The Occupational Philosophers – A not-so-serious business podcast to spark Creativity, Imagination and Curiosity

Reflecting on the year of 2024 seemed like such a good idea. That's the thing right?  Launching that episode as quickly as planned didn't go as well as planned....   Drinking their own Kool-Aid and embracing serendipity, mistakes and experimentation The Occupational Philosophers still hit launch and took on the gift of a slightly delayed episode like a gift from the Norse Gods.  In this episode the deep themes of:  Are bananas and tape art? If not, who said so?  Brain Rot (very festive)  The Occupational Philosophers wish you all the best for 2025 whilst they take a short break. Simon's vanity will be in full forward as he desperately tries to lose some weight for summer beach vibes and John will be sadly staring out the window looking at a grey, drab British day and looking forward to June when the sun comes out They both look forward to catching up in mid Feb when back on deck - ahoy 2025!  Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com   Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg  

SHOW NOTES In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers continue to delve back into some highlights from the first 100 episodes and some sage advice from guests who have helped populate the ‘Maniguesto’ tree… Ian Gilbert…Do things no-one else does Mike Parsons …If you want to transform the world, start by transforming yourself Professor David Cropley….Creativity is like spinach! Tiffany Markman….In order to be creative, don’t be an insular arsehole …or asshole…. Dr Barbara Doran ….Draw, use your hands Tim Vaughan-Hughes….Fail again but fail better Jemma Enright….Stay curious They hope you enjoy the show.    FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a fruity burst of energy to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process.   References: https://www.independentthinking.co.uk/speakers/ian-gilbert/ https://www.moonshots.io/ https://people.unisa.edu.au/David.Cropley https://tiffanymarkman.co.za/ https://www.barbaradoran.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-vaughan-hughes https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemmaenright   Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com   Their day jobs:   JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In episode 103, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Creative Director, Brand Strategist and Poly-Disciplinary Creative Chameleon, Rozhia Tabnak.  Her work includes interior design, art curation, film production design, and graphic work across the spectrum of media. which unite under the umbrella of spatial design. She believes that the design of a space is holistic yet interpretive and that the experience of the client is inextricable from the intent of the designer. From Manhattan to Miami and several cities in between, Rozhia has designed dozens of restaurants, including the highly acclaimed and award-winning Sofreh in Brooklyn, for which she incorporated a historic and traditional Persian aesthetic into a chic contemporary design. She has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Eater and New York Magazin to name a few and divides her time between New York and Sydney. In this episode, the Occupational Philosophers and Rozhia explore:  How does a project have a soul?  How curiosity is at the heart of great design  Why branding is not just thinking about a logo (and a dirty word) What is steampunk?  Exactly, what is a Polydisciplinary creative chameleon?  The importance of asking why  What’s my personal why?  Why does the world need what I am producing?  How Curiosity starts with being present  Can you create workspaces that can be both productive and creative?  Why there is no middle ground  And the future hashtag of "Kitch is just past cheesy"  As always, there are some great thought experiments. This time it is the design challenge of "Mission Impossible"  The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as they enjoyed making it.  www.occupationalphilosophers.com  About Rozhia Rozhia Website https://rozhiatabnak.com/ Insta https://www.instagram.com/rozhia/  Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/rozhia-tabnak-725b0319/  Show notes & Resources Everything is alive https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/everything-is-alive/id1388419519  London poetry shop cafe https://www.poetrypharmacy.co.uk/oxford-street Book - Wabi Sabi for artists, poets and Designers https://www.amazon.com.au/Wabi-Sabi-Artists-Designers-Poets-Philosophers/dp/0981484603           

In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers celebrate their “One hundred and something” birthday! As well as an opportunity to blow up some balloons, eat some cake, and pat themselves on the back…they delve back into some highlights from the first 100 episodes and some sage advice from guests who have helped populate the ‘Maniguesto’ tree…   Dr Brock Bastian….Social psychologist…just remember to enjoy the journey Professor Sophie Scott….Neuroscientist….how laughter is the gateway drug to creativity Dr Jen Frahm….change fairy….take more hot showers to spark ideas (literally and metaphorically!) Ash Perrin…The Flying Seagull Project….every great idea starts out as rubbish Neil Mullarkey….improv genius and general legend…remember that people are trying their best Dr Cyndi Burnett….creativity in education….be open to the novel   They hope you enjoy the show.    FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a fruity burst of energy to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process.   References: https://www.brockbastian.com/ https://www.ucl.ac.uk/icn/people/sophie-scott https://drjenfrahm.com/ https://www.theflyingseagullproject.com/ https://neilmullarkey.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndi-burnett/   Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com   Their day jobs JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

