Risktory: The Story Of Risk

Coming up on this week’s episode, I am going to look at the 2019 collapse of Thomas Cook, a 178 year old veteran of the travel industry that, seemingly, disappeared overnight.Like all corporate collapses, the seeds of Thomas Cook’s destruction were sewn long before the final coup de grace. Ill-thought through acquisitions. A ‘bloated retail footprint’. An inability to keep up with the increasing commoditization of the travel market. In the end, the collapse of Thomas Cook was less than an overnight collapse, and more of, what website skift.com calls ‘a disaster played out in slow motion’. The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak – TimeAlan Spiljak – Fantasy in my mind Bibliographyhttps://www.cityam.com/timeline-

Coming on this week’s Master of the Risk Universe episode: Martine Rothblatt. Martine Rothblatt isn’t a household name when it comes to disruption and innovation. But she really ought to be.The world’s first private international spacecom project, PanAmSat. She not only wrote the thesis that acted as a genesis for idea. She launched it.The world’s first global satellite radio network, WorldSpace. She created it.The world’s first non-geostationary satellite to car system, Sirius Radio? THE Sirius radio? She invented it.And, when her daughter was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension, and her daughter was given three months to live, Martine invested her own money to develop treatments that transformed – not just her daughter’s life – but the lives of thousands across the world.And she’s still going. Most recently launching the world’s first net-zero office building, which is powered by a range of technologies (including solar power, geothermal walls, and electrochromic glass) and which operates

Coming up on this week’s episode, I’m going to explore a story of an opportunity that looked terrible on paper. But which, in the end, turned out to be an opportunity that made three twenty-something kids with a terrible idea, billionaires.That terrible idea? Airbnb. And don’t just take my word for it that it was – at least initially – a terrible idea. Airbnb Co-Founder, Brian Chesky has, himself, said: 'A number of people have said that Airbnb is the worst idea… that ever worked'.In today’s episode, I’ll take you through the startup story of Airbnb. How founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia turned opportunity into a fledgling business model. How the three stayed resilient as their little idea that could, almost didn’t. And I’ll explore why sometimes, taking on risk is less about being certain that you’re mitigated the unknown, as much as it is taking an exhilarating, life changing leap of faith into the unknown.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtr

Coming up on this week’s episode, an often-requested look at the ongoing crisis that is the Boeing 737, and more specifically, the Boeing 737 MAX. Two crashes. 346 lives lost. And a whole host of questions about:a)Why did the planes crash?b)What went wrong?c)Did Boeing know the 737 MAX was compromised?d)And how effectively has Boeing managed the problems surrounding the 737 Max?On this week’s episode, I’ll tackle all of those questions. And I’ll offer my opinion on whether Boeing can come back from the Boeing 737 MAX.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak – TimeAlan Spiljak – Fantasy in my mind Bibliographyhttps://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-737-max-timeline-history-full-details-2019-9https://www.seattletime

Coming up this week, whatever happened to Blockbuster, the video giant. From being on every street corner, and from being an intrinsic part of pop culture life (who didn’t, in retrospect of course, love the panic of having to rewind the video tape before returning it to avoid a fee, so that your parents didn’t yell at you)… Blockbuster’s death seemed rapid, unceremonious, and kinda sad.Now, if you ask most people what happened to Blockbuster in the mid 2000s, the instantaneous answer is…. Netflix. Netflix killed Blockbuster.Ehhh, not quite. While there’s no question that Netflix (and other on-demand video services, like RedBox) were a contributing factor, and perhaps even the coup ge grace, the seeds of Blockbuster’s destruction had been sewn far, far earlier. What happened in the mid 2000s to Blockbuster was a perfect storm of variables - some within the giant’s control vs others that flew out of nowhere – which came home to roost. Variables that, when realized concurrently, made decline all but inevitab

Monday January 27 commemorated the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. And, as I was watching the news media’s coverage of the event, I noticed a story about how 99% of Danish Jews survived WW2. I wanted to know more given that, in other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands, only 25% of Dutch Jews survived. Why was that. As I dug more into why they survived, and how they survived, I realized this was a story of how the Danes protected their Jewish population by responding to the unknown via what NewRepublic.com called, ‘solidarity and decency… a dense tissue of connection among people, on long-formed habits of the heart, on resilient cultures of common citizenship, and on leaders who marshaled these virtues by their example. In Denmark, this dense tissue bound human beings together and indirect rule made it impossible for the Germans to rip it apart’.Today, I explore just how the Danes stood shoulder to shoulder with their Jews during WW2, thwarting every attempt by the Germans to force th

Coming up on this week’s episode, a comeback story for the ages: the reinvention of Burberry. The early 2000s saw this iconic British brand disintegrating as a direct consequence of, what would later emerge to be, extremely damaging strategic and operating model decisions.For a moment there, it almost seemed like the proud Burberry brand was a dead man walking. And then, American retail superstar, Angela Arendts, strode into Burberry and, as its newly anointed CEO, boldly decided that the best defense was a fabulous – opportunity driven - offense. In this week’s episode, I’ll explore how Burberry used opportunity to come back from the brink.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Jacinthe loves her Burberry trench and will wear it during the summer, it’s that nice. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Podington Bear - Elephants on ParadeAlan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Star

