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As AI comes of age - will anything ever be the same again? ChatGPT is being hailed as a major turning point - set to sweep away everything from Google to a whole bunch of familiar jobs. And while we're all familiar with hype cycles this seems to be the real deal. In this episode of The Growth Business, Lucy Thorpe talks to former senior BBC tech journalist Jane Wakefield about AI, the technology economy and as International Women's Day approaches they chat about the on-going issues with gender bias and equality in the tech sector.

Creating an inclusive workplace is more important than ever as we embrace diversity within teams. In this month's episode of The Growth Business podcast, Lucy talks to Change Optician Dr Emma Langman founder of BAKERFISH about conflict, allyship and leadership goals as well as why your boss could be bad for your health!

Emotions are part of the buying process whether we like it or not - so why aren't more B2B tech companies seeking to understand how to grab our audience from the get-go? It takes only nano seconds to makes an impression so how do we make it count? Consumer psychologist and founder of the consultancy Humanising Brands Kate Nightingale is Lucy's guest this month - together they look at how improved brand communication can make all the difference to sales. Kate Nightingale is on Linkedin Humanising Brands Behavioural Retail Consultancy

From the fuel crisis to the trust crisis, it's certainly been a tumultuous year! Luckily another 11 guests have taken the time to talk us through it and reflect on some of the lessons learned. So here we have it, the 2022 best of... episode of The Growth Business in which Lucy looks back over what her guests have revealed about the world we do business in today.

We all want to work effectively and live our best possible life - but what are the rules and principles you use to guide you? In this month's episode I uncover the 7 habits of highly effective people - a set of guidelines which have truly stood the test of time! As fresh today as they were in the 80s when this mega block buster business book was first written - I'm joined by Naomi Martell-Bundock to unpick what makes them work. Find Naomi on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomimartell/ What are the 7 habits all about - further information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People

The buyer’s journey is a highly successful framework for helping sales and marketing think about the complex purchases typical in B2B. In this episode of The Growth Business, Lucy Thorpe talks to the man who coined the phrase, Hugh Macfarlane,.founder of align.me Listen in as they break down the journey into stages and get to grips with the fascinating topic of buyer psychology...

Just 19% of jobs in technology are taken by women – so how can we persuade more women to get involved and feel more supported in the sector? Abigail Allman chief marketing officer and director at ERP Dynamics has just set up Women in ERP – a LinkedIn support group and podcast. In this episode of The Growth Business Lucy and Abigail chat about how to support women in technology from quiet quitting to supporting parents. Enjoy! LinkIn with Abigail Allman here Find the Women in ERP page and podcast here Find out more about ERP Dynamics here

Is your company a super-connected enterprise or an on-line corporate ghost town? My guest this month is Steve Watt, director of market insight at Seismic. Steve is a master at leveraging the power of social media to make authentic connections. He pinpoints 3 key areas for the win - buyer centric social selling, client centric social advocacy and talent centric social recruiting. Do listen to this episode - you will learn a lot! Lucy Thorpe You can connect with Steve on Linkedin here Find out more about the Seismic global sales enablement platform here

Neurodiversity has become a "hot topic" - especially when it comes to supporting neurodiverse people in the workplace. But how do we avoid jumping on the latest bandwagon and make serious change happen? This episode of the podcast is deeply personal as I live with these issues every day and I was delighted to speak to Lucy Smith from Inclusive Change who has had a similar experience. We chat about how to move forward on this important issue from a position of mutual knowledge and respect - which is always so important when you are dealing with sensitive issues. I hope you enjoy the episode. Useful links Neurodiversity in Business Dan Harris who set this group up can be found on Linkedin here National Autistic Society Additude - an online magazine with excellent ADHD content British Dyslexia Association

12 million lessons in happiness is a Ted Talk delivered by Matt Phelan of the Happiness Index - it also pretty much sums up his life's passion which is helping companies make the business case for happiness. In this episode Matt and Lucy chat about what makes us happy at work and the freedom to be ourselves and form meaningful connections with our co workers. Find the Happiness Index website here Find the Happiness Index Crowd Funding page here Ted X meet the speaker Matt Phelan Get Freedom to be Happy Matt Phelan's book here Happiness and Humans podcast

With ever deepening division in society - how did the relationship between people, their governments and the media get so broken? The annual Edelman Trust Barometer - carried out by the world's largest comms agency - has once again found that business is the final frontier of trust. This month I speak to Tim Weber Executive Director and Head of Editorial at Edelman about how we got trapped in this downward spiral and how we can get out. You can access the latest Edelman Trust report for 2022 here

  Businesses are stuck on legacy mountain and can’t get off. That’s the message from my guest on the Growth Business podcast this month, which has migrated to a new home at Sapphire Systems. Thanks for having me! Tech leader Maureen Blandford tells me how CIOs and their departments are struggling to make the right digital decisions while failing to make the most of the huge volumes of data they now control. But it’s not all doom and gloom. With strong leadership and a human attitude to change management she argues that we can get businesses off the mountain and onto the path that leads into the future. Listen to our chat here and remember, the right partner can make all the difference to your digital future! Just saying. Best Wishes, Lucy (The Growth Business podcast is presented by Lucy Thorpe, Head of Communications at Sapphire Systems)   Links You can find Maureen on Twitter here @MaureenB2B And on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenblandford/ Her website is here https://www.maureenblandford.com/ Maureen also mentions thought leader and industry analyst Dion Hinchcliffe who can be found here https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhinchcliffe/

