The Business Simplicity Podcast

In this episode of The Business Simplicity Podcast, host Chris Parker engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Didier Marlier, partner at the Enablers Network. Didier is an advisor to business leaders and a specialist in navigating the Disruption Economy. Together, they explore the concept of “leading from love,” inspired by the teachings of Rumi and ancient philosophies like Aristotle's logos, ethos, and pathos. In a world where rapid change is the only constant, Didier shares how love, combined with intellectual rigor, ethical behavior, and emotional depth, can be a powerful force in leadership. The discussion is anchored in the Rumi quote, “Be certain that in the religion of Love there are no believers and unbelievers. Love embraces all.” Didier and Chris reflect on the role of love in creating psychological safety, fostering innovation, and building resilient organizations. Didier explains that leading from love does not mean leading with weakness or avoidance; rather, it’s about embracing a mindset of openness, compassion, and courage to create a culture where people feel valued and motivated to give their best. Didier Marlier’s professional purpose is to support business leaders in challenging the orthodoxies they hold about their industries, particularly as they prepare their people and organizations for the demands of the Disruption Economy. With a diverse background as a blogger, author, board advisor, consultant, executive coach, professor, and agent-provocateur, Didier advises leaders on how to intellectually compel and emotionally engage their teams in large-scale transformations. His approach is grounded in logos (intellect), ethos (behaviors), and pathos (emotions), helping leaders create a balanced strategy that connects with both the minds and hearts of their people. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/love-embraces-all-marlier/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! Season 4 of The Business Simplicity Podcast is inspired by Chris’ book “Lead from Love with Rumi.” Discover the book: ⁠https://ebullient.com/leadfromlove/⁠ #leadership #love #rumi

In this episode of the Business Simplicity Podcast, host Chris Parker speaks with Lenka Pincot, Chief of Staff to the CEO at the Project Management Institute, about leadership and transformation. They explore the idea of “leading from love,” self-acceptance, and how leadership starts with understanding and trusting oneself. Lenka shares insights from her career in Agile coaching and Project Management, reflecting on personal growth and the value of human connections in leadership. They also discuss the significance of the Rumi quote, “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears,” relating it to agile transformation, innovation, and building a purposeful work environment. As the Chief of Staff to the CEO and an executive leader, Lenka oversees the Transformation Management Office, Enterprise Program Management Office, CEO & Board communications, and Thought Leadership teams in a global non-for-profit organization. Her role is in driving the organization’s strategic initiatives, ensuring seamless execution of the new strategy, and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence across all levels. In her capacity, she collaborates closely with the CEO, other executive leaders and the Board of Directors to align the strategic goals with operational execution. By leading cross-functional teams and spearheading critical projects, Lenka ensures that the transformation efforts are on track and deliver impactful results. Her focus on effective communication and thought leadership helps position PMI at the forefront of project management trends and innovations, reinforcing PMI’s commitment to the new purpose: to maximize project success to elevate our world. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/lenka-pincot/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! Season 4 of The Business Simplicity Podcast is inspired by Chris’ book “Lead from Love with Rumi.” Discover the book: https://ebullient.com/leadfromlove/ #leadership #love #rumi

