The One-Eyed Man with Mike Stopforth

This episode is a live recording from the Cape Town launch of my new book, 52 Big Questions for Business Leaders. This was hosted by my good friend John Bradshaw at Exclusive Books in Cavendish. In the discussion we explore the genesis of the book, we unpack some of the most provocative questions, we tackle what it means to lead in uncertainty, and we explore how asking better questions can unlock a new dimension of leadership - something I think is probably critical in the world today.

If you'd like to get a copy of the book for yourself, please visit www.mikestopforth.com/books or visit…

In this episode of The One-Eyed Man, I sit down with Charlotte Otter. Charlotte is the author of the brand new book We Need New Leaders, host of the Speech Bubbles podcast, and a powerhouse in executive communications. Her book is a bold and visionary work that helps leaders from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds master reputation management as a bridge to career success.

Charlotte’s also a two-time novelist, poet, journalist, advisor, and former corporate executive who now coaches emerging leaders into their next big roles.

We talk about the origins of We Need New Leaders, her…

My guest on this episode is Dale Hefer, CEO of the IMC (the Integrated Marketing Collective) Conference.

Dale is a former SA Businesswoman of the Year (awarded during her time running her ad agency Chillibush, which she sold in 2014). She is a best-selling author and a still life artist whose prints sell around the world. Dale launched the Nedbank IMC in 2019, and under her leadership, it has become Africa’s biggest marketing conference with over 2,000 delegates.

The theme for this year's event is Marketing is Business® (a topic Dale is so passionate about, she trademarked it!) and it…

My guest on this week’s show is Prof Greg Fisher. Greg is the Larry and Barbara Sharpf Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He is also a visiting lecturer at the Gordon Institute of Business Science in South Africa and, more recently, the author of a fantastic book titled The Principles of Entrepreneurial Progress.

The book catalogues twelve principles that help create and sustain momentum when launching a start-up, gathered from Greg’s experience teaching and coaching entrepreneurs for two decades.

In this episode, we talk about how the…

Old Mutual is the headline sponsor of this year’s edition of the SingularityU South Africa Summit. In this three-part series, I speak with some of OML's most interesting movers and shakers, understanding how they are moving the needle at the intersection of leadership, technology and impact.

My guest on the final episode of the series is Dhesen Ramsamy, the Group Chief Technology and Data Officer at Old Mutual. Dhesen was appointed as Old Mutual's group CTO in November 2023, and has more than twenty years of digital transformation experience at companies like Woolworths, Nedbank and…

Old Mutual is the headline sponsor of this year’s edition of the SingularityU South Africa Summit. In this three-part series, I speak with some of OML's most interesting movers and shakers, understanding how they are moving the needle at the intersection of leadership, technology and impact.

My guest on part 2 of the series is Nobesuthu Ndlovu, the director of SMEs at Old Mutual. Suthu is an intuitive and seasoned executive and entrepreneur with vast strategic and operational experience in the finance and retail sectors. Young and
highly energetic, Nobesuthu also possesses intrinsic wisdom…

Old Mutual is the headline sponsor of this year’s edition of the SingularityU South Africa Summit. In this three-part series, I speak with some of OML's most interesting movers and shakers, understanding how they are moving the needle at the intersection of leadership, technology and impact.

My guest on this first Vuyo is a growth-focused CEO with an impressive track record spanning over 25 years, at the forefront of technology and business transformations, innovation and building new businesses across diverse sectors such as banking, telecoms, insurance, and technology. Vuyo is the Managing…

My guest for this episode is Nicola van Ast, CMO at Melon Mobile, and co-founder of Growthink Group (where - full disclosure - she is my wonderful wife Anna's business partner).

Nicola is one of the brains behind Melon's bold, cheeky and by all accounts extremely effective takeover of other trusted and loved SA brand's billboards - including Lyft, Veldskoen, Expresso, and Faf de Klerk. We talk about where the idea came from, what it took to bring it to life, and what we can expect from Melon in the weeks and months to come.

My guest on this week’s show is Dean Oelschig. I met Dean on Twitter in the early days of social media, where we’d share notes on advertising, rugby, and just about any other topic both cared about, and which we inevitably argued about. We still argue about everything.

