Messy and Masterful
TeachPitch Founder Aldo de Pape interviews people from a variety of professional circles from all over the world how they overcame deep personal challenges and managed to achieve great professional success.
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10 Concrete Steps You Can Take Towards a Happier Life
05/15/2024
10 Concrete Steps You Can Take Towards a Happier Life
Dr. Michael Vlerick presents a concrete 10 step plan on how to become a happier person! He emphasizes the need to develop good habits and discard bad habits, starting with small changes and being kind to ourselves. Living a healthy lifestyle, including getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising, is crucial for both physical and mental well-being. Meditation is also highlighted as a powerful tool for rewiring the brain and freeing ourselves from negative mental reactions and cravings. In this conversation, Michael Vlerick and Aldo de Pape discuss the final 10 steps to becoming happier. These steps include observing mental reactions without reacting, developing contentment and gratitude, engaging in flow activities, investing in social relationships, and not making happiness the direct goal. They emphasize the importance of training the mind to wander less and be more present, as well as the benefits of altruism and helping others. They also discuss the negative impact of mindless relaxation activities and the importance of focusing on the present moment. Takeaways Understand your genetic programming and the stick and carrot principle to achieve happiness. Develop good habits and discard bad habits, starting with small changes and being kind to yourself. Live a healthy lifestyle, including getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising, for both physical and mental well-being. Use meditation as a powerful tool to rewire the brain and free yourself from negative mental reactions and cravings. Observe mental reactions without reacting and extend this practice to daily life Develop contentment and gratitude for a deeply satisfying life Engage in flow activities instead of mindless relaxation Invest in social relationships and practice altruism Don't make happiness the direct goal, focus on equanimity, contentment, and loving interactions --- Become an Audible Member for only 99 pence for 3 months: Riverside.fm: get a 15% discount by using the code MESSY or sign up here Register to Receive Books for £1 from Scholastic: Leading the Circular Fashion Revolution with Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Connect with the Brands you love at Awin: Find the Perfect Gardener on Care.com: Grown Alchemist: Cake or Death: Kids Party Craft: Bike Club: The Code Zone:
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Train Your Brain for Happiness
05/15/2024
Train Your Brain for Happiness
In this conversation, Aldo and Dr. Michael Vlerick discuss the topic of happiness and how to train the brain for happiness. They explore the importance of remaining equanimous, developing contentment, and connecting with others in order to live a happy and meaningful life. They also delve into the practice of meditation and its benefits, including training attention, gaining insight into one's psychology, and developing a new relationship with thoughts and emotions. The conversation emphasizes the transformation of the experience of life through mindfulness and detachment from emotions. In this conversation, Michael and Aldo discuss the importance of meditation in training the brain for happiness. They explore different types of meditation, how to get started with meditation, and the benefits of cultivating positive states of mind. They introduce the Saber protocol as a tool for managing negative mental reactions and offer practical advice for implementing it in daily life. They emphasize the importance of practicing gratitude and cultivating contentment to enhance happiness. Takeaways: Remaining equanimous, developing contentment, and connecting with others are important pillars for living a happy and meaningful life. Meditation is a practice that involves manipulating attention and can lead to a transformation of the experience of life. Through meditation, one can train attention, gain insight into their own psychology, and develop a new relationship with thoughts and emotions. Detachment from emotions allows for a greater appreciation of both positive and negative feelings, without clinging or craving for them to last. The quality of life is more determined by the attention one brings to the present moment than by external circumstances. Meditation is a powerful tool for training the brain and rewiring mental patterns. Different types of meditation, such as concentration, mindfulness, and cultivation meditation, offer various benefits for happiness and well-being. The Saber protocol (Stop, Accept, Bring attention, Examine, Release) can help manage negative mental reactions and promote emotional freedom. Practicing gratitude and cultivating contentment are essential for enhancing happiness. Training the brain for happiness requires daily practice and a commitment to observing and transforming negative mental reactions. --- Become an Audible Member for only 99 pence for 3 months: Riverside.fm: get a 15% discount by using the code MESSY or sign up here Register to Receive Books for £1 from Scholastic: Leading the Circular Fashion Revolution with Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Connect with the Brands you love at Awin: Find the Perfect Gardener on Care.com: Grown Alchemist: Cake or Death: Kids Party Craft: Bike Club: The Code Zone:
