Looking Outside

The path to the c-suite is predictable and almost entirely dependent on extensive commercial and operations literacy. But while marketers are relegated to the realm of creativity, not financial savviness, senior leaders lack the very skills they bring – curiosity. In this Business Brief, Jo reflects on the benefits of transdisciplinary skills and how curiosity can enable truly future-forward thinking to organizations caught up in short term thinking.Business Brief is a (very brief) new solo series hosted by Looking Outside podcast host, former-marketer and corporate futurist Jo Lepore.---Learn more:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTubeCurious about foresight training? Take a look at organizational training and foresight courses we have at CIFS---⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!---Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

When a profession brags about its ability to operate without formal training, you know you have a vanity problem. Founder of the MiniMBA, marketing professor and not-actually-that-angry columnist Mark Ritson joins the Looking Outside podcast to reiterate the central role of marketing in business – to understand the other. Marketers today have a branding problem, making it about themselves, the glitz and the awards, and Mark says this is all imposter syndrome stemming from lack of formal training. Empathy is foundational to marketing and is so needed in organizations distracted with short term priorities and obsessed with a narrative of constant change. And it can be a powerful unlocker of transformative ideas (like saving abandoned dogs).---Learn more:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comConnect with Mark on LinkedInLearn more about Mark www.marketingritson.com & read his Adweek columns Learn more about the MiniMBA---⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!---Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.

It’s all well and good for a brand to have purpose, but what your company? In this Business Brief, Jo unpacks our obsession with proclaiming brand intent and pre-occupation with purpose led marketing. But that's not really the problem; it’s the absence of a well-defined and consistently rewarded company purpose.Business Brief is a (very brief) new solo series hosted by Looking Outside podcast host, former-marketer and corporate futurist Jo Lepore.---Learn more:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTube---⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!---Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

If you’re tired of talking about brand purpose, you’re not alone. In most cases, when researched, purpose just does not work. But perhaps it’s been sitting with the wrong department this whole time … Author of The Purpose of Purpose, brand strategist and former stand-up comedian Ron Tite, argues that purpose is not for the marketers but for human resources, because ultimately what you "say” about your brand hinges entirely on what you collectively “think” within your company. There is there a tendency in organizations to bypass the bit in the middle - to voice your vision before you’ve backed it up tangible policies, incentives and activities. Without that, it’s just bullshit PR.---Learn more:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comRonTite.com & Church & StateFollow Sohail on LinkedIn & YouTube & Ista---⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!---Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Azteca X.

What does it take to build a business that lasts generations? In this Business Brief, Jo reflects on long-term thinking, the resilience of family-run businesses, and why creating a compelling vision matters when aligning business heritage with future ambitions.Business Brief is a (very brief) new solo series hosted by Looking Outside host, strategist and corporate futurist Jo Lepore.---Learn more:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comWatch this Business Brief on YouTube---⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!---Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme song by Adrian Walther.

On this episode of Looking Outside we peek into the metaphors, imagery and stories that unknowingly shape the limitations of our business strategy, and limit our ambitions. UNESCO chair of futures, Sohail Inayatullah has seen this many times before - from brands rethinking positioning, CEOs shifting cultural capability, to government leaders reshaping coalitions. In each case, when we dig deeper to the metaphor we hold for ourselves, we gain visibility of what limits our worldview, and the bars that guard us from transformational change. Sohail stresses that a strategy can easily change based on the story you tell others, but it’s uncovering the story you tell yourself as a leader that, while uncomfortable, is the true unlocker of new possibilities for the future.---Learn more:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comMetafuture.org & Meta Future SchoolFollow Sohail on LinkedIn & YouTube---⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!---Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2026. Theme songs by Azteca X.

What a year! It’s time to wrap it up for 2025 and highlight the eclectic mix of diverse perspectives, divergent topics and expert thinking that appeared on the show this year. From the best performing episodes and most popular themes, to the most prominent guest go-to's for fresh perspectives, today we’re going back to the episodes that resonated most.Top episodes of 2025:Venture capitalist and futurist Roger Spitz: new playbooks for volatile business environmentsPolitical demographer Jennifer Sciubba: the narrative around our population ‘crisis’Fashion designer Justine Leconte: the manipulative systems that fuel fast fashionForecaster Paul Saffo: pressure testing assumptions about what we know to ‘certain’ in uncertain timesExperimental philosopher Jonathon Keats: asking better questions in existential timesHonorable mentions & favorites:CPG strategist Peter McDonald – the lost muscle of innovation in consumer marketsPolitical scientist Verlan Lewis: flawed political ideologies and the need for less divisive conversationsNeuroaesthetics expert Susan Magsamen: the psychology behind our physical senses----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.com----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

