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We’ve laid an intricate trap of clever beer and wine based nudges this week to catch Richard Chataway, Vice President of the BVA Nudge Unit UK, founder of the Communication Science Group (CSG) and quite simply one of the most talented behavioural science practitioners in the world.  He chats away (sorry) on a load of topics, including an early temping job at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’s examinations (written, ahem) department, direct marketing, behavioural science and how it can help in the Coronavirus crisis, the writing of his new book ‘The Behaviour Business’, his past roles for the UK and Australian governments, ethical issues around nudging and tonnes more interesting stuff. And his passion for Ipswich Town. Go listen now and discover why stellar brands like IKEA, Google, Sainsbury’s and Starbucks have looked to him for behavioural science guidance./////Follow Richard on LinkedIn.And on Twitter.Here is the Communication Science Group’s website.And the BVA Nudge Unit website.Here is his book, The Behaviour Business.And the associated podcast.Book Recommendations: Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Alter  Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely  Decoded by Phil Barden  The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar  Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman  Where Did It All Go Wrong by Eaon Pritchard The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton  Alchemy by Rory Sutherland/////

We’ve masqueraded as a waiter with dreams of Hollywood this week to catch LA’s finest CX designer Matt Watkinson. Matt is co-founder and CEO of Methodical and an internationally renowned author, speaker, and consultant on customer experience and business strategy, speaking at events for the likes of Microsoft, Salesforce, American Express, and the FBI. His first book, The Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences, won CMI’s Management Book of the Year, and his second book, The Grid, was shortlisted for 2019’s Management Book of the Year. He talks to us on his very unique early career path (he has never actually been employed), how designing an award-winning website for Argos launched him into the UX and ultimately the CX stratosphere, 10 CX principles to follow, his books, his frustrated dreams of being a pianist and so much more. Go gorge and enjoy./////Follow Matt on LinkedIn.And on Twitter.Here is Methodical’s website.Watch Matt's COVID-19 Business Battle Plan and support ISOLATEDTalks.com. Matt has written two books:The GridThe Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences  Book Recommendations:Thinking in Systems by Donella H. MeadowsThe Nature of Technology by W. Brian Arthur Financial Intelligence by Karen BermanMastery by Robert Greene/////

We’ve cut a cheeky round hole in the ice to catch former figure skater and strategic consultant and business leader Liana Dinghile, this week.A proud Londoner with a mix of Sicilian and Scottish heritage, Liana works with Tonic Creative Business Partners, having previously been at Siegel + Gale and Dragon Rouge. She has helped guide some of the world’s most successful organisations, working with the likes of Bayer, Sainsbury’s, British Airways and Hewlett Packard.She talks to us on her early career as a figure skater, how she got into the industry with TUI, making the move from client to agency side, what makes a good strategy and examples of brands that nail it, positive work cultures, her love and knowledge of wine, and barrels more./////Follow Liana on LinkedIn And her agency, Tonic Here is Tonic’s website Liana is also a member of the BIMA Mentoring CouncilBook Recommendations: Laws of Simplicity by John MaedaRise by Gina Miller/////

This week we’ve laid bait of tempting language to snare the exceptionally talented writer and founder of the language strategy agency That Explains Things, Nick Parker. A one-time creative director, magazine editor, keynote speaker, children’s book author, Viz cartoonist and crystallised-piss-on-door-hinges remover, Nick now helps fellow copywriters, agencies and brands like BT, PWC, Tesco and Spotify define brand tone of voice. He talks to us on a treasure trove of topics, including his first paid job creating a cartoon strip for Viz, tips for writing, useful words, authoring child fiction, how to define tone of voice, how to run a good workshop and more. You’d be a fool not to let us bend your ear ‘ere./////Follow Nick on LinkedIn.On Twitter.Here is his agency website.And his ‘find your own tone of voice’ kit, Voicebox.And Nick's book The Exploding Boy and Other Tiny Tales.Book Recommendations:Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath Alchemy by Rory Sutherland/////

This week we’ve landed in the docklands of London to catch the baby-faced assassin and CEO of NY Collective, Nicole Yershon, who ignites fires of change consulting huge brands like Ford, British Airways and Pizza Hut. Heralded by The Drum as one of the 25 most influential women in the British digital industry over the last 25 years, she talks to us about her early career and how she went from selling blouses from a stall on Petticoat Lane to working with industry legend Dave Trott at GGT. But that’s not all. She also dives into her time at Ogilvy & Mather and a rather ingenious way of generating R&D budget for their London Digital Innovation Lab that involved pimping out Rory Sutherland, her Fearless Manifesto, the work of The NY Collective, her best-selling Amazon book Rough Diamond and a whole lot more./////Follow Nicole on LinkedIn.On Twitter.On Facebook.And on Instagram.Find out all about the NY Collective.And Nicole’s best-selling book.Book Recommendations:21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari  Rotman Management Magazine  One Plus One Equals Three, Creative Blindness, Predatory Thinking and Creative Mischief by Dave Trott /////