To Simon’s delight, this week's guest is fellow Tasmanian Toby Wilkin.  For over 15 years, Toby has been a noteworthy leader in the entrepreneurial space. Born and raised in Tasmania Toby, thoroughly understands tourism and business in the state and beyond. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family in the construction, business and development industry he has shared this passion and success in his entrepreneurial adventures.  Toby has a series of different companies under the groups control including: Wealth Lab - Taking our experience and world-class sales systems to help other businesses thrive, offering sales & marketing coaching, events and digital presence products. Torple Energy - An energy rating consultancy firm focusing on sustainable outcomes for new development across Australia. Zippi Electric Bikes - Focussed on Raising Balanced Kids, this innovative startup was all about fun and kid-focused with Electric eBikes. In this show, John and Simon dive into Change Overnight. Toby and cofounder Sam Haberle conjured up the idea behind Change Overnight in early 2018 while dreaming of ways they could extend their mission to make a positive impact in the world. Outside of being a serial entrepreneur, Toby enjoys technology, making a difference and thinking big! In this episode, The Occupational Philosophers explore:  If you’re open, people seem to present themselves at the right time  How a little wine can bring about some big ideas  How colours and design can make us feel and connect to emotion  It’s OK to be a little uncomfortable  The importance of allowing serendipity and how it can open up opportunity  Why it’s important to put some good energy into the world  How 12 months can seem a long time to some people and a short time to others  Why a little red wine can be the start of a good idea  As always, there is a thought experiment. For this show, it's Trip(advisor) of a lifetime The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as they enjoyed making it.    Resources  Toby Wilkin website https://tobywilkin.com/  Change Overnight Hotel https://changeovernight.co/ Why Worry Wally Books https://whyworrywally.com/why-worry-wally  Derren Brown The Secret of Luck (featuring the unlucky butcher!) https://youtu.be/RuRGzZAk7S4?si=z7x84NeFSZPfKPKR   Say Hello to the Occupational Philosophers www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: www.bowlandconsulting.com SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In Episode 100, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Julie Trell, whose career has been an adventurous journey spanning three decades and various corners of the world. She started as an inner-city classroom teacher and later became a middle school technology specialist, where she embraced inner playfulness (as well as fixing - and breaking - the computers and network).  Through serendipity and curiosity, she evolved into the VP of All Things Fun, Meaningful, & Rewarding at a (then) startup called Salesforce.  Her path then took her through the vibrant landscapes of Atlanta, San Francisco, Singapore, and Sydney, venturing into the realms of technology and corporate foundation leadership with the Salesforce and Workday Foundations. In Australia, she led Telstra's corporate startup accelerator, muru-D - There she managed a team and a portfolio of over 140 companies, focusing on supporting the founders across various cohorts.  As the Chief Play Officer of Playful Purpose, she embraces the power of an improv mindset to foster growth and playful spirits among adults. She co-designs and facilitates dynamic workshops for accelerators, portfolio funds, and corporate teams, helping participants unleash curiosity, build confidence, and deepen their understanding of DEI and empathy. My passion for new technologies and continuous learning blends artificial intelligence, AI, with applied improv, AI! In this episode, they explore: Exciting job titles to share at your next dinner party How applied improvisation is the AI we should really be focused on! Using play to help individuals, teams and organisations fire up their creative synapses How Generative applied improv helps us exercise our critical thinking skills How to make people feel heard and feel good when working together What is curiosivity? Julie’s work with startups, founders and incubators Techniques to tackle the ‘play skeptcis’ And how to create floral bouquets out of old toilet roll tubes!   And as ever, enjoy the Thought Experiments …this time it’s: Through the port (manteau) hole Listeners questions   Learn more about Julie https://www.linkedin.com/in/julietrell/ https://playfulpurpose.com/   References https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8erpgy727jo https://www.nosuchthingasafish.com/ Toilet paper roll flowers - You can check link here.  https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1163022-act-social https://www.appliedimprovisationnetwork.org/   The quote: "Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable”. (David W. Augsburger) - BOOK:Caring Enough to Hear and Be Heard: How to Hear and How to Be Heard in Equal Communication https://muru-d.com/ https://www.sxswsydney.com/ Clip from Whose Startup Is It Anyway   Books: https://www.breakthroughplay.com/playful-rebellion/ https://www.improvwisdom.com/index.html https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44333271-playful-mindfulness   Say Hello to the Occupational Philosophers www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: www.bowlandconsulting.com SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In episode 99, The Occupational Philosophers, as an antidote to the worrying rise of 'play at work'. ponder the idea of "Is it time for a National Serious Day? Sure, play is good for many things (that the show talks about a lot), but what about the forgotten folk? Those who like to start blankly at a wall, never smile and love doing spreadsheets? What about the person who hasn't smiled since 1997?  Who is thinking of them?  They should be celebrated!  Possible activities could be:  Mandatory silence for the first three hours of the day (with fines for facial expressions and any type of talking)  A meeting about meetings (Mandatory of course)  Mandatory team activity of going through all HR handbooks or any ISO 9001 Quality Manual  It's almost like a corporate liver cleanse diet to flush out any frivolity and fun.  Worryingly, John started to realise that he actually likes the sound of this and realised that he just wants to get on with looking at his screen.  Numerous studies also back up what's possible when teams, families and even couples embrace a more serious outlook. It's like a modern-day version of stoicism that is about to take off.  They hope you enjoy the show.  FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a fruity burst of energy to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process.   Is your company innovative? Take the Scorecard for an instant report https://empoweringinnovation.scoreapp.com/  Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com  Their day jobs JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/  SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au  SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg   

