Looking Outside

If strategic planning in the consumer goods sector feels different right now, you’re not imagining it. For the past 15 years, leaders in CPG categories have struggled to build plans that deliver the kinds of predictable, reliable profit of days past. Former General Mills Chief Strategy Officer, and a leading independent voice in long range strategic planning, Peter McDonald joins us to discuss the shifting expectation of corporate strategy, where it is necessary to provide a long range lens into the future beyond a short term fiduciary focus. At the heart of this strategy challenge today is a preoccupation with old playbooks in new competitive landscapes, prioritizing the shareholder at the expense of the consumer, and operating with false confidence - denial, even - that things will revert to the way they were. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comPeter McDonaldLinkedIn ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Fashion is a massive $1.8 Trillion industry. Within that two tales unfold: one of quality, timelessness and individualized expression, and another of wastefulness, shame and pride. On this episode of Looking Outside, we explore how fast fashion competes with slow fashion; where craftsmanship, carefulness and scarcity supersede fleeting trends. For this we’re joined by French fashion designer and YouTuber Justine Leconte. To her one million viewers around the world, Justine emphasizes the importance of choosing what we buy carefully. But not necessarily at the expense of style, which everyone has the ability to harness, particularly when we tailor fashion to us. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comJustine LeconteYouTubePinterest TikTokguide for Timelines StyleFast Fashion Blacklist 5 myths that fast fashion brands want you to believe ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

This podcast was not read by synthetic AI generated replicas … although it could be. Live from the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies in Denmark, together with three trained communications professionals, we discuss the future of their field. If there even is one. FARSIGHT podcast host and Head of Publications at the CIFS Casper Skovgaard Petersen, Head of Communications Toke Hanghøj and new CIFS partner, and host Jo Lepore discuss the synthetification of what we create and what we consume. Technology is rapidly upending the traditional media industry. As this happens, we see literacy rates declining and the increasing ease of outsourcing writing and thinking. So too, all of this influences the stories we create and tell about the future. Whether we paint visions as warning for where our vices may take us, or as a mirror to reflect back what parts of humanity we do not want to lose. And of course, there are lessons in looking back at the past and the stories we told each other that no longer hold true. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comCopenhagen Institute for Futures StudiesFARSIGHTCasper Toke ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Financial stability and economic growth has been a staple of national prosperity and business success. In this search for predictable prosperity, fueled by individual ownership and material attainment, we forget that economic models were built as a fix to a problem within the specific context of a social need. Today, economic models have become the convention our society moves within, and the narrative of perpetual growth is familiar. But are these models serving society in the context we now live in, one that requires constraint? To explore these frameworks that rule our lives, we’re joined by economist Hans Stegeman, who, in his double life as Chief Economist at Triodos Bank in the Netherlands by day, and independent thinking columnist by night, shows how provocative questions that help us re-perceive existing systems can influence change from inside the system. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comHans StegemanLinkedInhis newsletterSubstack ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Your business could benefit from a chief geopolitical officer. Not just because of the large shift in operational complexity accelerated by geopolitical conflicts, but because not looking at these topics in a considered way, through a lens of expertise, could lead to poor decisions, lost opportunities, or worse, paralysis. But, says our Looking Outside guest today, while the crisis is real and large, it’s not anything new – in fact we’re going back to the old ‘normal’. Jake Sotiriadis has seen this first hand, as part of the intelligence unit in the United States Air Force, as strategic foresight lead at the Pentagon, and as senior strategy advisor to the public and private sector. Jake says every decision, be it in the public or private sector, carries some risk. The biggest risk, however, is not a bad decision, but indecision. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comJake SotiriadisLinkedInGeopolitical Competition ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

You can’t talk about the future without talking about change. But change can trick you, as guest Roger Spitz says on this latest episode, filmed live at the Rulebreaker Future Congress in Germany. Roger is the founding Chair of the Disruptive Futures Institute and, there, instructs global leaders in operating with agility in uncertain environments. The thing about change, Roger explains, is that it feels equally incredibly slow and exponentially fast – and both perceptual models can distract us from focusing on the present moment and what needs to be solved for today. On the show, Roger stresses why cognitive agility and informed optimism are critical mindsets in a future that feels uncontrollably volatile. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comRoger SpitzLinkedInXMediumDisrupt with ImpactLinkedIn XLinkedIn XRulebreaker Future CongressRulebreaker Society ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

We’ve been living digitally for decades. While many of us think romantically about an analog and physical existence, the future is not taking us back there, but deeper into a digital immersion. So says our guest today, Lyron Bentovim, CEO and President of The Glimpse Group, a company advancing augmented and virtual reality innovation. In this episode, filmed live at the Rulebreaker Future Congress in Germany, Lyron paints the possibilities of virtual reality in creating moments of deeper connection, by rethinking digital – not necessarily physical - experiences we are used to today. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comEntrepreneurWSJCEOWorld LinkedIn XLinkedInXRulebreaker Future CongressRulebreaker Society ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Bioengineering is a complex field. In some industries it’s well established, in others still nascent. But one thing is true regardless of where it’s applied – it poses interesting problems. Dr Hamid Noori is one scientist motivated by solving these kinds of big, difficult and (he would say) fun problems. As CEO of bioengineering company, The Cultivated B, his work takes cellular technologies from the lab to the market. On this episode, filmed live at the Rulebreaker Future Congress in Germany, he shares how a grand purpose in life is not necessary if you have audacious problems that you are focused on solving and an openness to solving them in new ways. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comCultivated Bon LinkedInForbes Technology Councilon LinkedInn!BiomachinesPreFerIndustriesRulebreaker Future CongressRulebreaker Society ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

For over two decades, Germany's most demanded futurist, Sven Gabor Janszky, has been gathering business leaders across Europe, exposing them to the 'rulebreaking' ideas that are changing our world. In this 24th edition of this event, Sven sits down with host (and international keynote at the congress) Jo Lepore, to discuss the science behind finding breakthrough ideas, particularly those in longevity. Through his scientific research, and his venture capital, Sven has seen how breakthroughs in organ preservation, gene engineering and bio-matching are already extending our life span. Now he's also observing with curiosity how things like AI replicas and brain computer interfaces will preserve our humanity even further. Sven says it might sound like science fiction but the signals of this future are already here. There is no way to slow them down, instead it is us who must catch up. This is a live podcast, filmed at the Rulebreaker Future Congress in Leipzig Germany May 2025. The event, hosted by 2b AHEAD, brings together "people whose ideas change the world". ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comSven Gabor Janszky 2b AHEADLinkedIn XInstagramRulebreaker Future CongressRulebreaker SocietyGenAI 2035Strategic Foresight 2035Space 2040Digital Humans 2035 ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Arguably, the most important thing we need to do when thinking about the future, is to hold our strong opinions weakly. In the world of business strategy, the process of mapping what may lie ahead is usually tempted by a perfected, tried-and-true, method. So what happens when the forecast is wrong? On this episode of Looking Outside we are exploring the process and purpose of scenario planning, with world leading forecaster, professor and futurist, Paul Saffo. Having helped organizations, governments and future leaders build skills in forecasting for the future for decades, Paul knows better than most how predictions of the future can fail when certainty is the desired outcome. Equally he’s seen how people can become entranced with a specific method and obsessed with the accuracy of their predictions. He says instead, when thinking about the future, we should intentionally second guess assumptions, especially, those of so-called subject matter experts. Sometimes, it comes down simply to having a good compass and learning to read the stars. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comPaul SaffoLinkedIn XInstagramLong Now FoundationSingularity UniversityThe Atlantic Councilthe Millennium Project ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Art is nice, but it’s not just a nice-to-have. And it’s not relegated to galleries, museums and exclusive circles. Not only is art everywhere in our lives, day in and out, it has a profound impact on our physiology, psychology and our ability to better connect with other people. On this episode of Looking Outside we speak with author of ‘Your Brain on Art’, Susan Magsamen. Having researched the topic of neuroaethethics and neuroarts, Susan leads initiatives within John Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Aspen Institute to spread the rigorous scientific evidence on the benefits of creativity, sensorial immersion, playfulness and awe on our brain. As well as on how we learn, grow and do business. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comSusan MagsamenLinkedIn XInstagramYour Brain on ArtLinkedInInstagramArt and Mind LabNeuroarts Blueprint ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

After 200 years of rapid growth, we’re seeing the consequences of putting the planet to the limits of habitability. But with future endless growth goals, and finite resources it’s time we get climate action into the P&L. On this episode of Looking Outside, we’re talking about sizing the impact of climate change, with climate and sustainability leader, David Carlin. David shares how climate finance is a fast growing area that captures the downside of climate inaction as well as the upside in climate solutions, in a way that’s mobilizing change across industries and economic ecosystems. But, David warns, the financials are not the problem, nor is accounting the complete solution, and a path forward needs to capture what we can’t size or even know, including our moral imperative to change. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjolepore.comdacarlin.comLinkedInXSubstackForbes ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and strategist, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Futures Thinking: Spotting Signals in Turbulent Times In a world of constant flux and uncertainty, the ability to spot signals of change is an essential skill for navigating the future. Volatility has been escalating for over a decade, and the exponential growth of data presents both challenges and opportunities. Understanding how to contextualize signals through futures thinking is becoming increasingly critical. This session will equip you with the tools to identify and interpret key signals, empowering you to manage turbulence with confidence and assert control in an unpredictable world. Speakers: This is a recording of a live panel that took place March 8, 2025 at SXSW in Austin, Texas in the 2050 Track. Shared with with permission from SXSW. Edited for clarify. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn XLinkedIn Instagramwww.jolepore.comFutures FriendsAstrofutures Foresight Inside Group (FIG) ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Enough with the “Delving” – Staying Human in the Age of AI. Is AI making us better or worse at communicating? On one hand, platforms like ChatGPT have unlocked the ability to instantly create and customize vast reams of messaging – emails, social posts, and more. But the telltale fingerprints of AI, from overused words like “innovative” and “delve,” its preference for middle-of-the-road conclusions, and its tendency to yap at length, are also hurting our ability to actually connect with our audience. In this panel, explore how both individuals and brands can be better communicators in the age of AI. Panel: This is a recording of a live panel that took place March 7, 2025 at SXSW in Austin, Texas in the Advertising & Brand Experience Track. Shared with with permission from SXSW. Edited for clarify. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xwww.benguttmann.comLinkedinhttps://thebrainybusiness.comLinkedinLinkedinwww.jolepore.comwith Usama Fayyad on AIwith Melina Palmer on behavioral economics ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

In this episode of Looking Outside we’re going back to the past and into the future - exploring the biggest transformative breakthroughs in science and technology that have and are transforming civilizations and societal values. Historian and futurist Jamie Metzl joins us to step into the world of science innovation, and equally to take a step back to see the bigger picture of human evolution. A leading voice in science and medicine, Jamie shares how our biological limitations are also our greatest strength – we continue to enhance ourselves, and our way of life, through technology, in order to to adapt to future environments. Emerging breakthroughs however, Jamie says, should not be viewed in isolation but in the context of converging factors, considering their negative consequences and their unforeseen upsides, based on the bigger ecosystem of interconnected industries. We no longer live in a ‘natural world’ and there is no going back to the ‘way things were’, so we must accept that change is a part of our human future. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn Xjamiemetzl.comYouTubeX LinkedInSuperconvergenceon Amazon ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Today we’re going to get a little political, without the hostility. We’re exploring the bias, misrepresentation and dangers that come with ascribing to the ‘left wing’ and ‘right wing’ political spectrum. Political scientist, professor in political and constitutional studies, and co-author of ‘The Myth of Left and Right’ Verlan Lewis joins us to debunk the essentialist theory behind the left/right concept. While it's still a fairly young idea, Verlan stresses how it is increasingly harmful, by creating a false narrative of division that kills humility and perpetuates self-righteousness. “Don’t talk about politics at the dinner table” (or in business) is what we often hear, but Verlan says we need more, not less, moderate and civil discourse on political issues, without the damaging rhetoric that comes with left/right ideologies. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comLinkedIn XOxford PressAmazonLinkedInXGoogle ScholarFuture Tense podcast ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

Being a marketer today is challenging enough, just imagine what it’s like for the next generation of brand leaders coming in to study marketing. On this episode of Looking Outside we explore the mindset and skills that future brand leaders are considering, with Adjunct Professor at SMU Cox School of Business, Radhika Zaveri. With over 20 years experience leading billion dollar brands at some of the world’s leading organizations, Radhika brings a wealth of wisdom to her marketing students. But some of the most critical lessons she is teaching them may be surprising. While Radhika says the foundations of marketing haven’t changed, what is often overlooked is an ability to build relationships, tell your own story to corporate stakeholders and accept the responsibility of always serving the customer. Lessons aren’t just for the classroom, says Radhika. It’s when we become life-long learners that we serendipitously create new pathways to success, well and truly after school is out. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comXForbes2024 Dubai Future ForumA Clock in the ForestCenturies of the BristleconeMillennium CameraTasting TomorrowAlaska River TimeLinkedIn X ---------- ⭐ Follow & rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

The very best philosophy is equal parts exhilarating and distressing. As one of the most profound pursuits towards greater understanding, through the love of wisdom, philosophy employs logic and demands critical thinking. But at worst it is left in the esoteric world of theory: disconnected from the world we live in. Out of touch. While philosophy is the practice of asking questions, experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats asks questions of it back. On this episode of Looking Outside we explore active, participatory thinking through real world experimentation with philosophical hypotheses and ideas. Jonathon shares how he pursues curiosity by creating tangible artefacts that others can interact with. By "doing" philosophy, Jonathon argues, we can create pathways into rabbit holes and an invitation to deeper exploration. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comXForbes2024 Dubai Future ForumA Clock in the ForestCenturies of the BristleconeMillennium CameraTasting TomorrowAlaska River TimeLinkedIn X ---------- ⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2025. Theme songs by Azteca X.

After 18 topics explored in 2024, it's time to reflect back on the themes covered, the insight gained and the ideas sparked from this year's podcast. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comJo Leporeon YouTube ---------- ⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2024. Theme song by Azteca X.

This is a cross-over podcast episode between Looking Outside and Ree-thinking Sustainability, co-hosted by Ben McCabe and Jo Lepore. This episode was filmed LIVE at the 2024 Dubai Future Forum, the largest gathering of futurists from around the world, which features some of the most prominent activists and climate innovators pushing for environmentally-sustainable futures. Together with Marc Buckley, a leading voice in climate change, ecological economist and ambassador for sustainable commitment, and Dina Baenninger, business strategist and conceptual artist, we explore the human potential for change. Marc and Dina share how re-thinking existing business models can enable exponential growth and a world of abundance, a vision perhaps not often associated with sustainable action. While not everyone agrees on everything in the panel discussion, one thing that’s shared is an optimism in our human ability to create a better life for planet and people, through collection of diverse perspectives and collaboration towards a harmonization of priorities. ---------- More: www.looking-outside.comRee-Thinking Sustainability podcast on YouTubemarcbuckley.earthwww.charismanova.comALOHAS Regenerative FoundationJo LeporeBen McCabe ---------- ⭐ Follow, like and rate the show - it makes a difference! ---------- Looking Outside is a podcast exploring fresh perspectives of familiar topics. Hosted by its creator, futurist and marketer, Jo Lepore. New episodes every 2 weeks. Never the same topic. All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2024. Theme song by Azteca X.