When enthusiasm for buying the latest technology is based on what others are doing the purchase is often a cost instead of an investment.

Roberto Capodieci was a childhood IT protégé who set-up his first IT company at the age of 14. Nowadays he is a consultant specialising in decentralized systems architecture, and digital transformation strategy.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Roberto describes to host Michael Millward the mistakes companies make when considering investments in IT. Amongst these many mistakes he highlights, selecting vendors who do not fully understand what they are selling, and simply buying something because it is new.

Roberto explains the value that an independent perspective can bring to the IT investment process, and the techniques he uses to help companies ensure that they are investing in what they need, instead of what they think they need.

Many purchasers, says Roberto, simply do not understand what the technology they are interested in will do, and more importantly what it will not do.

As an example, Roberto explains what the different developments of the internet including Blockchain, are designed to do.

Listening to this programme will help you understand how to make better IT purchasing decisions.

Discover more about Roberto and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

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. Use our 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.

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.

Jake Smolarek explains the approach that helped him launch and build several successful business and not-for-profit organizations

Jake Smolarek arrived in the UK from Poland with £150 in his pocket, and promptly spent a quarter of it on a bus ticket to Abergavenny.

Half a lifetime later Jake is a successful entrepreneur who now helps other entrepreneurs to build successful businesses.

His Vision, Goal, Plan System (Vision GPS) approach contains everything anyone needs to be successful at work and life.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Jake and host Michael Millward discuss the logic of the Vision GPS approach.

Their conversation includes the

• Difference between motivation and discipline.
• Importance of visible progress to mental health
• Role of following best practice to optimise effectiveness
• Significance of being accountable to someone else
• Value of planning how you will respond to problems
• Real nature of freedom

Listening to this conversation will equip you with the knowledge of how to approach any challenge with a positive mindset and meet the needs of that challenge.

Discover more about Jake and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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

Further Reading

• Start with Why by Simon Sinek

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

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

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. Use our 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.

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.

Discover how one entrepreneur ensures that his annual off-site planning and training meeting is successful for his business and his team

Aaron Christy is the founder and CEO of the Indianapolis based roofing company Indy Roof and Restoration.

For many people the prospect of being ‘invited’ by their manager to attend an off-site meeting is less than appealing. But Aaron Christy has a team who look forward to their annual off-site meeting.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Aaron explains to host Michael Millward the format that he uses to create a not-to-be-missed meeting.

During their conversation Michael and Aaron discuss:

• The importance of planning
• Balancing different types of activities
• Fellowship and community building
• Answering the ‘what’s in it for me’ question
• Building connections between the organisation’s objectives and the individual’s lifestyle aspirations and career ambitions
• Impact on individual performance over the year

Discover more about Aaron and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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

Roof and Restoration hold their annual strategy and training meeting at Gatlinburg TN.

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

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

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. Use our 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.

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.

Discover how the principles of compassion can be applied in a business environment to create a more productive and profitable business.

Bruno Cignacco is a university lecturer, and a thought leader on human oriented enterprise.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Bruno describes to host Michael Millward the catalyst for his interest in compassion at work, and the research which resulted in the publication of his book, The Art of Compassionate Business.

Bruno explains how by prioritising relationships over policies businesses can create more effective and productive relationships with employees, suppliers, and customers.

He explores the impact this approach has on micro-management and psychological safety Bruno also emphasizes that these achieving a compassionate workplace also involves employees making changes.

Discover more about Bruno and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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

Buy books by Bruno Cignacco

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

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

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. Use our 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.

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.x

You may have seen the BBC1 TV show Dragons’ Den, but what is it like to enter the Den and pitch for investment? Social entrepreneur John McClarey recalls his experience.

John McClarey is the founder and Managing Director of Business Fives which provides sports activities as corporate events and in the process raises money for charity.

One of the first episodes of The Independent Minds featured John explaining how on the five-a-side pitch your job title doesn’t matter, it’s all about the team.

Ahead of tonight's edition of the long-running BBC programme The Dragons’ Den in this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds John recounts to host Michael Millward what it is like to prepare for what happens when the elevator doors open and you step into The Dragons’ Den.

John discusses,

• Receiving the telephone call from the producers
• The detailed vetting process
• How he prepared to do his pitch
• The waiting involved

John pitched for £50,000 in exchange for five percent of his business. To find out if he was successful watch Dragons' Den on the BBC iPlayer.

Discover more about John and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

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. Use our 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.

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.

Technology companies around the world face a skills shortage, so how should the way IT careers are promoted to school pupils and college students change?

Carrie Goetz has enjoyed her career in tech and understands the range of opportunities the industry offers, as well the problems that tech employers face in recruiting all ages of education leavers.

Nowadays Carrie is the Principal/CTO, at StrategITcom, Carrie is also an Amazon best-selling author of

• Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers Featuring Careers for Women, Trades, and Vets in Tech and Data Centers.
• Polly Packet's Precious Payload - All Smiles to the Data Center (Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers)
• Educator's Reference for Data Center Education: A Companion to "Jumpstart Your Career in Data

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Carrie and host Michael Millward a volunteer STEM ambassador discuss how technology is taught at every stage of education might need to change to create more interest in tech careers.

Their conversation covers how

• Coding might not be the best place to start.
• The wide range of careers needed to make a data centre work
• Diversity of people working in tech
• On-line security
• Once posted it is there forever Together in Electric Dreams.
• The challenges of preparing people for technology careers when the industry is constantly changing.

Discover more about Carrie Goetz and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

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. Use our 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.

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.

Doing good business does not have to involve creating a negative impact on employees, customers, suppliers, society, or environment.

Bessie Graham is a co-founder of Benefit Capital, and a strategic advisor to C-suite leaders in midsize businesses and large non-profits across the globe. She is a former advisor to the Australian Federal Government and the Obama Foundation’s Emerging Leaders Program.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Bessie and host Michael Millward discuss how changes in the way people work demands that employers of all kinds adopt a more purposeful approach to making and using money.

Their conversation covers how

• History impacts our perception of the present and future.
• Employee attitudes toward work are changing
• Treating people, customers, suppliers well results in win-win relationships
• Business plans should include a section on how the business will do business

Originally published in February 2025, twelve months on this conversation is increasingly relevant in 2026 to how businesses need to change.

Discover more about Bessie Graham and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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

Further reading

• Milton Friedman
• Maya Angelou
• Pamela Hartigan
• The Quakers: Money and Morals
• The ToyotaWay

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

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

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. Use our 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.

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.

Experience based team building brings remote workers together

Daniel O’Sullivan is the founder of Team Building Experiences.co.uk which does what its name suggests, providing team building experiences for every size and type of company.

In this episode of the Abeceder podcast The Independent Minds Daniel and host Michael Millward discuss how changes in the way people work and socialise is changing how teams form and build at work.

Their conversation covers

• How smaller businesses are seeing the value of experience-based team building activities.
• Changing work patterns can create isolated and lonely workers
• How employee attitudes toward work are changing
• How social connections at work can improve work performance
• How the ‘know’ ‘like’ trust’ sales model applies to work relationships
• Changes in employee approaches to team building
• The barriers employers create that hinder team building.
• The team building that Daniel provides for his team

Discover more about Daniel O’Sillivan and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk

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.

Travel – With discounted membership of the Ultimate Travel Club, you can travel anywhere at trade prices.

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.

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.x