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.

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More:

• Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.com
• Connect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X & jolepore.com
• David Carlin dacarlin.com
• Follow David on LinkedIn & X
• Subscribe to David's newsletter on Substack
• Read David's articles on Forbes

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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:

• Joanna Lepore - @lookingoutside Host and foresight strategist
• Sarah Owen - Futurist & trend forecaster

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.

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More:

• Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.com
• Connect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X
• Connect with Sarah Owen on LinkedIn & Instagram
• Jo Lepore www.jolepore.com
• Learn about Sarah's ventures - Futures Friends and Astrofutures
• Learn about Jo's ventures - Foresight Inside Group (FIG)

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⭐ 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:

• Joanna Lepore - Looking Outside Host and foresight strategist
• Ben Guttmann - Marketing executive and author
• Usama Fayyad - Executive Director of Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University
• Moderated by Melina Palmer - Founder & CEO of The Brainy Business

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.

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More:

• Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.com
• Connect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X
• Ben Guttmann www.benguttmann.com & Linkedin
• Melina Palmer https://thebrainybusiness.com & Linkedin
• Usama Fayyad on Linkedin
• Jo Lepore www.jolepore.com
• Listen to the Looking Outside episode with Usama Fayyad on AI
• Listen to the Looking Outside episode with Melina Palmer on behavioral economics

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⭐ 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.

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More:

• Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.com
• Connect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X
• Jamie Metzl jamiemetzl.com
• Follow Jamie on YouTube & X & LinkedIn
• Grab a copy of Jamie's book Superconvergence
• Check out his other books on Amazon

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⭐ 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.

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More:

• Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.com
• Connect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X
• Buy The Myth of Left and Right book via Oxford Press or Amazon
• Follow Verlan on LinkedIn & X
• Read more of Verlan's research on Google Scholar
• Check out Verlan's appearance on the Future Tense podcast appearance

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⭐ 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 Professor of Practice 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.

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More:

• Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.com
• Follow Jonathon on X & Forbes
• Watch Jonathon's panel at the 2024 Dubai Future Forum
• Explore Jonathon's experiments: A Clock in the Forest, Centuries of the Bristlecone, Millennium Camera, Tasting Tomorrow, Alaska River Time.
• Connect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X

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⭐ 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.

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More:

• Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.com
• Follow Jonathon on X & Forbes
• Watch Jonathon's panel at the 2024 Dubai Future Forum
• Explore Jonathon's experiments: A Clock in the Forest, Centuries of the Bristlecone, Millennium Camera, Tasting Tomorrow, Alaska River Time.
• Connect with host, Jo Lepore on LinkedIn & X

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⭐ 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.

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More:

• Looking Outside podcast www.looking-outside.com
• Connect with host, Jo Lepore
• Watch this episode on YouTube

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⭐ 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.