In Episode 109,The Occupational Philosophers chat with Eric Weiner, an award-winning journalist, a New York Times bestselling author, and much sought-after keynote speaker on a variety of topics, including happiness, innovation strategies and the "power of place." He regularly leads writing workshops around the world.

He is a former foreign correspondent for NPR and reporter for The New York Times. He's reported from more than 30 nations, from Iraq to Indonesia, covering some of the major international events of recent times. He is the recipient of several journalism awards, including the Angel Award for coverage of Islamic affairs in Asia.

His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Atlantic, National Geographic, AFAR, among other publications.

And his books include The Geography of Bliss, The Geography of Genius, Man Seeks God and The Socrates Express. His latest book, Ben & Me, has recently been published this year.

In this episode, they explore:

• What colour is Tuesday?
• The philosophy of place
• How many bags Eric has….and whether he has a collection or an obsession
• Narrative truth vs factual truth
• Moving between being a journalist and being a writer
• How creative genius springs from place and environment
• Why openness to experience is at the root of creativity
• What Benjamin Franklin can teach us about curiosity, creativity, imagination and play
• How rituals can help focus your creative energy
• Creating a ‘sandbox’ to experiment in
• The meaning of life….purpose and gritty bits…

And as ever, enjoy the Thought Experiment …this time it’s:

• Your place or mind?

Learn more about Eric

http://www.ericweinerbooks.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-weiner-17aa8639/

References

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/michelangelo-leonardo-raphael

https://www.independentthinking.co.uk/speakers/ian-gilbert/

https://europa.nasa.gov/mission/about/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/133768-one-s-destination-is-never-a-place-but-a-new-way

https://www.carryology.com/

https://freedom.to/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi-Fu_Tuan

https://www.celticglory.com/thin-place

John and Simon explore the creative wisdom of music producer Rick Rubin and what it means to bring creativity into everyday work and life

What does it really mean to be creative? In this Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers explore the insights of legendary music producer Rick Rubin, whose work spans from the Beastie Boys to Adele. Drawing on his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, John and Simon unpack practical ways anyone can bring more creativity, curiosity and openness into their life and work.

In this episode, Simon and John chat about

• Why creativity is not a job title or output, but a way of being
• The artist as a vessel, and how great ideas often come from creating the space for them to arrive
• Detaching from outcomes and letting the creative process unfold
• Why constraints and rituals are powerful tools to spark creativity
• Why originality is overrated. Everything is a remix
• Sensitivity as a superpower. How tuning in helps you see what others miss

Along the way, they cover Sistine Chapel replicas, rugby league fandom, urban sketching, and how sensitivity and curiosity are deeply linked.

Links and references

• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
• English Sistine Chapel Replica Goring
• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Say Hello

www.occupationalphilosophers.com

Their day jobs

JOHN Bowland Consulting SIMON www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL

In episode 107, The Occupational Philosophers chat with the highly curious Dr Jochen Schweitzer, a strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship researcher and education leader at UTS, Director of the Executive MBA, advisor, and author.

His research, teaching and consulting focus on issues of strategy, collaboration, entrepreneurship and innovation with a special interest in design thinking, emerging technologies and open innovation.

Jochen was a visiting Scholar at Stanford University and Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) School of Design Thinking at Potsdam University. Before joining the UTS Business School, he taught at the UTS schools of Design and Architecture and Macquarie University. Jochen is a passionate educator who has taught at universities in the UK, Japan, China, the US, Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand and won numerous awards, too many to mention.

He was a principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers, a production engineer at Volkswagen and a program manager at the Goethe Institute. Jochen is also the founder of U.lab, an interdisciplinary think tank and platform for innovation projects.

Apart from his academic pursuits, Jochen is an active member of the entrepreneurship community and has mentored and advised numerous startups.

Interesting titles from co-authored papers

• A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Strategy
• Herding cats to co-create cross-university courses in record time
• Avoid being the Turkey: How big data analytics changes the game of strategy in times of ambiguity and uncertainty

So a very interesting guest!!

In this episode, the Occupational Philosophers explore:

• The five key attributes for an entrepreneurial mindset and behaviours
• How entrepreneurialism comes from 'doing it'
• The importance of building your own startup
• How Stoicism is a key part of entrepreneurialism
• What 90% of startups that failed haven't found
• The challenge of implementing design and design thinking in organisations
• If you want to solve a problem, start with what pisses you off
• Failing that, ask “what do you desire and what makes you itch?”
• Find your tribe, find your network, maintain it
• Why boards need to embrace curiosity and look around the corner
• What is Design Thinking?

As always, there is a thought experiment to stretch the mind. In this episode, it's Ferret or Fantasy? The start-up world animal kingdom.

There are also some listener questions, which are always a treat.

The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as they did making it.

Jochen Links

• Linktree (all links): https://linktr.ee/jochenschweitzer
• UTS Academic Profile: https://profiles.uts.edu.au/jochen.schweitzer
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochenschweitzer
• Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3aWHIb4AAAAJ
• ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jochen-Schweitzer
• ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1807-6720
• Academia.edu: https://uts-academia.academia.edu/JochenSchweitzer
• Personal/Project Website: https://besyd.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

Hello and welcome back to 2025! (Noting the irony that is is now April...)

The Occupational Philosophers have returned from walking the Earth, exploring the heavens and astral travelling beyond the stratosphere - metaphorically and literally. Feeling refreshed, joyous and 1.27% more wise, they are excited for the new season of the show.

This episode combines the loves of both John and Simon: Great questions and raucous dinner parties.

As it's a new season, John and Simon explored a bunch of new dinner party questions that move beyond the usual, "What do you do?" (SNORE....)

These include:

• Is there a habit or ritual in your day that feels somewhat sacred and you don’t like to miss?
• You're putting together a diverse team you would love to work with. Who might they be and why?
• What’s something you’ve recently started looking at differently?
• What’s a question you wish people asked you more often?
• When do you feel most intellectually alive?

It's a curious discussion to kick off a most curious new season for a show that's a lot about curiosity.

Simon and John hope you enjoy the show.

Say Hello

www.occupationalphilosophers.com

Their day jobs:

• JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/
• SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au
• SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

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

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