Dean is a pure ad man and the founder of Halo Advertising. Halo has built an excellent reputation over the last decade and has done extraordinarily well in recent years, with some truly standout and award-winning, above-the-line creative work.

In this episode, we discuss why creativity matters more now than ever and how…

Aasiyah Adams is the inspirational founder of Abaguquli4IR and called herself the Gig Economy Driver. What does that mean?

Well, few people are more passionate about equipping the unemployed, small and informal business owners and traders, and aspirant entrepreneurs with a platform to accelerate or incubate their businesses or ideas for business.

She does this by providing entrepreneurship skills, applications, programs and tools in all functional areas that prepare this critical notch of the South African economy for the Gig Economy.

In this episode, we discuss her background, her…

Do you truly understand your customers? How seamlessly and effectively are you integrating customer feedback into your operations and strategy? Are you measuring success in CX?

My guest on this week’s show is Michael Renzon. Mike is the CEO & co-Founder of inQuba which is a Customer Journey Management SaaS platform.

Mike has built multiple successful internet, technology, content and Customer Experience. He is an Endeavor Entrepreneur, and honestly one of the most intriguing minds I’ve ever had the pleasure of engaging.

I first met Mike on a ski trip with mates over a decade ago and was…

It's hard to know where to start on this one. Psychedelic-assisted therapy has been such a revolution in my personal health journey that it's really difficult for me not to sound like a zealot when discussing the topic. Could psychedelics be the revolution the mental health industry so desperately needs? Maybe. Are there dangers to be cautious of? Absolutely. But in my mind, these dangers are no different to those inherent to any of the powerful drugs readily prescribed by thousands of doctors to millions of patients around the world every day.

But don't listen to me, listen to my guest. Not…

Do the names League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Dota, Fortnite, and Call of Duty mean anything to you? If not, you could be missing out on something massive.

The global esports market was valued at $1.39 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $3.96 billion in 2023. The global esports audience is expected to reach over 500 million in 2023. Esports and gaming compete with the biggest sponsorship opportunities in traditional sports and many brands have zero idea how to participate.

In SA, the esports and gaming landscape is emergent, vibrant and an exciting unmined possibility for…

Today we are talking about mental health. If you follow me or if we follow each other online, you will have noticed that this is a topic that I care deeply about and have spoken about increasingly over the last couple of months and years, and it has been a feature of my entrepreneurial journey. It's been a feature of my life, really.

But I've realized that not only is it helpful for me to talk about it, and to share some of my story, but there's also sort of a widespread stigma around talking about mental health issues, especially amongst men, especially amongst businessmen and I'm really…

2022 was a significant year in the world of crypto, the collapse of FTX being a watershed moment.

But what does this mean for Bitcoin and crypto in general? Has anything changed? Could it be that all the negative press and naysaying is actually good for decentralised finance?

I ask Simon Dingle, arguably SA's leading expert on crypto, these questions and more. His answers may surprise you.

Enjoy!

What do we really mean when we call things artificially intelligent? Is AI significant progress or a significant threat? And when does SkyNet some online?

My guest is Daniel Hulme. Daniel was a guest lecturer on my Master's program back in 2019 and by some distance, the most impactful certainly for me. The reason is that he covered in his talk the very foggy topic of artificial intelligence, and specifically how it's understood and approached by business.

I firmly believe that one of the things going really wrong in digital transformation is a lack of consistent unified definitions for all…

Erik Kruger is a prolific author, public speaker, podcaster, YouTuber, video creator, the guy is everywhere. And that's very intimidating to people like me who are in his industry, it also makes it virtually impossible to introduce.

So I'll introduce him like this instead, Erik Kruger is also my friend, he is a person that I've come to know over the last couple of years as a profoundly authentic, accessible, interesting human being genuinely committed to personal well being personal mastery, and to finding ways to change the world for the better. And he really means it.

Erik and I have been…

What are the conditions that need to be created to develop innovative thinking, innovative products, and innovative organisations? Is it about a type of space, or a type of structure, or a type of culture? Or is it a combination of all of those things?

My guest on the One-Eyed Man podcast today is Kieno Kammies, a well-known media personality and broadcaster turned entrepreneur, innovator and teacher.

We discuss a broad range of topics, and Kieno dropped a few nuggets pertinent to our #originalbytradition series.