My guest this time round is an academic who studies business systems at Royal Holloway University just outside London. She is a fascinating guest who talks about ERP as a system of potential and begs you to seek out technology partners whose qualities start with creativity. This is excellent advice! Join Amany Elbanna as she chats to me about change management, unlocking potential and how you won’t get integrated systems without an integrated organisation. You can find out more about Amany here This podcast is sponsored by the new owners of InCloud Solutions – Sapphire Systems  So pleased to be working alongside these guys, providers of frictionless digital operations platforms, to carry on bringing you interesting business chat that covers a wide range of fascinating topics! .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-1{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-1 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-1{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-1 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-1{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-1 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-2{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}

Male suicide figures go through the roof at this time of the year – it can be a really bleak time – which is why I’m talking to Mark Kozminski about men’s mental health. Mark has developed The Blue Mind Approach to helping men like himself and his friends navigate some of the hardest circumstances we have ever had to deal with. In this chat we discuss why men’s mental health is a business issue and how we can work together without division to elevate both men and women who are facing difficult conditions inside and outside the workplace. If it’s not for you then look away, but honestly I think we could ALL benefit from making time for honest conversations like this one, especially if you believe in purpose driven business. Find Mark on Linkedin here and The Blue Mind Approach on Instagram @thebluemindapproach Enjoy the podcast!

Digital content marketing is now the bedrock of smart marketing practice for any size of business including SMEs. But who invented it and what was it like to be ahead of that curve? This month my guest is a real hero of mine, one of the original content marketers, the world renowned marketing and business author David Meerman Scott. When David started out, a lot of this stuff didn’t exist and he had to invent it. We sit down together to discuss the destructive algorithm which is tearing social media apart, how to carry out “newsjacking” for effective real time marketing and the merits of storytelling versus  counting leads. We also discuss his latest book on how to create a fanocracy. Plus we get into the details of how to make the most of Linkedin – the one good social media platform left to business! You don’t have to be a marketer to get loads out of this episode, which is both a fascinating listen and a practical guide for anyone wanting to communicate their message in business today. If you want to know more about David then you can get his latest book Fanocracy here. “The relationship we build with our customers is more important than the products and services we sell them.” .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-5{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-5 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-5{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-5 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-5{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-5 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-6{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}

What were the biggest business themes of the year? In this episode I look back over the past 12 months to see how work, life and business responded to change and the environmental crisis. New technologies like RPA offered lots of opportunities but came with a warning – look after your people, their mental health, their work life balance and the company culture you offer them. Lots to dig into there – so please enjoy this reflective episode, my review of the year… Do subscribe, like and comment if you enjoy the podcast! You can find all the episodes in full here .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-9{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-9 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-9{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-9 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-9{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-9 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-10{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}

My guest this month is a leading tech player, change agent and one of the first people to break the disability glass ceiling to become an executive and a leader. David Dame is head of accessibility at Microsoft – born with cerebral palsy his parents were advised to put him in an institution. Luckily they didn’t listen and their tough love has helped shape the leader he is today. David’s strengths are extensive and his experience of living in an environment that doesn’t meet his needs has made him a powerful advocate for many groups, including those outside his immediate experience of disability; like the elderly, those with hidden disabilities and stressed mental health. What’s brilliant for us, is that in his role at Microsoft David is in a position to do something about it. Listen in as we talk about the invisible tax people with a disability must pay as they struggle to use technology, how leadership needs to change to accommodate the needs of the post-covid workforce and the issues around caring for today’s valuable knowledge workers. You can find our more about Dave on his website here which includes a link to his Ted Talk. .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-13{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-13 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-13{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-13 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-13{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-13 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-14{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}

.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-18{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-18 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-18{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-18 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-18{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-18 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-19{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;} Anyone who is buying anything needs a straight talking champion – especially in the hype-filled world of technology – and that is exactly what Jon Reed and the team at Diginomica are to thousands of readers. I was so pleased to catch up with Jon for some great chat around SAP Business ByDesign and the importance of a modern take on ERP technology for today’s post-covid business. Find out what Jon thinks is top of the “over-hyped” index and what Intelligent should really mean when it comes to today’s smart technology. “Progress is something we can’t take for granted, we have to work towards it everyday and not expect technology to just deliver.” If this speaks to you then click play and listen in – it’s a real treat! Read it for yourself Diginomica – Business Insights for the Digital Enterprise. .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-19{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-19 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-19{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-19 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-19{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-19 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-20{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}

Start when you’re happy! That’s the powerful mental health message from this month’s podcast guest Matt Champion. Matt is an SAP mindfulness coach and wants people to feel comfortable bringing new skills – like mindful moments – into the workplace to help deal with stress. As globally we all continues to wrestle with issues around the return to work, there has never been a better time to chat mindfulness with Matt. If you’d like to find out more about the SAP mindfulness practice or if you would like to explore setting up something mindful in your own company then here are some links you might find useful. www.sap.com/mindfulness www.championofyou.com https://insighttimer.com/en-gb https://www.headspace.com/ .fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-25{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;}.fusion-builder-column-25 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-25{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-25 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-25{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-25 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-26{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}

ESG – what is it and what’s changed since the days of Corporate Social Responsibility? These were the questions I sought answers to when I met Janice Phayre who works on responsible business initiatives at the Sapphire Systems group. With many boards now asking for ESG reports and investors examining company track records, now is the time to get your environmental, social and governance activities on point. Janice also happens to be a cracking guest, a former stand up comedian, she takes what life throws at her, even though these days that’s more likely to be a pencil sharpener than a pint of lager…