Episodios

  • BrandJitsu™ – a conversation with author Michael Dargie
    Dec 4 2025

    Michael Dargie explains how to move your brand from 'meh' to memorable.

    Michael Dargie is equal parts creative rebel and strategic thinker, the author of "BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable", host of the Rebel Rebel podcast and founder of Make More Creative, a Calgary-based Creative Intelligence Agency specializing in brand development, strategy, and storytelling using the BrandJitsu™ methodology he created.

    In this episode of The Independent Minds Michael explains the BrandJitsu marketing approach to host Michael Millward

    Their conversation covers

    • What a brand is
    • The importance of making an emotional connection with a brand
    • Living your brand so other people can feel your brand

    Michael Dargie uses real world examples to illustrate his explanation including Piersons a funeral service based in Calgary.

    More information about Michael Dargoe and Michael Millward is available at abeceder.

    Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

    Buy BrandJitsu from Amazon

    The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

    If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr visit zencastr.com/pricing.

    Travel

    With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and many more travel related purchases.

    Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

    A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

    Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

    Being a Guest

    We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

    We use Matchmaker.fmto connect with potential guests If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

    We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

    Thank you for listening.

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    27 m
  • Arise Firebird – a conversation with filmmaker Jimi Okubanjo
    Dec 2 2025

    What is it like to go to work everyday feeling like your hair in on fire? Jimi Okubanjo explains the purpose of her film Arise Firebird.

    Jimi Okubanjo has designed, led, and executed major transformations across engineering, energy, and financial-services sectors, delivering over $250m in realised value across 18 countries.

    Then Jimi decided to launch a career as a maker of films that help to explain what it feels like to be in the minority, so that the people with the power to create change can understand.

    In an episode of The Independent Minds recorded in 2024 Jimi and host Michael Millward explore Jimi’s film Arise Firebird

    Their conversation covers the

    • Reasons why Jimi wanted to make Arise Firebird
    • Origins of the films name
    • Special challenges that Women of Colour face at work
    • Characteristics of bullying and micro-aggressions
    • The reasons why employers do not act to address these challenges
    • Ways in which people can identify if an organisation is going to be supportive
    • The concept of adaptive resilience

    More information about Jimi Okubanjo and Michael Millward is available at abeceder.

    Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

    Buy Arise Firebird merchandise on Amazon

    • To My Daughter the Firebird: An Arise Firebird Story
    • Arise Firebird Journal Hardcover
    • Arise Firebird Journal #2: Graph Pages

    The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

    If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr visit zencastr.com/pricing.

    Travel

    With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and many more travel related purchases.

    Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

    A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance. Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

    Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

    Being a Guest

    We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

    We use Matchmaker.fm to connect with potential guests If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

    We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

    Thank you for listening.

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    27 m
  • The Bizzics Way – a conversation with author Chip Higgins
    Nov 27 2025

    Discover how to use the principles of physics to power your small business to maximum momentum

    Chip Higgins is lifelong banker. When he heard business owners talk about wanting their business to have some momentum, he wondered why the entrepreneurs had decided to use momentum to describe their business objectives.

    Whilst listening to a scientist friend who he had asked to explain the scientific meaning of the word momentum Chip recognised that his legacy would be a book which explained how to apply the scientific principles of momentum to a business environment.

    After explaining the way scientists define momentum In this episode of The Independent Minds Chip and host Michael Millward explore momentum as an approach to management and leadership including managing employee energy, change management, culture development and company planning processes.

    You will leave this episode inspired to investigate how to apply this innovative approach.

    More information about Chip Higgins and Michael Millward is available at abeceder.

    Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

    Buy The Bizzics Way: Powering Your Small Business to Maximum Momentum

    The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

    If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr visit zencastr.com/pricing.

    Travel

    With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and many more travel related purchases.

    Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

    A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance

    Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

    Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

    Being a Guest

    We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

    We use Matchmaker.fm to connect with potential guests If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

    We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

    Thank you for listening.

    Más Menos
    27 m
  • Growing by Franchising – a conversation with Carson Wagner
    Nov 25 2025

    Reflections on the process of using franchising to grow a business

    Carson Wagner was a teenager when she founded Lifetime of Love Nannies. Just six years later she is using franchising to expand her business across all fifty states in the USA.

    Lifetime of Love Nannies provides a range of home best care services for children, the elderly and pets that are available 24/7.

    In an episode of The Independent Minds Carson discusses with host Michael Millward how she has developed her franchise model so that she can expand her business. Their conversation covers

    • The need that Carson identified that led to the launch of Lifetime of Love Nannies
    • The unique selling point of Lifetime of Love Nannies.
    • The lessons Carson has learnt about running a business.
    • The pros and cons of growing in a conventional non franchise way
    • The differences between recruiting employees and recruiting franchisees
    • What Carson looks for in a franchisee
    • How Carson identified what support she will provide to franchisees
    • The value of systemisation and routines

    More information about Carson Wagner and Michael Millward is available at abeceder.

    Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

    The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

    If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr visit zencastr.com/pricing.

    Travel

    With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and many more travel related purchases.

    Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

    A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance

    Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

    Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

    Being a Guest

    We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

    We use Matchmaker.fm to connect with potential guests If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

    We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

    Thank you for listening.

    Más Menos
    29 m
  • Serenity in Leadership – a conversation with Thom Dennis
    Nov 20 2025

    Leadership the calm, peaceful and untroubled way creating time to absorb a situation and think.

    Thom Dennis is a former Royal Marines officer who became a cultural change consultant and executive coach.