Do you remember your first formal job interview? I do. It's not great memory. I did a horrendous job of representing myself and my enthusiasm for the position I was applying for.

That's understandable if you consider the typical job interview setup. There's a young, uninitiated, nervous person being faced with a panel of influential decision-makers- people who appear to have it all together and literally hold your destiny in the palm of their hands. It's a bit hit and miss - and not necessarily an accurate representation of your capabilities at all.

My guest on the show today felt the same…

And we’re back!

This is the One-Eyed Man, my name is Mike Stopforth, and today we’re jumping head first into the second half of our #originalbytradition series brought to you by the Glenlivet. We took a short pause to extract and share some highlights from the first five episodes, and of course to give away some premium Glenlivet prizes, so if you missed that, please follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram – you’ll be the first to hear about future updates and giveaways.

I’m really excited about this show. It’s hard to think of a better example of entrepreneurs challenging traditional…

If you’re anything like me then many of your proudest moments as a South African are closely associated with sport. Whether it’s underdog victories or feats of individual brilliance that inspire us and give us hope, it’s hard to ignore how sport is inextricably woven into the fabric of the tapestry that tells the story of the proverbial new South Africa.

One such moment recently was seeing our athletes – their broad smiles hidden behind masks but not from their eyes - entering the stadium under our flag during the opening ceremony of the ill-fated Tokyo Olympics.

Perhaps it was my surprise…

My next guest in our Original By Tradition series brought to you The Glenlivet can only be described as superhuman.

Imagine running two successful production businesses, maintaining roles on various industry boards and panels as a lobbyist and commentator, public speaking, mentoring and training up and coming talent, producing and appearing in a wildly popular and impactful TV show, and raising a family, all in a normal work day.


Somehow, Relebogile Mabotja does this, and does it exceptionally. This series as you know is all about inspiring entrepreneurs who spend their time finding…

"The only social responsibility of business is to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits. So long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say engages in open and free competition without deception, or fraud." - the words of famed economist Milton Friedman from his seminal essay on the topic of social responsibility and what businesses should be responsible for and prioritise their time on.

Now, 50 years old, that essay, and we've seen fluctuations in the understanding of businesses and its responsibility towards social impact over the years…

In this second episode in our #originalbytradition entrepreneurship series, brought to you by The Glenlivet, I talk to Neo Moleko and Brad Symons from Manaka Coffee.

What would make a couple of old school friends start a new coffee brand when the likes of Seattle, Vida and even Starbucks exist as competition already? Well, these two will tell you it’s a firm belief that African innovation and originality can bring something truly unique – something fresh - to even the most crowded industries.

The Manaka story really is one of hope and that’s my wish for you as you listen to the show today -…

I am thrilled to tell you that we're partnering with the Glenlivet to bring you a series of conversations with innovative entrepreneurs over the next 10 episodes.

The whiskey connoisseurs amongst you will know the Glenlivet as an award winning sought after collection of Speyside single malt Scotch whiskies, just like that collection, this series of conversations, we'll have a little something for everyone.

We're going to be talking to inventors creatives, financial wunderkinds, problem solvers and more, celebrating those who strive to find answers and solve problems, where others have given…

Lesley Waterkeyn and Dawn Nathan-Jones (you may recognise Dawn as one of the investors from Shark Tank SA) have a vision for economic growth by inspiring and supporting entrepreneurs to start and grow successful and impactful small businesses.

They provide resources in the form of training, coaching and business tools through Over The Rainbow (www.overtherainbow.co.za), and we talk about their offerings and learnings in this discussion.

In the wake of a series of protests, riots and lootings across South Africa and especially in KZN, many of us are trying to make sense of what we saw and experience. Those of us fortunate enough not to be caught in the middle of the unrest juggled misinformation, panic, a limp government response, and the visible and visceral impact on thousands of our compatriots who are already in dire straits.

We've also seen the juxtaposition of extraordinary hope and unity demonstrated as a response to heinous acts of a destructive minority.

How do well-meaning South Africans make sense of all of this?…

We're back from a brief hiatus, in the midst of a trying time for South Africa and South Africans. Well, a more trying time - it feels like being and believing has been an uphill battle for years now.

