In this episode of The Business of Thinking, Richard Reid sits down with Loretta Breuning, founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, to explore the primal neurochemistry driving human behavior. Loretta reveals how "happy chemicals" like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin were designed for animal survival and how these ancient pathways still dictate our professional lives and personal success today.

Key Takeaways

Our brains are wired by early childhood experiences, creating neural "highways" that influence our adult reactions to competition and reward.

Understanding the mammal brain allows high achievers to move beyond surface-level motivation and master their emotional responses to workplace stress and social hierarchies.

Episode Highlights

Loretta discusses the reality of social hierarchies and why the drive for status is a natural biological impulse rather than a character flaw.

She breaks down the role of cortisol in decision-making, explaining how the brain decides when to "persist with a chase" or "cut losses" in a business context.

Finally, she provides a roadmap for retraining the brain through repetition to build new, healthier habits.

Timestamps

00:50 Loretta’s journey from professor to brain behavior expert

06:17 The four happy chemicals and survival behavior

12:42 Serotonin, social dominance, and workplace competition

19:49 Oxytocin and the evolutionary need for protection

31:29 Lion’s perspective: Using cortisol for better business decisions

35:11 Strategies for retraining childhood neural pathways

🔗 Connect with Loretta Breuning

Website: InnerMammalInstitute.org

Free 5-day Happy Chemical Jumpstart: https://InnerMammalInstitute.org/newsletter

LinkedIn: Loretta Breuning

Instagram: @inner.mammal.inst

Facebook: LorettaBreuningPhD

YouTube: @InnerMammalInstitute

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Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

In this episode of The Business of Thinking, Richard Reid sits down with entrepreneur and author Joel Steele to discuss the psychology of resilience.

Joel shares his raw journey from facing borderline bankruptcy and life-threatening situations to building a thriving financial services business. He introduces the concept of the "Life Switch" - the internal choice to stop coasting and start living with intentionality.

Key Takeaways

Awareness is the first step toward high performance. Joel explains that we all possess internal assets and "pre-wiring" for success, but they remain dormant until we consciously "power them on" through vision and action. He emphasises that failure is only final if you accept it as a dead end rather than a pivot point.

Episode Highlights

Joel discusses how he transformed a failed restaurant venture and half a million dollars in debt into the foundation for a successful financial career.

He provides a masterclass on channeling anxiety into activity, explaining how to use fear as high-octane fuel for your goals.

The conversation also covers the importance of "self-actualization" and why tuning out digital distractions is essential to tuning into your purpose.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to Joel Steele

02:43 - Overcoming bankruptcy and near-death experiences

05:55 - Transforming $500k of debt into a winning business

08:39 - The power of vision and your internal "GPS"

14:36 - Embracing the "Hard Road" and avoiding regret

18:18 - Converting anxiety and fear into productive activity

31:25 - How to extract your ideas and make them tangible

32:41 - The "Life Switch" mission and a $1M charity goal

🔗 Connect with Joel Steele

Website: BookJoelSteele.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-steele-9685888

Instagram: @lifeswitchofficial

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Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

In this episode of The Business Of Thinking, host Richard Reid is joined by Vanessa Abraham, a dedicated speech-language pathologist whose career and life took a dramatic turn in 2019. Vanessa shares her harrowing journey from being a medical provider to becoming a patient paralyzed by a sudden neurological disorder that left her unable to speak or eat. She provides a raw look into the psychological toll of medical trauma, describing the "profound depression" and "invisible disabilities" that often go unaddressed after a patient leaves the ICU.

Vanessa discusses her transformation into a "crazy researcher," diving into neuroplasticity and innovative healing modalities like the Neubie device to reclaim her life. Her story is a powerful testament to the psychology of high performance and the importance of purpose, reminding listeners that "when people have a purpose, they’re willing to withstand pretty much anything".

Key Takeaways

The episode explores Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), highlighting the cognitive deficits, anxiety, and PTSD that survivors face long after physical recovery.

Vanessa emphasizes the necessity of a trauma-informed approach in healthcare, looking at a patient’s mental state and nervous system functioning as the primary foundation for physical healing.

