Today in The Future Is How: Francesco Ciccolella. His illustrations don’t just decorate the page– they challenge how we see the world. Francesco is a Vienna-based artist, illustrator, and designer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, MIT Technology Review, and on the covers of books and ideas that have shaped our thinking. He also brought Frederik's ideas to life , through incredible sketches, including the one-line illustrations in Frederik's book What’s Next Is Now. Francesco's illustrations hold up a mirror to our culture–showing us not only what is, but what could be.

Today, we talk about:

• The Power of Visual Thinking

• Making the complex visually accessible through empathy
• The power of reduction
• Between the lines-Francesco´s book, a visual philosophy

• Everyone Is an Artist (as long as we overcome our fears)

• A well of inspiration—exploring world views and travelling

Where to find Francesco Ciccolella:

https://www.francescociccolella.com/

Between The Lines The Book: https://www.francescociccolella.com/Between-The-Lines-Artist-s-Book

Where to find Frederik G. Pferdt:
NextLetter – ⁠https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/#nextletter⁠

What's NextIs Now The Book: ⁠⁠https://www.whatsnextisnowthebook.com

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/fgpferdt/⁠⁠⁠
YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/frederikgpferdt⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/frederikgpferdt/⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Intro
(03:13) Francesco's future bio: A space between words and images

(05:45) Complexity in one image—empathy and the visual vocabulary
(08:07) The viewer's shoes—a repertoire of different angles
(09:01) Stripped to the essence—the Zen garden story and finding beauty in reduction
(11:59) Creative challenges—quick pace and the flow mode
(14:55) Between the lines—Francesco's book on dealing with mental health crises
(17:34) Discovering the inner artist—it's about taking away the fear (or: there are no perfect lines)

(21:03) A Mindstate Moment with Frederik
(25:31) A three word-game-visual creativity from scratch

(27:30) Finding inspiration—travelling, exploring world views, new paths

(29:09) Provoking emotion—The illustrator's playbook

Music: Andreas Horchler

In this episode, we explore how trust shapes the future — in parenting, education, and leadership.

Esther Wojcicki is known as "The godmother of Silicon Valley", a legendary educator, journalist, and author of How to Raise Successful People. She has taught thousands of students, raised three remarkable daughters (a CEO, a doctor, and a professor), and sparked a global movement with her TRICK philosophy: Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness.

“Kids are not luggage — they are human beings,” Esther says. Her message is clear: the next generation doesn’t need more control, they need more trust.

Together, we dive into:

• Why respect and independence are key ingredients for raising changemakers

• How 20% of time for personal projects (even in school!) unlocks creativity

• What happens when we stop helicopter parenting — and start trusting

• How TRICK can transform classrooms, companies, and even family dinners

• Why children’s ideas might just change the world

We also explore how TRICK applies not just to kids — but to how we lead, live, and even treat our parents.

Plus: A “Mindstate Moment” to help you reflect and activate your own TRICK.

Where to find Esther Wojcicki:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heywoj/?hl=en

Where to find Frederik G. Pferdt:
NextLetter – ⁠https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/#nextletter⁠

What'sNextIs Now The Book: ⁠⁠https://www.whatsnextisnowthebook.com

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/fgpferdt/⁠⁠⁠
YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/frederikgpferdt⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/frederikgpferdt/⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Intro
(02:36) Esther's future bio: A world of respect and trust for children

(05:53) A future with TRICK- Trust Respect Independence Collaboration Kindness
(11:40) Balancing Structure and Freedom-Raising children today
(15:07) Kid's shopping experience-building trust and independence
(18:00) Kids are not luggage-what parents get wrong about children
(19:51) Frederik on the road-let the kids do the travel planning
(20:40) Worries and things we can do to shape our future

(24:50) Belts for the homeless-how children's ideas help
(26:36) Showing up for children with TRICK-empower education

(29:53) A better school-play, take time, explore

(33:09) In it together-Having patience, as kids and as parents

(35:49) Lost kids-The Helicopter Parenting crisis

(40:04) A Mindstate Moment with Frederik
(42:47) TRICK for companies and leaders-mistakes and room for creativity

(47:45) We are all children-what we can offer our parents through TRICK

Music :Andreas Horchler

In today’s episode of The Future is How, it's all about growth, from plants to the inner self. And we have a more than special guest: Angela Pferdt. Coming from a background in finance, today she is a Healing Artist, a Reiki Master, a Master Gardener, and she is Frederik's wife, in Frederik's words: one of his greatest teachers. Frederik and Angela spent decades together, building a home and raising three children. “Home is where I grow”, says Angela. This time The Future is How comes straight from Angela's and Frederik's home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, an exchange of experiences, thoughts, callings, insights, and more than that: their future, like a walk together we all can listen to.

Today, we talk about:
• The power of Reiki and how it helps to become more present

• Plant based medicine and how psychedelics can help opening up and finding love and answers inside
• Long standing myths on psychedelics
• How gardening and personal growth are deeply interconnected

• Finding patience and presence

Where to find Angela Pferdt:
⁠https://www.santawoodz.com

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/santa_woodz/⁠⁠⁠

Where to find Frederik G. Pferdt:
NextLetter – ⁠https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/#nextletter⁠

What's NextIs Now The Book: ⁠⁠https://www.whatsnextisnowthebook.com

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/fgpferdt/⁠⁠⁠
YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/frederikgpferdt⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/frederikgpferdt/⁠⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Intro
(02:57) Angela's future bio: Who Angela is becoming how she's building a future around Reiki, energy work and plant medicine, and becoming more present
(05:50) Reiki and being present
(07:17) How Reiki works
(08:29) Angela's journey to Reiki
(10:28) Energy & Healing & Well-being: Why people are coming to Angela's Reiki studio
(13:05) The journey guide: Plant medicine and digging deeper solving crises
(17:45) The integration phase: Life completely different, opening up, the answer inside, and love

(20:53) Plant based medicine: Is it for me?
(23:00) Time to grow: It begins in the soil

(25:11) A Mindstate Moment with Frederik
(28:14) Growth and Gardening: Nourishment, minds and communities

(29:35) Psychedelic myths: Breaking addictions instead of creating addictions

(32:06) It's not exclusively about trauma or seeing colors: Psychedelics can break patterns, accessing the unconscious

(33:54) Patience and presence: How her children benefit from Angela's work

(36:10) Words of encouragement: if you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it.

Music: Andreas Horchler