Episodes

Episode 17

EPISODE 17 Vibrators, Google Maps & AI

This episode takes a wildly creative turn as we’re joined by Adam Hill - founder, executive creative director, and unapologetic disruptor. From purple Christmas trees to provocations about vibrators and artificial intelligence, Adam challenges us to reimagine creativity not as a job title, but as a way of seeing the world.

We explore why true creativity starts at zero, why discomfort is essential for breakthrough thinking, and how AI can help us get to better ideas faster—but never replace what makes us human. Along the way, we unpack the impact of education, confidence, leadership, and culture on our ability to think differently and make space for bold, uncomfortable ideas.

This isn’t just a conversation—it’s an invitation to unbox your brain, question everything, and trust your creative instincts (even if they make people uncomfortable). Whether you’re a strategist, student, or someone who’s forgotten how creative they really are, this one will stay with you.

Episode 16

EPISODE 16 Is the Future Still Human?

We welcome back the ever-curious Ross Stevenson, learning strategist, AI explorer, and all-around provocateur for progress. It's been 16 months since we last spoke, and in AI terms, that might as well be a century.

We pick up where we left off with a bold question: is the future still human? As organisations face shifting roles, rising redundancies, and a surge of AI-driven tools, we explore what’s really changing, and what leaders need to hold on to.

Ross offers a grounded view on the human skills that matter most, how AI can elevate thinking (not just efficiency), and why curiosity might just be the ultimate superpower in the age of automation. . Whether you’re AI-curious, AI-fatigued, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, this conversation will stretch your thinking and invite you to consider what we’re really trying to automate, and why.

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Episode 15

EPISODE 15 So You Think You Can Think?

In a world where AI is accelerating change, critical thinking is the ultimate competitive edge. If you’re just keeping up, you’re already falling behind. Why do we default to the easy and familiar? How can we sharpen our ability to question, innovate, and stay ahead?

Joining us for this thought-provoking conversation is journalist and writer Alison Pittaway, whose expertise spans science, technology, psychology, and true crime. A guest lecturer on Critical Thinking at UCL and a speaker on Narcissism and Coercive Control, Alison brings a unique lens to how we process information, challenge narratives, and sharpen our ability to think critically.

Episode 14

EPISODE 14 Becoming A Class Act

We’re delighted to be joined by Joel Kern, the brilliant mind behind Make Believe Group, a fantastic children’s theatre school that’s all about using performance to build life skills. Joel’s on a mission to help young people grow in confidence and communication. He shares his incredible journey, from his early days as a young DJ to launching his business at the age of 12! 20 years later, he continues to grow his business, living his mantra that ‘nothing is unreachable’.

We discuss the power of parental support, the magic of teamwork, and why creativity and critical thinking are so vital in education today. With Make Believe celebrating 20 years, Joel reflects on the highs, the lessons learned, and what’s next.

It’s an inspiring conversation filled with passion, insights, and plenty of takeaways—so let’s jump in!

Episode 13

EPISODE 13 Bonus Episode Myth Busting the Menopause

Did you know that 70% of women in the workforce are navigating peri-menopause? It’s a stage of life that impacts millions

Joining us is Rachel Curry, Creative Services Director at Designate a fearlessly independent Advertising Agency. Rachel brings a powerful and deeply personal story about her sudden introduction to menopause while thriving in a vibrant industry surrounded by and leading young talent. Her journey has inspired her to become a mentor and advocate, offering vital support to colleagues and beyond.

Rachel’s experience and insights have helped shape menopause policies for her own company and other organisations, ensuring better support for women and greater understanding across the workplace and we think her “hot tips” (not hot flushes!) deserves to be heard.

Episode 12

EPISODE 12 The Business of Brain Health & Wealth

Setting Your Brain Free to Create, Innovate and Critically Think

Can you imagine how powerful it would be if you could set your brain free to wander, imagine and use its full potential?

We chat about...

• Why nurturing a healthy mindset is so important to drive our brains natural creativity and innovation.

• From their experience reflection, reframing and self-awareness unlocks our human potential and fuels organisational success.

• To age and live well looking after our brain health through diet, movement and relationships is so important.

• And techniques that can be adopted to keep your brains super highways healthy so the glass remains half full supporting you to protect your wellbeing.

Episode 11

EPISODE 11 Our Genius As Human Beings

The Human Self

In this episode, we explore the concept of "The Human Self" and its pivotal role in fostering creativity and innovation. We discuss why self-development, self-awareness, and self-belief are essential for unlocking human potential and driving organisational success. Joined by Miriam Boote, Managing Director at creative agency, Designate, we examine the role of leaders and organisations in cultivating a culture of self-awareness and continuous improvement.

Episode 10

EPISODE 10 Let Your Charisma Out Of The Bottle

Confidence, Gravitas And The Social Brain

In this episode we highlight the importance of emotional safety for confidence and that when the brain is not distracted by feeling safe, confidence can fly!, We also delve into the way we view the world and how shifting perspective, through a polished up lens, can bring more clarity and shift unsupporting cognitive biases.