A major theme is the power of intellectual humility, where putting aside pride and asking "dumb questions" becomes the ultimate tool for innovation and recovery.

The conversation delves into the shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic drive, explaining how creating a relaxed state allows the body and brain to repair itself.

Episode Highlights

Vanessa describes the rapid onset of her illness, going from a healthy, active lifestyle to being ventilated in the ICU within 48 hours.

She explains the "missing piece" of healthcare: the lack of mental health support once a patient is discharged and the support system of the hospital slips away.

The discussion covers Vanessa's book, Speechless, which serves as a guide for clinicians and survivors to understand the human side of medical trauma.

Vanessa shares her future mission, including hosting workshops and retreats to educate medical providers on the realities of PICS and medical trauma.

Timestamps

00:12 - Introduction to Vanessa Abraham and speech pathology

01:32 - Transition from clinician to paralyzed patient

03:56 - The rapid onset of a life-changing neurological disorder

08:28 - Discussing Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS)

11:37 - Researching neuroplasticity and natural healing modalities

16:44 - The grieving process and losing one's identity

22:59 - How the Neubie device aids in neurological recovery

26:55 - Redefining trauma-informed care in medical practice

31:50 - Upcoming workshops and the Speechless book

🔗 Connect with Vanessa Abraham

Website: www.aneuhealing.com

Instagram: @speechless_slp

To purchase book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/cjvA4ao

Facebook: Speechless SLP

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Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

In this episode of The Business of Thinking, Richard Reid is joined by Beth Singler, anthropologist and leading expert on digital religion and artificial intelligence. Together, they explore how AI is reshaping belief systems, decision-making, and critical thinking — not just in religious contexts, but across business, education, and society at large.

From AI being treated as god-like by some users, to the dangers of outsourcing our thinking and blindly trusting machine-generated “truths,” Beth offers a grounded, thoughtful perspective on why healthy scepticism and critical reasoning matter more than ever in an AI-driven world.

Key Takeaways

AI is not a neutral tool. The language and narratives we use to describe it directly influence how people trust, adopt, and rely on it.

Large language models do not reason like humans. They predict probabilities, meaning everything they generate follows the same process — some outputs are correct, others are not.

Blind reliance on AI risks eroding critical thinking, particularly in education, leadership, and decision-making environments.

Enthusiasm for AI often mirrors religious-style belief systems, especially within corporate culture and technological evangelism.

Implementing AI in organisations should be treated as a change management project, not just a technical upgrade.

Episode Highlights

Beth explains how religious language and symbolism frequently appear in discussions about AI, even in secular corporate settings.

The episode explores emerging AI-led spiritual practices and why some people experience large language models as god-like entities.

Beth outlines the dangers of misinformation, fake expertise, and AI-generated authority entering education and professional spaces.

The conversation highlights the tension between efficiency and truth, and how speed can undermine reflection and judgement.

Business leaders are encouraged to learn from religious responses to AI, particularly around authenticity, trust, and ethical boundaries.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to The Business of Thinking
00:37 – What digital religion is and how Beth entered the field
02:56 – AI, spirituality, and god-like perceptions of language models
04:02 – AI evangelism and corporate enthusiasm
05:07 – Hallucinations, critical thinking, and education
07:04 – Why people trust AI answers too quickly
09:25 – Misinformation and the blurring of truth
10:41 – Building guardrails and thinking critically about AI
12:36 – Authenticity, sermons, and AI in religious spaces
14:47 – Utopia vs dystopia: where AI may be heading
17:13 – Beth’s research journey into AI and religion
18:59 – Advice for business leaders implementing AI
20:11 – AI as a change management challenge
21:56 – Final reflections on healthy scepticism

🔗 Connect with Beth Singler

Website: https://bvlsingler.com
LinkedIn: Beth Singler
Instagram: @bethsingler
Facebook: Beth Singler
YouTube: Beth Singler

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Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

In this thought-provoking episode of The Business of Thinking, Richard Reid is joined by AI expert, author, and futurist Calum Chace for a wide-ranging conversation on artificial intelligence, superintelligence, and what the future may hold for humanity.

