Welcome to Episode 2 of Rules Don’t Apply. Dan Krigstein is joined by Dr Frederik G. Pferdt, Future Optimist, Educator, Entrepreneur, Award-Winning Author and Google’s first-ever Chief Innovation Evangelist.For more than a decade, he helped shape the creative culture behind some of Google’s most ambitious breakthroughs and now he’s focused on helping people design more hopeful futures.In this inspiring conversation, Frederik reveals why curiosity is the most powerful tool we have for shaping what comes next and how optimism, imagination and play can unlock innovation in every workplace. This episode explores: •Practical rituals for building bold, creative teams.•Why making space for emotion fuels better problem-solving.•How leaders can help people feel safe enough to experiment, fail and try again. If you’re a leader, creator or simply someone wanting to feel excited about what’s ahead this episode will shift your mindset.Hit play, stay curious and join us in designing a more optimistic tomorrow.
Welcome to Episode 1 of Rules Don't Apply!Dan Krigstein sits down with Sir Martin Sorrell.
The industry titan who helped define modern advertising and continues to challenge what’s next as Founder of S4 Capital and Founder & Former CEO of WPP.
This conversation takes a clear-eyed look at the forces reshaping our world and what today’s leaders must do to keep up. Sir Martin reveals why quantum computing may soon become the most disruptive technology on the planet, even outpacing AI.
He unpacks the organisational habits slowing large companies down and why collaboration and an ego-free culture are the only real accelerators of innovation.
We explore:
•The future of global growth
•Shift from legacy models to digital investment
•Leadership traits that separate those who will thrive from those who’ll get left behind.
And yes, there’s even a moment of reflection on life balance and what matters most in the long run.If you care about where media, technology and creativity are heading, this one is for you.
What does it take to be happy in a world that never slows down?In this special event, The Growth Distillery’s Dan Krigstein sits down with Mo Gawdat - former Chief Business Officer at Google [X], best-selling author of Solve for Happy and Unstressable, and founder of One Billion Happy - for an extraordinary conversation on joy, resilience, and human potential.From reverse-engineering happiness to navigating the rise of AI with compassion and wisdom, Mo shares profound insights on how to find peace and purpose amid modern chaos.Inspired insights from inspirational thinkers, delivered differently.
In the final episode of Stories Untold, we sit down with Kate Westgate, Head of Marketing for Unilever’s Home Care division, a leader who brings empathy, clarity and purpose to every part of her work.
A people-first leader whose purpose is rooted in inspiring her family and making impactful marketing campaigns. Kate shares how she’s learned to trust her instincts, find her voice, and build teams where creativity and care go hand in hand. With honesty and warmth, she unpacks what it means to lead with intention in a fast-changing world.
Hit play to discover how Kate is reshaping leadership. Driven by purpose, powered by people, and guided by gut.
Welcome to episode ten of Stories Untold, where we sit down with Caroline Wood, Head of Marketing at Fever-Tree.
A brand known for its quiet confidence and creative clarity.From agency beginnings to leading a global brand, Caroline shares how clarity, collaboration and an unwavering focus on quality have shaped her approach to marketing and leadership.• The genuine love she has for her product and the privilege of selling something she truly believes in• How strong leadership is about bringing diverse strengths together and watching them compliment each other • The influence of female role models in her career, and the power of women supporting women• The importance of staying curious, hustling for new opportunities, and never standing still• Why the best brands today are those agile enough to move fast and evolve with techPress play to hear how Caroline is leading with substance and why calm, considered creativity still makes the biggest impact.
