SkillCast by LOSD

In this episode of SkillCast by LOSD, Nurbanu Somani speaks with Greg Fuller, a Dubai-based consultant specialising in construction, cost management, project management and sustainability.Greg challenges the belief that green construction must be expensive. He explains how smarter design, better management and changes to everyday processes can reduce environmental impact without requiring major investment.Drawing on his experience with solar-passive homes, Greg discusses buildings that require little or no conventional heating and cooling. He also examines misleading green credentials, carbon credits, lifecycle costs and the importance of helping clients understand both the environmental and commercial benefits of change.The conversation then turns to Dubai’s sustainability ambitions, social sustainability and the role people play in protecting the environment.Greg also shares his other great passion: ballroom dancing. Having performed during the Sydney Olympics and taught dance aboard cruise ships, he explains how dancing taught him confidence, focus and freedom from other people’s judgement.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome to SkillCast Season 700:48 Introducing Greg Fuller01:01 Construction and green consulting01:18 Dancing and sustainability01:35 Growing up around nature01:53 Studying sustainable design02:16 Creating solar-passive homes02:28 Sustainable design versus building rules02:39 Buildings without conventional heating or cooling02:50 The struggle to promote green construction03:00 Superficial sustainability credentials03:35 Immediate cost versus future value03:41 Starting his own consultancy03:44 Does sustainability have to cost more?03:52 The first steps towards sustainability03:59 Why education comes first04:16 Explaining the “why” and “how”04:46 Action versus corporate lip service05:12 Sustainability through management05:33 Saving time and reducing emissions06:05 Measuring carbon savings06:14 Moving beyond carbon credits06:48 Is Dubai a concrete jungle?07:21 The UAE beyond the skyscrapers07:55 Innovation in Dubai08:35 Dubai’s sustainability ambitions09:07 Turning targets into action09:31 Sustainable steel production10:24 People versus the planet10:33 People are part of the environment10:46 Social sustainability10:50 Buildings, productivity and wellbeing11:40 Greg’s dancing career11:54 Teaching on cruise ships12:12 Performing at the Sydney Olympics12:56 Why Greg challenges conventional thinking13:01 Are 99 people always right?13:56 What dancing taught him14:08 Ignoring other people’s judgement14:45 Confidence and personal presence15:07 Why children need the arts15:44 Improving focus through dance16:37 Encouraging individual expression17:14 Connecting with Greg17:46 Sustainable workplaces18:15 Does quality have to cost more?18:22 Researching sustainability costs18:39 Lifecycle value19:16 Building-integrated solar power19:37 Solar-generating materials20:02 From small steps to major change20:15 Closing reflectionsFor enquires email: [email protected]

Why do we sometimes over-explain ourselves when a simple answer would be enough?In this episode of SkillCast by LOSD, Nurbanu Somani speaks with Cassidy Amber Chapman, a life coach, transformational artist and speaker who has worked with clients across more than 35 countries.Cassidy explains that over-explaining can come from a desire to prove ourselves, feel seen or receive validation. When we realise that we have nothing to prove and focus instead on serving others, our communication becomes clearer and more meaningful.She also explores self-trust, self-belief and taking a leap of faith. Fear does not necessarily disappear—but trusting that you can recover after falling gives you the confidence to move forward.Cassidy discusses servant leadership, transformational artistry and creating safe, non-judgemental spaces for people to share difficult experiences. She also introduces a global song project that will unite artists to break the silence surrounding childhood abuse and empower survivors through music.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome to SkillCast Season 700:48 Welcoming Cassidy back01:14 Life coaching and transformational art01:30 Is coaching oversaturated?01:39 What makes Cassidy different?02:08 Clients across more than 35 countries02:34 The importance of genuinely caring02:42 From personal development to entrepreneurship03:31 What clients gain from coaching03:41 Self-trust and self-belief03:53 Taking a leap of faith04:03 Dancing with fear04:11 Trusting yourself to recover04:33 Changing your view of failure05:05 Cassidy’s communication style05:10 Why people over-explain05:20 Trying to prove yourself05:25 Having nothing to prove05:43 Helping speakers become concise05:55 Seeking validation06:38 Cassidy’s coaching programmes06:46 Transformational artists06:51 Using art to create change07:02 Music and sound healing08:39 Servant leadership08:57 Leading beyond money and fame09:15 Creating value and purpose09:32 Co-creating transformation09:55 Leading your own life10:10 Leadership through love10:16 Learning to serve others10:35 Growing up around kindness10:59 How adversity develops empathy11:37 Living with chronic illness11:57 Coaches are human too12:35 Community and accountability12:58 Faith and service13:45 Helping people find their voice14:11 Creating a non-judgemental space14:33 Acceptance and accountability14:49 The shame people carry15:02 A global song project15:12 Breaking the silence around childhood abuse15:23 Empowering survivors through music16:05 Connecting with Cassidy16:33 Closing reflectionsThis episode contains discussion of childhood abuse. Listener discretion is advised.For Enquires Email: [email protected]