Calum breaks down where AI is today, where it’s heading next, and why we may be sleepwalking into one of the biggest transitions our species has ever faced. From AI agents and automation to consciousness, work, and the possibility of a post-jobs economy, this episode challenges assumptions and asks uncomfortable but essential questions about power, responsibility, and preparedness.

Key Takeaways

Artificial intelligence is already transforming how work gets done, but AI agents capable of acting with partial autonomy will dramatically accelerate this change.

Superintelligence may arrive far sooner than most people expect, potentially within the lifetime of today’s workforce.

Automation could eliminate most human jobs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of purpose, meaning, or motivation.

The biggest risk is not technological failure, but lack of planning, poor governance, and unequal distribution of wealth.

Humanity may only get one chance to influence how superintelligence treats us, making decisions about safety and values critically important now.

Episode Highlights

Calum explains the difference between narrow AI, AGI, and superintelligence, and why the transition could happen incredibly fast.

The conversation explores AI agents, verification, and why unsupervised systems raise serious safety concerns.

Richard and Calum discuss the economic singularity and what happens when machines can do all paid work.

Calum shares an optimistic but realistic view of a future where humans focus on learning, creativity, and connection rather than jobs.

The episode ends with a fascinating discussion on AI consciousness and whether making machines conscious could actually make them safer.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to The Business of Thinking

01:05 – Calum’s background and early interest in AI

02:23 – The two big breakthroughs that changed AI

03:20 – Large language models and their limitations

04:34 – AI agents and partial autonomy

06:18 – Verification, supervision, and AI safety

07:43 – AGI, superintelligence, and the 2029 debate

09:53 – Fear, optimism, and extinction risk

11:52 – Automation and the end of human jobs

12:59 – Wealth distribution and global inequality

14:16 – Governments, politics, and lack of preparation

15:59 – Work, identity, and human motivation

18:42 – What businesses should focus on right now

21:52 – Common sense, world models, and timelines

22:49 – Becoming the second smartest species

25:10 – Conscious vs unconscious superintelligence

28:22 – Why we probably won’t stop AI development

30:33 – Current projects and future priorities

32:26 – Where to find Calum’s work

🔗 Connect with Calum Chace

Website: https://www.calumchace.com
LinkedIn: Calum Chace
Instagram: Calum Chace
Facebook: Calum Chace
YouTube: Calum Chace

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Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

In this powerful episode of The Business of Thinking, Richard Reid is joined by mountaineer, engineer, and keynote speaker Nigel Vardy, often known as Mr Frostbite. Nigel shares the extraordinary story of surviving a near-fatal storm high on Denali in Alaska, an experience that resulted in severe frostbite, multiple amputations, and a complete redefinition of his life.

This conversation goes far beyond mountaineering. Nigel explores resilience, decision-making under pressure, personal responsibility, and what it truly means to adapt when control is taken away. Drawing on decades of experience in extreme environments and high-stakes engineering roles, he offers lessons that are deeply relevant to leadership, business, and life.

Key Takeaways

Calm decision-making under pressure is a learned skill, built through experience, not panic or reaction.

Adversity strips away illusion and forces clarity about what truly matters and what is actually possible.

Progress is rarely linear. Moving forward often includes setbacks, repetition, and patience.

Real adaptability comes from learning how to use your body, mind, and environment differently, rather than waiting for perfect tools or solutions.

Long-term success comes from commitment, apprenticeship, and persistence, not quick wins or overnight breakthroughs.

Episode Highlights

Nigel recounts the Denali storm that nearly killed him and the night spent fighting to survive in extreme conditions.

He reflects on losing control in hospital and the psychological challenge of depending entirely on others.

The episode explores identity, visible difference, and learning to move forward after life-altering injury.

Nigel shares how hands-on problem solving and engineering thinking helped him reclaim independence.