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The Simple Recipe for Happiness
05/15/2024
The Simple Recipe for Happiness
In this conversation, Aldo de Pape and Dr. Michael Vlerick discuss the simple recipe for happiness. They explore the three major elements of a happy life: equanimity, contentment, and the quality of social connections. They emphasize the importance of working on oneself and cultivating a new relationship with negative emotions. They also discuss the illusion of control and the illusion of self, highlighting the liberating potential of understanding these concepts. The conversation touches on the parallels between human consciousness and artificial intelligence. In this conversation, Dr. Michael Vlerick discusses the illusion of self and the liberating effect of dispelling this illusion. He explains how understanding the constant flow of experiences in life can free us from unnecessary suffering. Dr. Vlerick emphasizes the importance of equanimity, accepting what we cannot change, and cultivating contentment. He also highlights the profound impact of social connections on our wellbeing and happiness. The conversation concludes with a discussion on implementing practices to reprogram the brain and enhance happiness. Takeaways The three major elements of a happy life are equanimity, contentment, and the quality of social connections. Working on oneself and cultivating a new relationship with negative emotions can lead to greater happiness. The illusion of control and the illusion of self can contribute to unhappiness. Understanding the parallels between human consciousness and artificial intelligence can provide insights into the nature of the self. Understanding the illusion of self can lead to a more liberating and freeing experience of life. Equanimity, accepting what we cannot change, and cultivating contentment are key elements of happiness. Social connections play a crucial role in our wellbeing and happiness. Implementing practices to reprogram the brain can enhance happiness and improve overall wellbeing. --- Become an Audible Member for only 99 pence for 3 months: Riverside.fm: get a 15% discount by using the code MESSY or sign up here Register to Receive Books for £1 from Scholastic: Leading the Circular Fashion Revolution with Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Connect with the Brands you love at Awin: Find the Perfect Gardener on Care.com: Grown Alchemist: Cake or Death: Kids Party Craft: Bike Club: The Code Zone:
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Happiness & Our Modern Environment
05/15/2024
Happiness & Our Modern Environment
In this conversation, Dr. Michael Vlerick discusses the mismatch between our modern environment and our Stone Age brains, which can impact our happiness. He highlights examples such as our predilection for sugary and fatty foods, our stress response, our sedentary lifestyle, and the artificial ways we seek dopamine boosts. Dr. Vlerick explains how our brains evolved to seek opportunities and rewards, but our modern environment often provides excessive and unhealthy stimuli. He also touches on the addictive nature of social media and the importance of cultivating attention and quieting the mind. The conversation explores the negative consequences of overusing social media, the complex nature of addiction, the role of environment in addiction, the prevalence of loneliness in modern times, the mismatch between our natural responses and the modern world, the possibility of adapting to the modern environment, the importance of habit formation, gratitude for modern living conditions, and looking forward to increasing happiness. Takeaways Our modern environment often clashes with our Stone Age brains, leading to mismatches that can impact our happiness. Examples of mismatches include our predilection for sugary and fatty foods, our stress response, our sedentary lifestyle, and the artificial ways we seek dopamine boosts. Understanding the evolutionary purpose of certain behaviors can help us navigate the challenges of our modern environment. Cultivating attention and quieting the mind are important for our well-being in an environment filled with distractions. Overuse of social media can have negative consequences, especially in young people, leading to depression and social isolation. Addiction