In this episode of SkillCast by LOSD, Nurbanu Somani speaks with Agnes Lai Ying Ng, an Australia-based speaker, coach and finance professional who supports women through major life transitions.After losing her husband five years ago, Agnes had to rebuild her life as a single mother raising two children, including a neurodivergent son.Although her son received support from healthcare and therapy professionals, Agnes recognised that the mother’s emotional needs could easily be overlooked. This inspired her to establish *She Matters 2*, a community initiative for mothers caring for children with autism, ADHD, neurodivergence and other disabilities. Agnes discusses cultural stigma, the fear some families experience when disclosing a child’s additional needs and how personal experience taught her to replace judgement with compassion.She also shares three important lessons for navigating change: rediscover who you are, understand your goals and refuse to give up when another storm arrives.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome to SkillCast Season 700:48 Introducing Agnes Lai Ying Ng00:54 Clothing, colour and mood01:40 How colour influences emotion02:17 Dressing authentically02:44 Agnes’s background03:04 A career in finance03:19 Losing her husband03:29 Becoming a single mother03:39 Raising two children through change04:04 Supporting women facing major transitions04:58 The first steps after life changes05:20 Processing difficult emotions05:27 Rediscovering your identity05:53 Setting clear goals06:00 What resilience really means06:19 Avoiding comparison06:28 Raising a neurodivergent child06:38 Building resilience through adversity07:07 Identity, goals and perseverance07:21 Supporting her son07:38 Accessing therapy in Australia07:50 Who supports the mother?07:58 Transitioning into secondary school08:19 Creating “She Matters 2”08:27 Supporting mothers and carers08:40 Building a safe community08:49 It is okay not to be okay09:01 Support networks in Australia09:21 Cultural attitudes towards additional needs09:37 Fear surrounding disclosure10:20 How openness creates understanding10:29 Replacing judgement with compassion11:03 Mothers sharing their experiences11:52 Everyone has an unseen story12:09 Choosing kindness12:45 Welcoming international travellers13:06 Coaching across generations13:27 Cooking and community14:05 Supporting young travellers14:41 Forgiveness, fulfilment and finance14:56 Financial confidence for women15:06 Connecting with Agnes15:13 Closing reflectionsFor Enquires Email: [email protected]