In this special episode, Chris Parker takes listeners on an intimate journey behind the creation of his latest book, Lead from Love with Rumi. Drawing from his extensive experience as an international leader and coach, Chris reflects on the timeless wisdom of Rumi and how it shaped his leadership philosophy. He discusses the inspiration for merging Rumi's mystic teachings with modern leadership challenges and how love, empathy, and authenticity can be transformative forces in business. Chris delves into his personal writing process, the key themes of the book, and how he distilled Rumi's profound insights into practical guidance for leaders today. Discover how leading with compassion can unlock creativity, foster innovation, and build stronger, more connected teams. Special thanks to the following people for their contribution and collaboration on Lead from Love with Rumi: Vahid Daemi for the inspiration to discover Rumi and for writing the foreword, Jentien ten Heuvel for her bringing Rumi to life in the book with the painted portrait, Coleman Barks for his translations of Rumi's works into English to make this wisdom accessible, Charlotte Mader from the Enablers Network for being an accountability partner at the last stages of the project, Ines Gaston, Gerphil Kerkhof, and Jyotish Patel for their coaching and counseling over the years, Karen De Boeck for challening me to go deeper into my own insights and co-creating the leading from love workshop, Jessica van Beek, Simon Brod, and Wim Lubbersen from the Qhuba Sustainability team for the endless care and support, Dr Joe Dispenza and Abraham Hicks for their inspirational work, Jeroen de Flander for his wise advice on the direction of the book, Mohamed Elmasry, Mohammad Hassan, and the Tactful AI team for the opportunity to lead from love, Dr. Amy C. Edmondson, Chip Conley, Brian F. Roberson, Stan Phelps, Daniela Hofbauer, Dorota Klop-Sowinska, and Didier Marlier for their review of the book and providing advanced praise, Melanie, for her loving patience, and of course... Rumi for bringing so much wisdom and joy to our world. "Lead From Love With Rumi" is available on Amazon and other online books sellers globally. Learn more: https://ebullient.com/leadfromlove/

In this enlightening episode of the Business Simplicity podcast, host Chris Parker engages in a fascinating conversation with Cédric Francois from Dstny France and Jessica Van Beek from Qhuba. This episode dives deep into the realm of sustainability in business, exploring its multifaceted nature and the impact it has on various aspects of organizational management. Cédric Francois plays a pivotal role in sustainability, fleet management, and HR at Dstny France, Cédric brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective on integrating sustainability into business practices. His journey from the telecom sector to the forefront of sustainability initiatives provides valuable insights for any business leader. Jessica Van Beek is a partner at Qhuba and known as the "Queen Bee" for her efforts in biodiversity and sustainability, Jessica contributes her extensive experience in IT and sustainability to the conversation. She shares her approach to helping companies kickstart their sustainability journey. Some highlights from the conversation: The Three Pillars: Cédric and Jessica discuss the importance of environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability. Practical Implementation: Real-world examples from Dstny France and Qhuba highlight how businesses can practically apply sustainability principles. Cédric's Personal Journey: Cédric shares his personal journey from the telecom industry to sustainability, emphasizing the role of leadership in driving change. Jessica's Role: Jessica talks about her role in shaping sustainable practices and her unique approach through the sustainable business design canvas. Creating a Culture of Sustainability: Insights into how Dstny France and Qhuba foster a culture of sustainability among their employees. Involvement and Innovation: Strategies for engaging employees at all levels in sustainability initiatives. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/sustainability-coaching/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