is a complex phenomenon influenced by both chemical compounds and environmental factors. The environment plays a crucial role in addiction, as seen in studies with rats and the experiences of soldiers in the Vietnam War. Loneliness is a major problem in modern times, with one-third of adults suffering from it. Our natural responses and instincts are often mismatched with the modern world, leading to challenges in maintaining happiness. Adapting to the modern environment requires knowledge and caution. Habit formation is key to protecting against threats to happiness and increasing long-term well-being. Despite the challenges, it is important to be grateful for the improved living conditions in modern times. There are strategies and solutions to increase happiness and improve overall well-being. ---
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On Mourning, Happiness & Sadness
04/04/2024
On Mourning, Happiness & Sadness
In this conversation, Aldo and Michael discuss the importance of happiness in life and how it becomes more apparent when reflecting back on one's life. They explore the idea that everything we do is ultimately in pursuit of happiness, whether consciously or unconsciously. They also discuss the need to be more conscious of our actions and behaviors and how they contribute to our long-term happiness. The conversation touches on the role of mourning and the coexistence of happiness and sadness. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of living a life that encompasses all emotions and finding beauty and meaning in each experience. Keywords: happiness, reflection, life, actions, behaviours, mourning, sadness, beauty, meaning Takeaways Happiness is the currency of life and becomes more apparent when reflecting back on one's life. Everything we do, consciously or unconsciously, is in pursuit of happiness. Being conscious of our actions and behaviors can contribute to our long-term happiness. Mourning can coexist with happiness and bring beauty and meaning to life. Sound Bites "I want you all to know that I was very happy." "Everything we do, everything we pursue in life, directly or indirectly, consciously or unconsciously, is to make us and other people happier." "We can radically transform our lives for the better, but it won't happen without a kind of conscious effort." A big thanks to all our Partners who make Messy & Masterful happen: Become an Audible Member for only 99 pence for 3 months: Riverside.fm: get a 15% discount by using the code MESSY or sign up here Register to Receive Books for £1 from Scholastic: Creative Learning and Wellbeing for Kids with Brilliant Brainz Magazine: Leading the Circular Fashion Revolution with Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Connect with the Brands you love at Awin: Find the Perfect Gardener on Care.com: Grown Alchemist: Cake or Death: Kids Party Craft: Bike Club: The Code Zone:
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Kian Katanforoosh - How AI Will Forever Change the Way We Work
03/08/2024
Kian Katanforoosh - How AI Will Forever Change the Way We Work
In this conversation, Aldo interviews Kian Katanforoosh, CEO of Workera; a platform that measures competencies and provides insights in how people can acquire the right job skills for the future. The two discuss the impact of AI on jobs and the future of work, and dive into how important it is to prepare our world for all the changes that are to come. They also touch on the role of AI in different fields and the need for both durable and perishable skills. Kian shares his personal journey coming from France to the United States, working and growing at Stanford University, and reveals why he is so passionate about Education. Check out Workera’s website to find out more about the great work they do: This Episode is made in partnership with: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Riverside (get a 20% discount by signing up via this link): Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: The Code Zone:
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Pelonomi Moiloa - The Natural Language Processor
03/01/2024
Pelonomi Moiloa - The Natural Language Processor
Aldo talks to Pelonomi Moiloa, CEO and co-founder of Lelapa AI and discusses the importance of building language models for African languages and the challenges faced in using models built in other places. Pelonomi emphasizes the need to make AI accessible for everyone and explains how Lelapa AI is working towards that goal. Pelonomi shares her background and journey, as well as the challenges in growing the company. She also discusses the recognition and achievements of Lelapa AI as well as the future plans for the company. Takeaways Building language models for African languages is important for providing access to products, services, and information for people in Africa. Using models built in other places often fails to capture the context and nuances of African languages, highlighting the need for locally developed models. Lelapa AI aims to make AI accessible to everyone. The company is expanding to more African languages and domains, such as education, agriculture, and healthcare. You can find out more about Pelonomi and the work of Lelapa AI here: This Episode is made in partnership with: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Riverside (get a 20% discount by signing up via this link): Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: The Code Zone:
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Happiness vs. Our Genetics with Dr. Michael Vlerick
02/23/2024
Happiness vs. Our Genetics with Dr. Michael Vlerick
In this first episode of a series of 5, Aldo interviews Dr. Michael Vlerick about his new book, 'Why We Are Not Happier.' They discuss the book launch and the reception it received. They explore the concept of happiness versus our genes, highlighting the hyperactive threat detection and negativity bias that can hinder our happiness. They also discuss the role of ambition and the importance of changing our perspective to achieve long-term happiness. The conversation explores the concept of true happiness and how we often look in the wrong places for it. It emphasizes the importance of understanding what truly makes us happy and how we can achieve a deep and lasting happiness that is not dependent on external circumstances. The conversation also highlights the need to recognise the patterns and norms that may lead us astray in our pursuit of happiness. Takeaways External circumstances have less impact on our long-term happiness than we tend to think. Our genes can influence our happiness, but there are practices and insights that can help us overcome genetic obstacles. We have a tendency to focus on the negative aspects of our lives and get used to improved conditions quickly. Negativity bias leads us to remember negative events more vividly and have a greater psychological impact. Ambition can be a motivator, but it's important to have intrinsic motivations and realistic expectations. Changing our perspective and working on certain practices can lead to long-term happiness. True happiness is not found in external elements but in understanding what truly makes us happy. We are often primed to look in the wrong direction for happiness, influenced by media and societal norms. Negativity bias and hedonic adaptation are common obstacles to happiness, but we can overcome them. The next episode will explore those elements in our environment that hinder our happiness and what we can do about it. You can find out more about Dr. Michael Vlerick here: --- Become an Audible Member for only 99 pence for 3 months: Riverside.fm: get a 15% discount by using the code MESSY or sign up here Register to Receive Books for £1 from Scholastic: Leading the Circular Fashion Revolution with Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Connect with the Brands you love at Awin: Find the Perfect Gardener on Care.com: Grown Alchemist: Cake or Death: Kids Party Craft: Bike Club: The Code Zone:
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AI in Education - An Ideal Match or a Bad Plan?
02/16/2024
AI in Education - An Ideal Match or a Bad Plan?
Join us in this round table conversation with education giants: Wendy Kopp, Cindy Mi, and Dr. Shannon May as we explore the potential impact of AI on teaching and learning globally. Aldo's guests discuss the importance of embracing AI with care and highlight the need for governments and education systems to take a proactive approach in adopting it. The panel also discusses the potential benefits and concerns of AI in education, including issues around equity and quality. Listen in to this conversation recorded for WISE11 in Doha that emphasizes the integration and collaboration of various stakeholders, including teachers, governments, and Edtech companies, to ensure the safe, responsible and effective use of AI. Takeaways: Embrace AI with care, considering its potential benefits and concerns. Governments and education systems should take a proactive approach in adopting AI. Integration and collaboration among stakeholders are crucial for the responsible and effective use of AI in education. AI has the potential to empower teachers and improve learning outcomes. Wendy Kopp is the founder of Teach for All: Cindy Mi is the founder of VIPKid: Dr. Shannon May is the founder and CEO of Newglobe: This Episode is made in partnership with: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Riverside (get a 20% discount by signing up via this link): Preworn: Get a 25% discount using the code MESSY25: The Code Zone:
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Cath Bishop - The Olympian
02/09/2024
Cath Bishop - The Olympian
