Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard CO-CURIOUS

CO-CURIOUS

One idea. Examined together.

Short conversations about how people learn, think and change. Each episode takes one claim and explores where it came from, what supports it, where it runs thin, and what follows. Hosted by David Maclean.

A LearnSmartly podcast.

https://www.learnsmartly.institute/
Occasionally English South Africa Management · Self-Improvement
51 Episodes
1 – 20

Deep Listening: What a Sound Engineer Knows About Silence That You Don't

Peter Pearlson has spent 40 years behind mixing consoles for many of music's biggest artists. His real expertise isn't sound engineering—it's the space between the notes. He reveals why deep listening means stopping our performance of opinions, and what it means to serve a vision rather than your ego. If…
28 Nov 2025 12 min

Shayne Mann: AI in Your Head: Exponential Change, Attention, and Strategic Scars

Shayne Mann (Singularity University SA) joins David to explore AI as a “third voice” in our heads: an always-on collaborator that will question, translate, and nudge us in real time. We cover why exponential tech blindsides most leaders, daily AI workflows, and attention addiction. Expect clear takes on wearable assistants,…
15 Oct 2025 12 min

Dr Rob Stegmann: Quality Assurance Is Killing Quality Education

Dr. Rob Stegmann, Head of Academics at Boston City Campus, argues that compliance-led accreditation smothers real learning. We unpack South Africa’s move toward self-approval, under-resourced councils, and the lure of box-ticking. His case: shift from rule-following to quality consciousness. This episode will change how you see accreditation.
15 Aug 2025 20 min

Confusing Art with Creativity: Why Companies Kill Innovation

Creativity isn't about being artistic - it's about intelligence in action. But most companies accidentally crush it through benchmarking, perfectionism, and fear of mistakes. Celia Falkenberg and Nina Pearse of Creativity Wake-Up reveal how organisations can unlock the creative thinking that drives real innovation, sharing practical tools to spot opportunities…
24 Jul 2025 25 min

Lance Katz: Academic Rigour Meets Financial Reality: The Three-Circle Revolution

What happens when an actuary becomes the CEO of South Africa's leading psychology college? Lance Katz discovered that the supposed tension between academic excellence and financial sustainability is actually a false choice. This isn't about choosing between profit and purpose—it's about designing systems where both can thrive.
21 Jul 2025 24 min

Maude Burger-Smith: The Performance of Being "Fine"

David is joined by burnout coach Maude Burger-Smith for this raw conversation about the exhausting act of appearing okay while struggling inside, exploring why we're dying lonely in our busy lives - and how honest vulnerability might be the quiet revolution we need.
24 Jun 2025 17 min

The Silicon Valley Trap: Why South African Entrepreneurs Should Stop Playing Copycat

Two South African entrepreneurs reveal why copying Silicon Valley's "move fast, break things" mentality is a dangerous trap for South African startups. From the isolation complex holding back African innovation to the hidden costs of efficiency-obsessed cultures, Louis Janse van Rensburg and Louis-Neil Korsten discuss entrepreneurial ecosystems that serve communities,…
9 Jun 2025 17 min

Dave Duarte: The Small World Phenomenon: Why Cultural Change Begins with Exclusivity

We explore why effective culture change requires a counterintuitive approach. Discover how creating an exclusive 'small world' of change agents can transform organisational culture more effectively than company-wide initiatives. Dave shares practical insights on leveraging people, artifacts, rituals, tools, and stories to create aspirational change that scales naturally, challenging conventional…
7 May 2025 23 min

Dr Sarah Babb: Why Neurodiversity is Your Organisation's Secret Weapon

Sarah challenges traditional views of neurodivergence, revealing how conditions like ADHD and autism offer unique strengths that organisations desperately need to create more innovative, honest, and productive workplaces. The conversation explores how neuroinclusive cultures can address rising workplace disengagement to provide differentiation in competitive environments.
30 Apr 2025 22 min
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