for Fast Company, Construction Today, and Industry Week, and has been quoted on CBS News, Global TV, CBC, The Globe and Mail, and BC Business. Tats is the host of the popular C-Suite Network podcast, Specified Growth Podcast. The podcast features interviews with leaders who have overcome adversity, built massive organizations, and made a positive change in the building materials and coatings industry. He also hosts a LinkedIn Live series, Roofer Reflections, where he interviews roofing professionals about their experiences in the industry.
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:42 - What is Innovation?
3:14 - Role of Identity in Innovation
6:28 - Reducing Friction on Identity
11:39 - Importance of Curiosity and Experimentation
13:04 - Finding Mentors
15:47 - Sports Analogies and Innovation
21:37 - Music, Sports, Business, and Performance
28:20 - Overcoming Challenges and Learning from Failures
33:42 - Reflections on Career and Adaptation
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management
Join us on "What is Innovation?" where Jared Simmons discusses what it takes to generate game-changing ideas with Dr. Craig Detweiler, President of Wedgwood Circle and Dean of the College of Arts and Media at Grand Canyon University. Dr. Detweiler shares his insights on innovation: "Innovation is all about changing the game. It shifts the paradigm in ideas, culture, and products, introducing something we haven't seen before."
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Dr Craig Detweiler is the president and CEO of Wedgwood Circle, a philanthropic investment collective funding creative projects of meaning. He is also dean of the College of Arts and Media at Grand Canyon University. In recent years, Dr. Detweiler has worked in various roles within academia, including professor of communications at Pepperdine University, associate professor and chair of the mass communication department at Biola University, and director of the Reel Spiritual Institute at Fuller Seminary. His cultural commentary has appeared on Nightline, CNN, NPR, the New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. His award-winning documentaries include Remand (narrated by Angela Bassett), Purple State of Mind, and unCommon Sounds. In 2016, he was named Variety’s Mentor of the Year, and for years he has blogged at Patheos as “Doc Hollywood.”
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro
0:49 - What is Innovation?
1:22 - Shifting the paradigm
5:09 - Book: Honest Creativity
10:37 - Creativity, empathy, and entrepreneurship
12:10 - Perceiving and Receiving
16:45 - Entrepreneurship, purpose, and innovation
21:46 - Purpose: what it entails
23:27 - Innovation, purpose, and creativity with an entrepreneur
27:21 - Advice to Innovators
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OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management