Order the Book Subscribe Free

31st May 2023 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Andrew McCarthy, renowned Brat Pack actor and award-winning travel writer, has captured audiences over decades with his versatile talents. Having delivered unforgettable performances in 80s classics like “Pretty in Pink” and “St. Elmo’s Fire,” and acclaimed travel writing for outlets like National Geographic, McCarthy has continuously reinvented himself. His latest project, “Walking with Sam,” recounts a profound journey with his son along Spain’s famed Camino de Santiago. Initially aimed at reconnecting with his son, this trek evolved into an enlightening odyssey of self-discovery, fatherhood complexities, and the power of simple acts of love. In this interview, I speak to Andrew McCarthy on what acting can teach us about life, and what a 500 mile walk with his son taught him about fatherhood, and meaning.

Posted in · · · ·
31-05-2023 13:36:04
Thought Economics

16th April 2023 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Dean Karnazes is a living testament to the limitless potential of the human spirit. He has become one of the most inspiring and accomplished ultramarathon runners in the world. Throughout his career, Karnazes has pushed the boundaries of physical endurance, completing seemingly impossible feats like running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days, completing the gruelling Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley, and running non-stop for 350 miles in just over 80 hours. His relentless determination and unwavering passion for ultrarunning have garnered him worldwide recognition, and he has been named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World” by TIME magazine. In this interview, I speak to Dean Karnazes, “Ultramarathon Man.” We discuss why running is part of who we are as humans and explore what it takes to prepare for and achieve some of the world’s most mind-blowing feats of endurance running including running non-stop, for 350 miles, in 80 hours. Dean shows us all what we can learn for our lives from his incredible journey.

Posted in · · · · · · · · ·
16-04-2023 21:32:26
Thought Economics

17th February 2023 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Lindsey Vonn is an Olympic gold medal–winning alpine ski racer and widely regarded as the most successful female skier in history. Lindsey is also a New York Times Bestselling author for her 2016 debut novel Strong Is the New Beautiful: Embrace Your Natural Beauty, Eat Clean, and Harness Your Power and has served as an International Games Ambassador in the 2018 Winter Olympics and is also the founder of the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which provides scholarships and programming for education, sports, and enrichment programs to give future generations the tools they need to reach their goals and discover their grit within. In this interview, I speak to Lindsey Vonn, ski racer, Olympic Gold Medallist, entrepreneur, author & philanthropist. We talk about her journey to Olympic Gold, what it takes to succeed, conquer fear, and how she’s now empowering the future generation through the Lindsey Vonn Foundation.

Posted in · · · · · · · · · · ·
18-02-2023 7:20:10
Thought Economics

1st November 2022 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, a New York Times #1 bestselling author, has written or edited 51 books which have sold over 3 million copies, been translated into 32 languages, and become bestsellers in 12 countries. Amazon recently recognized the ‘100 Best Leadership & Success Books Ever Written’ – and included Marshall’s Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. He is the only living author with two books on the list. His other bestsellers include: MOJO, Succession: Are You Ready?, The Leader of the Future and How Women Rise (with lead author, Sally Helgesen). His new NYT bestseller, The Earned Life, is an Amazon Editor’s Choice for Book of the Year So Far in 2022. Marshall’s acknowledgements include: Global Gurus – Corps D ’Elite Award for Lifetime Contribution in both Leadership and Coaching, Harvard Business Review – World’s #1 Leadership Thinker, Institute for Management Studies – Lifetime Achievement Award for Teaching, American Management Association – 50 great thinkers who have influenced the field of management and BusinessWeek – 50 great leaders in America. His life is featured in the documentary movie, “The Earned Life” and the New Yorker profile, “The Better Boss”. He is one of a select few executive coaches who has worked with over 200 major CEOs and their management teams. He served on the Advisory Board of the Peter Drucker Foundation for ten years. In this interview, I speak to Dr. Marshall Goldsmith about finding our path in life, the pursuit of happiness, the scorecards for success, the power of mentorship, discipline and what it takes to live the life you deserve.

Posted in · · · · · · · ·
01-11-2022 11:21:26
Thought Economics

26th August 2022 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Dame Stephanie Shirley CH, also known as Steve, is a workplace revolutionary and successful IT entrepreneur turned ardent venture philanthropist. At 88 years old, her story has many strands which, woven together, have produced a lifetime of exceptional achievements. Dame Stephanie’s story begins with her 1939 arrival in Britain as an unaccompanied five-year-old Kindertransport refugee. This defining experience equipped her with fortitude at a very young age and made her determined to live a life worth saving. In 1962, she started a software house, Freelance Programmers, and pioneered radical new flexible work practices that changed the landscape for women working in technology. She went on to create a global business and a personal fortune which she shared with her colleagues, making millionaires of 70 of her staff at no cost to anyone but herself. Since retiring in 1993, Dame Stephanie’s life has been dedicated to venture philanthropy in the fields of IT and autism. She initially founded Autism at Kingwood in 1994 to support her late son Giles, then there was the ground breaking Prior’s Court School for pupils with autism and her charitable Shirley Foundation went on to make grants of £70 million. It spent out in 2018 in favour of Autistica, the UK’s national autism research charity founded by Dame Stephanie. In 2009/10 she served as the UK’s first ever national Ambassador for Philanthropy. In 2017, Dame Stephanie received a Companion of Honour (CH), a membership limited to only 65 individuals globally, for her services to entrepreneurship and philanthropy. In this interview, I speak to Dame Stephanie Shirley CH. We discuss her remarkable life story from arriving in Britain as five-year-old war refugee, to building one of the UK’s most successful information technology companies, changing the landscape completely for women in technology, and her work as one of the UK’s most prominent, and impactful philanthropists.