In this live conversation, recorded on the podcast stage at SXSW Sydney, two futurists explore the unforeseen future emerging in the workplace. Author and ex-journalist Andrea Clarke, joins host Jo Lepore on stage to discuss the human and talent transformation taking place at work. Our resistance to this kind of change is normal, Andrea says, as our human inclination is to see it as a loss and not a gain. Workers must reframe how they take in and take charge of what’s asked of them - becoming discerning of mainstream narratives told to them, building ‘unignorable’ human skills, and strengthening the mindset of adaptability to constant change. As change is, after all, the only constant - especially at in how we work and how we lead.Recorded live at SXSW Sydney October 2025. Edited for length and clarity. Published with permission from SXSW Sydney.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comLearn more about Andrea at www.andreaclarke.com.auAndrea's book 'Adapt: Mastering Change in Four Steps' Follow Andrea on LinkedIn & Instagram----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

The food system isn’t broken. But it has a big problem. That is land – and how little of it we have. Journalist and author Michael Grunwald joins us on the show today to talk openly about the elephant in the food ecosystem. Regenerative agriculture, precision fermentation, vertical farming, meat alternatives … we have no shortage of innovative ideas in the food system. But very quickly, a ‘quick fix’ turns out to be just a dumb idea. Despite a growing population, climate change challenges, and a human hypocrisy problem, Mike says we can feed everyone with the land we have, we just can’t keep taking more of it for agriculture. Perhaps, then, the biggest consideration facing food businesses today is not to chase the ‘next big thing’, but as we scale nascent ideas, to consider land in that equation - and not as a ‘free’ asset. Because as Mike says, with the land we have, the math sucks.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comLearn more about Michael GrunwaldFollow Mike on LinkedIn & XGrab a copy of Mike's book 'We are eating the earth'Speaking opportunities with Mike ----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Business forecasts depend on the predictable patterns of population growth, both for customer sales and for workforce talent. But what happens when we see this growth halt, or even regress? Political demographer Jennifer D. Sciubba joins the show to dive into some of the largest societal and political dynamics intersecting with demographic shifts. From changes to the types of jobs on offer, to medical access, to urbanization, demographic changes influence a wide array of long term interconnected forces. And when it comes to this topic, Jennifer says, that long term lens is a gift. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comLearn more about Jennifer D. Sciubba, Ph.DFollow Jennifer on LinkedIn & SubstackGrab a copy of Jennifer's book 8 Billion and CountingLearn more about the Population Reference Bureau----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Today we are joined once again by good friend of the podcast, Roger Spitz. While Roger is known well as a futurist and change agent today, his career started in investment banking and M&A. On this episode we explore the cross-roads of the investment world with emerging future innovation, and how this impacts business strategy. Roger argues the playbooks of old strategy are outdated. Systemic, regular disruption and added complexities in our world mean we need to use modern frameworks to address new shocks to business systems. When the risks were low, the fallout of bad decisions was manageable, Roger says, but value creation today requires a new way of assessing opportunity – by building anti-fragile systems that can help steer towards the long term game amidst short term crises. Check out Part 2 of this conversation with Roger: https://www.looking-outside.com/podcast/change----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & Substack & jolepore.comLearn more about Roger SpitzFollow Roger on LinkedIn & X & MediumGrab a copy of Roger's book Disrupt with ImpactFollow Techistential on LinkedIn & XFollow the Disruptive Futures Institute on LinkedIn & X----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

When we talk about “human in the loop” of AI, what we mean is human intervention. But what if the AI was human? Or more accurately, a replica not of a generic repeatable, predictable human-sounding response, but built like you. Tech entrepreneur Robert LoCascio joins us today to explore this future, where humans aren’t just kept in the loop but are integrated with AI. Through his company Eternos, Rob aims to replicate a human being, capturing everything from their past experiences, future hopes, and right down to how they emotionally rationalize in the moment. It begs the question: what do we truly risk giving away to the machine, if we hand over not just our tasks, but our lived stories and learned knowledge? If we give away that which makes us unique, we are makes ourselves replicable. Or, as Rob argues, (if done safely) it could be that we are finding a new way to preserve human life and maintain shared community.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about EternosFollow Rob on LinkedIn----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

If strategic planning in the consumer goods sector feels different right now, you’re not imagining it. For the past 15 years, leaders in CPG categories have struggled to build plans that deliver the kinds of predictable, reliable profit of days past. Former General Mills Chief Strategy Officer, and a leading independent voice in long range strategic planning, Peter McDonald joins us to discuss the shifting expectation of corporate strategy, where it is necessary to provide a long range lens into the future beyond a short term fiduciary focus. At the heart of this strategy challenge today is a preoccupation with old playbooks in new competitive landscapes, prioritizing the shareholder at the expense of the consumer, and operating with false confidence - denial, even - that things will revert to the way they were.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Peter McDonaldFollow Peter on LinkedIn----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Fashion is a massive $1.8 Trillion industry. Within that two tales unfold: one of quality, timelessness and individualized expression, and another of wastefulness, shame and pride. On this episode of Looking Outside, we explore how fast fashion competes with slow fashion; where craftsmanship, carefulness and scarcity supersede fleeting trends. For this we’re joined by French fashion designer and YouTuber Justine Leconte. To her one million viewers around the world, Justine emphasizes the importance of choosing what we buy carefully. But not necessarily at the expense of style, which everyone has the ability to harness, particularly when we tailor fashion to us. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Justine Leconte & her labelFollow Justine on YouTube, Pinterest & TikTokCheck out Justine's guide for Timelines StyleRequest Justine's Fast Fashion BlacklistWatch 5 myths that fast fashion brands want you to believe----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

This podcast was not read by synthetic AI generated replicas … although it could be. Live from the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies in Denmark, together with three trained communications professionals, we discuss the future of their field. If there even is one.FARSIGHT podcast host and Head of Publications at the CIFS Casper Skovgaard Petersen, Head of Communications Toke Hanghøj and new CIFS partner, and host Jo Lepore discuss the synthetification of what we create and what we consume.Technology is rapidly upending the traditional media industry. As this happens, we see literacy rates declining and the increasing ease of outsourcing writing and thinking. So too, all of this influences the stories we create and tell about the future. Whether we paint visions as warning for where our vices may take us, or as a mirror to reflect back what parts of humanity we do not want to lose. And of course, there are lessons in looking back at the past and the stories we told each other that no longer hold true.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies Listen to the FARSIGHT podcast & read the publicationFollow Casper & Toke on LinkedIn----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Financial stability and economic growth has been a staple of national prosperity and business success. In this search for predictable prosperity, fueled by individual ownership and material attainment, we forget that economic models were built as a fix to a problem within the specific context of a social need. Today, economic models have become the convention our society moves within, and the narrative of perpetual growth is familiar. But are these models serving society in the context we now live in, one that requires constraint? To explore these frameworks that rule our lives, we’re joined by economist Hans Stegeman, who, in his double life as Chief Economist at Triodos Bank in the Netherlands by day, and independent thinking columnist by night, shows how provocative questions that help us re-perceive existing systems can influence change from inside the system. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Hans StegemanFollow Hans on LinkedIn & subscribe to his newsletter - Tipping PointsSubscribe to Hans' Substack - System Economics----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Your business could benefit from a chief geopolitical officer. Not just because of the large shift in operational complexity accelerated by geopolitical conflicts, but because not looking at these topics in a considered way, through a lens of expertise, could lead to poor decisions, lost opportunities, or worse, paralysis. But, says our Looking Outside guest today, while the crisis is real and large, it’s not anything new – in fact we’re going back to the old ‘normal’. Jake Sotiriadis has seen this first hand, as part of the intelligence unit in the United States Air Force, as strategic foresight lead at the Pentagon, and as senior strategy advisor to the public and private sector. Jake says every decision carries some risk. The biggest risk, however, is not a bad decision, but indecision.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Jake SotiriadisFollow Jake on LinkedInRead Jake's 2020 report on Geopolitical CompetitionJake's book "THE REVENGE OF IDEOLOGY: The Hidden Forces Reshaping Global Power" is available for pre-order soon----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

You can’t talk about the future without talking about change. But change can trick you, as guest Roger Spitz says on this latest episode, filmed live at the Rulebreaker Future Congress in Germany. Roger is the founding Chair of the Disruptive Futures Institute and, there, instructs global leaders in operating with agility in uncertain environments. The thing about change, Roger explains, is that it feels equally incredibly slow and exponentially fast – and both perceptual models can distract us from focusing on the present moment and what needs to be solved for today. On the show, Roger stresses why cognitive agility and informed optimism are critical mindsets in a future that feels uncontrollably volatile. ----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Roger SpitzFollow Roger on LinkedIn & X & MediumGrab a copy of Roger's book Disrupt with ImpactFollow Techistential on LinkedIn & XFollow the Disruptive Futures Institute on LinkedIn & XLearn more on the Rulebreaker Future Congress & the Rulebreaker Society----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

We’ve been living digitally for decades. While many of us think romantically about an analog and physical existence, the future is not taking us back there, but deeper into a digital immersion. So says our guest today, Lyron Bentovim, CEO and President of The Glimpse Group, a company advancing augmented and virtual reality innovation. In this episode, filmed live at the Rulebreaker Future Congress in Germany, Lyron paints the possibilities of virtual reality in creating moments of deeper connection, by rethinking digital – not necessarily physical - experiences we are used to today.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Lyron via his Entrepreneur & WSJ & CEOWorld profilesFollow Lyron on LinkedIn and XFollow The Glimpse Group on LinkedIn & XLearn more on the Rulebreaker Future Congress & the Rulebreaker Society----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Bioengineering is a complex field. In some industries it’s well established, in others still nascent. But one thing is true regardless of where it’s applied – it poses interesting problems. Dr Hamid Noori is one scientist motivated by solving these kinds of big, difficult and (he would say) fun problems. As CEO of bioengineering company, The Cultivated B, his work takes cellular technologies from the lab to the market. On this episode, filmed live at the Rulebreaker Future Congress in Germany, he shares how a grand purpose in life is not necessary if you have audacious problems that you are focused on solving and an openness to solving them in new ways.----------More:Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.comConnect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.comLearn more about Hamid Noori & Cultivated BFollow Hamid on LinkedIn & his writing on Forbes Technology CouncilFollow Cultivated B on LinkedInCheck out Hamid's other ventures n!Biomachines & PreFerIndustries Learn more on the Rulebreaker Future Congress & the Rulebreaker Society----------⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference!----------Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic.All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.