He explains why calm leadership, reassessment, and experience matter more than speed or bravado.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to The Business of Thinking
01:07 – Growing up outdoors and early influences
02:23 – Engineering, mountaineering, and decision-making
03:20 – The Denali expedition and sudden crisis
04:34 – Surviving the storm and rescue
06:39 – Losing control and life in hospital
09:28 – The physical and emotional impact of frostbite
11:49 – Recovery, setbacks, and patience
13:33 – The IKEA moment and taking back control
17:35 – Learning to adapt without relying on gadgets
18:57 – Lessons from adversity and leadership under pressure
21:09 – Experience, intuition, and risk awareness
24:04 – Returning to the mountains and redefining success
26:22 – Comfort zones and real learning
28:16 – Apprenticeship, mastery, and long-term growth
30:17 – Decision-making when conditions change
31:10 – Supporting others and sharing knowledge
32:00 – Documentary and where to find Nigel’s work

🔗 Connect with Nigel Vardy

Website: www.mrfrostbite.com
LinkedIn: Nigel Vardy
Instagram: Nigel Vardy
Facebook: Nigel Vardy
YouTube: Nigel Vardy

⭐️ Connect and Subscribe

Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

In this episode of The Business of Thinking, former police hostage negotiator Nigel Taberner joins Richard Reid to reveal how the high-stakes world of crisis negotiation translates into powerful leadership and influence. Taberner shares his journey from a bus-building factory to counter-terrorism and saving over 130 lives, emphasizing that listening is a professional superpower. Discover why "less is more" in any boardroom or domestic dispute and how managing your own ego and emotions is the key to mastering difficult conversations.

Key Takeaways

The core skill of negotiation is listening to understand and making others feel heard rather than just smooth talking.

Restoring rational thought requires balancing the emotional seesaw by addressing feelings before tackling substantive issues.

Effective influence is built on authenticity and aligning actions with an individual’s personal values and beliefs.

Episode Highlights

Nigel discusses his transition from Moss Side's "baptism by fire" to elite counter-terrorism and hostage roles.

The importance of "tell me" questions and fillers over direct questioning to keep others talking and sharing information.

Practicing the first 60 seconds of any interaction is a game-changer for establishing warmth and competence.

Nigel explains how to approach the "elephant in the room" using the phrase "I get the impression that...".

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the psychology of high performance

01:29 From Wigan factory worker to saving 130 lives

08:21 Listening as a negotiator’s secret superpower

11:28 Why most negotiators fail by not being authentic

21:31 Balancing the seesaw between emotion and rational thought

26:23 The power of "tell me" questions in business and life

34:28 Mastering the first 60 seconds of any conversation

🔗 Connect with Nigel Taberner

Website: nigeltaberner.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-taberner

Showreel: youtube.com/watch?v=X_DpmrizY1s&feature=youtu.be

linkedin.com/in/nigel-taberner-b97b0a1a0/

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Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective

In this episode of The Business of Thinking, Richard Reid sits down with corporate philosopher Roger Steare to dismantle the traditional corporate mindset. Steare explores why current economic models are "cancerous" and why heavy regulation often increases risk rather than safety. Drawing on his "moral DNA" research of over 170,000 individuals, he introduces a powerful decision-making framework based on love, logic, and law.

Key Takeaways

The three voices of moral decision-making - Love, Logic, and Law - must be balanced equally to achieve ethical leadership.

Standard corporate codes of conduct are often ineffective documents designed for legal defense rather than ethical guidance.

True happiness and longevity are derived from warm, genuine relationships rather than the accumulation of material wealth.

Episode Highlights

Roger shares his "MBA in life" from his time as a social worker, which birthed his philosophy of "tough love".

The traffic sign analogy explains how we navigate decisions: the roundabout for logic, the traffic light for law, and the pedestrian crossing for love.

A critical look at how the Joint Stock Corporation functions as a plutocracy rather than a democracy.

An analysis of the "weapons of mass deception" created by the combination of AI and social media.

Timestamps

01:28 How the title of "Corporate Philosopher" originated

08:30 The traffic sign analogy for ethical decision-making

11:07 Why workplace culture often kills compassion

19:37 The feudal origins of the modern corporation

30:57 The dangers and probabilistic nature of Large Language Models

42:31 Practical steps to assess your own Moral DNA

🔗 Connect with Roger Steare

rogersteare.com

MoralDNA.org

⭐️ Connect and Subscribe

Thank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid’s work at www.richard-reid.com.

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/