In this episode talk to Bridget McNulty about grief. About loss. About how we think about loss, respond to loss, and live with it rather than get over it. This episode is a bit out of the ordinary for this podcast, but the last few months have been months of loss for me personally, and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that many of you will be feeling the same, and need a space to…

Chris Loker is the founder of https://Moksha.biz, a company that had its genesis as a wellness business encompassing a yoga studio, clothing line, retreats, international teaching, teacher training and workshop, and has evolved in time to an advocate and provider of the concept of “Leadership Yoga”.

Leadership yoga has been advocated by Rosabeth Moss Kanter who specialises in strategy, innovation, and leadership for change at Harvard Business School.

Interestingly, Moksha also offers interim executive services, something that I was particularly intrigued about in our conversation.

Chris is…

Wayne Zwiers and Vutlhari Rikhotso are the CEO and CTO of Basalt - a leading South African fintech solutions builder (https://www.basalt.co/).

Having spent decades watching clients and their agencies fumble over complex digital integrations and transformations, I'm always intrigued by service providers who seem to do things differently.

I've known Wayne Zwiers for many years and have watched him grow from a client service executive to a powerhouse entrepreneur. Wayne and his partner VT have been recognised for their passion and execution by being awarded the prestigious Technology Company…

Ryan Bacher is the co-founder and MD of https://NetFlorist.co.za one of South Africa's earliest and now leading online businesses. Starting off as an online florist and enjoying significant success in the early days of e-commerce in SA, NetFlorist has continued to grow and innovate, and diversify its offering to adapt to changing consumer needs.

Ryan and I sat down on e-commerce day (10 March) to discuss what makes their business so special, how they have dealt with the rollercoaster ride of COVID-19, his principles for leadership and success, and their ongoing plans for the months to come.

This Leading on the Field series of conversations with key sporting personalities is brought to you by sports management specialists, Forwardzone (https://forwardzone.com).

Kaitano Tembo is the current Head Coach of PSL club SuperSport United. He took up the position in 2018 after ten years in the club's leadership ranks, following a career that saw him perform for top Zimbabwean club Dynamos, the Zimbabwean national team and SuperSport United.

In this conversation we talk about his meticulous and calculated approach to leadership, both in terms of his own leadership philosophy and in terms…

Thanks to sports management specialists, Forwardzone (https://forwardzone.com), and software development geniuses Platform45 (https://www.platform45.com/) for their continued support of the One-Eyed Man podcast.

Desiree Ellis is the coach of the South Africa women's national football team, Banyana Banyana.

She was awarded Confederation of African Football Women's Coach of the Year in 2018 after the team finished second place in the African Women Cup of Nations and qualifying for the Women's World Cup for the first time. During her club career she played as a midfielder for Spurs Ladies…

This Leading on the Field series of conversations with key sporting personalities is brought to you by sports management specialists, Forwardzone (https://forwardzone.com).

At the tender age of 18, golf prodigy Ashleigh Buhai turned pro after breaking almost every amateur record in South Africa. She was the youngest player (14) to receive full African colours, the youngest player to win the Ladies South African Amateur Stroke Play and Match Play double, and the first player in 101 years to win the South African Open title three times.

She went on to win three times on the European Tour,…

This Leading on the Field series of conversations with key sporting personalities is brought to you by sports management specialists, Forwardzone (https://forwardzone.com).

Enoch Nkwe is the assistant coach of the South African national cricket team, the Proteas.

A former professional cricketer himself, Enoch's promising career was cut short by injury. Rather than be defeated by this setback, he reinvented himself as a successful coach in the franchise system, then in the Netherlands national team make up, and after a hugely successful stint at the coach of the Highveld Lions, settled into…

A big thank you to Platform45 (https://platform45.com) for making this episode possible.

Should we be jumping the WhatsApp ship?

In this episode I talk to Nerushka Bowan about the recent panic over - and exodus from - WhatsApp. Nerushka is an emerging technology law specialist and legal technology innovator, and has been one of the more balanced and lucid voices in the noise around this interesting development.

A big thank you to Platform45 (https://platform45.com) for making this episode possible.

