Rethink Moments with Rachel Botsman

When did you last have a rethink moment? How did it make you feel? And what happened? Welcome to Rethink Moments with Rachel Botsman. In each episode, Rachel will take us on a journey to rethink a culturally significant idea or event through the lens of renowned innovators, creators, and leaders. People like inventor Aza Raskin, photographer Platon, and writer Susan Cain. We'll go inside their hearts and minds to unpack and reframe a profound career experience, discovering what went right,...

How can the power of doubt transform the way we live and lead? In this episode, Rachel invites us on a personal rethinking journey as she explores her own experiences with doubt. Rachel reveals what happened when she ventured into the space of doubt and explains the key differences between paralyzing doubt and productive doubt. To keep rethinking with Rachel, subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/rethink-with-rachel-6625780695937626112/

How has the pandemic changed the way we measure success? In this episode of Rethink Moments, Rachel is joined by David Chang – acclaimed chef, Netflix host, bestselling author, and leader of a global restaurant business. David speaks candidly about how slowing down has changed him as a person and as a leader – and unpacks his approach to creating rule-breaking ideas. David’s fantastic memoir is called Eat A Peach. To keep rethinking with Rachel, subscribe to her newsletter:...

What happens when one moment defines your career legacy? In this episode of Rethink Moments, Rachel is joined by former Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, to unpack how society views female leaders. A decade on from her iconic ‘Misogyny Speech’, Gillard reflects on the impact of this huge moment – and how it influenced the way she is remembered, despite a long and successful political career. Julia Gillard is chair of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership. Find out more about...

How can big losses lead to big learnings? This week’s Rethink Moment comes on November 9th 2016 as Donald Trump beats Hillary Clinton to be elected President of the United States. Rachel has a fascinating conversation with Genevieve Roth - director of campaign engagement for Secretary Clinton - as they rethink this momentous event through the lens of authentic permission. Find out more about Genevieve’s work with Invisible Hand: https://www.invisiblehand.co/ To keep rethinking with Rachel,...

How do you know when it’s time to do something disruptive? In this episode of Rethink Moments, Rachel pulls back the curtain on the critical iTunes agreement that completely transformed the way we listen to music. She’s joined by former music exec Paul Vidich - who brokered the boardroom deal with Steve Jobs - to uncover what was sacrificed and what was gained from this pivotal moment. Paul is now a novelist. Find out more about his books here: https://paulvidich.com/ To keep rethinking with...

How does accepting who we are give us permission to show up in a different way? This week’s Rethink Moment begins with a book that became a movement - Quiet by Susan Cain. Rachel and Susan explore what happens when an introvert is thrown into the spotlight, and how to trust the process of a long creative journey. Susan also explains how and why her new book on melancholy came to exist. Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, is out now: https://www.quietrev.com/bittersweet/ Watch...

How do you get through a trust crisis? In this episode of Rethink Moments, Rachel is joined by Basecamp CEO Jason Fried one year on from his explosive memo that almost destroyed his business. In a rare public conversation about this highly controversial moment, Jason reveals what he still believes he got right, what he got horribly wrong, and what he learned from the experience. Follow Jason on Twitter: @jasonfried Jason is co-host of The Rework Podcast, alongside business partner David...

How does the truth influence great ideas? This week’s Rethink Moment is a marketing masterpiece from 1985: a game-changing Levi’s TV commercial known simply as Laundrette. Rachel is joined by Sir John Hegarty - the creative director behind Laundrette - to think differently about this seminal moment and uncover the power of the truth in storytelling. Watch Laundrette here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT4DR_ae_4o To keep rethinking with Rachel, subscribe to her newsletter:...

What happens when an idea is transformed beyond your control? In this episode of Rethink Moments, Rachel goes on a journey with designer and entrepreneur Aza Raskin to understand how the unintended consequences of his lifetime wasting invention gave him a greater perspective of his existence. Find out more about Aza’s latest venture, the Earth Species Project, here: https://www.earthspecies.org/ Listen to his podcast his podcast from the Center for Humane Technology: Your Undivided...

What happens when your intentions are seriously misunderstood? This week’s Rethink Moment is the TED Talk on power posing that became a viral sensation - and made Amy Cuddy a threat to the academic community. In this episode, Rachel and Amy explore how the world can turn against you, despite your best intentions. Amy is currently writing her second book: Bullies, Bystanders, and Bravehearts. Watch Amy’s viral TED Talk here:...

Can we learn to listen to those we don’t agree with? This season’s final episode features two guests who have very different views on vaccinations. It is estimated that 2019 has seen a 300% increase in cases of measles globally. Where has this doubt around vaccinations come from? In Part One, Rachel talks with the Director of The Vaccine Confidence Project, Professor Heidi Larson. Heidi trained as an anthropologist specialising in risk and through her work listens to and practices...

Too much of today’s media pits the so-called ‘expert’ against the ‘anti-something.’ That’s not what this special on vaccinations is about. In Part Two of the Trust Issues special on vaccines, we hear from mother-of-two, Rita, who shares her own beliefs and opens up about why an experience with her son caused her distrust in vaccines to develop. Rita’s views on vaccines don’t reflect my own, but practising tolerance for different beliefs and views – understanding and empathising with why...

How do we push ourselves to our limits? David Coulthard is a British driving legend, with 13 Grand Prix titles to his name and no less than 62 podium finishes. So why is it that, a decade after his retirement from the track, it’s the losses, not the victories, that stick in the champion’s head? Through his chat with Rachel, David gives us an incredible insight into the Formula 1 mindset, sharing why racing at such a high level requires complete trust in both oneself and the team.

Can we control how others perceive us? Adam Grant’s career is an ongoing success story. Switching from Junior Olympic diving to organisational psychology, Adam became the youngest tenured professor at Wharton and has received multiple teaching awards. He also has four New York Times bestsellers under his belt and currently hosts the chart-topping TED podcast, WorkLife. But as he reveals to Rachel in this two-part episode, Adam is never quite satisfied. He’s on a constant quest for...

What makes us question ourselves? Over the last 20 years, TV audiences and radio listeners alike have taken Fearne Cotton into their hearts. As a music presenter on Radio 1 and now as the host of her own smash-hit podcast, Happy Place, Fearne has earned the trust of A-list celebrities, making them feel comfortable to open up about their lives. Today, Fearne gets to be the interviewee, as Rachel chats with her about forming meaningful connections, sharing our vulnerabilities (both at work and...

Is doubt holding you back – or can it drive you forward? Tea Uglow doesn’t always know who she is. And she’s okay with that. In this episode, Rachel and Tea catch up about the expectations we all feel around our identities and, crucially, why doubt and uncertainty give us the freedom to learn, to grow, to change – and to trust.

What happens when those at the top don’t tell us the truth? Why were thousands of patients given infected blood products from the NHS in the UK during the 1970s and 80s? Decades after the scandal, an ongoing public inquiry is finally searching for answers. Speaking to Rachel from her home, Della shares her emotional story of losing her son, and describes the brave battles she fought to protect him from those who were meant to be protecting him.

Have you ever been conned? Did you ask yourself why you didn’t see it coming? Or have you been wary of trusting people since? In this fascinating episode, Rachel is joined by Maria Konnikova, the award-winning author and psychology writer, who in 2018 surprised everyone – including herself – by becoming a world-champion poker player. Maria reveals what makes us susceptible to deception.

Does risk equal danger? Or are you in danger of playing it safe? It’s fair to say that Ant Middleton knows a thing or two about risk. After 13 years of military service, the Chief Instructor of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins has put his mind and body through the most extreme challenges imaginable. Having survived everything from enemy fire to a life-threatening descent of Mount Everest, Ant reveals to Rachel how critical trust is to harnessing our fears and venturing into the unknown.