In this episode, we have the privilege of sitting down with David Arnoux, a trailblazer in the field of growth hacking and co-founder of Growth Tribe.  David Arnoux is not your typical entrepreneur; he’s a growth hacker, innovator, and a driving force behind the evolution of modern marketing strategies. With a passion for experimentation and a keen eye for emerging trends, David has become a prominent figure in the fast-paced world of growth hacking. David’s journey began at the intersection of technology and marketing. With a background in engineering and a curiosity for human behavior, he set out to explore the untapped potential lying within the realm of growth. His early career involved working with startups, where he honed his skills in finding scalable and sustainable growth solutions.  In 2015, David co-founded Growth Tribe, a pioneer in providing hands-on, practical training in growth hacking, data science, and artificial intelligence. Growth Tribe has since become a go-to hub for professionals and businesses seeking to stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape. As an innovation evangelist, David is known for pushing the boundaries of conventional thinking. He believes in the power of continuous learning and embraces the philosophy that experimentation is the key to unlocking unprecedented growth opportunities. Through workshops, keynotes, and mentorship, he has inspired countless individuals to adopt a growth mindset and fearlessly embrace change. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠ https://ebullient.com/podcast/genai-leadership/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Ahmed Mohsen is a tech and design enthusiast who started his journey during high school as a web hosting reseller & web designer. Following graduation he started a career in media production, serving as an animation artist and post-producer for 12 years. Making a pivotal career shift, Ahmed transitioned from service-oriented business to crafting SaaS products and built two SaaS products independently before joining Dstny Engage as a senior product manager to contribute to exciting AI-driven products. In addition to his role, Ahmed is eager to support first-time SaaS founders in his community. In this episode, Ahmed is sharing common pitfalls first-time SaaS Founders should be aware of. Learn more: ⁠⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/saas-pitfalls/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Unni is an author, speaker, coach and corporate trainer who helps leaders and teams cultivate connection to increase wellbeing, engagement, and productivity. Unni has studied loneliness and human connection since the Norway lone wolf massacre in 2011. Since then, she has given keynotes, media interviews, and been a repeat guest on the James Altucher Show. Brown Brothers Harriman named her one of 22 Women To Watch In 2022. Norwegian born, Unni spent most of her adult life abroad, including the United States, France, and Switzerland before returning to Oslo in 2016 with her family. With law degrees from Norway, France, and the United States, Unni is a member of the New York Bar, and worked in law and finance for nearly a decade before becoming a full-time writer, speaker, and consultant. She takes regular plunges in the Oslo fjord, prefers the aisle seat on airplanes, and drinks her latte cold. During the converation, we spoke about Dr. Joe Dispenza and NeuroChangeSolutions. Learn more: https://ebullient.com/podcast/human-connection/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Quentin is driven by one motto: Simplicity is the ultimate Sophistication.  His work experience in many types of companies led him to discover that organizations are often structured in a chaotic manner. This fosters losses at all levels: human, impact, and financial.  His quest for simplicity, flow, coherence, and balance led him to become an organizational coach specializing in collective intelligence and participatory management. He loves to share his passion for building thriving environments. Quentin has been working with groups for over a decade with collective intelligence processes.  When applied well, the individuals are lifted by the group's energy and evolve toward a better version of themselves.  Though he had nice transformational successes operating at a group level, companies do often regress when he is not coaching them anymore. So how do we achieve lasting impact? People need to change at their core level for this. It is possible, discover how in this episode! Learn more: ⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/collective-intelligence/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

As a leader, manager, and coach, Daria has spent years developing a strengths-based approach to help her clients find clarity in their life and work. She approaches leadership from the lens of appreciative inquiry and positive psychology. By digging into a person’s strengths and weaknesses, they can uncover what really makes them tick. Her unique structure helps people uncover how to achieve their goals, live more fully, and align their work with their passion. Daria created the highly successful Strengths Deck Cards and Matrix, and has used them to help countless professionals realign their work lives for the better. In February 2023, she published her first book ‘Unleash Your Awesome’, which brings together practical advice and activities to help people go from bored and stressed to empowered and motivated. Learn more: https://ebullient.com/podcast/unleash-your-awesome/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Hedwig Wassing is a connector of ideas and People. He is a people-oriented human being that easily builds and grows relationships. He is a broadly developed, target-oriented manager and entrepreneur, committed to the need for continuous innovation and change and experienced in handling the tension related to these processes. Hedwig is a creative initiator who consciously delegates tasks and responsibilities but values team performance. He is a manager with track records in most management disciplines and is a customer-oriented marketer, skilled in Information Technology and Logistics. Learn more: https://ebullient.com/podcast/the-beads-of-life/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Jan Hein has extensive experience working with partnerships, and listed and private equity / family-owned companies. As a director, managing director, board member and owner/partner. He believes that results come from doing the right things right, with the right people and with the right mindset. So very hands-on, direct, people-oriented and with an entrepreneurial mindset in order to achieve success and growth. Jan Hein will share with us his experiences and tactics in “unlocking” companies’ strategies. Many companies are frantically busy but not achieving the goals they set out to achieve in their strategic plans. Learn more: https://ebullient.com/podcast/bounce-and-steer/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Omar Tarek is a results-driven Sales and marketing professional with a deep passion for scaling Startups. Currently serving as the Growth Manager at Dstny in Amsterdam. He has a proven track record of successfully aligning product, marketing, and sales strategies to drive business growth. With a strong focus on problem-solving and process optimisation, Omar plays a pivotal role in establishing the foundation for Product-Led Growth at Dstny Engage. His relentless optimism and positive attitude in the face of challenges make him a dynamic and inspiring leader in the field of Growth. In Startups or Scale-ups the Growth domain is a wide discipline that is often confused with Growth Marketing activities. Even though Growth Marketing activities fall under Growth responsibilities, the domain is not limited to Growth Marketing only. Growth is about identifying the most suitable GTM motion(s) that the company should double down on to realise its objectives and align the organization around it. Most startups / scale-ups use one or a combination of the motions: (sales led / product led / partner led / content led). The early challenge that most leaders in Marketing / Growth encounter is which motion(s) is suitable for the company’s current situation. In this episode, we will talk about those different GTM motions and how important it is to be pragmatic about the approach you will decide on and align the organisation around it. Learn more: https://ebullient.com/podcast/growth-marketing-simplified/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

In the insightful podcast episode "Architecture Drives Culture with Amaury Demilie," host Chris Parker engages in a captivating conversation with Amaury Demilie, the Chief Scientist Officer at Dstny for Service Providers. Amaury, with a background dating back to the mid-'90s in telecommunications, shares valuable perspectives on the critical relationship between technical architecture and organizational culture. The episode delves into the challenges faced by companies employing a buy and build strategy, emphasizing the complexity that arises when merging entities with diverse cultures and architectures. Amaury sheds light on his role as Chief Scientist Officer, emphasizing the importance of aligning teams on a common technological vision. He discusses the need for intentional efforts to build trust among teams, addressing overlaps, and ensuring a shared understanding of a unified vision. The podcast provides valuable insights into the intricacies of navigating the clash of customer bases when merging different entities, highlighting the necessity for strategic decision-making to streamline product portfolios for greater efficiency. Listeners gain a deep understanding of the nuanced dance between technical architecture and organizational culture, learning how intentional efforts and strategic decisions are pivotal in achieving business simplicity. The episode serves as a valuable resource for business managers seeking insights into aligning diverse teams and architectures for a cohesive and forward-looking vision. Learn more: https://ebullient.com/podcast/architecture-drives-culture/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

How can organisations grow without falling into the pitfalls of hierarchy, control, and bureaucracy? How do we retain the advantages of agile startups in growing organisations? Just a few questions and thoughts from Stef Cuisinier. He has been addressing these challenges for nearly 20 years and organisational development is his passion. Companies turn to Stef in their quest for the right structures and forms of collaboration. Drawing from Stef’s experience in the IT and Telecom sectors, he finds inspiration in the realms of Lean and Agile thinking. With these principles, he can work to make organisations more agile, human-centric, and productive. These ideas are applicable far beyond just the world of information technology. Stef delves into methodologies as a coach, trainer, and mentor to assist autonomous, self-managing teams in planning, executing, and monitoring their work. His quest for ways to strengthen organisations has also led him to explore Sociocracy 3.0, Holacracy, and Deep Democracy. Learn more: ⁠⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/making-organisations-more-human/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Luca Signoretti helps leaders evolve their leadership approach from a more traditional and static one to a new agile and adaptive model to enable them to thrive with confidence in today’s highly complex and rapidly changing business environments. What drives Luca’s advisory, teaching and coaching efforts is consistently finding the best answer to the following question: “How can I help leaders keep evolving their capabilities at the same pace as the business reality so that their performance can be safeguarded and improved over time?”. Around this objective, he works with some of the largest international organisations (Unilever, Deloitte, Carrefour, Volkswagen Group, etc.). Lucas teaches and speaks at different top business schools (HEC, NYU, LBS, EDHEC, ESCP) to help leaders become more agile and consistently be able to adapt to and win today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. Learn more: ⁠⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/agile-leadership/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Daniela Hofbauer is a very authentic person who literally lives what she preaches. Like the slogan on Daniela’s website, “Do what you love‘ she is herself on her way to living a fulfilled life at work and in private. Love and appreciate the relationships that have become the common thread that also runs through the cooperation with her clients. Not only as a Job, Business and Life Coach but also in her HR Consulting activities, Danila’s vision is to bring more love and awareness of our own human beingness into the world. Daniela’s strategy in coaching is as simple as effective. She guides each of her individual and passionate clients with compassion and has feelings for her client’s hearts. She combines structure and strategy with deep emotional work. “Only when you feel the change, you will make it work“ is what she has experienced herself in many years of her own personal development. Learn more: ⁠⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/do-what-you-love/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Ryan Wells is a marketing leader with a unique fusion of international digital marketing and technical experience gained working with blue-chip brands around the world.  Ryan has strong marketing communication credentials with over 20 years working on international assignments around the world. He has led distributed teams of in-house and remote resources and managed multiple work streams, building and professionalising marketing programs and a strong platform for growth in close cooperation with sales teams. Learn more: ⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/lean-marketing/⁠ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Andre is a people servant and pragmatic results-driven leader with high energy and enthusiasm. He is an inspired decision-maker, leading complex organisational structures by building high-performing teams in a winning and enjoying culture. He believes enjoyment is a critical element in a productive and thriving culture. In his approach, there is a constant drive towards motivating people, who are at the core of any successful business.  “I believe in the ability to accomplish anything we are passionate about. Finding the ‘why’ within yourself, and in your organisation, will bring out the best to serve your business. As a coach, I focus on identifying your purpose, energy, and what drives you. Learn more: https://ebullient.com/podcast/inspiring-next-tech-leadership/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Business simplicity is achieved by shifting from leaderless to leaderful organizations, promoting collective leadership and psychological safety. Complex Adaptive System Theory guides this change, fostering efficient decision-making. Anecdotes like the 1998 French football team highlight the difference between leaderless (removing dominant figures) and leaderful (elevating everyone to their level) approaches. Didier’s professional purpose is to support Business Leaders in challenging the orthodoxies they retain about their business and help them prepare their people and organisations for the disrupted economy. He is a blogger, author, Board advisor, consultant, executive coach, father, husband, professor and an agent-provocateur, Didier advises leaders on how to “intellectually compel” and “emotionally engage” their people into large-scale changes (strategic, organisational, cultural or post M&A), using the levers of Logos (intellect), Ethos (behaviors) and Pathos (emotions). Didier is co-author of “Engaging Leadership” which has been written for leaders who are about to engage their organisations in change. Whether the need is driven by a sudden disruption, a new strategic intent, the desire for a new culture, a painful re-organisation or the integration following a merger or acquisition, this book provides the tools for successful change. Learn more: https://ebullient.com/podcast/leaderless-to-leaderful/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success

Danny has over two decades of M&A integration experience (private equity, corporate and charity) with deals ranging from the pre-deal integration planning on a 50,000 person company purchasing a 25,000 person company, a $6bn global deal running the European side across 30 countries, 250 business units, 26 functions through to many medium and small deals including small private equity set of deals Danny helped the CEO and management team buying a number of companies. Danny has spoken at a number of the world’s leading business schools on M&A Integration, including London Business School for nearly two decades, and wrote the book: M&A Integration – How to do it: planning and delivering M&A integration for business success. The book is on a number of business school reading lists around the world and has received great feedback. Learn more: ⁠⁠⁠https://ebullient.com/podcast/delivering-integrations/ The Business Simplicity Podcast is where you can learn strategies and tactics to succeed through simplicity. Simplify your thinking to accelerate your business! #business #simplicity #success