Welcome to episode nine of Stories Untold, featuring Marie-Celine Wiström, or affectionately known as MC, Head of Creative Technology and AI at Made This.From a small New York design studio to global innovation projects, MC shares how her multicultural background and passion for storytelling shaped her unique approach to creative tech. She explores how AI can expand — not replace — human creativity for those bold enough to explore its potential.• How AI is a creative catalyst making big ideas more possible, and more affordable.• Why uncertainty and non-linear thinking spark real innovation• How co-creation with AI can elevate, not erase, human creativity• Building trust, collaboration, and ethical frameworks in tech-led work• Cross-discipline collaboration is where the best ideas are built• Why digital-first demands more content, across more channels with more pressure than everIf you’re curious about building a more effective, collaborative, and human future with AI, this episode is for you.
Welcome to episode eight of Stories Untold, where we chat with Anna Jackson, Head of Creative Excellence at Telstra — a storyteller, strategist, and champion of brave ideas.From copywriting beginnings to leading creative at scale, Anna shares how she’s learned to trust her gut, embrace vulnerability, and build space for creativity to thrive. She reflects on the power of diverse voices, breaking free from expectations, and why creativity belongs to everyone.• Why creativity needs structure but not too much• How to build a culture that encourages experimentation and curiosity • The storytelling frameworks that connect brands to people• How missing data can stall progress and leave entire markets untapped • Emotion drives action more than logicCurious to find out how she’s reshaping the meaning of creative leadership? Press play now.
In this episode of Stories Untold, we sit down with Alex McLean, General Manager of Marketing at BMW, to explore the evolving landscape of automotive branding, leadership, and creative drive. From his early days in front of the camera to leading some of the world’s most iconic brands, Alex’s journey is anything but ordinary.With experience spanning creative agencies and corporate leadership, Alex shares what he’s learned about navigating change, building strong teams, and leading with both heart and strategy. He shares honest reflections on the evolving marketing landscape and why curiosity, culture, and courage are the keys to staying ahead.• From agency to global brand: what Alex learned along the way• Why data and instinct both have a seat at the table• Build with purpose: hire versatile people, involve them in the process, and foster passion within your team.• The power of saying no and resisting the urge to jump straight in.• Where brand marketing is headed and how to stay aheadHit play to explore how Alex is shaping the future of the brand, one bold move at a time.
Welcome to episode six of Stories Untold, where we sit down with Melissa Fein, Managing Director, Media, APAC at Accenture Song – a sharp thinker, dynamic leader, and fierce advocate for creativity, innovation and values-driven leadership.
In this episode, Melissa reflects on her journey from becoming one of Australia’s youngest CEOs to leading media at one of the country’s most influential marketing and communications firms. With honesty, clarity and hard-won insight, she unpacks what it takes to thrive in a fast-paced, traditionally male-dominated industry – and why staying true to your values can be your biggest advantage.
• How AFL shaped her goal-setting mindset
• What it takes to build culture, not just capability
• The power of unbreakable trust within a team
• How rethinking success can open new pathways for the future
• Leadership as a woman: the challenges, the lessons, and her advice for males supporting other women in the workplace
No matter where you are on your leadership journey, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
Welcome to episode five of Stories Untold, where we speak with Paralympian and CEO of Inclusively Made, Paul Nunnari, a powerful voice for inclusive design, lived experience, and rethinking what real accessibility looks like.
In this episode, Paul unpacks why the way we talk about disability matters, and how outdated models still shape the way society, workplaces, and brands think about inclusion. With humour, insight and grounded optimism, he shares what it takes to move beyond tokenism and why designing for disability actually raises the bar for everyone.
• Why the "medical model" of disability still holds us back
• The power of starting small, and why imperfect inclusion is still progress
• What it means to build with lived experience at the table
• How disability cuts across every identity, and makes organisations stronger
• Why rethinking the journey is just as important as reaching the goal
If you’ve ever hesitated on where to start when it comes to inclusion, this is the episode to press play on.
Welcome to Episode 4 of Stories Untold.
Annabelle Herd has shaped Australian culture from both the screen and the stage, with decades in media and now as CEO of ARIA. She’s a leader who believes that empathy is power, that soft skills aren’t weak, and that culture needs more than applause - it needs protection.