Styli Charalambous — Daily Maverick | CEO/Publisher

The thinking behind the launch of print weekly DM168

In this episode I talk to Styli Charalambous, the visionary CEO and Publisher of Daily Maverick. In the midst of a particularly unpredictable time for media businesses (and the world at large, to be fair), South Africa’s digital-first-and-only news publication drew international attention with its launch of a print weekly, DM168.

We discuss the vision and motivation for this bold move, in context…

Rowan Belchers — Lockstep | Founder

Dismantling and demystifying some widely held misconceptions about CEOs

In this episode I talk to specialist CEO advisor Rowan Belchers about what being a CEO really means, why the role is more important than ever in determining organisational success, and how modern CEOs are having to revise their views on leadership to adapt and thrive.

Rowan is the founder of Lockstep, which delivers customised leadership solutions to significantly impact business performance, and the creator of The CEO Project a programme specifically designed for leaders who sense…

Ian Fuhr — Hatch Institute | Founder

How race relations and diversity are fueling business growth and prosperity

In this episode I talk to Ian Fuhr, known to many as the dynamic founder of the Sorbet group, about his new project the Hatch Institute and its work in helping entrepreneurs build more inclusive, progressive and impactful businesses.

Ian defines the work of the Hatch Institute with the phrase 'cultureneering'. His first business, K-Mart, catered to underserved black markets in the late 1970s and early 1980, deep in darkest years of segregationist Apartheid South Africa.

In the…

Charlie Quirk — Google | Consultant Director of Strategy

Why Kung Fu Panda should be in every leader's resource bank

"One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it. In this episode I talk to one of my favourite internet friends, Charlie Quirk, about our mutual passion for cinema, the lessons we can all learn from the Hollywood, and particularly, the wisdom of the Kung Fu Panda animated movies. I've been trying to find someone keen to have this discussion with me for ages, so I'm disproportionately excited about this show :)

Charlie Quirk describes himself as a global…

Robert Mtshali — MobiWashSA | Founder

Discussing perseverance and passion with Alexandra's Robin Hood

"In this episode I talk to the self-proclaimed Robin Hood of Alexandra township, Robert Mtshali (and who am I to argue?). Robert is a serial entrepreneur who reached out to me on Twitter because he believed his story would resonate with you, and wow, was he right.

After suffering unimaginable tragedy at a very young age, Robert consistently overcame odds and obstacles to pursue his dream of being an entrepreneur. It hasn't been an easy route, but it has produced a young man wise beyond…

I just ended a 13 year relationship...

with Facebook.

Now, before you laugh (ok, you can laugh), this was a bigger deal for me than I'd like to admit. For over a decade I ran a social media business that relied heavily on the existence of Facebook - and its impact on companies and customers - to grow and thrive. Much of my reputation and self worth is wrapped up in the existence and success of that company, and so part of my reluctance to quit Facebook, apart from questions about its utility and the healthiness of using it, was the potential hypocrisy of quitting now.

In fact, I found my…

Ronen Aires — CEO | Student Village

How society and business is taking a new look at psychedelics

In this episode I talk to Ronen Aires about the future of psychedelic medicine and innovation. I am admittedly ignorant on the topic, but have kept a keen eye on Ronen's journey into the subject over the past decade and wanted to hear more about how leaders and innovators should consider the growing interest in the medicinal and mindfulness benefits of psychedelic drugs

Ronen and I were fellow forum members in EO for many years, both running agencies (albeit with slightly different focuses)…

Kristia van Heerden — JustOneLap.com | CEO

Uncovering why so many people have a dysfunctional relationship with money

In this episode I talk to financial wellness evangelist and crusader Kristia van Heerden about her work on JustOneLap.com - a free online money university for traders, investors, and just about everyone else. Kris hosts the popular Fat Wallet podcast, a highly practical and tactile approach to building financial literacy in and through the lives of real people.

Whether you have a natural aptitude for personal financial management, or, like me, wrestle with the role of…

Gidon Novick — Entrepreneur

How to innovate in the face of disruption and unpredictability

In this episode I talk to Gidon Novick about his decision to launch a new airline in the midst of a global pandemic. Gidon is a well known entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, and in his own words, a big believer in the potential of South Africa. He is interested in creating businesses that are both profitable and impactful, and we speak about how the last year has informed his thinking in this regard.