Episode 9

EPISODE 09 Manner Before Matter

What is Psycho-Social & Why Does it Matter?

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Leanne Drew-McKain. This is not the soft, mushy stuff! It's the stuff that creates the environment for those tough conversations and decisions to be made.

Episode 8

EPISODE 08 What is Psycho-Social

& Why Does it Matter?

In this 2-parter, we explore the importance of environmental climates and their profound impact on creativity, innovation, ideation, and critical thinking. Discover how the spaces around us and the cultures we work within can influence our minds and drive groundbreaking ideas and solutions.

Episode 7

EPISODE 07 The Human Advantage

As we move deeper into the next industrial revolution - 5.0, the temptation is to hand more and more over to technology. But where does that leave the uniquely human skills our brains have spent millennia refining? In this episode, Dr David Wilkinson helps us explore the edge we still hold over tech: critical thinking, empathy, moral courage, and the ability to read the room. We talk about why leaders need “court jesters” in their circles - people who can hold up the mirror, challenge assumptions, and spark the kind of creative tension no algorithm can replicate.

This is a deeper dive into the spaces where tech can’t follow, and why doubling down on our human capabilities is the smartest play in an AI-powered world.

Episode 6

EPISODE 6 The Role of Leadership in Creativity

Leadership and creativity, are they really comfortable bedfellows? Entrepreneur and CEO Carlene Jackson thinks they have to be. In this episode, we talk about the leader’s role in unlocking creative potential in others, how to balance structure with freedom, and why “leading from behind” can be more powerful than leading from the front.

Carlene’s stories of building teams are packed with humour and insight, including a reminder that “sometimes the best thing you can do as a leader is get out of the way.”

Episode 5

EPISODE 5 What Blocks our Creativity?

Your Brainy Podcast co-hosts turn the spotlight on themselves to explore the roadblocks that keep ideas from flowing. From fear of failure to “we’ve always done it this way” thinking, Soraya and Tracy share personal insights and neuroscience-backed explanations for why our brains sometimes work against us.

You’ll hear why anxiety can be reframed as “a power surge,” how to spot when you’re stuck in an unhelpful pattern, and practical steps to get your creative momentum back.

Episode 4

EPISODE 4 When are Humans at their Best?

This episode is all about the conditions that let creativity flourish. We explore the neuroscience of focus and flow, the importance of psychological safety, and how our brain’s default mode network sparks ideas when we least expect it - like those in-the-shower “aha” moments.

You’ll hear why feeding your brain the right inputs and giving it space to connect them is key, plus ways leaders can create environments where curiosity thrives and multitasking doesn’t kill the spark.

Episode 3

EPISODE 3 Do Humans Excel over AI?

In a fast-changing world, is creativity still a nice-to-have, or has it become a survival skill? Ross Stevenson, Chief Learning Strategist, joins us to explore how rapid advances in AI are reshaping work, and why the future is still, defiantly, human. We unpack the role of creativity in resilience, problem-solving, and staying ahead when the pace of change is relentless. Ross shares how constraints can actually increase creative output, why “good enough” thinking kills innovation, and how leaders can create the space for experimentation in a tech-saturated environment.

As Ross puts it, “AI can do a lot, but it can’t care, it can’t imagine the way we do. That’s where humans will always have the edge.” This is your reminder that the smartest move in the age of AI is to double down on the things only humans can do.

Episode 2

EPISODE 2 Who is Creative?

“Everybody is creative” — it’s our big, bold statement this week, and wine storyteller Karl Elwood joins us to prove it. Karl’s journey takes us from delivering wine through Hell’s Kitchen to harvesting grapes on perilous slopes in Soave, and into a career where storytelling is just as important as the vintage. We explore how creativity isn’t limited to artists or designers, but shows up in networking, business, and even the way you choose a bottle of wine for a client.

Karl challenges the myth that creativity belongs in a box: “It’s not taking something at face value… it’s thinking out of the box, finding imaginative ways to connect.” Come for the wine stories, stay for the reframing of what it really means to be creative.

Episode 1

EPISODE 1 What is Creativity?

Ever wondered if creativity is something you’re born with or something you can learn? In our very first Brainy Podcast, we dive straight in with Ian Edwards — founder, wellbeing warrior, and self-proclaimed “disorganised, organised creative brain.” From first-class cabin crew to dancer to filmmaker, Ian’s career zigzags like only a creative mind could design. He shares how ADHD fuels his ideas, why curiosity is the secret to brain health, and why permission to think differently might be your most valuable asset.

As Ian says, “Creativity is in my DNA… it’s about creating solutions and challenging the norm.” Expect Steve Jobs quotes, daydreaming as brain fuel, and a powerful reminder that sometimes the brain and soul really are having a conversation.