Design Your Life with Vince Frost

Is it possible for businesses to balance their responsibilities to people and the planet, while also making a profit?   As the CEO of B Lab Australia and New Zealand, Andrew Davies’ job is to help corporations transform and grow in terms of environmental and social factors, without sacrificing their bottom line. And it’s not just about a management ethos, it’s about the seismic changes happening in our world and businesses of all shapes and sizes realising their current model may not survive the next ten years.   In this first episode of our Design for Good series, focused on some of the incredible people running B Corps around the world, Davies explains how businesses become B Corp certified, and why this isn’t a trend.   Listen in as Vince and Andrew deep dive into the birth of corporations, how Patagonia have done it right, and consider the question – could Coca Cola ever become B Corp certified?    https://www.bcorporation.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are we all born with the same potential for success and happiness? Is it just a matter of being lucky enough to fall into what we’re supposed to be doing with our lives? Or can we take actions to improve our chances of a story that sings?   David Trewern is the founder and CEO of Fliteboard, makers of the world’s first electric foiling surfboard. He’s a design and technology innovator, an entrepreneur, and an early adopter who founded DT - one of the world’s largest and most awarded digital agencies - in 1996 at the age of 23.   He’s also a watersports fanatic and in 2005 broke the kitesurfing GPS speed world record on a board he designed with a 500m average speed of 44.9 knots.   Listen in as Vince and David discuss witnessing the birth of the internet, pushing boundaries and living with passion.    https://au.fliteboard.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As 2021 comes to a close, we’d love to share with you some truly inspiring moments we’ve had on the podcast this year.   From Karl Fender’s thoughts on how we can make the world a better place to Yasmine Ghoniem on growth and Flack Studio on human connection.   From Koichi Takada on nature in the built environment to Sarah Beard on changing behaviours and Konrad Bergström on balancing sustainability with profit.   Listen in wherever you get your podcasts – and we’ll let our guests do the talking.    Also, we’d love to hear from you. What do you want us to explore on the podcast in 2022? Who would you like to hear from? What would you like to learn about? Visit the link below to contribute.    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QKWMZ6D See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you grow up in a family of inventors, you learn no idea is a bad idea, and anything is possible. With confidence in the knowledge that mistakes are learnings, and the way to make better innovations is to push the boundaries, Konrad Bergstöm is changing the world. Described as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time, the Swede is the founder of the multi-billion-dollar company Zound Industries, the makers of the innovative headphones and speakers loved the world over. These days he’s focussed on saving the oceans through his electric boating company, X Shore. After turning his life around, switching a fast-paced international career to a life closely connected to his roots in nature, his energy and passion are contagious. Listen in as Vince and Konrad discuss his game-changing electric boats, Scandinavian design culture and how his experience in the Swedish Special Forces shaped his connection to nature.  https://www.xshore.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you recognise a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a moment you can’t put a price on, right at the time it’s happening? How do you know when a twist of fate is pushing you in the right direction? And how do you access the clarity and confidence to put the thing you love before everything else?   Spencer Frost is a multi-award-winning film maker whose 2021 film A Corner of the Earth - an experimental surf adventure set on the rugged, remote and often dangerous coastlines of Iceland - has won accolades around the world.   At 26, he’s found what he wants to do with his life. A blessing he doesn’t take for granted. Among his many achievements he counts BBC Earth, National Geographic and RED BULL Media House as just a few of his clients.   In this latest episode in our Tide for Change series, tune in as Vince chats to Spencer about a near-death experience in the Arctic, fighting to protect Australia’s coastline, and why he spends more time in the water than on land.    http://www.frostfilms.com.au/  https://www.surfrider.org.au/stop-pep-11/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The smallest change can make the biggest difference, especially when it starts a groundswell. This was the case for Sarah Beard – filmmaker and CEO of the pollution revolution; Take 3 For The Sea.  If everyone took just three pieces of rubbish from the beach, we could all make a real difference. Growing up in Fiji, Sarah saw her crystal-clear beaches quickly turn to rubbish dumps. Like many countries, the lack of infrastructure to deal with waste effectively meant little was being done to fix the problem.   For Sarah – visual storytelling was a crucial component in helping combat the climate crisis; if she could show the world how dire our situation was, perhaps she could provoke meaningful change. For over 25 years, she produced some of the world’s most thought-provoking conservation films. Most recently, she’s extended her positive impact by joining Take 3 For the Sea as CEO.   In the latest episode of our ‘Tide For Change’ series – Vince and Sarah unpack the power of filmmaking to send a warning sign, why we must design a circular economy for our future, and the simple things that can inspire and influence world change.  https://www.take3.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever seen a picture of Bondi Beach, you've seen Eugene Tan's work. He's the founder of the infamous photography studio, Aquabumps – a nod to the waves in the ocean.   What began as a humble hobby soon transformed into an iconic part of Australian history. His work can be found in people's homes, workplaces, restaurants, and hotels – by taking Sydney's stunning coastline around the world, Eugene has brought an incredible amount of attention and love for our sea.   In our latest 'Tide for Change' episode – Vince and Eugene discuss his love for finding something special in the mundane, how connecting with water has impacted his life, and why taking stunning pictures of our oceans could be the key to rescuing them.    https://www.aquabumps.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In another special edition episode for our architecture series, from Lego to Skyscrapers, Vince speaks to visionary architect Koichi Takada.    Koichi and his team belong to a new generation of architects who bring nature back into the urban environment. Informed by his Japanese design sensibility, each project embodies Koichi’s commitment to nature’s organic forms—light, air, water, and even sound.   In conversation with Vince, they explore how Japanese culture has influenced his craftsmanship, why architecture should emulate nature to create an emotional connection, and how his unique design approach will shift the construction industry into a more sustainable future.   To explore Koichi’s forward-thinking practice, grab a copy of his first monograph – ‘Koichi Takada: Architecture, Nature, and Design’.    Explore the monograph  https://koichitakada.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our planet works tirelessly to keep us alive, so why aren’t we doing more to protect it? Home to dolphins, surfers and tonnes of plastic – oceans are both healing places and places in need of healing. ‘Tide for Change’ explores the life of creative entrepreneurs and the depths they’ll dive to make a positive change for our oceans. In this episode, Vince chats with the “Mother of Sharks”, Melissa Cristina Márquez. She’s a Latina marine biologist and conservationist, author, television presenter and founder of The Fins United Initiative – all aimed to educate people about diverse sharks, the scientists who study them and why both matter to the future of our oceans.   They discuss how misunderstanding sharks has cost our ecosystem, the scary discovery from her latest National Geographic expedition to the Arctic, and what we can all do to ensure the survival of sharks – and ultimately – ourselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a special edition episode for our architecture series, from Lego to Skyscrapers, Vince speaks to David Flack and Mark Robinson of Flack Studio.   Flack Studio is a visionary collective of designers and architects. Whether they’re designing the interiors for Sydney’s soon-to-open Ace Hotel or Troye Sivan’s stunning Melbourne home, every project is an imaginative expression of character and context.    In this episode, we explore their country upbringing, why their yin and yang relationship helps each project find its individual aesthetic, the importance of commissioning Australian artists, and how they foster creativity from a playful place of ponder.    https://flackstudio.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.