Jeff Large — Comealivecreative.com | Founder

Is podcasting a bubble or a business? — Jeff Large (Comealivecreative.com | Founder)

In this episode I talk to Jeff Large, purveyor and producer of profitable podcasts (my title, not his) about the burgeoning business of podcasting, and whether it's a viable marketing and sales strategy, or just hype.

Jeff Large helps individuals and businesses establish trust, authority, and relationships with their customers through podcasting. His advice was invaluable in my planning around this show, and has been a valuable sounding board as it has evolved.…

Bronwyn Williams — Flux Trends | Partner

Fixing the world and breaking echo chambers

In this episode, my friend and speaking colleague Bronwyn Williams and I finally get around to solving all the world's problems, and in only 45 minutes or so.

Bronwyn is a futurist, economist and trends analyst with over a decade’s experience in strategic management and foresight. She holds tertiary qualifications in Marketing Management (UJ), Economics (University of London), Foresight (University of Manchester), and Future Studies (University of Stellenbosch). She is currently completing a Master's in…

Lee LeFever — CommonCraft.com | Co-founder

In this episode I talk to Lee LeFever, co-founder of Common Craft and author of the freshly released book Big Enough. I've been following Lee since my earliest social media (ad)ventures, and deeply respect the quality of Sachi (Lee's wife and partner) and his work, their articulation of purpose, and their deliberate commitment to designing a business that perfectly enables their quality of life.

We talk about the process of writing this important and timely book, Lee and Sachi's partnership, the dangers of success without direction, and much more.…

Dr Louise van Rhyn — Symphonia | Founder

In this episode, I talk to Dr Louise van Rhyn, founder of Symphonia.net and the visionary behind the wildly successful and impactful Partners for Possibility programme.

Louise holds a doctoral degree in organisational change, has 25 years' experience as a change practitioner with a focus on large scale change in complex social systems, and has worked with diverse local and global organisations, across all sectors, in many countries. She is an inspiration to any South African who believes and is invested in the future of our country."

Ntsiki Mkhize — MentHer | Founder

In this episode I talk to Ntsiki Mkhize about her journey to social entrepreneurship and her passion for mentorship and the role it plays in uplifting and empowering young women in South Africa.

Ntsiki previously achieved success as a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant, and as a published author(My Hall of Mentors), and has used her platform and influence to inspire thousands of young women across the nation.

Phila Msimang — University of Stellenbosch | Lecturer

In this episode I talk to Phila Msimang about misinformation and fake news, the need for trustworthy, reliable institutions, and then we veer into a conversation about the Black Lives Matter movement and the importance of having difficult conversations if we are to advance society.

I met Phila at a workshop hosted by the University of Stellenbosch late last year. He is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and the Convenor of the Socratic Society at Stellenbosch University. His research interests include the philosophy of science,…

Pierre du Plessis — Speaker and Author

In this episode I talk to author, speaker and self-proclaimed 'dissident preacher' Pierre du Plessis about his book Train Naked, his work as a speaker, facilitator and coach, and the power of belief.

Pierre recently launched a new project called Palaestra - a community of practice that encourages its members to train to become better human beings and do work that matters.

Dr Aisha Pandor — SweepSouth | Co-founder

In this episode I speak to Aisha Pandor about the tech start-up and funding ecosystem in South Africa, about the unique challenges of running highly scalable platform businesses, and about how her partners and team have navigated some of the unpredictability of the last 6 months.

Aisha holds a PhD in Human Genetics from UCT, is the co-founder of the incredibly successful start-up SweepSouth, and a remarkable example of what can be achieved with passion, partnership and relentless execution.

Duke Malan — Africa Works Ventures | Partner

In this episode I talk to Duke Malan about his broad ranging experience in the South African corporate world, his decision to move to Hong Kong, and the lessons he's learned along the way. We cover his worldview around innovation and social impact, the power and importance of mentorship, his vision for ed tech, finding a way to reignite the SA tourism sector, and how to take South African (and African) innovations global.

Gavin Weale — Digify Africa | Founder and CEO

I speak to Gavin Weale about how critical practical experience is in fast-tracking new digital talent into the workplace, and how they've solved this massive challenge with Digify Africa and its partners.

