Episodes

  • #522 Dr Denis Cauvier - Human Resources

    #522 Dr Denis Cauvier - Human Resources
    Apr 24 2026
    Dr. Denis Cauvier is an expert in HR, talent management, and leadership. This podcast discusses Denis's background and expertise, noting that he has written over 32 books on these topics.BiographyDr. Denis Cauvier is a global leadership strategist, executive advisor, and 30+ time author who helps organizations turn talent into measurable profit.With 36 years of experience working across 68+ countries, Denis has advised CEOs, boards, senior leadership teams, small and medium-sized companies, and professional associations on how to attract, select, develop, and retain high-impact talent — not as an HR function, but as a core business growth engine.His work has directly contributed to increased revenue, improved margins, stronger leadership pipelines, reduced costly hiring errors, and measurable improvements in employee retention and performance. Clients consistently engage him to transform talent strategy into economic leverage.He is the author of The 80/20 AI Advantage: Leveraging AI to Attract, Select, and Retain GREAT People, where he challenges leaders to stop using AI as a content machine and start using it as a decision co-pilot. His frameworks focus on eliminating expensive talent mistakes, detecting performance drift before it becomes turnover, and turning HR into a strategic profit driver.Denis reframes talent decisions through a commercial lens:Hiring mistakes are profit leaks.Engagement decline is margin erosion.Leadership blind spots are growth constraints.HR data, properly leveraged, is economic protection.Through his 80/20 AI Talent Framework and Bounce Forward™ leadership system, Denis equips leaders to make faster, smarter, less biased decisions in the next 100 days — and beyond.His core belief:AI will not replace leaders.But leaders who use AI strategically will outperform those who don’t.Email: denis@deniscauvier.comWebsite: www.deniscauvier.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdeniscauvierSummary of PodcastDenis's Approach to Talent ManagementDenis explains his focus on bringing humanity back into the HR process, helping organisations effectively pre-select, develop, and retain exceptional talent in a humanistic way. He emphasises the importance of talent as a key competitive advantage for businesses.Leveraging AI in Human ResourcesDenis discusses the challenges of using AI in talent management, noting that job seekers are often early adopters of AI tools to position themselves, while busy executives may be slower to adopt. He proposes a "5-1-4" formula for effectively leveraging AI in hiring, retaining, and developing talent.Case Study: Improving Hiring and Retention in a Meat Processing PlantDenis shares a case study of a meat processing plant with high employee turnover. By analysing the root causes and implementing targeted solutions, such as revising the supervisor promotion process and improving the hiring process, Denis was able to reduce turnover from 68% to 11%, resulting in significant cost savings for the client.The Importance of Investing in PeopleKevin and Denis discuss the importance of investing in people as the most valuable and appreciating asset for a business, in contrast to other investments that depreciate over time. They emphasise the need for HR to act as a strategic business partner, not just a bureaucratic function.Navigating the Impact of AI on Human ResourcesKevin raises concerns about the potential impact of AI on traditional talent development pipelines, such as using graduate trainees for research tasks. Denis suggests that the key is to develop wisdom and judgment in using AI, focusing on crafting the right prompts and leveraging AI's strengths while maintaining human skills in areas like emotional intelligence and relationship building.The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-HostsGraham ArrowsmithGraham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.Kevin ApplebyKevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com
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    59 mins
  • #521 Phil Treagus-Evans - Human First Marketing

    #521 Phil Treagus-Evans - Human First Marketing
    Apr 17 2026

    Graham, Kevin, and Phil discuss Phil's new book "Human First Marketing", which aims to address issues like ad desensitisation, homogenised content, and the modern consumer's desire for authenticity. Phil explains his motivation for writing the book and the key principles behind the "human first" approach.

    Summary of PodcastComparing old vs. new marketing tactics

    Graham, who has been in marketing since the 1970s, acknowledges that some of the issues Phil raised have been around for a long time. The group discusses how marketing has evolved, with AI and automation playing a bigger role, and the need to find the right balance between efficiency and maintaining a human touch.