Uncharted territory on the podcast today: I will be talking about baseball. Yes, it’s true.I will be taking you through the cheating scandal surrounding Major League Baseball team, the Houston Astros. How the scandal unfolded, the conduct and results of a subsequent investigation by Major League Baseball Commissioner, Rob Manfred, and the lessons we can learn from this crisis that is unfolding in real time.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Jacinthe doesn’t know a whole lot about baseball but the internet is a great source for the basics. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Podington Bear - Elephants on ParadeAlan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak – TimeAlan Spiljak – Fantasy in my mind Bibliographyhttps://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/houston-astros-cheating-scandal-10-things-we-learn

In the first of a new series here on the Risktory Podcast – Masters of the Risk Universe – who better to feature than cultural icon, Madonna.When you think of risk management, you don’t automatically think of Madonna, but the Material Girl is a risk master. She was and still is an innovator. A Disruptor. A master of navigating the unknown. And she is someone who never waited for opportunity to knock: instead opting to chase and hunt in order to win.Coming up in this week’s episode of the Risktory Podcast, I’ll take you through how Madonna, from the gate, was destined to be a global superstar, not by luck or good fortune, but by being someone who – from a child - understood the risk game and always – always – played to win. The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Jacinthe’s favorite Madonna song of all time is Burning Up, closely followed by Holiday. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Podington Bear - Elephants on ParadeAlan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spil

What ever happened to Motorola?How did the inventor of the world’s first handheld cell phone become a bit player in a market it created? Where did Motorola go wrong? Could Motorola’s decline have been avoided?And will the highly anticipated release of the smartphone Motorola Razr in 2020 help turn the tide for this iconic brand?The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Jacinthe once owned a gold Motorola Razr and it was the best time of her life. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Podington Bear - Elephants on ParadeAlan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak – TimeAlan Spiljak – Fantasy in my mind Supporting Risktory Episodeshttps://www.spreaker.com/user/jacintheagalpin/ray-kurzweilBibliographyhttps://theconversation.com/motorola-brought-us-the-mobile-phone-but-ended-up-merged-out-of-existen

Coming up this week, it’s the final regular episode of the Risktory Podcast for 2019. To round out the year, I will be looking at the, very curious, 1942 Battle of Los Angeles.On the evening of February 24 1942, just months after the US had entered World War II, it looked like Los Angeles was about to come under attack by the Japanese. US forces immediately mobilized to take on the threat and to defend the city… and then…. nothing happened.In this week’s episode, I will explore the concept of imagined risk. Risk that doesn’t exist but which appears real enough, and present enough, that we act. Next week, via the 1942 Battle of Los Angeles, I’ll take you through how imagined risk is triggered. How it manifests. And what we – as practitioners – can do to avoid the utterly avoidable.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Related Episodeshttps://www.spreaker.com/user/jacintheagalpin/pearl-harbor-part-1https://www.spreaker.com/user/jacintheagalpin/pearl-harbor-part-

Coming up this week, the final double episode of 2019 and this is a cracking tale to round out the year. This week, I will take you through Sydney’s Razor Wars.The Sydney Australia crime scene of the 1920s was pure helter-skelter. Drugs. Prostitution. Immense and unapologetic violence. In response, the New South Wales government introduced a raft of legislative measures that it thought would tame Sydney: prohibition of drugs, prohibition of street prostitution, the closing of all pubs at six pm every night, and the criminalization of handguns.The government’s measures did nothing to stem the tide of illegal activity: if anything it emboldened Sydney’s criminals who – in true contrarian Australian fashion – doubled down. We’re gonna do the drugs. We’ll move our prostitutes off the streets and into brothels. We’ll set up speak-easies, or sly grogs, as they’re called in Australia. And if you’re gonna take our guns, we’ll use razors against our enemies. Sydney’s criminal fraternity took what was already

Coming up this week, the final double episode of 2019 and this is a cracking tale to round out the year. This week, I will take you through Sydney’s Razor Wars.The Sydney Australia crime scene of the 1920s was pure helter-skelter. Drugs. Prostitution. Immense and unapologetic violence. In response, the New South Wales government introduced a raft of legislative measures that it thought would tame Sydney: prohibition of drugs, prohibition of street prostitution, the closing of all pubs at six pm every night, and the criminalization of handguns.The government’s measures did nothing to stem the tide of illegal activity: if anything it emboldened Sydney’s criminals who – in true contrarian Australian fashion – doubled down. We’re gonna do the drugs. We’ll move our prostitutes off the streets and into brothels. We’ll set up speak-easies, or sly grogs, as they’re called in Australia. And if you’re gonna take our guns, we’ll use razors against our enemies. Sydney’s criminal fraternity took what was already