How might one think like a Philosopher in the workplace?  In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, diving into a book by a previous guest, Dr Julian Baggini’s “How to Think like a Philosopher” " the Occupational Philosophers discuss exactly that!  Julian Baggini has 12 key principles that the book is built around for a more humane, balanced, and rational approach to thinking.  These include:  Pay attention  Question everything (including your questions) Watch your steps Follow the facts  Watch your language  Be eclectic  Be a psychologist  Know what matters  Lose your ego  Think for yourself, not by yourself  Only connect  Don’t give up. Whilst they don’t want to big themselves up, The Occupational Philosophers think that diving into Julian’s Book helps them sound a little more intelligent than normal! Whilst you may not agree that they sound smarter, the book is excellent.  They hope you enjoy the show.  FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a fruity burst of energy to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process.   References: Selective Attention: Gorilla walking video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo  Julian Baggini “How to think like a Philosopher”  https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/62708028-how-to-think-like-a-philosopher    Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com   Their day jobs JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg  

Have you ever sat in a brainstorm and thought, "Well this is pretty shit." Most of us have and it sucks the energy out of the room like a backwards tornado.  John had a great week, read a book and got so excited about it, he wanted to share some of the possible antidotes to those crap house brainstorms.  In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers discuss: How conventional structures for the way teams meet, problem-solve, and think creatively may be holding them back Why “Liberating Structures’ can help unleash a culture of innovation What happens when you get bats, nans and hippos in the room Some examples of liberating structures; 1-2-4-All, Troika consulting and Min Specs What is the difference between an MVP and a prototype?  Why we still need to think about the environment along with structures How to reach out beyond your immediate domain of knowledge to open up minds to possibilities  As ever, The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show (and tell your friends)  FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a fruity burst of energy to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. References: https://www.liberatingstructures.com/ https://www.barbaradoran.org/   Say 'Hello'... www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg Get in touch  letschat@simonbanks.com.au   

In Episode 96, The Occupational Philosophers chat with a returning guest, Neil Mullarkey! Neil who embodies the ethos of this shows and plays at the intersection of curiosity, creativity, and serendipity! His last conversation with the show was way back in 2021 when the world was still reeling from the pandemic, the Tories were still in power, and Jeff Bezos was launching himself into space into a strangely shaped spacecraft…. He co-founded the world-famous improvisation group The Comedy Store Players here in the UK with Mike Myers, later appearing with him in the fabulous Austin Powers movies….who can forget “This sort of thing is my bag baby”...and more recently with Mike Myers in the Pentaverate sporting a lovely moustache. He is also highly accomplished in the field of management training, running many workshops and conferences for private and public organisations, using the techniques of theatre improvisation to inspire business people to embrace their creativity and enhance their communication skills.  He is a published author of Seven Steps to Improve Your People Skills, and the more recent, In the Moment - both great books and highly recommended It’s a real delight to welcome back, the man both ‘In the moment’ and man of the moment....Neil Mullarkey!!!! In this episode, the Occupational Philosophers explore: The different ways you can organise your bookshelves What is a moment? How you can build a Cathedral if everyone brings a brick! What is adaptive leadership? Why you need to trust the process of collaborative creativity, saying ‘Yes to the mess’ When you need to be prepared and when you need to let go Could AI replace Neil? The experience of writing his book ‘In the Moment’ Why don’t people say ‘ancillary’ or ‘flan’ anymore? When is a LAGER a LASER? And what does that have to do with Improv? The wave-particle duality of light…..quantum facilitation anyone? Why is curiosity the yin to serendipity’s yang? The story of the ‘lucky butcher’... And as ever, enjoy the Thought Experiment …this time it’s: In the What? Learn more about Neil https://neilmullarkey.com https://neilmullarkey.com/inthemomentbook (Discount code available!) https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilmullarkey https://comedystoreplayers.com https://www.improvyourbiz.com https://acknowledgements.substack.com References https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67871679.amp https://news.sky.com/story/hotel-looking-to-hire-banter-merchant-to-entertain-guests-during-edinburgh-festival-fringe-13175451 https://www.michaelconnelly.com https://www.waterstones.com/book/my-family/david-baddiel/9780008487607 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambozola