Trailblazers is our exciting venture to share with you the cutting-edge concepts, valuable knowledge, and industry expertise we've gained over the past few years. Whether you're looking to take your career to new heights, considering a change, or feeling a bit stuck and in need of inspiration, we've got you covered. Our mission is to bring you a better understanding of intriguing concepts and ideas that you've been curious about. We'll also provide practical steps to put these ideas into action. The best part? We want to make it fun and engaging. Our hope is that these episodes offer information at a level that's easy to grasp and remember. We know you won't become an expert in just 45 minutes, but you'll gain enough knowledge to feel empowered. You'll think, "Hey, I understand this a little better now! I'm excited to dive deeper into it without feeling overwhelmed." So, let's embark on this adventure together and unlock your full potential.
Listen to episodes
41 recent
September 9, 2026Episode 649 min
The Wealth Myth: Cash vs Equity | Andrew Craig on Trail Blazers - Part 2
Why do wealthy people get demonised for investment, one thing that actually fixes broken economies? In part two of this conversation, Johnny and Andrew Craig dig into the difference between cash and equity, why capitalism, not activism, is the real engine behind solving plastics, disease and climate change and why so few people understand how wealth is actually created. Andrew lays out a genuinely bold idea: a £5,000 seeded, ring-fenced investment account for every British newborn, invested only in UK smaller companies and untouched until retirement. He also unpacks how compounding and long-term investing transformed Ireland's economy and why understanding markets matters more than most people realise. This is part two of a two-part conversation. Catch part one (live now) if you missed it on your preferred podcast platform. Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
August 18, 2026Episode 546 min
Why Are Brits Poorer Than They Should Be | Andrew Craig on TrailBlazers - Part 1
Britain used to be 10% of the world's stock market. Now it's under 3% and it's cost the country an estimated £20 trillion in lost wealth over 30 years. In this episode, Johnny sits down with Andrew Craig, founder of Plain English Finance, author and a nearly 30-year veteran stockbroker. Together they unpack how bad policy, the rise of passive investing and a financially illiterate political class quietly gutted UK capital markets. They cover the "death" of the London IPO, why pension funds abandoned British companies, the "inelastic markets hypothesis" and why Britain's world-class science and IP rarely turns into British wealth. This is part one of a two-part conversation. Part two is coming soon, subscribe so you don't miss it! 🔗 Get in touch with Johnny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-isaacs/ 🔗 Learn more from Andrew Craig: Plain English Finance (YouTube & plainenglishfinance.com) 🔗 Find us at: explosivebrands.com Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:54 Andrew's background & books 02:04 What a Stockbroker Actually Does 03:42 Founding Plain English Finance 06:11 The UK Stock Market's Collapse in Numbers 11:08 How UK Pensions Abandoned British Shares 13:22 Britain's Biotech IP: DNA, Stem Cells & DeepMind 17:23 Active vs Passive Investing Explained 21:13 Why Britain Became a "debt" Economy 23:28 The rise of ETFs and Passive Funds 33:54 Why Big Tech has Stopped Truly Innovating 46:14 Wealth Inequality: Cash vs Equity 1:06:21 The ESG Fallacy & Real Climate Solutions 1:16:27 A Practical Fix: a UK "Baby Bond" Proposal 1:39:03 The Laffer curve: Ireland vs the UK 1:47:26 The Cantillon Effect & Who Really Loses 1:51:29 Get in Touch with Andrew Craig Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
April 23, 2026Episode 446 min
Is Your Work Ethic Actually Destroying Your Health? | Bianca Errigo on Trail Blazers
April is Stress Awareness Month so there's no better time for this conversation. In our third sit-down with Bianca Errigo, CEO of HumanOS, Johnny Isaacs digs into one of the most important topics nobody wants to talk about: the devastating impact of stress on our health, our workplaces and our lives. Stress is at the root of 80-90% of human illness and disease. Burnout is hitting people at an average age of just 32. 150 million people in Europe alone are living with mental health issues. And yet somehow, we still glamorise the grind. Bianca and Johnny explore the deep roots of hustle culture, tracing it from early religious morality through the Industrial Revolution and ask why working yourself into the ground became a mark of status and whether that's finally starting to change. They also get into the real psychology behind high performance: why most founders and top achievers start from a place of trauma rather than love, what true resilience actually looks like and why separating your self-worth from your business results might be the most important skill you never learned. And they tackle the conversations happening right now AI and automation replacing jobs, the anxiety gripping workplaces where employee engagement sits at just 10% in the UK and what it actually takes to raise VC funding as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Bianca shares, with true honesty, what the first two years of building HumanOS really cost her and how she found her way back. Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
March 6, 2026Episode 346 min
Can Your Phone Detect High Blood Pressure? | Laurene Pearce from Lifelight on Trail Blazers S02, EP3
In this episode of Trail Blazers, Johnny sits down with Laurence Pearce, CEO and founder of Lifelight, a health-tech company developing software that can measure blood pressure using nothing more than a smartphone camera. By analysing subtle changes in skin colour captured through the camera, Lifelight’s technology can detect vital signs without the need for traditional cuffs or wearables. Laurence explains the scale of the global hypertension problem, often called the “silent killer” and how making blood pressure monitoring accessible through everyday devices could help detect risk earlier and expand preventative healthcare worldwide. The conversation explores the science behind the technology, the challenges of building medical grade software and what is the potential for smartphones to transform how people monitor their health. You wouldn't want to miss it! 🔗 Lifelight: https://lifelight.ai/ 🔗 Connect with Johnny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-isaacs/ 🎙️ Follow Trail Blazers for more conversations on innovation, health and impact. Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
December 1, 2025Episode 230 min
Why Hormone Health Is Failing Women? And How to Fix It - Lauren Redfern on Trail Blazers | S02, EP2
In this episode of Trail Blazers, Johnny sits down with Lauren Redfern, Executive Director of Hormonally to explore how education, empathy and access can transform women’s health. Lauren shares her journey from medical anthropologist to founder of a global nonprofit and how her PhD research on testosterone and menopause led her to the discovery that women aren’t being given the information or care they deserve. Watch, share and start the conversation! 🔗 Visit Hormonally: https://www.hormonally.org 🎙️ Follow Trail Blazers for more conversations on innovation, health and impact. Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
November 17, 2025Episode 126 min
Workplace Wellbeing, Performance & Leadership with Bianca Errigo on Trail Blazers | S02, EP01
In this episode of Trail Blazers, we’re joined by global speaker and wellbeing expert Bianca Errigo, founder of HumanOS. Bianca shares insights from her latest workplace wellbeing report, exploring why traditional wellbeing strategies fail, what “balance, belonging and development” really mean and how organisations can evolve beyond outdated systems. From abolishing boredom to fostering purpose and psychological safety, this conversation dives deep into the future of human-centric performance in the age of AI. Stay tuned until the end! 🔗 Connect with Bianca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancaerrigo/ 🔗 Learn more about HumanOS: https://humanos.co.uk/ 🔗 Download the report: https://humanos.co.uk/the-workpl-ace-wellbeing-deficit/ 🔗 Connect with Johnny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-isaacs/ Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
June 11, 2025Episode 361 hr 37 min
The Truth About Stress, Sleep & Movement - Simon Gilchrist on Trail Blazers, Episode 36
Simon Gilchrist, physiotherapist and founder of GRIT, shares how movement, stress recovery, and holistic health principles can support long-term wellbeing. From elite athletes to everyday recovery, we cover sleep, strength, bone health, and the mindset shifts that help people thrive. Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
June 11, 2025Episode 3336 min
Breaking Barriers in Female & Gyno Health Innovation - Valentina Milanova on Trail Blazers
Welcome to Trail Blazers! Join Valentina Milanova, founder of Daye, as she and Johnny dive into the critical need for advancements in women’s healthcare. From addressing diagnostic gaps and tackling advertising barriers to introducing groundbreaking non-invasive diagnostic tools, this conversation highlights how Daye is revolutionising gynaecological health and challenging stigmas surrounding women’s health. Don’t miss this inspiring discussion! Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
March 27, 2025Episode 351 hr 18 min
Egg Freezing & The Fertility Knowledge Gap - Sarita Stefani on Trail Blazers
In this episode of Trail Blazers, Johnny sits down with Sarita Stefani, Co-Founder of Amilis and winner of the Women's Health Ultimate Role Model Award 2024. What started as her personal egg-freezing journey has become a larger mission, empowering women to take control of their reproductive health. From the realities of egg freezing to the financial and societal barriers that make fertility care inaccessible, we explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of reproductive health. We discuss the growing role of tech, the impact of declining birth rates, and why male fertility needs more attention. Let’s dive into the science, the stories and the fight for change. #eggfreezing #reproductivehealth #femalehealth #healthpodcasts #femalebusiness #fertilityjourney Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
February 27, 2025Episode 3449 min
The $1 Trillion Industry VCs Are Ignoring - Marina Gerner on Trail Blazers
In today’s episode of Trail Blazers, Johnny is joined by Marina Gerner, who is the Adjunct Professor at NYU Stern, an award-winning journalist and Author of The Vagina Business. Today’s podcast will help to uncover the hidden history of women in business, innovation, and health, and explores the solutions shaping the future. For centuries, women played a vital role in business, yet today, their contributions are often overlooked. What pushed them out of the forefront? Was it wealth inequality? A shift in economic structures? And how does this disparity extend beyond finance into healthcare, technology, and even the data used in medical research? We’ll be exploring topics that don’t get enough attention: the fertility industry, the real risks of egg freezing, and the staggering gaps in maternal healthcare like the fact that the last major childbirth innovation was the epidural… in the 1950s. With 9 out of 10 mothers experiencing birth injuries, why isn’t this a bigger conversation? But this isn’t just about the problems it’s about the solutions. Femtech is on the rise, offering new opportunities for investment and innovation. We’ll discuss how the disaggregation of medical data is finally including women in research, the potential of period-tracking apps (and the ethical risks they pose), and even ground breaking technologies like smart vibrators designed to track health indicators. We’ll start to uncover what’s giving people hope. What are the most exciting areas of research? How can men be part of the change? And what does the future hold for women in business, health, and technology? Whether you’re an investor, a researcher, or just someone who believes in a more equitable future, this podcast is for you. Let’s bring these conversations to the forefront because when we invest in women, we invest in the future. Trail Blazers | Explosive Brands Get in touch with us on LinkedIn Get in touch with Johnny on LinkedIn
Is this your show?
Claim this listing to keep it up to date, reach guests who want to pitch you, and manage bookings with Guestify.