Coming up on this week’s episode, the life and times of the legendary British soldier, Mad Jack Churchill.Churchill didn’t invent anything. He didn’t disrupt anything. But his understanding of risk. His taking on of opportunity. His capacity to read his context, instantly understand the pros and cons, and formulate a strategy…. Mad Jack Churchill is one of the greats when it comes to taking action on the unknown. And that’s because, and I will go into this in some depth during this week’s episode, he brings to life the idea of the risk ‘everyman’. The idea that anyone can manage risk effectively. That every tool, every technique, ever method available to manage the unknown… Mad Jack illustrates that we all have the capacity to successfully entreat with the unknown.Plus, dude fought the Nazis with a sword. The Risktory Podcast is created, written and produced by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Podington Bear - Elephants on ParadeAlan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – For

Coming up this week, an episode looking at how opportunity doesn’t always just magically appear. Sometimes, opportunity can be built.Such is the case with one of my favorite places on earth: Dollywood. Dollywood was established by the legendary Dolly Parton in 1986. As you’ll find out in this week’s episode, Dolly was told by those that ought to know – accountants, lawyers, business advisors - that the idea of a family friendly theme park nestled in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee was not a good idea. That she would lose and she would lose big.This week, I’ll take you through how Dolly Parton saw potential where others didn’t. How she turned that potential into opportunity. And how she throttled that opportunity to create – in 2019 - the number one ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee.The Risktory Podcast is created, written and produced by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Podington Bear - Elephants on ParadeAlan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spil

Coming up on this week’s episode, I will be looking at the Acoustic Kitty Project. During the 1960s, when the Cold War was running red hot, the US Central Intelligence Agency decided to up their spy game against the Soviets by …. you guessed it….. deploying cats as intelligence gatherers.Not unexpectedly, for anyone who knows cats, Acoustic Kitty failed spectacularly, but there are lessons in its incarnation, incubation and deployment that we can leverage, from a risk perspective, in 2019.The Risktory Podcast is created, written and produced by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Podington Bear - Elephants on ParadeAlan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light BlueAlan Spiljak – Empty DaysAlan Spiljak – Stars AboveAlan Spiljak – Not the EndAlan Spiljak - Sun Bibliographyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cia-experimented-animals-1960s-too-just-ask-acoustic-kitty-180964313/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_Kittyhttps://www.history.com/news/cia-s

Coming up this week, it’s double episode time! Last month, I spoke at Alexei Sidorenko’s 2019 Risk Awareness Week talking about my favorite historical figure – Napoleon Bonaparte – tracking his trajectory from good to bad decision making. In this week’s double episode, I will be repurposing that presentation for the Risktory Podcast. From the time Napoleon was an exceptional risk manager to the time he wasn’t so good at managing risk. And to use Napoleon’s trajectory to illustrate what good decision making looks like versus what bad decision making looks like.If you want to see my presentation at 2019 Risk Awareness Week, and gain access to the slide deck that accompanies the presentation, then please head on over to 2019.riskawarenessweek.com. You’ll also find, on the 2019 Risk Awareness Week site, presentations from some great risk thinkers including two Risktorians: Alexei Sidorenko and Christian Hunt.The Risktory Podcast is created, written and produced by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from

Coming up this week, it’s double episode time! Last month, I spoke at Alexei Sidorenko’s 2019 Risk Awareness Week talking about my favorite historical figure – Napoleon Bonaparte – tracking his trajectory from good to bad decision making. In this week’s double episode, I will be repurposing that presentation for the Risktory Podcast. From the time Napoleon was an exceptional risk manager to the time he wasn’t so good at managing risk. And to use Napoleon’s trajectory to illustrate what good decision making looks like versus what bad decision making looks like.If you want to see my presentation at 2019 Risk Awareness Week, and gain access to the slide deck that accompanies the presentation, then please head on over to 2019.riskawarenessweek.com. You’ll also find, on the 2019 Risk Awareness Week site, presentations from some great risk thinkers including two Risktorians: Alexei Sidorenko and Christian Hunt.The Risktory Podcast is created, written and produced by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from

Coming up on this week’s episode, I am going to look at the life and times of English novelist, Emily Bronte, best known for the classic tome, Wuthering Heights. Emily Bronte was a disruptor, innovating a style of writing that was unlike anything that had come before, a style of writing that would, eventually, revolutionize the writing world.But she was a quiet disruptor. An ‘easter egg’ disruptor. She wasn’t a Thomas Edison, or Ray Kurzweil or even Elon Musk, who were and are larger than life behemoths in the world of disruption. Bronte innovated from the shadows, hiding her disruption in her poetic prose and lyrical words. Comfortable being an introvert and never feeling compelled to be anything other than what she was. In this week’s episode, I’ll explore the life of the quiet disruptor, Emily Bronte, and how she came to write one of the most innovative, fascinating and revolutionary books of all time. The Risktory Podcast is created, written and produced by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced fro

Coming up today, it’s the October Risktorian of the month: Valerie Franco.Continuing to build on the theme of resilience and reinvention, I talk to Valerie - a resilience leadership coach - on everything from what it takes to be a resilient leader, the mistakes leaders make, and how to make and serve grits.Valerie's thoughtful and insightful perspectives on leadership are much needed in today's world. I know you will enjoy this episode.You can find Valerie on her website: www.valeriewfranco.comThe Risktory Podcast is created, written and produced by Jacinthe A Galpin.Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Podington Bear - Elephants on Parade