    Thom developed Serenity in Leadership, an approach to leadership that aims to provide leaders with a greater understanding of themselves and free them from the constraints of conventional approaches so they can lead in a more authentic and engaging way.

    In an episode of The Independent Minds recorded during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Thom and host Michael Millward explore Serenity in Leadership. Their conversation covers

    • The feminine and masculine aspects of leadership
    • Conventional expectations of leaders
    • The importance of self-awareness for leaders
    • How, regardless of our gender, we all have feminine and masculine aspects to our personalities
    • How attempts to achieve serenity are impacted by these two sides of our personality
    • How these different aspects of our personality impact the way women are treated by men.
    • The challenges woman face when leading at work.
    • Challenges of leading home workers

    More information about Thom Dennis and Michael Millward is available at abeceder.

    Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

    The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

    If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr visit zencastr.com/pricing.

    Travel

    With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and many more travel related purchases.

    Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

    A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance

    Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

    Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

    Being a Guest

    We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

    We use Matchmaker.fm to connect with potential guests If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

    We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

    Thank you for listening.

    Más Menos
    29 m
  • Leadership Is Not Enough– a conversation with author Dr James Chitwood
    Nov 18 2025

    An Operator’s Guide to a Performance Culture

    Dr James Chitwood is an Army Veteran, former university president, and sales operations expert who helps organizations build systems that drive measurable performance.

    In this episode of The Independent Minds James Chitwood and host Michael Millward explore the role of leadership in organisations.

    They discuss

    • How leadership and employee development is different in the military and the civilian environments.
    • The dynamic between leadership and management
    • How training and development activities can be most effectively delivered,
    • Learning organisations
    • The T.R.A.C model which is described in Leadership is not Enough - Training - Recognition - Accountability - Communication
    • The role of training departments in organisations of all kinds
    • How the education system can help organisations create employees who on a lifelong learning journey.

    James concludes by introducing Michael to Bruno Boddington Chitwood.

    More information about James Chitwood and Michael Millward is available at abeceder.

    Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

    Buy Leadership Is Not Enough: An Operator’s Guide to a Performance Culture by Dr James Chitwood at Amazon

    The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

    If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr visit zencastr.com/pricing.

    Travel

    With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and many more travel related purchases.

    Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

    A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance

    Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

    Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

    Being a Guest

    We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

    We use Matchmaker.fm to connect with potential guests If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

    We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

    Thank you for listening.

    Más Menos
    29 m
  • Beyond Busy – a conversation with Ann Carden
    Nov 13 2025

    Exploring the secret to effective time management

    Ann Carden was a happy but cash-strapped stay-home mom who became a successful serial entrepreneur, author and business coach.

    Ann has successfully built and sold at several businesses, that were built around her passions and now spends time supporting other entrepreneurs.

    In this episode of The Independent Minds Ann and host Michael Millward explore what Ann has identified as the best ways for entrepreneurs and business managers to manage time and work priorities, so that they can avoid being able to say that they are beyond busy.

    Their conversation covers

    • ·The reasons why business people feel beyond busy
    • Why some people consider being too busy to take time off a badge of honour
    • How being beyond busy creates problems for managers, their teams and businesses as a whole
    • How business people can avoid getting to a point of being beyond busy.

    More information about Ann Carden and Michael Millward is available at abeceder.

    Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a small commission for The Independent Minds

    Buy Ann Carden books at Amazon

    • Be the one they choose
    • Expert in You
    • 10 Marketing & Money Making Secrets: Every Business Owner Must Know
    • 30 Minutes to $30,000: How I Find ANY Business $30,000 Or More In 30 Minutes!

    The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy.

    If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr visit zencastr.com/pricing and use our offer code ABECEDER.

    Travel

    With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and many more travel related purchases.

    Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

    A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance

    Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

    Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

    Being a Guest

    We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

    We use Matchmaker.fm to connect with potential guests If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

    We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

    Thank you for listening.

    Más Menos
    29 m
  • Motivation Matters – a conversation with Stephen Walker
    Nov 11 2025

    Explore the connection between transformational leadership and the motivation of employees

    Stephen Walker is an engineer who became frustrated when people failed to share his enthusiasm for the work tools he created. That frustration became a fascination for discovering what motivates people at work to engage in new activities and the role of leaders in maximising that motivation.

    Stephen is the founder of Motivation Matters a consultancy that specialises in helping organisations improve the motivation of their employees.

    In this episode of The Independent Minds Stephen and host Michael Millward explore

    • What makes employees feel motivated.
    • How motivation adapts to different circumstances
    • The impact of different types of employer employee relationships
    • The challenges for leaders

    You will leave this episode with a wider understanding of motivation and how you might improve the motivation of your team.

    More information about Stephen Walker and Michael Millward is available at abeceder.

    Audience Offers

    Audience Offers – listings include links that may create a commission for The Independent Minds

    The Independent Minds is made on Zencastr, because as the all-in-one podcasting platform, Zencastr really does make creating content so easy. If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr visit zencastr.com/pricing and use our offer code ABECEDER.

    Travel With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and many more travel related purchases.

    Fit For Work We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test; a 39-health marker Annual Health Test conducted by an experienced phlebotomist with hospital standard tests carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

    A secure Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and lifestyle guidance

    Visit York Test and use this discount code MIND25.

    Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote my referral code WPFNUQHU.

    Being a Guest

    We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

    We use Matchmaker.fm to connect with potential guests If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where great guests and great hosts are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

    We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

    Thank you for listening.

    Más Menos
    27 m