The Standing Apart Podcast

As AI takes on more of the work once done by people, a fundamental question is emerging for leaders everywhere: what exactly is your role now?

It's a question I've been wrestling with myself. I've spent years teaching and writing about leadership skills - motivation, situational leadership, delegat...

Nigel sits down with Melissa Swift to untangle what really makes people and teams effective in a world drowning in meetings, notifications and shiny tools. Together they trace a path from the urgent scramble of modern work to quiet systems that deliver results: the fire‑fighter’s practiced rope, the ER doctor’s plan for interruptions and the consulting rituals that make good work repeatable.

Through vivid examples and s...

What if the reason customers choose the cheapest or the loudest option isn’t because you’re bad, but because you’re easy to compare? Nigel Ridpath takes listeners on a crisp, story-driven journey through the quiet killers of great businesses - friction, generic messaging, and the danger of blending in.

Through vivid examples, he shows how specificity, named methods, clear proof and brave trade-offs turn vendors in...

In this episode Nigel Ridpath sits down with entrepreneur and author Justin Hai to unravel a startling idea: stress isn’t new, but technology has stolen the off switch. Through vivid examples - from 80's TV to midnight binge culture - Justin traces how endless content and constant notifications have rewired our cortisol rhythm and left our bodies running on permanent alert.

As the conversation moves from biology to business, ...

Step off a pretty Cotswold lane and into a building that used to be a Salvation Army citadel - and now pulses with the kind of live theatre that makes a town rally around it. Nigel Ridpath sits down with John Terry, the long-time Artistic Director of Chipping Norton Theatre and untangles the unusual, heartwarming story of how a 200-seat venue turned eccentric vision, invention and a beloved pantomime into the lifeblood of its commu...

Join Nigel Ridpath for the second half of a gripping conversation with Vala Afshar and Henry King, authors of Autonomous, as they trace the line between human and machine, and reveal how AI-first strategies can heal the blockages choking modern businesses.

Through vivid metaphors - cars without steering wheels, living organisms and clogged arteries - and hard-won examples from companies deploying hundreds of agents, the trio argue ...

Join Nigel Ridpath as he sits down with Salesforce evangelist, Vala Afshar, and his colleague, Henry King, to tell a story of transformation: how two thinkers traced a path from centuries-old silos to a future where AI is not just a tool but a colleague. Through vivid examples and personal histories - from refugee beginnings and engineering cubicles to CIOs and innovation labs - they reveal why the next wave of technology demands w...

Step into a conversation that treats ambition like a puzzle you can actually solve. In this episode Nigel Ridpath sits down with Kyle Austin Young, a strategist who teaches you to diagram the path to success, spot the single step that could ruin everything and then quietly rewrite the odds in your favour.

Through vivid examples - from marathon training to start-up breakouts and Edison’s relentless tinkering - Kyle turns maths...

Step into the bustling corridors of MJBizCon with Nigel Ridpath as he unpacks the cannabis industry from seed to sale through a revealing conversation with Emile Lewis and Harrison Radie - a world where federal bans collide with state-by-state markets, entrepreneurs innovate around impossible rules and every regulation hides an opportunity.

Follow the drama: bankers shut out, crippling taxes, marketers forced to outwit AI moderator...

Nigel returns from a hiatus and dives into  conversation with Grace Gimson, CEO of Holly Health, tracing the startup’s journey from low-code experiments to machine-learning personalisation, deployed in NHS settings. Through candid stories of pivots, funding challenges and clinical partnerships, Grace reveals how technology and behavioural science create scalable habit-change ... change that could reshape population healt...

In this episode of Standing Apart, host Nigel Ridpath delves into the essential theme of motivation. Discover why traditional motivation tactics often miss the mark and explore groundbreaking insights from Dan Pink's research on what truly drives human performance. As we unravel the complexities of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, you'll gain access to practical strategies designed to harness the full potential of your teams.

Join host Nigel Ridpath in a captivating exploration of premium positioning, where daring pioneers challenge the status quo to create extraordinary value. This episode of Standing Apart delves into the stories of remarkable businesses and individuals who defy conventional norms, demonstrating that standing apart is more than just a strategy—it's a movement.

From the intriguing journey of Daylesford Organic Farm's agricultural...

In this episode of Standing Apart, join host Nigel Ridpath as we dive into the transformative journey of inbound marketing in the era of Gen.AI. Explore how traditional marketing has shifted from outbound strategies based on interruption to a more consumer-centric, inbound approach.

We unveil the story of a mid-sized UK e-commerce business navigating the saturated market of sustainable living. Discover how consistency and patience ...

Standing Apart, hosted by Nigel Ridpath, focuses on the theme of differentiation - both personally and in a business sense.

Episode 11 focuses on maximising the relationship with existing clients. I chat with Tamara Phelan about best practice.   

I also reveal who is Superhero of the Week, which, this week, is from the world of TV comedy, and I get to have my 1-Minute Rant. 

** Please like, rate and subscribe! It re...

Standing Apart, hosted by Nigel Ridpath, focuses on the theme of differentiation - both personally and in a business sense.

Episode 10 is part 2 of an interview with Hugh Taylor from Roadnight Taylor. We discuss the energy sector that is the business focus, but also the purposefulness with which Hugh leads the organisation. 

You can find the Roadnight Taylor flywheel here.

Here is Hugh's reading list: 

• Good to Great ...

Standing Apart, hosted by Nigel Ridpath, focuses on the theme of differentiation - both personally and in a business sense.

Episode 9 is part 1 of an interview with Hugh Taylor from Roadnight Taylor. We discuss the energy sector that is the business focus, but also the purposefulness with which Hugh leads the organisation. 

Here is Hugh's reading list: 

• Good to Great - Jim Collins
• Influence- Robert Cialdini
• Bounce- M...

Standing Apart, hosted by Nigel Ridpath, focuses on the theme of differentiation - both personally and in a business sense.

Episode 8 focuses on a personal story from Nigel, about how he and the team at Cloud9 Insight were pioneers in the world of selling SaaS solutions - in their case Microsoft CRM Online.   

This is Cloud9:

Here Is David collecting his award in the House of Commons, from the Secretary of State:

** ...