In this episode, she shares what she’s learned from a life in leadership, the expectations she’s shed, and why influence starts with how you make people feel.
• Why local culture matters, and what happens if we let it fade
• The truth about how your mindset shifts with experience
• Why credentials don’t define leadership, and vulnerability does
• Why gender equality in the workplace is still a work in progress, and what real progress looks like
• The joy of discovering new music (no matter your age)
If you've ever questioned what leadership could look like with more heart, this one’s for you.
Welcome to Episode 3 of Stories Untold.
From Big Brother to boardrooms, Maz Farrelly has spent her career mastering the art of commanding attention, and keeping it.
In this episode, she shares what four decades of storytelling have taught her about leadership, impact, and the difference between simply being seen and truly being remembered.
Because the best stories don’t happen by chance, they’re built, sweated over, sharpened, and fearlessly delivered.
• Why leadership starts long before the job title
• How to earn your audience’s trust (and keep it)
• The make-me-care formula for content that actually connects
• Why “professional” doesn’t mean “boring”
• How to pitch, speak, and create with conviction
If you’ve ever wanted to tell a story that sticks, this one’s for you.
Welcome to Episode 2 of Stories Untold, a series about redefining success, leadership, and the stories we don’t always share.Sherilyn Shackell spent the first 15 years of her career leading the way she was taught, with pressure, performance, and a belief that success meant rising fast and leading hard. But it came at a cost. To herself. And to the people around her.In this episode, she shares the moment that forced her to stop, reassess, and redefine what leadership should really look like.Because true leadership isn’t about control. It’s about building others up. It’s not about having the answers, it’s about knowing how to listen, ask better questions, and create the conditions for people to thrive.• What it takes to unlearn outdated leadership habits• The moment that sparked a complete personal and professional reset• Why The Marketing Academy was born from a desire to give others a different path• How to lead with care, not control• The essential human skills we should be teaching from age eightIf you’ve ever questioned whether there’s a better way to lead, this one’s for you.
Welcome to Stories Untold!
This season is about pulling back the curtain, on the mess, the moments, and the lessons you don’t always hear out loud.
In this first episode, we sit down with Xanthe Wells, VP of Global Creative for Pinterest, to talk about what it really takes to grow, as a leader, a creative and a human. From early missteps in management to the reality of building safe spaces for risk, this is a conversation about staying open when everything around you is shifting.
Here’s what we get into:
• Why being promoted is not the same as being prepared
• How to protect the space for creativity, risk and realness
• The uncomfortable truth about never having the “right” brief, team or budget
• Why safety, not polish, is the foundation of creative work
• What it means to lead when everything, and nothing, is certain
If you’ve ever found yourself in the chaos of doing the work and figuring it out as you go, this one’s for you. Hit play and exhale.
🎙️ Welcome to Episode 12 of Unfiltered
This one is about personal legacy, leadership and learning to bring your whole self forward.
What happens when vulnerability meets mentorship? When cultural pride becomes creative fuel? In this conversation, Anoush and Janelle explore what it really takes to grow with purpose, and stay grounded while rising.
From cocktail introductions to candid conversations, they reflect on the lessons they’ve exchanged, the fears they’ve reframed and the futures they’re working toward, for themselves and the next generation.
• How to hold space for growth, and still tell the truth
• Why integrating culture into work isn’t a risk, it’s a superpower
• What coaching looks like when both sides show up with honesty
• The leadership strength in sitting with discomfort, not running from it
• Why sometimes impact starts with one conversation, one decision, one leap
If you’ve ever wondered how to lead with both humility and heat, or how to pass it on while still showing up for yourself, this one’s for you. Hit play and feel the shift. 🎧👇
Welcome to Season 2 of Unfiltered
This time, we’re talking fierce allyship, honest conversations, and what happens when you choose to back someone you were once told to beat.
Bec and Belle started out on opposite sides of the pitch. But instead of staying competitors, they became allies, leaning into shared values, motherhood, and the big questions neither of them could answer alone.