In this episode of SkillCast by LOSD, host Nurbanu Somani speaks with Dr Amish Purohit, a physician, healthcare executive, entrepreneur and Harvard alumnus whose career spans clinical medicine, health-system leadership, artificial intelligence and integrative care.Dr Purohit explains that general AI tools such as ChatGPT can help people explore basic health information, but they do not necessarily have access to an individual’s full medical history, medications, allergies or previous conditions. This can result in generic, unsuitable or incorrect recommendations.His advice is clear: AI may help someone prepare questions or understand general possibilities, but treatment decisions require properly validated information and qualified clinical judgement.Dr Purohit also shares his unconventional professional journey—from healthcare administration and active service in the US Air Force to medical school, family medicine, executive leadership and entrepreneurship.He discusses growing a healthcare organisation from approximately 7,000 to 600,000 patients across eight US states, generating $1.8 billion in revenue, before moving into AI-enabled care and integrative medicine.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome to SkillCast Season 700:34 Introducing Dr Amish Purohit00:54 Returning to Boston as a Harvard alumnus01:04 Studying Clinical Service Operations at Harvard01:20 Dr Purohit’s unconventional career journey01:34 Beginning in healthcare administration01:41 Serving in the US Air Force01:51 Why colleagues encouraged him to study medicine02:07 Medical school, family medicine and clinical training02:28 Moving into healthcare management02:38 From medical director to CEO02:53 Leading a tribal healthcare organisation03:19 Entering managed care and health insurance03:47 Becoming responsible for an entire state operation04:03 Founding a healthcare company04:31 Growing from 7,000 to 600,000 patients04:44 Reaching $1.8 billion in revenue04:52 Moving into integrative primary care05:07 Developing AI for clinical decision support05:31 The challenge of 15-minute appointments05:45 Medical records containing up to 1,000 pages05:57 How AI could support healthcare professionals06:23 Helping clinicians manage complex patients06:41 Four new healthcare projects06:52 Developing a stem-cell clinic07:08 How is clinical AI different from ChatGPT?07:38 Dr Purohit’s view of general AI tools07:55 Understanding large language models08:12 How AI can provide incorrect information08:23 Why clinical knowledge remains essential08:42 The problem with missing patient information08:52 Generic answers and AI hallucinations09:00 The risk of following AI-generated treatment advice09:15 How patients can use AI more safely09:29 Why general AI tools are not clinically validated09:37 Evidence-based AI resources for clinicians10:30 Life outside healthcare10:55 Football as a form of meditation12:11 Why traditional meditation does not work for him12:27 Exploring regenerative medicine12:52 Stem cells, exosomes and peptides13:12 Are rising healthcare costs improving long-term health?13:22 Weight-loss medication and wider health considerations13:48 Nutrition and supplementation14:46 Chronic conditions and inflammation15:45 Food, lifestyle and patient education16:19 Why diet and exercise are only part of the picture16:33 The relationship between the gut and brain16:51 Stress and inflammation17:27 Why sleep matters17:41 Exercise, nutrition and reducing stress18:08 Preventing chronic health conditions18:27 Dr Purohit’s 12-hour eating window18:38 The timing of protein and carbohydrates19:05 Educating healthcare professionals19:29 Closing reflectionsThis conversation is for general educational purposes only and does not replace personalised medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.#HealthcareAI #ChatGPT #MedicalAdvice #DigitalHealth #SkillCast

At 23, Somya Gupta moved from India to New York to study Computer Science at NYU. Three years later, he had founded an AI education company, organised more than 100 startup events and entered venture capital.In this episode of SkillCast by LOSD, Nurbanu Somani speaks with Somya about how changing his environment and surrounding himself with ambitious founders transformed what he believed he could accomplish.Somya discusses building a more connected startup ecosystem in New York, scouting investments for a European fund and helping founders secure $500,000. He also challenges the myth of the “self-made” entrepreneur, explaining why success always depends on communities, relationships and people willing to help one another.The conversation explores Generation Z, technology, friendship, health, fundraising and Somya’s ambitious plan to establish a hacker house for founders in New York City.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome to SkillCast Season 700:48 Introducing Somya Gupta00:59 Moving from India to New York01:14 Studying Computer Science at NYU01:24 Founding an AI education company01:42 Building a startup community01:48 Organising over 100 events02:04 Entering venture capital02:16 Helping founders raise $500,00002:39 The motivation to start young02:54 Why your environment matters03:10 How New York changed Somya’s life03:18 Surrounding yourself with ambitious people03:30 Reaching your maximum potential03:44 Building in an increasingly digital world04:16 Choosing the right people04:41 Understanding Generation Z04:56 Growing up alongside technology05:48 Bridging different generations06:07 Modern tools and first-principles thinking06:41 Balancing work and life06:58 Putting people first07:11 Rejecting the “lone wolf” mentality07:30 Friendship and community07:56 Staying grounded amid ambition09:11 Life outside work09:56 Salsa, pickleball and sport10:58 Mentoring other founders11:14 Why nobody is truly self-made11:38 How other people shape our success12:21 Building a pay-it-forward culture12:32 Improving New York’s startup ecosystem13:15 Goals for the next six months13:50 Health and fitness14:07 Somya’s health transformation14:19 Helping 10 founders raise money14:38 Creating a New York hacker house15:03 Making an audacious idea happen15:27 Supporting early-stage founders16:08 Growing organically on LinkedIn16:21 Human connection in the age of AI16:50 Closing reflectionsFor enquires email: [email protected]