In this episode, Aldo interviews Cath Bishop, an Olympian and former war diplomat. Cath shares her journey from being a non-sporty child to becoming an Olympic rower, training rigorously and competing in three Olympic Games. She discusses the challenges she faced and the pressure to perform, as well as the importance of defining success beyond medals. Kath also talks about her transition to working as a diplomat for the British Foreign Office, where she focused on conflict issues and rebuilding post-war zones. She reflects on the complexities of diplomacy in conflict situations and the lessons she learned from her experiences. In this conversation, Cath Bishop discusses the importance of support and vulnerability in a team, the need to look after each other, the role of coaching and challenging others, redefining success in education, the value of failure, childhood aspirations, and a book recommendation. Takeaways Success should be defined beyond medals and awards, focusing on personal growth, meaningful contributions, and lasting value. The pursuit of excellence should be balanced with rest, recovery, and a broader identity beyond one's profession or achievements. The pressure to win and the obsession with medals can lead to feelings of emptiness and a lack of fulfillment. In conflict situations, diplomacy is challenging and often limited by the hostile environment, but it is crucial to work towards political solutions and stability. True happiness comes from contributing to something bigger than oneself and finding purpose in one's actions. Support and vulnerability are crucial in a team environment. Looking after each other is essential for individual and team well-being. Coaching and challenging others can lead to personal growth and improved performance. Redefining success in education involves focusing on broader measures of achievement. Failure is a valuable learning tool and can lead to personal growth and improvement. Childhood aspirations can be diverse and may change over time. Margaret Heffernan's books offer valuable insights into culture and success. Interviewing Olympians who didn't win medals can provide valuable lessons and perspectives. You can find out more about Cath by going to her website: This Episode is made in partnership with: The Code Zone: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Riverside (get a 20% discount by signing up via this link):
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Ben Nelson - The Minerva Project
02/02/2024
Ben Nelson - The Minerva Project
Ben Nelson, founder of the Minerva Project, talks to Aldo about the meaning of innovation and the importance of purpose-driven reform in education. He emphasizes the need for institutions to have a clear mission and values that guide decision-making. Nelson explains the selectivity of Minerva University and its focus on nurturing critical wisdom for the sake of the world. He highlights the interconnectedness of society and the need for leaders with integrity to make responsible decisions in the age of AI. Nelson calls for a denouncement of the current educational system and a shift towards systematic thinking and ethical frameworks. Takeaways Innovation should be driven by purpose and outcome, not just for the sake of being innovative. Reform can be more effective than disruption when it comes to improving institutions. Education should focus on nurturing critical wisdom and preparing individuals to make decisions of consequence. The current educational system needs to be denounced and replaced with a value system that prioritizes systematic thinking and ethical frameworks. You can find more about the Minerva Project here: Read more about Minerva University here: Big thank you to our sponsors: The Code Zone: Cold Case Inc (use the code MESSY and get an exclusive 15% discount): Riverside (get a 20% discount by signing up via this link):
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Isabelle Hau - The Stanford Accelerator for Learning
01/26/2024
Isabelle Hau - The Stanford Accelerator for Learning
Isabelle Hau, Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, discusses with Aldo the difference between ‘Education' and ‘Learning’. Isabelle emphasises the importance of lifelong learning and why we should expand its definition beyond traditional schooling. She explains to Aldo the goals of the Accelerator to put vital research more quickly into practice so it can have a higher impact on education. Isabelle also highlights the challenges of scaling impact and the importance of sustainability. Aldo and Isabelle discuss the role of AI in education, emphasizing the need for interactivity and the integration of AI with existing technology. Some takeaways There is a difference between education and learning, and it is important to expand such definitions beyond traditional schooling. Lifelong learning is crucial, and learning happens both inside and outside of school. The Stanford Accelerator for Learning seeks to accelerate to put Academic Research into practice and supports projects with a high impact on education. AI has the potential to enhance education, but it should be integrated with existing technology and designed with educators' input.
