Catching The Next Wave

More than three years ago we jumped the rabbit hole of producing the Catching The Next Wave podcast. In this anniversary intro we share the kitchen view on how it all happens. We also introduce the theme of the 10th season - "Down the Rabbit Hole" and chat about the meaning of this statement for both of us. And, as usual, we unravel a few of the mamazing guests we lined up for you in this season.

Anthony Rocco and Pim Schachtschabel, our great guests from previous seasons, decided to put their forces together to develop an online course that aims to awake curiosity in people. Together with Łukasz, we got a preview of this course live that got us grateful, confused, and more. Check it out to see what condition your curiosity is in.LINKSThe architecting curiosity program“A curious mind” by Brian Grazer

As usual, our Season 9 guests at Catching The Next Wave podcast took us into directions we dared not to wander ourselves. We heard daring business and artistic stories, we discussed how to become more daring as a leader and as a person but above all we were taken for a roller-coaster ride to learn the amazing things they all undertook in their personal and professional lives.LINKS“Designing Experiences” by Rob Rossman and Mat Deuren The EQ Method workshop by Brent LamphierThe College of Extraordinary ExperiencesTim Ferriss podcast with Steven Pressfield

What is the difference between transformative and experience design? Our guest, Paul Bulencea, compares it (after professor Martin Seligman) to the cosmetic versus curative treatment. Together we explore the transformative journey as a way to re-wild yourself, to reconnect with your true nature and your path. Using the example of the College of Extraordinary Experiences, Paul is a co-founder of, we define the difference between the safe and the brave space and chat about the importance of being brave on your way to personal discovery.LINKS“The Experience Economy” by Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore"Gamification in Tourism" by Paul Bulencea“My octopus teacher” on Netflix“The hero with a thousand faces” by Joseph Campbell

Born in the US and relocated to Syria at the age of 14, our guest Randa Taftaf found a way to combine the two so different cultures. She experienced the start of the war in Syria and then moved back to the US to start a publishing house that aims to create books for Arabic learners that are engaging and true to the cultural heritage of the Arabic world. In this conversation, we explore with Randa how you can embrace diversity and live a humane experience. We also discuss the issues related to minority publishing - a challenge that is one of the steps to be addressed in our road to equality. Randa asked us to add a disclaimer to this episode. She wrote: “This is just my story and not the story of other Syrians. So many Syrians have had a journey that was far worse than mine which is one of the reasons why I haven't been outspoken about my experience.” We deeply appreciate Randa’s openness to share her story with us. Thank you!LINKSRummana Publishing “4-hour workweek” by Tim Ferriss

Our lives are interconnected with nature. Our art is too. With our returning guest, Jericca Cleland, an incredible filmmaker, we talk about the notion of meaningful entertainment and how it can redefine our relationship with the world. We dig into the reasoning of why we all are so wired to storytelling and what authentic storytelling is about. These are only a few themes we explore in this amazing conversation.LINKS“My octopus teacher” on Netflix

The cultures we originate from carry inspiration that never ends - in food, in dance, in singing, in writing, in symbols, you name it. With our guest, Lukas Cabalka - artistic director and founder of Creativiva, we talk about creating entertainment that’s memorable and meaningful. We explore the future of the entertainment world through mixing genres and coming out of the theaters and closed scenes back on the streets. We try to figure out where inspiration comes from and how cooking is a great expression of someone’s attitude towards art.LINKS“Flavor matrix” by James Briscione“Ever-changing seasons” by Joanne Baxter

Can you imagine yourself standing in front of a 30 000 audience singing “I feel pretty”? Our guest, Kasia Santi-Sperczyńska doesn’t have to anymore. Nor does she have to be fearful of singing on the stages such as Carnegie Hall and Banquet Hall of Hotel Plaza in NYC. How did a tiny girl from a tiny Polish village make it happen? We dissect the notion of bravery being true to yourself and allowing your inner child to guide you.LINKS“The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene Brown“Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown“Untamed” by Glennon Doyle“The Path Made Clear” by Oprah Winfrey“A Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson

What is the posture that makes others follow you? Why are questions so crucial? What can you do to develop your emotional intelligence? What does sonder mean? How is vulnerability helping your leadership? These are only a few of all the questions we investigated with our guest, Brent Lamphier, a seasoned AltMBA coach and a creator of the EQmethod workshop, where you will practice skill-building, deep listening, and connection.LINKSThe EQMethod workshop by Brent Lamphier“The Dip” by Seth Godin“Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh

Leadership is like yoga. You are never fully trained, there is always more to learn. So you go and exercise it every day. We unpack this daily exercise with our guest Phillip Collins, a Global Leadership Coach,  heading a team of internationally based coaches and facilitators at Action and Theory. We discuss how to embrace risk, minimize waste and create with what is - the three elements Phil applies both to his professional work and his cooking. And we dig into the need for conscious reflection as a way to progress with your path towards leadership.LINKS“The inner game of tennis” by W Timothy Gallwey“The EQ Leader” by Dr Stephen Stein“The four disciplines of execution” by Sean Covey“Against Empathy” by Paul Bloom“The Imposter Phenomenon” by P R Clance

In the drive to endlessly fit their curiosity and explore forever new possibilities, our guests Jacek Majewski and Mikołaj Molenda, the co-CEOs at tylko.com, did more daring things than you might imagine. They share some of these stories with us while sharing their perspective on the responsibility of businesses to change their practices to become more responsible and sustainable.LINKSTYLKO“Quantum Gravity” by Carlo Rovelli“The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature” by Geoffrey Miller