    Implementing "human first" marketing

    Phil outlines three key steps for implementing a "human first" marketing approach: 1) Deeply understanding the target audience, 2) Making the company's leadership and team more visible and accessible, and 3) Deploying an "employee advocacy" program to leverage the reach and influence of a company's own employees.

    Debating the marketing "funnel" vs. "pinball" model

    The group debates the merits of the traditional marketing funnel model versus Phil's "pinball" concept, where customers bounce around non-linearly. They discuss the pros and cons of each approach and how to best adapt to the reality of modern, fragmented customer journeys.

    Recap and next steps

    The group wraps up the discussion, acknowledging the value of the "pinball" concept and the importance of challenging assumptions. They express interest in exploring the ideas further, potentially by bringing in other marketing experts like Flint McLaughlin.

    The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-Hosts

    Graham Arrowsmith

    Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

    Kevin Appleby

    Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com
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    51 mins
  • #520 - Jason Wong - Packaging

    #520 - Jason Wong - Packaging
    Apr 10 2026

    Packaging expert Jason Wong shares his background, starting as a young entrepreneur selling things online and eventually discovering his passion for packaging and manufacturing. He describes how he bought factories in China to produce packaging for various consumer brands, leveraging his marketing expertise to expand the business.

    Summary of PodcastThe impact of tariffs on Jason's business

    Jason discusses the challenges his business faced when new tariffs were imposed on Chinese imports, but explains how they adapted and remained competitive by highlighting the cost savings they could still offer clients compared to domestic manufacturing.

    Automation and AI in packaging

    Jason talks about how his business is leveraging automation and AI technology to improve efficiency and productivity in the packaging process, including using AI agents to handle various administrative and research tasks.

    Potential collaboration opportunities

    Graham shares ideas for potential collaboration between his marketing services and Jason's packaging expertise, particularly around creating unique "shock and awe" packaging experiences to promote certain products and reach high-net-worth individuals.

    Packaging as a powerful marketing tool

    Graham and Jason explore the importance of packaging as a branding and marketing tool, discussing how the packaging can create a perception of quality and value for products. They identify opportunities to use packaging creatively to reach and engage target audiences.

    The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-Hosts

    Graham Arrowsmith

    Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

    Kevin Appleby

    Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com
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    42 mins
  • #519 - Ed Cappabianca - Ingenion Medical