This week we’ve muscled past the marketing mafia to shakedown the Don of decision science; Phil Barden. His client-side chops cover working for T-Mobile, Unilever and Diageo, until a run-in with two Germans and a flash mob flung him headfirst into the world of neuroscience and understanding human behaviour. As MD at decision science consultancy DECODE Marketing, he’s written 'Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy', a best-seller with stacks of praise from the likes of Rory Sutherland.  Phil gives us the lowdown on why he got into decision science, Tropicana’s failed redesign, the emotional side of Cillit Bang, scoffing Jaffa Cakes straight off the production line and tonnes more. There’s unmissable insight for brand mobsters managers too. ///// Follow Phil on Twitter.And on LinkedIn.Or drop him a line.And check out DECODE Marketing. Decoded – The Science Behind Why We Buy by Phil Barden. The Blogfather sunk his teeth into the Mouldy Whopper debate last week with help from Phil’s WARC article on the putrid patties.  Book Recommendations:  How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy, Copy, Copy by Mark Earls Alchemy by Rory Sutherland /////

We’ve lurked by the theatre stage door this week to catch Charlie Russell; the West End and Broadway star of the smash hit show, The Play That Goes Wrong. Together with her long-standing friends in the Mischief Theatre company, she has appeared in a hit parade of great shows, including The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Groan Ups, while Mischief Comedy have recently aired their first TV show on the BBC; The Goes Wrong Show.Charlie talks to us on a huge repertoire of subjects; getting into drama school, the beginnings of Mischief Theatre, how Improv theatre works, what makes a good comedy actor, how pain is integral to great comedy, the difference between performing on TV and theatre, taking the show to Broadway, and what it was like to meet and work with the Hollywood director JJ Abrams.So, exit stage left pursued by a bear and go listen./////You can follow her on Twitter.And check out all the Mischief Theatre shows.And the BBC’s The Goes Wrong Show.Which is now available on Amazon.Her agent is Chloe Brayfield at AHA (Amanda Howard Associates).She has also appeared on Griefcast.The group’s great outdoor media is done by JHI Marketing.Book Recommendations:  The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy  If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë  The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë  His Dark Materials Trilogy by  Phillip Pullman /////

This week we’ve rowed up the Thames with a wine-laced bait to catch Kerry O’Connor, Co-Founder at Tonic Creative Business Partners. Kerry has many specialities, including marketing strategy, PR, and belting out power ballads to huge crowds for charitable causes. She’s mostly worked agency-side for the likes of Ogilvy, Publicis, Imagination and Dragon Rouge, yet also has client-side chops from a stint with what is now Virgin Media.She talks to us on a vast array of information nuggets, including: working at Ogilvy (where accounts included Ford and IBM), overcoming stigma to get into the industry, big agencies Vs small agencies, client side Vs agency side, business development & strategy, positioning, the pitch process, defining growth and singing as part of a Queen tribute act in the Islington Assembly Hall to over 900 people! There’s so much packed in, it’s a veritable sardine can of an episode. Enjoy./////Follow Kerry on LinkedInTonic’s LinkedIn PageTonic's websiteBook Recommendation: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz/////

This week we’ve snuck up the Thames to Ogilvy’s offices to catch Shelina Janmohamed; the bestselling author of Love in a Headscarf (a memoir about growing up as a British Muslim woman), and the Vice President of Islamic Marketing at Ogilvy- The world's first bespoke consultancy for building brands with Muslim audiences.She also, somehow, still finds time to write for the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and the BBC, and was named one of the UK’s 100 most powerful Muslim women. She talks to us on how brands and agencies can understand the Muslim population better to create better ads and comms, writing books, how writing ‘Be Nice’ on her index finger helps her be a better person, how being a mother has improved her efficiency x10, the social healing power of chips, working on the iconic Motorola RAZR and more./////Follow Shelina on LinkedInOn TwitterOn FacebookHer books/reports are: Love in a Headscarf by ShelinaGeneration M by ShelinaThe Great British Ramadan from Ogilvy.Book Recommendation: Alchemy by Rory Sutherland/////

This week we’ve packed our plasticine and carried out a search of The Avon to pick up Bristol’s finest maker of noise, Gavin Strange. By day, Gavin is Director and Designer at the beloved Aardman Animations, the Academy Award winning studio behind Wallace & Gromit, and by night he indulges in passion projects, drenching them in fizzy, fuzzy energy as he morphs into his alter-ego Jam Factory. A serial tinkerer whose capacity for fun bursts through his beanie, Gavin is also an author, toy inventor and speaker. He talks to us candidly on this, having car parts thrown at his head, pixels, plasticine and what Morph is really like, the unlikely crossover of Maya Angelou and Dragon Ball Z, why we need more wonky things, and a whole lot more.Embrace your fizz and fuzz. Listen and you won’t be disappointed./////Gavin/JamFactory Links:  Follow @JamFactory on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn And visit his website. (https://www.jam-factory.com/)Gavin’s directorial debut, The Amazing Maya Angelou And his brilliant talk at The DO Lectures  Animation Recommendations:   Adobe Creative Cloud (with student discount)Stop Motion StudioBlender  Book Recommendations: Do Fly: Find Your Way. Make a Living. Be Your Best Self by GavinOr for more fizzy, fuzzy energy… listen to the audio version Feck Perfuction by James Victore Draplin Design Co: Pretty Much Everything by Aaron Draplin Why? How? What? The First Big Book of Art by BrosmindCabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions by Guillermo del Toro Anything and everything by Shepard Fairey /////