The theme for Season 9 of the Catching The Next Wave podcast seems to have chosen itself. It is DARING and with it, we hope to explore the different facets of what daring means in the professional and private lives of our guests. We also want to see how you could become more daring with your endeavors as you decide to leave your comfort zone and explore the unknown.LINKS“The Umami Strategy: Stand out by mixing business with experience design” by Aga Szóstek

This is probably the first season in history that generated more questions than answers for us. It has turned out that intuition is a complex and multifaceted term, and that you can look at it from different perspectives: cognitive, cultural, professional, and more. One thing that stayed with us is that intuition is not something opposite to logic (on the contrary) and that it is worthwhile to become good friends with it as it helps us reach out to the depth of our inner wisdom.LINKS“How we learn” by Stanislas Dehaene“The meaning of it all” by Richard Feynman"7 and 1/2 lesson about the brain" by Lisa Feldman Barrett"How emotions are made" by Lisa Feldman BarrettConversation with Jorgen Bang Jensen on CTNWConversation with Clara Otero-Perez on CTNWConversation with David Millen on CTNW

Is change good? What does growth mean? When do you need a revolution and when evolution is what you require? Why should you reach out to the edges of your comfort zone? Where lies the difference between possibility and opportunity? You can get immersed in these subjects and many more in our conversation with Carola Verschoor, the author of “Change ahead” and the founder and chief creative at Transformational Studio.LINKS“Finite and infinite game” by James Carse“The Infinite Game” by Simon Sinek“How Do You Know When Society Is About to Fall Apart?”“Mau 24: 24 principles for the design practice” by  Bruce MauThe article referring to Tainter's work.“Change ahead” Carola Verschoor“Power versus force” by David Hawkings“The course in miracles”

Why do 21st-century leaders need dialogue spaces? How important is daring to be vulnerable? What are the boundaries for? Is leadership a role or a state of mind? Where lies the difference between the being mode or doing mode? Is busy the new stupidity? Should we be egoless as leaders? These are just a few topics that we tackle with our guest, Keren Tsuk, a founder and the CEO of Wisdomtolead, an organizational consulting firm specializing in helping executives find their inner wisdom and maximize their leadership potential through mindfulness.LINKS“Busy in the new stupid” a short video featuring Bill Gates and Warren Buffet “Finding the space to lead” by Janice Marturano“Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely“The upside of irrationality” by Dan Ariely “Thinking fast and slow” by Daniel Kahneman

Is data and testing always the best path? Or is intuition sometimes helpful in making design decisions? We talk about it with Bernt Meerbeeek, the Product Owner for IoT solutions, and the R&D Manager for UX and Living Labs at Signify. We chat about personality in robotic vacuum cleaners, a cat that speaks human, and whether people are willing to give away their control to be emerged into the Internet of Things. We also talk about how being a researcher helps to be an intuitive manager for innovation teams.LINKS“Peripheral interaction” by Saskia Bakker“Humankind: a hopeful history” by Rutger Bregman

How to embrace diversity in a meaningful way? What is the role of a leader in that process? Why are women leaving the workforce so frequently these days? What does it mean to cultivate belonging? Where does self-reflection come into the picture? These are a few topics we discuss with our guest, Yuan Wang, a leadership coach for creative professionals.LINKSMorning Pages weekly newsletterThe Chinese painting master: Chang Dai-Chien/张大千. Yuan wrote an article about him in her newsletterThe recommended book: Inward by Yung Pueblo.Coaching: yuanwang.designChinese ink paintings by YuanA collection of Design Books by Women & People of Color First conversation with April Mills on CTNW Second conversation with April Mills on CTNW“The artist’s way” by Julia Cameron

Is art individual or collaborative? Is it neutral or political? What does it mean to truly be in the world? How does empathy fit into it all? Why is it easier to listen to male than female intuition? These and many more topics we chat about with Kathryn Zazenski, a visual artist and a director of an independent artist space in Warsaw: Stroboskop.LINKSKatie’s website Stroboskop space in Warsaw“Murmurs of the present” an article by Amélie Laurence Fortin and Katie Zazenski“John Armleder: About Nothing: Catalogue Raisonné” by Lionel Bovier, Beatrix Ruf, John Armleder

How long should you wait before beginning to write your book? This and many other questions we discuss with the amazing writer Ann Morgan, the author of “The World Between Two Covers” and “Besides Myself”. We delve into the world of creative writing, inspiration, process, dedication, and post-publication blues. And we discover what intuition means for a writer.LINKS“The World Between Two Covers: Reading the Globe” by Ann Morgan“Besides Myself” by Ann Morgan“Crossing over” audiobook by Ann Morgan“An African in Greenland” by By Kpomassie Tete-Michel and A. Alvarez

Is there a profession called “genius”? What can we learn from Leonardo da Vinci about curiosity? How is theater evolving? What role do emotions play in collaboration? Are there better ways for life-long learning? These are the things we dive into with our amazing guest, Gunnar de Jong - an actor, facilitator, and entrepreneur.LINKSStanford Meisner Konstantin StanislavskiStella Adler’s technique“The artist’s way” by Julia Cameron“How to think like Leonardo da Vinci” by Michael Gelb“The prophet” by Kahlil Gibran