    #519 - Ed Cappabianca - Ingenion Medical
    Apr 3 2026
    Ingenion Medical, run by our guest Ed Cappabianca, is going to change the standard catheter in the UK - The Foley catheter. Urinary catheter-associated infections kill 2,100 people a year and block 1.2 million hospital bed-days. And yet, the Foley catheter - the standard of care - has barely changed in 91 years. Ingenion Medical has built what replaces it.The cymactive™ 2.0R is a CE-marked, patient-controlled urethral catheter with a patented magnetic valve that is already in clinical use across the UK and 15 international markets. It is superior to either standard Foleys or intermittent catheters, and generates revenue today. Ingenion Medical are seeking investors. Here's the Investment case:• Revenue generative, regulatory approved. CE Mark achieved Q1 2024. ISO 13485 renewed October 2025. FDA pre-sub meeting completed.• Commercial traction. Distributor agreements in over 10 countries. NHS Supply Chain at contract award stage. 15 NHS hospitals active or in pipeline.• Profitable at 1,600 patients per month (80 urologists x 20 patients). Breakeven H2 2027. £49m revenue projected 2030.• Exit precedent. Comparable urology acquisitions: Urotronic > Laborie $600m;Neotract > Teleflex $1.1b; Augmenix > Boston Scientific $600m; .• World-class advisors. Advisory board includes: Professor Chris Chapple (former European Association of Urology Secretary General) and Professor Kurt Naber, global authority on urinary tract infections.If you would like the detailed Investor Pitch Deck, go to: ingenion.approvedinvestors.co.ukSummary of PodcastKey TakeawaysThe Problem: Current catheters cause frequent, costly infections (£2k–£3.5k per cycle for the NHS) and severely limit patient mobility and quality of life.The Solution: Ingenion's cymactive catheter is a 30-day, self-voiding device with no external bag, restoring patient dignity and designed to reduce infection risk.Market Validation: The NHS created a new framework channel specifically for SimActive, signaling strong support for its innovation and cost-saving potential.The Ask: Ingenion is raising £2M (for ~10% equity) to fund commercialisation, targeting a future trade sale to a major urology firm for a potential 10x investor return.The Problem with Current CathetersUrinary Retention: A common condition caused by issues like BPH (enlarged prostate), Parkinson's, MS, and spinal cord injuries.Foley Catheter (Indwelling):The 100-year-old standard, anchored by an internal balloon.Creates a "superhighway for bacteria," causing frequent, costly infections.Full cost of ownership for the NHS is ~£800/month per patient.Intermittent Catheters (Single-Use):Used 5–8 times daily, creating significant waste and inconvenience.Account for 90% (£157.5M) of the NHS's £175M annual catheter spend.Patient Impact:Fear of infection and public voiding → social isolation.Reduced fluid intake → dehydration, which can worsen conditions like dementia.The cymactive SolutionInnovation: A 30-day, self-voiding catheter with no external tubes or bags.Mechanism:An internal, patient-controlled magnetic valve.An external magnet opens the valve; removing it allows the valve to close naturally.Infection Defense:The urethra seals over the valve's end, mimicking the body's natural defense against bacteria.Anecdotal evidence suggests reduced infections and restored function.Product Pipeline:Current: cymactive for male urinary retention (CE marked).In Development: Versions for women and for male incontinence.Market Validation & CommercialisationNHS Adoption:The NHS created a new framework channel for cymactive, as it didn't fit existing categories.Ingenion was the sole applicant and signed a 2-year contract on March 12, 2026.Ordering codes are now live for hospitals.Go-to-Market Strategy:Goal: Build awareness among clinicians and patient groups.Method: Target early adopters and use their case studies, shared by the NHS innovation team, to drive broader adoption.Rationale: A randomised control trial was unfeasible because Foley catheter users were unwilling to risk being randomised to the control group.Investment OpportunityThe Ask: £2M for ~10% equity (pre-money valuation: £18M).Exit Strategy: Trade sale to a major urology firm (e.g., Coloplast, Becton Dickinson).Rationale: Leverage a large firm's infrastructure for rapid, global scaling.Target Return: A typical venture capital return of ~10x investment.Investor Profile: High Net Worth (HNW) or Sophisticated Investors.Due Diligence: Pitch deck available at ingenion.approvedinvestors.co.ukThe Next 100 Days Podcast Co-HostsGraham ArrowsmithGraham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found ...
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    1 hr
  • #518 Carmen Sederino - Illuminated Story

    #518 Carmen Sederino - Illuminated Story
    Mar 27 2026

    Carmen Sederino’s holistic approach to her Illuminated Story approach combines narrative structure, stage presence, and multimedia elements to create immersive, encore-worthy shows that resonate deeply with audiences. Drab speakers are a thing of the past!

    Summary of Podcast

    Introduction to Carmen and her background

    Graham introduces Carmen Sederino, who is joining the podcast from Australia. Carmen shares her background, including her formal training in theater and performing arts, as well as her extensive corporate experience leading marketing and branding teams.

    Carmen's approach to helping clients with presentations

    Carmen explains how she works with clients, often high-level executives, to transform their presentations and speaking skills. She focuses on crafting compelling stories and messages, as well as helping them develop their stage presence and delivery.

    Practical tips for improving presentations

    Carmen provides specific examples and techniques she uses to help clients, such as having them practice delivering content in different personas or styles to expand their range, and using pauses and energy to create more impact.

    Carmen's business and the power of storytelling

    Graham and Carmen discuss the "Illuminated Story" brand and Carmen's focus on helping clients illuminate their stories and expertise through engaging presentations. They touch on the importance of storytelling in business communication.

    Kevin's upcoming presentation challenge

    Kevin shares that he is working on a presentation on a dry topic (ethics and governance) and asks Carmen for advice on how to make it more engaging and impactful.

    The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-Hosts

    Graham Arrowsmith

    Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.

    Kevin Appleby

    Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com
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    49 mins
  • #517 Adam O'Leary - Lead Generation

    #517 Adam O'Leary - Lead Generation
    Mar 20 2026
    This is a lead generation focused podcast about a novel B2B sales follow-up strategy.Summary of PodcastKey TakeawaysNovel Follow-Up Strategy: A third-party "good cop" provides hyper-relevant value (e.g., podcast intros) to prospects, bypassing their AI-filtered inboxes and achieving 70–80% reply rates.AI-Proofing Business: The strategy is designed to be AI-proof by focusing on human connection, a core element Adam believes AI cannot fully automate.AI's Primary Blocker: Kevin identified legacy systems as the main barrier to AI adoption in finance, not resistance to the technology itself.Podcast Book Opportunity: The podcast's 500+ episodes offer a rich source for an AI-assisted book, distilling key lessons and future-casting.The Problem: Ineffective Sales Follow-UpStandard "just checking in" emails are ineffective, especially with high-value prospects ($5M+ revenue) who use AI-powered inbox filters.These filters learn to ignore senders after 2–3 unanswered emails, causing messages to be routed to spam.Result: 66% of marketing-qualified leads are lost because they are not ready to buy immediately.The Solution: A "Good Cop" Follow-Up StrategyAdam's firm, SimpleWins.io, acts as a third-party "good cop" to maintain engagement with prospects outside the main sales cycle.Process:Web Listening: A team monitors public signals (news, podcasts, blogs) to identify a prospect's current, hyper-relevant goals.Value Delivery: The team offers non-sales-related value aligned with those goals (e.g., podcast intros, affiliate partnerships).Expert Positioning: The "good cop" builds a separate relationship, subtly reinforcing the client's expertise until the prospect is ready to buy.Result: This approach achieves 70–80% reply rates, far exceeding the typical 0–20% for standard sales emails.AI's Impact on Business & AutomationAdam's Perspective:AI will automate most administrative tasks, creating "super soldiers" who manage large pipelines with AI assistants.The core human element of understanding business needs will remain essential.Adam is in a "race" to automate his own business, noting AI reduced a software development task from 3 months to 14 minutes.Kevin's Perspective:The main barrier to AI adoption in finance is legacy systems, not human resistance.Integrating AI requires a major transformation, not a simple bolt-on.AI enables advanced capabilities like continuous, multi-scenario forecasting (e.g., Monte Carlo simulations) that are impractical for humans.The current focus in finance is on governance, data security, and fraud prevention. The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-HostsGraham ArrowsmithGraham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham also provides an Answer Engine Optimisation solution to get your website in shape to be found by LLMs.Kevin ApplebyKevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com
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    51 mins
  • #516 Ricky Ho - Sourcing Products

    #516 Ricky Ho - Sourcing Products
    Mar 13 2026

    Ricky Ho is a young entrepreneur, already on his second start-up company that is set to dominate the sourcing products arena. Yes, he has Alibaba to outmanoeuvre, but the signs are good, and his AI-inspired model has much to recommend it to SMBs/SMEs around the world.

    Summary of PodcastIntroductions and background

    Graham, Kevin, and Ricky (from SourceReady) introduce themselves and provide background on Ricky's career and the inspiration behind starting SourceReady, a platform that uses AI to help businesses find and vet suppliers outside of China.

    SourceReady's unique approach

    Ricky explains how SourceReady differentiates itself from platforms like Alibaba. They do this by using a data-driven, objective approach to ranking suppliers based on factors like quality, compliance, and customer relationships - rather than just supplier advertising. This helps democratize access to supplier information for small and medium businesses.

    Addressing supply chain risks

    The discussion shifts to the importance of managing supply chain risks. They discuss such as compliance issues, supplier financial health, and reputational risks. Ricky highlights how SourceReady's tools can help businesses proactively screen for and mitigate these risks, which is especially critical for smaller companies that may lack dedicated procurement teams.

