At a glance

In this episode of The Future Is HOW, I sit down with world-renowned master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel to explore one of the most powerful yet overlooked senses shaping our future: smell.

Christophe shares how his journey into perfumery began, what mentors in the fragrance world taught him, and why scent is far more complex than we usually imagine. Together we explore the deep connection between smell and memory, why no scent ever represents just one thing, and how fragrance can be designed to evoke emotions, experiences, and even entire stories.

The conversation moves from the personal to the future: How would you design the scent of a humanoid robot? Why do we crave certain smells, like fruit, yet rarely experience them authentically in fragrance? And what happens when scent becomes personalized, expressive, and deeply human?

From creativity and diversity to memory and imagination, Christophe reminds us that scent is not just chemistry. It is language. It is emotion. It is a way of experiencing the world.

A conversation about the invisible forces that shape how we remember, feel, and imagine what comes next.

Chapters

00:00 The Power of Scent and Memory
02:54 The Journey into Perfumery
03:24 How Christophe discovered smell and entered the industry of parfumery
06:04 I love the variety - you should see my shower!
07:19 What mentors in the parfume industry teach you
08:24 For those who have no mentor and want to create parfumes
09:23 When Frederik's daughter could smell a picture
13:00 There is not one smell, that smells of only one thing
18:16 How Christophe would create the scent of humanoid robots
23:19 Why don't we have more fruit smells though so many people likes fruits
26:05 Designing Scents for Emotions
29:40 Personalized Fragrance Creation
32:05 The Future of Scent and Memory
33:10 Fast Future Questions
34:10 Diversity in Fragrance and Humanity
35:15 Creative Expression Through Scent

Where to Find Frederik G. Pferdt

NextLetter: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextletter.frederikgpferdt.com
Book: ⁠whatsnextisnowthebook.com⁠
LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fgpferdt
⁠YouTube⁠: https://www.youtube.com/c/frederikgpferdt
⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/frederikgpferdt

Website: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com

Make the test: https://awareness.frederikgpferdt.com

Music: Andreas Horchler
Producer: Florian Dietrich

Today on The Future is How, Frederik's guest is Guy Kawasaki. In 1983, when there was no such thing as evangelism in businesses and corporations, he popularized it, while working with the Macintosh Division of Apple. He set standards beyond Apple. Today, Guy is the Chief Evangelist of Canva, the online graphics-design company from Australia. Guy is also the author of fifteen books, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. He is a keynote speaker and host of the Remarkable People Podcast, as well as an investor.

In this episode:

• Belief in oneself is the most powerful gift.

• Evangelism is an ethos, not just a title.

• Remarkable people go through growth, grit, and grace

• It's not about how you get your job, but what you do once you're in.

• Showing up for others can have a profound impact.

• Purpose is often created through passion and experimentation.

• An open mind is essential for recognizing wisdom.

• Empowerment can come from simple acts of kindness.

• AI is a transformative force in our lives.

• The future is shaped by our choices and actions.

• A mindstate moment on evangelism

• Underrated and overrated tech-trends

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

04:38 A kick butt-moment: Frederik’s first encounter with Guy at a Steve Jobs Keynote.

07:31 Evangelism is ethos: the good news on creativity

10:15 Remarkable people: growth, grit, and grace

14:14 Steve Jobs: The remarkable Apple Universe

16:53 Inspire inspiration: Basic human skills

19:01 The embodiment of grace: Jane Goodall

21:52 The Chris Webster-story: Showing up at the chauffeur´s memorial

25:16 Finding purpose: Experiment your way forward

28:16 In love with AI?: The biggest deal in Guy´s career

30:46: Recognizing wisdom: Open and closed minds

34:23: A mindstate moment: Tangible evangelism

38:58: A quick fire round of questions

47:29: Quitting jobs: Certainty versus unchartered territory

49:29: The shit sandwich: Finding your calling

Where to find Guy Kawasaki:

Homepage: https://guykawasaki.com/

Book: Wiser Guy: https://guykawasaki.com/books/wiser-guy/

Podcast: https://guykawasaki.com/remarkable-people/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guykawasaki/

Where to Find Frederik G. Pferdt:

NextLetter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextletter.frederikgpferdt.com ⁠⁠⁠

Book: ⁠⁠whatsnextisnowthebook.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠frederikgpferdt.com⁠

Music: Andreas Horchler

As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time to pause and look back. Not to summarize the year, but to harvest what truly mattered.

This was a year full of futures. Full of encounters with people who don’t wait for what’s next, but actively practice it.

We are living in a moment where the future often feels unclear, even heavy. And that’s why the real question is no longer what will happen next, but how do we create something better, starting now.

In this special Best Of episode of The Future Is HOW, I’ve curated moments from the past year that are designed to shift how you think, feel, and act when the future feels uncertain.

You’ll hear from people who practice the future in very different ways:
A Michelin-star chef.
A musician.
An illustrator.
Leaders from Apple, Canva, Stanford, and Harvard.
Experts in sleep, AI, leadership, education, and mental health.

And you’ll also hear from my wife Angela, who works with plant medicine and Reiki energy healing, reminding us that creating the future isn’t only an outward act. It begins by listening inward.

This is not a podcast about predictions.
It’s about practice.

Short moments.
Real insights.
Gentle but powerful invitations.

Because the future isn’t something we wait for.
It’s something we practice, every day.

Welcome to the Best Of The Future Is HOW.

If something resonates with you, I invite you to explore the full conversations in the individual episodes.

Where to find Frederik G. Pferdt

NextLetter:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nextletter.frederikgpferdt.com ⁠⁠⁠

Book: ⁠⁠whatsnextisnowthebook.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠frederikgpferdt.com⁠

Music: Andreas Horchler