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Jo Besford and Mark Swartz - The Teacherpreneurs
01/19/2024
Jo Besford and Mark Swartz - The Teacherpreneurs
A remarkable interview about resilience, passion and trying to make an impact on this world. Aldo speaks to Jo Besford and Mark Swartz, founders of GreenShoots an organisation focused on improving numeracy and Maths skills of all students in South Africa. You can find out more about GreenShoots here: This interview was recorded at the World Innovation Summit for Education in Doha in November 2023. You can find out more about WISE by going here:
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Dr. Michael Vlerick - The Philosopher Returns
12/15/2023
Dr. Michael Vlerick - The Philosopher Returns
Our very last episode of the year analyses what makes us human beings happy. Aldo speaks to Dr. Michael Vlerick, our most listened to guest of 2023, about his new book ‘Why We Are Not Happier’ and what makes us tick in an era of negative news clickbait and social media depression. We explore terms like ‘hedonic adaptation’ and ’negativity bias’ all carefully explained by this great philosopher who explains his reasons to publish his third book. Michael is an assistant professor in philosophy of science at Tilburg University and authored two previous books "De tweede vervreemding" and "Critical and Scientific Thinking”. He gives talks on topics such as global cooperation, critical thinking and happiness. For more on Michael you can go here: You can purchase his latest book (in Dutch) here: You can purchase the eBook version of his book here:
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Reflections on WISE11
12/08/2023
Reflections on WISE11
Aldo shares his reflections on attending WISE11 in Doha on November 28th and 29th, 2023. You can help out those who have been deprived of an education because of war by making a small donation to one of the following organisations: UNICEF for Gaza: Education Above All: Find out more about WISE here:
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The 12 Books I Read in 2023
12/01/2023
The 12 Books I Read in 2023
Aldo takes you through the 12 books he read this year. Listen in and be inspired by this list of books, some of them recommended by previous guests on Messy and Masterful. 'A House for Mr. Biswas' by V.S. Naipaul: 'The Practice of Groundedness' by Brad Stuhlberg: 'The Years' by Annie Ernaux: 'Demon Copperhead' by Barbara Kingsolver: ‘Siddhartha' by Herman Hesse: 'Man Search for Meaning' by Viktor E. Frankl: 'The Covenant of Water' by Abraham Verghese: ‘Afterlives' by Abdulrazak Gunrah: 'If You Want to Write' by Brenda Ueland: ‘Build The Life You Want’ by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey: ‘The Big Leap’ by Gay Hendricks: ‘The Gene: An Intimate History’ by Siddhartha Mukherjee:
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Dr. Charles Wiles - The Technology Expert
11/17/2023
Dr. Charles Wiles - The Technology Expert
A great conversation with Dr. Charles Wiles about entrepreneurship, education, software and AI. Charles shares with Aldo his experience and insights on working for and building technology companies and explains what drives him to ensure his current endeavour will be a big success. Find out more about Dr. Wiles company Zzish here:
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Laurence Dewaele - The Headhunter
11/10/2023
Laurence Dewaele - The Headhunter
A deep conversation about career choices, family life and health with professional negotiator and Headhunter Laurence Dewaele. Aldo speaks with Laurence about her journey from being a lawyer at one of the top firms on the planet to becoming an expert in negotiation and Executive Search. Laurence speaks about the book she co-authored called ‘Eat Sleep Negotiate!’ together with Katia Tieleman. The Dutch version of this book will be available as of March 2024 and you can pre-order it here.
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Nandita Vij Tandan - The Digital Storyteller
11/03/2023
Nandita Vij Tandan - The Digital Storyteller
A frank conversation with Nandita Vij Tan who speaks about her journey coming from India to France, studying to become a journalist at one of the best schools in the country. Nandita shares her professional insights and experiences (good and bad) on telling stories, what makes them different when told online and sheds a light on how to deal with confused information through social media manipulated with AI or into fake news or alternative facts. You can read more about Nandita’s work as Editor-in-Chief at ArtExplored here:
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Seb Francis - The Tequila Maker
10/27/2023
Seb Francis - The Tequila Maker
Aldo speaks to serial entrepreneur Seb Francis about his turbulent journey starting a company in Education and creating his very own tequila. An open conversation about what does and doesn’t work when starting your own business. Find out more about Seb’s EdTech company Titus Learning here: More on Seb’s tequila brand Hacien is available here:
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Dr. Marion Debruyne - The Dean
10/20/2023
Dr. Marion Debruyne - The Dean
Aldo speaks with Dr. Marion Debruyne, Dean of the top-ranked Vlerick Business School about her remarkable career to date. Dr. Debruyne speaks about how she is finding her way through the hallways of business and academia, her ambitions to grow Vlerick and what we should look for when searching for optimal happiness in our careers. Find out more about Vlerick Business School here: You can order Dr. Debruyne’s book ‘Making Your Way’ (with Dr. Katleen De Stobbeleir) here:
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Anthony Ward Thomas - The House Remover
10/13/2023
Anthony Ward Thomas - The House Remover
Aldo speaks to Anthony Ward Thomas, founder of one of the biggest removal companies in the United Kingdom. In this Episode this very grounded guest shares more about his life-long career building a huge company from nothing. Anthony speaks about what motivated him to start packing boxes, what brings him joy in running a company with hundreds of employees and why it is important to know yourself. You can find more about Anthony and his company here:
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Alison Jones - The Business Book Publisher
10/06/2023
Alison Jones - The Business Book Publisher
This is an Episode for those who love to write!! Aldo speaks to the wonderful Alison Jones, founder of Practical Inspiration Publishing about her journey as an author, coach and publishing entrepreneur. Alison shares the details of her adventurous journey through the world of books and reveals why it so important to read and write, every single day! Find out more about Practical Inspiration Publishing here: Alison coaches (first-time) book authors to get their books published via the Proposal Challenge and will welcome a next cohort as of January 15th, 2024. Click here to find out more:
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Dr. Amy Brand - The Academic
09/29/2023
Dr. Amy Brand - The Academic
Amy Brand is an American Academic and the Executive Producer of the Emmy nominated Documentary 'Picture A Scientist'. She is the Director of MIT Press and a cognitive scientist by training. Aldo speaks to Amy about her life-long career in and for academia, why there is still a lot of work to be done to get more women in STEM and how sounds, syllables & words play a crucial role in human development. Find out more about 'Picture a Scientist' here: You can find out more about Amy’s work for MIT Press here:
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Mike France - The Watchmaker
09/20/2023
Mike France - The Watchmaker
Listen to an in-depth conversation with Mike France, CEO and co-founder of Christopher Ward. Mike takes us through his challenges in building a premium British watch brand, why it is a perfect piece of men’s jewelry and explains us why we should never be led by the price of a watch. Find out more about Christopher Ward here:
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Annelies Verlinden - The Minister of the Interior
09/14/2023
Annelies Verlinden - The Minister of the Interior
Yes, yes, yes! We are ready for a next Season of Messy & Masterful. And we are opening with an absolute smasher as we have an in-depth conversation with Annelies Verlinden, the Belgian Minister of the Interior, Institutional Reform and Democratic Renewal. We loved talking to Annelies about what it is like to become a Minister overnight. What life is like to be in the public eye 24/7 and which difficulties she encountered trying to improve things for the better. As a Call to Action, the Minister asked us to take a look at the Lean In Movement, which you can find here: And do check out Annelies website to find out more about all the many things she is working on: It feels so good to be back!! Hope you missed us!:)
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Dr. Michael Trayford: The Functional Neurologist
11/03/2022
Dr. Michael Trayford: The Functional Neurologist
We are going to talk about the power of our brain today with an expert neurologist who has extensive knowledge as a Chiropractic brain specialist about how our brain adapts, how it grows, how it responds throughout our entire life. Dr. Michael Trayford has founded APEX Brain Centres, a clinic that offers extensive brain rehabilitation programs for people who are suffering from addiction or have suffered a traumatic impact on their brain because of an accident. We speak about the road to recovery, the agility of our thinking, the era of technology addiction and how different our brains evolve, one generation to another. It was a mind-blowing conversation with an extremely interesting guest. Hope you will enjoy pur 60th Episode! You can find more about Dr. Michael Trayford on his website: Or through Instagram: @neurowellnessdoc
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Audio Aficionado Interview with Drew Vernon
10/27/2022
Audio Aficionado Interview with Drew Vernon
Happy Thursday all and welcome to our very first Audio Aficionado Episode. So different to our Messy & Masterful Interviews these conversations are all about the power of Audio and more particularly podcasting. We dive into other podcast programs together with people who are doing something great and also have been inspired by this mighty tool of the Gods of Audio. And today my guest is Drew Vernon, the creator of 2 podcasts himself, and an Audio Aficionado in the purest sense of the word. This undoubtedly loving husband and father of 3 is also a Marketing Director at Tonies which is an audio company that produces the Toniebox which are incredible devices that have the power to generate any story your kid wants to hear. Drew is a great guy, an inspiring Podcaster and just like us a devotee to improving the state of Education in this world - could not have asked for a better guest to launch our first Audio Aficionado interview with. Hope you will enjoy it! Drew's podcast recommendation: Drew and daughter Audrey's podcast: Drew's podcast for called