Posted in · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
26-08-2022 12:28:14
Thought Economics

9th August 2022 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Human rights activist and recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, Nadia Murad is a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. Her New York Times bestselling memoir, The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State, is a harrowing account of the genocide against the Yazidi ethno-religious minority in Iraq and Nadia’s imprisonment by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). Nadia’s peaceful life was brutally disrupted in 2014 when ISIS attacked her homeland in Sinjar with the goal of ethnically cleansing all Yazidis from Iraq. Like many minority groups, the Yazidis have carried the weight of historical persecution. Women, in particular, have suffered greatly as victims of sexual violence. After escaping captivity, Nadia began speaking out on behalf of her community and survivors of sexual violence worldwide. In 2016, Nadia became the first United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. That year, she was also awarded the Council of Europe Václav Havel Award for Human Rights and Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. In 2018, she won the Nobel Peace Prize with Dr. Denis Mukwege. Together, they founded the Global Survivors Fund. In 2019, Nadia was appointed as a UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocate. In this interview, I speak to human rights activist and recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, Nadia Murad, about how communities are destroyed in conflict, how sexual violence becomes a weapon of war, and importantly – how we can build peace, rebuild communities, and give hope for a better future.

Posted in · · · · · · · · · · · ·
09-08-2022 19:53:03
Thought Economics

17th July 2022 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Jenn Lim is the founder and bestselling author of Beyond Happiness: How Authentic Leaders Prioritize Purpose and People for Growth and Impact, and the CEO of Delivering Happiness (DH), a company built to create happier company cultures for a more profitable and sustainable approach to business–a company she and Tony Hsieh [the late CEO of Zappos.com] cofounded. Delivering Happiness started as a book (NYT and WSJ Bestseller, which sold one million copies worldwide) and evolved into a business consultancy and global movement that has impacted and inspired hundreds of companies and organizations worldwide. 

Posted in · · · ·
13-09-2022 20:43:36
Thought Economics

1st July 2022 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Frédéric Gassita is a Gabonese pianist, composer, and record producer best known for his musical work combining jazz, classical music, and African music. He was the third African student admitted to Berklee College of Music and the first Gabonese. Gassita is a founding member and president of the African Music Institute in Libreville. Gassita has recorded six orchestral music albums. The double album “Frédéric Gassita With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” includes pieces from his opuses released between 2004 and 2008, which were rearranged for the new release. “Symphonic Visions From Gabon”, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, also a double album, incorporates African music influences. In this interview, I speak to Frédéric Gassita about the deep connection we have with music, the power of African rhythms, the beauty of connecting genres, and what music does for us.

Posted in · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
01-07-2022 12:08:47
Thought Economics

31st May 2022 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Ousman Umar is a shaman’s son, born in a small village in Ghana, and his mother died giving birth to him. The traditions of the Wala tribe dictate that this means the baby is cursed and must be abandoned and left to die. Fortunately, Ousman’s father was able to use his position as a shaman to save his son’s life. Ousman grew up working the fields, setting traps in the jungle, and living off the land. But he dreamed of a different life. So, when he was only twelve years old, he left his village and began what would become a five-year journey to Europe. On a path rife with violence, exploitation, and racism, Ousman also encountered friendship, generosity, and hope. In his memoir, North to Paradise, Ousman tells his visceral true story about the stark realities of life along the most dangerous route traversed across Africa; it is also a portrait of extraordinary resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges, the beauty of kindness in strangers, and the power of giving back. In this interview, I speak to Ousman Umar about this treacherous boyhood journey from a rural village in Ghana, to the streets of Barcelona, and the path that led him home. We discuss why he, and so many, decide to migrate. We talk about the perils and realities of migration, and how we, as a society can deliver better aid, and stop the needless deaths caused by migration.

Posted in · · · · · · · · · ·
31-05-2022 10:57:44
Thought Economics

17th May 2022 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Bethenny Frankel is a self-made businesswoman, TV producer, podcaster, multiple New York Times bestselling author, and mother. She is the Founder & CEO of Skinnygirl, a global lifestyle empire, featuring products for women that offer practical and stylish solutions to everyday problems.  Bethenny was an instant fan favourite as a guest shark on ABC’s critically acclaimed series Shark Tank, showcasing her entrepreneurial prowess and gut instincts alongside the panel of investors. In this interview, I speak to Bethenny Frankel about her book, Business is Personal. I ask Bethenny about the most important tips and tricks she used to build a business, become a media personality, and maintain balance as a mogul, and a mother. We talk about success, failure, entrepreneurship culture, when to quit, and what legacy really means.

Posted in · · · · · · · · ·
15-05-2022 12:31:24
Thought Economics

Stay up to date. Signup to my newsletter.

By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from us. You may unsubscribe at anytime and your email address will never be shared.

We use cookies on our website to give you the best possible experience. By continuing to use our site, we assume you are OK with that.
Accept Privacy Policy