Digify Africa has its roots in publishing and has always been known for giving disenfranchised youth a voice. As the organisation has evolved over the years they have adapted to the digital revolution with aplomb, and have trained tens of thousands of young Africans up in the process.

Karidas Tshintsholo — Khula! | CEO
Josh Adler — ALA | VP

In this episode I talk to Karidas and Josh about the importance of nurturing entrepreneurial and leadership talent on the African continent as early as possible.

Josh Adler is the Vice President of Growth and Entrepreneurship at the African Leadership Academy. One of the ALA's more successful programmes is the Anzisha Fellowship and Prize, which identifies and develops Africa's most promising Very Young Entrepreneurs in a world class bootcamp environment.

Max Pichulik — Impact Amplifier | Co-founder

In this episode I talk to impact pioneer, mindfulness expert and social entrepreneurship thought leader Maximilian Pichulik.

Max has decades worth of experience navigating the scale and complexity of the social impact space in South Africa and beyond our borders. He has a thoughtful, balanced view of the challenges and opportunities facing social entrepreneurs and other actors in the impact ecosystem. We covered some of his childhood experience, universal basic income (UBI), capital and deal flow, the geographical handicaps certain markets…

Aunnie Patton Power — Intelligent Impact | Founder

I talk to Aunnie Patton Power about innovative and creative ways to redesign finance - and specifically venture capital - to improve access to funding, build more sustainable organisations, and deliver better impact.

Aunnie was one of the stand out lecturers from my Masters programme at LSE in her course on Exponential Technology for Social Impact. She is one of the world's leading thinkers in this space, and is currently working on a highly anticipated book that will be a collection of her research and best thinking.

Tom Fels — Animarem | CEO

I talk to Tom Fels, branding expert and conscious capitalism advocate about his mission to create a new movement of business leadership in South Africa and beyond.

Tom is the founder and CEO of Animarem, a boutique impact advisory that powers visionary, purpose-driven growth for their corporate clients. Tom is an old colleague from the advertising industry, has worked in conservation, and now leads the charge on helping leaders redefine their approach to value creation. We also touch on the B Corp movement and its progress on the African continent.

Arthur Attwell — Electric Book Works | MD

I talk to entrepreneur and innovator Arthur Attwell about the publishing industry and the social impact of better access to information, lessons learned from the successes and failures of his entrepreneurship journey, and a range of other topics.

Arthur is the co-founder and managing director of Electric Book Works, an agency that turns ordinary publications into engaging websites, ebooks, and printed editions. He co-founded healthcare publisher Bettercare; children’s book publisher Book Dash; and Paperight, an award-winning experiment in…

Prof Vasti Roodt — Univ Stellenbosch | Dept of Philosophy

If you could press pause on society, how would you redesign it?

In this episode I speak to Professor Vasti Roodt about a theory of justice (fairness) that might be the key to building a better world for everyone, regardless of their social standing or resources.

Vasti is an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Stellenbosch, and the Head of the Unit for Social and Political Ethics in the Centre for Applied Ethics. She holds an MA and DPhil (Philosophy) from USB. Her research focuses on moral and…

Dean McCoubrey — MySociaLife.com | Founder

Expert lessons in parenting digitally enabled tweens and teens

In this episode I talk to Dean McCoubrey about how to be a better parent to digitally connected children.

Dean is a successful media entrepreneur and the founder of MySociaLife (www.mysocialife.com), an education company that examines the invisible physiological, emotional, mental and neurological influences of working on smart devices and in social media, and equips caregivers and educators with the tools to empower children for smarter internet usage.

We discuss the story of his…

Andrew Blades — EPA Victoria | Manager, Risk and Compliance

A deep dive into complexity with a leading 'uncertainty navigator'

Can you tell from the title of this episode that I've been watching a LOT of Frozen 2 while on lock down? In this episode I talk to Andrew Blades, an uncertainty navigator and polymath, about how to lead in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world.

Andrew is based out of Melbourne, Australia, and serves as the risk and and compliance manager in the state of Victoria's EPA (Environment Protection Authority). He started his professional career in…

Rapelang Rabana — Rekindle Learning | Founder and Chair

How technology is leading the learning and personal development revolution

"In this episode I talk to Rapelang Rabana about the education and edtech revolution, digital transformation, and how crises can be an opportunity to radically re-calibrate corporate vision and strategy.