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Paz Levinson: The Sommelier
10/20/2022
Paz Levinson: The Sommelier
It is so good to be back with our Podcast Program. A new series of episodes brought to you every week with also (as you might have noticed) a brand new name. So we took a short break from podcasting taking some time to work with a professional audio consultant to listen to our previously published conversations. We did this because we absolutely love bringing this program to you and we want it to only get better. Now in order to do this we felt it was good not to stay too long in an echo chamber, taking each other’s advice as a production team but also to work with third parties to tell us how we could improve. The big takeaway was - papapapapa - they love it! Don’t change too much other than maybe adopt a name that better represents the topics that we discuss. So we did just that. Our production team came up with a list of 20 names that with the entire team at TeachPitch we shortlisted to 3 - we took those 3 names to our community and an overwhelming majority voted for the name: Messy and Masterful!! So here we are - welcome to a brand new episode of Messy and Masterful powered by TeachPitch. We are very happy you could make it!! And boy oh boy do we have a treat for you, because our new guest is one of the very best sommeliers in the world! A sommelier according to Wikipedia is a wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of the wine steward in fine dining today is much more specialized and informed than that of a "wine waiter." And I was so delighted to speak to Paz Levinson who was the best sommelier of the Americas in 2015 and became 4th globally in 2016. She is now traveling the world working as a sommelier for the world-famous chef Anne-Sophie Pic and her restaurants all over the world. Paz is absolutely lovely, modest and hardworking and it was a great pleasure talking to her about her challenges in making your mark on the map having one of the best pallets in the world. Cannot wait to hear what you think - please enjoy episode 58, Paz Levinson, The Sommelier! More information on Paz can be found on her website:
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Introducing The Audio Aficionado
09/01/2022
Introducing The Audio Aficionado
We live in an era of absolute information overload. I am sure you are aware but there is so much content to find out there. Visually you have your pictures, videos, reels and images all over our social media. Audibly you have your audiobooks, Twitter Spaces or Clubhouse meetings and yes also Podcasts. Now when we started the TeachPitch Podcast little over 1 year ago we did it to highlight the hard work of people who have achieved great things in their own right. Now more than anything I was set on making it clear to our listeners that yes our guests have achieved great success but no this did not happen automatically. Each and everyone of my guests have been through hardships, challenges and needed to overcome huge obstacles to get where they are today. From the President to the Trauma Surgeon, from the CIA Spy to the Psychologist - the deep adversity rimed with their great accomplishment is everywhere. Now some of you might know that our Podcast is born out of a community of educators that wanted to realize change. And the change they all want to see is all focussed on improving the global state of education. Now if you were to go to TeachPitch.com and sign up you will see that we have curated loads of content (over quarter of a million resources to date) that we all brought together in a big online library - ready to use for educators who are keen to improve the situation in their community, classroom or school. I am happy to say that this library is being used by over 62,000 people from over 200 countries to date and it is for those people that we originally developed this program. Our community is very active and I was overjoyed to see that its members also started to help and train one another by creating tutorials and reviews on great educational content and technology they were using - leaving very useful manuals for their peers. Now to make a long story short - with our Podcast we want to extend our line of thinking not only on the platform but also in this show. This is why we are building a community of Audio Aficionados that will help us to review great Podcast shows, Episodes, hosts and guests out there. If you like to listen to Podcasts like I do, you are bound to have your favorites and I want to hear all about them. We want to know from you from the over 1 million of podcasts that are already out there which one we should listen to. We love it that you are listening to us but the last thing we want is to just be dropping content without being aware of the other great Podcast Episodes that are being made all over the world. So if you are listening to this and want our growing community to know more about your favorite podcast (or even the opposite - perhaps you hate a certain show and want the world to know as well) get in touch with us via our show notes or social media and together we can make an excellent Audio Aficionado Episode about it that will change this world forever! Very exciting!! In the next Audio Aficionado Episodes I will surely be talking about the shows that have inspired me. Some of them, I dare to say, have changed my entire outlook on life and I cannot wait to share it with you!
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