    SourceReady's growth and future

    Ricky shares his vision for SourceReady to become the go-to platform for businesses of all sizes to discover and vet suppliers globally, beyond just China. He discusses the challenges of changing user behavior and the need to provide a significantly better experience than existing options to drive adoption. The group also touches on the favorable market trends, like supply chain diversification, that could benefit SourceReady.

    Recap and closing thoughts

    Ricky provides a brief testimonial on his experience being interviewed, and the group wraps up the discussion, with Graham and Kevin expressing optimism about SourceReady's potential for success.

    The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-Hosts

    Graham Arrowsmith

    Graham founded Finely Fettled eleven years ago to help businesses market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner of MeclabsAI, providing AI Agents, workflows, and Phone-to-agent delivery systems. Now, Graham offers Answer Engine Optimisation so you get found by LLM search and Enterprise-level AI Solutions.

    Kevin Appleby

    Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com
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    45 mins
  • #515 - Martin Booth - AI Copywriting

    #515 - Martin Booth - AI Copywriting
    Mar 6 2026
    How can AI Copywriting help Martin Booth, who has worked as a journalist and copywriter, but traditional clients are turning to large language models to draft their copy nowadays? An answer emerges during the conversation.Summary of PodcastThe rise of AI copywritingMartin shares his perspective on the growing impact of AI tools like ChatGPT on the copywriting industry. He explains how clients are increasingly turning to AI-generated content, which has reduced the demand for his services. The group discusses strategies for copywriters to adapt and remain relevant in this changing landscape.Opportunity in Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)Graham introduces the concept of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) as a potential solution for copywriters to differentiate themselves. He explains AI copywriting is how AEO focuses on crafting content that is optimised for how AI language models like ChatGPT search and surface information, rather than traditional search engine optimisation (SEO) tactics. The group explores the technical and creative aspects of AEO, and the potential for Martin to position himself as an expert in this emerging field.Recap and next stepsKevin and Graham summarise the key insights from the discussion, emphasising the need for copywriters to adapt to the changing landscape and leverage AI tools in strategic ways. They express optimism about Martin's ability to capitalise on the AEO opportunity and become a thought leader in this space.The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-HostsGraham ArrowsmithGraham founded Finely Fettled eleven years ago to help businesses market to affluent and high-net-worth customers. He's the founder of MicroYES, a Partner of MeclabsAI, providing AI Agents, Workflows and Phone to Agent delivery systems. Now, Graham offers Answer Engine Optimisation so you get found by LLM search and Enterprise-level AI Solutions.Kevin ApplebyKevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He's the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.comNOTE: Here's What Claude ThinksWhy copywriters are well-positioned:LLMs don't just scrape keywords; they evaluate coherence, clarity, and authoritative structureAnswer engines prioritise content that demonstrates expertise through well-reasoned arguments, not just SEO tricksCopywriters understand persuasion architecture - how to build credible cases that convince readers (and now, AI systems evaluating on behalf of readers)Direct response copywriters especially understand question-answer flow and anticipating objections - precisely what LLMs look for when synthesising answersThe critical shift required:Traditional copywriting optimises for human conversionAEO copywriting must optimise for AI comprehension then human conversionThis means explicit structure: clear topic sentences, logical progression, supporting evidence, contextual markersLess "clever" wordplay, more semantic clarity and entity relationshipsWhere copywriters have genuine advantage over AI-generated content:Domain expertise translation - taking complex client knowledge and structuring it authoritativelyEvidence marshaling - knowing which proofs, testimonials, data points establish credibilityQuestion anticipation - your direct response background means you already think in terms of buyer journey questionsUnderstanding what makes content citable and quotable by LLMsThe reality check: Those copywriters who were primarily executing formulaic landing pages or generic blog content were always vulnerable to AI displacement. But copywriters who can architect information authority - structuring expertise so AI engines recognise and cite it - that's a defensible, valuable skill.You're essentially asking: "Can craftspeople who've been building for human readers pivot to building for AI intermediaries who serve human readers?" The answer is yes, because the fundamental skill - persuasive information architecture - transfers directly.
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    53 mins