Nicholas Badminton brings a refreshingly grounded yet visionary perspective to futures work, sharing his journey from growing up around a slaughterhouse to delivering over 450 keynotes worldwide as a renowned futurist. His approach focuses on breaking dominant narratives, finding overlooked implications, and helping organizations build futures fluency through practical, integrated methods that drive meaningful transformation.

• Began his futurist journey when his father gave him "The Usborne Book of the Future" at age eight
• Accidentally became known as a futurist after building a reputation for writing about humanity and technology
• Developed a modular keynote approach that connects global megatrends to industry-specific futures
• Created events like Future Camp and Dark Futures to explore cutting-edge thinking in collaborative settings
• Focuses on "hope engineering" - combining possibility thinking with futures work and positive psychology
• Advocates for simple, practical futures thinking that can be integrated into daily organizational operations
• Emphasizes human creativity over AI in futures work, noting AI's inability to connect weak signals creatively
• Worked with major organizations on futures projects that informed multi-billion dollar investments
• Helps organizations develop internal futures capability by mentoring staff and integrating foresight practices
• Values working with children and young people to develop futures thinking abilities early

Connect with Nicholas at futurist.com or find him on LinkedIn to learn more about his work in futures thinking.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Welcome to episode 132! We sit down with Roger Spitz of the Disruptive Futures Institute.

Roger Spitz brings a refreshingly different perspective to the future of business and leadership. As the former global head of Tech M&A who pivoted into professional futures work, Roger's journey represents exactly the kind of transformation he advocates for—bold, purpose-driven, and responsive to a changing world.

What sets Roger apart is his holistic approach to disruption. While most futurists focus narrowly on technological innovation, Roger delves into the systemic changes reshaping our entire landscape. His Triple A framework—Anti-fragile, Anticipatory, and Agility—offers a practical operating system for navigating uncertainty that goes beyond standard playbooks.

The concept of "meta-eruptions" that Roger introduces challenges conventional thinking about trends and forecasting. As he explains, we're living in a world where "unprecedented" has become the norm, requiring fundamentally different approaches to preparation and response. His global perspective, having lived across nine countries by age 18, combined with his unconventional study of disciplines like improv comedy alongside traditional futures methodology, creates a unique lens for understanding adaptation and resilience.

In this fantastic talk, we cover:

• Developing the Triple A framework: Anti-fragile foundations, Anticipatory thinking, and Agility to reconcile long-term vision with immediate action
• Understanding "meta-eruptions" as constant, often surprising systemic changes that require a new approach beyond traditional megatrend analysis
• How global perspective and varied experiences (including studying improv comedy) enhance futures intelligence and adaptability
• Creating the Disruptive Futures Institute to address the gap between specialized fields and build a new operating system for decision-making
• Applying futures thinking to complex challenges like climate action and sustainable market transformation
• Emphasizing relevance as the ultimate test for individuals and organizations in a rapidly changing world
• Recognizing our agency to create virtuous tipping points even amid accelerating disruption

Find Roger Spitz online through LinkedIn, the Disruptive Futures Institute website, or his book "Disrupt with Impact: Achieve Business Success in an Unpredictable World."

Order your copy of SuperShifts: www.bit.ly/supershifts

An Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts

🎧 Listen Now On:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Catherine Roy, a designer turned strategic futurist at Thales, reveals that flying taxis and advanced air mobility face substantial social acceptance challenges beyond mere technological hurdles. Her research identified 62 criteria for social acceptability of air taxis, demonstrating the complexity of successfully introducing this transportation mode.

We touch upon many things in this episode including:

• How she transformed into a strategic futurist leading global design networks
• Research found 62 social acceptability criteria for advanced air mobility versus industry's focus on just 7-8
• Urban planners view flying vehicles as extending traffic problems into the air rather than solving mobility issues
• Capacity limitations make eVTOLs inefficient compared to mass transit (only 0-125 passengers/hour in 2040 projections)
• Entire infrastructure including vertiports and communication systems would need building from scratch
• Flying vehicles could increase social stratification between wealthy "skylanders" and ground-dwelling "flatlanders"
• Future climate priorities may overshadow investments in advanced air mobility infrastructure
• Innovation requires developing unique perspectives and courage to stand your ground against mainstream thinking

Order your copy of SuperShifts: www.bit.ly/supershifts

An Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts

🎧 Listen Now On:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.