Rapelang is the founder and chair at Rekindle Learning, a tech entrepreneur, and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. We discuss in detail her start-up journey (fresh out of university), her experience of consulting to corporate clients on…

Richard Mulholland — Missing Link | CEO

Why some companies (and leaders) thrive in a crisis, and why many don't

Why do some companies thrive in a crisis, and others fail?

Why does uncertainty bring the best out of some leaders, and leave others completely ineffective?

In this episode of the One-Eyed Man I talk to global speaker, serial entrepreneur and all round smart dude Richard Mulholland about what you do (as a leader, especially in business) when you don't know what to do. How do we, and how should we, make decisions in the midst of a crisis, or very uncertain circumstances?

We…

Richard Wright — Speaker, Author, Endurance Athlete

We're all terminal, to a greater or lesser degree. So what do you do now?

The conclusion to my three-part discussion with Richard Wright - the metaphorical marathon portion of our show - tells the story of his journey to today. How he dealt with his second cancer diagnosis, his athletic victories under treatment, severe personal trauma and incredible personal triumph.

If you enjoy this show and the others before it, do not hesitate to share with someone who might need to hear this message right now.

Richard Wright — Speaker, Author, Endurance Athlete

Strong. Feeling good. Strong. Powerful. A mantra that beat cancer.

Episode two of our three-part series takes us further into Richard's first cancer diagnosis, using the metaphor of an Ironman triathlon. We hit our first transition, and embark on a grueling 180 km cycle together.

Richard bares all as we discover what it feels like to be given 6 months to live, and what it takes to beat an invisible, apparently unbeatable enemy.

Richard Wright — Speaker, Author, Endurance Athlete

Lessons in how to survive and thrive uncertainty and adversity

Imagine what it takes to run 42 km. A full marathon.
Now, imagine doing so after cycling non-stop for 180 km.
Now, imagine doing both after a 3.8 km swim.

This is the journey every aspiring endurance triathlete must take to earn the coveted moniker of Ironman.

Now, imagine doing all of that, in record time, with stage 4 brain cancer.

In this episode, the first of three in a series with Richard Wright, a sought-after speaker, author, endurance athlete and three-time cancer…

Simon Dingle — Inves Capital | CEO

A deep(er) dive into Bitcoin and blockchain technology

In this episode I talk to Simon Dingle, CEO of Inves Capital and Lettuce, about the philosophy of money, incentives, the dysfunction of the central banking system, the pros and cons of cryptocurrencies and more.

Simon is a dear friend, someone who has been a rock and a sounding board in many key moments in my life. Before Lettuce he was part of the teams that started 22seven, Curve, and Luno. He wrote a book called In Math We Trust, and in case you didn't immediately gather so from the show, he is…

Sam Rockey — Thompson Harrison | Co-founder

Lessons and learnings from the bleeding edge of leadership development.

In this episode I talk to Sam Rockey, co-founder of Thompson Harrison, a London-based leadership and organisational development consulting business.

We talk about the questions modern leaders are being forced to ask to stay relevant, the value of an appreciation for complexity and nuance, and some of the key forces driving changes in leadership dynamics the world over.

Key quote:

"Globalisation has made all of our (leadership) problems common, and consistent." -- Sam Rockey

Lerato Semenya — Chromatic | Managing Director

How effective leaders are turning heaps of data into insight and wisdom.

In this episode I talk to Lerato Semenya, a data and transformation evangelist, and the founder of Chromatic Consulting, about how leaders can extract better insights out of data and analytics for a competitive advantage.

Lerato has just launched her new venture to assist corporations in facilitating tangible shifts in intention and application around diversity and inclusion initiatives, after a very successful career in data science with a major bank, energy company,…

Jacques Rousseau — UCT | Lecturer

If there was a gym for your brain, would you pay a subscription?

In this episode I talk to Jacques Rousseau, lecturer at the University of Cape Town, author, and secular activist about critical thinking and ethics.

We explore the benefits of applying rational thought to effective leadership, the pros and cons of social media (and specifically Twitter), the lost art of conversation and debate, and many more topics.

Key quote:

"No matter how big and powerful you might be, there's somebody out there that's bigger and more powerful, and unless you have…

"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king." - Desiderius Erasmus