In this episode, we dive into the realities of careers that collide and connect. From late-night voice notes to career pivots, from feeling like rivals to becoming each other’s mirror, this is a story about choosing connection over competition and how that choice can become your greatest advantage.
Here’s what we get into:
• How candid conversations can cut through brand lines and build real trust
• The quiet power of having a sounding board who understands your life stage
• Why guilt, ambition, and motherhood often sit side by side
• How embracing vulnerability can sharpen your focus not weaken it
If you have ever stood on opposite sides of the table but felt the pull to build a bridge, this one is for you. Hit play and lean into the conversation.
Welcome to Season 2 of Unfiltered
This time, we’re talking shared leadership, evolving identity, and what it really takes to co-run a business when there’s no rulebook for how it’s done.
It started with a conversation on a park bench. Sian and Laura hadn’t worked closely before, but what followed was a leap into co-leadership, built not on history, but on possibility, mutual respect, and a shared ambition to do things differently.
In this episode, we unpack what it means to lead one of the country’s most influential media businesses through ambiguity, feedback, and cultural change, while resisting the urge to homogenise what makes each market, and each leader, unique.
Here’s what we get into:
• How to lead as two, and make space for more than just each other
• Why radical trust is more important than shared history
• What co-CEOs learn when they swap structure for stretch
• Why you can’t control culture, but you can empower it
• The difference between having a job and building a career
If you’ve ever wondered what leadership could look like when it’s co-created, this one’s for you. Hit play and challenge the model.
Welcome to Season 2 of Unfiltered
This time, we’re talking creative courage, mutual respect, and the kind of partnership that pushes you to grow personally and professionally.Fern and Jamil’s careers have grown in parallel, shaped by shared ambition, sharp thinking, and a belief that creativity should mean more to clients, to culture, and to the people doing the work.In this episode, we go inside a partnership defined by candour, care, and a deep understanding of what it takes to build trust in the work, in each other, and across an organisation.Here’s what we get into:
• Why the best creative partnerships are built on challenge, not comfort
• How strategic alignment strengthens creative ambition
• The reality of pushing too hard and how to know when to pull back
• What trust really looks like between clients and agencies
• Why creativity thrives when you stop hiding behind the maskIf you believe great creativity is worth protecting, this one’s for you. Hit play and dive in.
Welcome to Season 2 of Unfiltered. This time, we’re talking about long-distance leadership, creative tension, and the lessons that come from building something big, when you’re never in the same room.
Chris and Gary run a brand that operates across five continents, while living on two different ones. Yet, their ability to challenge, back, and learn from each other has taken their business further than either imagined.In this episode, we explore how two cofounders found clarity in their roles, built trust across time zones, and made distance a strength, not a setback.
You’ll hear:
• What cofounding looks like when you're never in the same country
• Why optimism and realism are both essential in creative decision-making
• How disagreements can sharpen vision, not derail it
• Why learning what not to do is just as important as having a planIf you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to build a business across time zones, and stay truly in sync, this one’s for you. Hit play and hear how they made it work.
Welcome to Season 2 of Unfiltered.
This time, we’re talking bold ideas, rethinking bravery, and the power of perspective shifts that change everything.It doesn’t always take a total rewrite — sometimes the smallest tweaks are the ones that make people stop, listen, and remember.
This episode dives into the dynamic between two creative minds who challenge each other to think bigger, go deeper, and bring more humanity to the work.In this episode, we’re unpacking how to challenge gently, lead authentically, and create space for new ways of thinking to take root.
• Why brand bravery starts with character, not chaos
• How tiny creative pivots can spark long-term impact
• What happens when debate is grounded in deep respect
• The kind of trust that frees you up to think, not defendIf you’ve ever felt stuck in familiar thinking — or unsure how to make brave ideas land — this one’s for you. Hit play and rethink the rules.