10 conversations that'll shape your 2026 - vol.2

We're back with vol. 2 of our podcast roundup! As we continue reflecting on 2025's conversations, we realised there were so many more gems we wanted to share with you, from systems thinking to community building, from navigating transitions to finding your unique edge as a generalist.

Like before, we've organised these episodes around themes that might spark something for you in 2026. Pick whatever calls to you right now - whether you're rethinking how you work, deepening your craft, or figuring out what's next.

Let's dive in! 🤿

^{For those exploring flexible work arrangements, multiple income streams, or considering the leap into fractional roles.}

Ep 8: Asking a Fractional CTO how to work with startups AND have massive impact

Katherine Mora reveals the fractional CTO model for serving multiple startups simultaneously while maintaining strategic impact. She discusses why focusing on female founders creates unique positioning advantages, how to bridge the gap between technical capabilities and business strategy, and methods for maintaining human-centred approaches while leveraging advancing technology.

Best for: Tech professionals exploring fractional roles or entrepreneurs seeking to understand the fractional model

Key takeaway: Community-driven business development converts connections into partnerships and customers more effectively than traditional sales

Ep 14: Exec coach shares why generalists are the future

Ankita Terrell breaks down how to work as a part-time leader across multiple companies while coaching their teams. She shares the life-profit-impact triangle for balancing what matters most and explains which people skills will stay important as AI becomes more common in the workplace.

Best for: Executives considering portfolio careers or coaches looking to work with multiple organisations

Key takeaway: You can make good money and do good things by thinking about what happens after you earn it

^{For those in transition, exploring new industries, or rethinking their career path entirely.}

Ep 19: Lessons in career design from Physicist turned Entrepreneur

Karolina Sarna, a physicist-turned-strategy coach, shares how to pivot your career using 'A-to-B' moves—shifting just one variable at a time to evolve instead of starting over. She discusses why uncertainty can sometimes feel safer than certainty, a simple 'hell yes or no' filter for choosing projects, and how to build a consulting practice gradually.

Best for: Scientists, academics, or technical professionals exploring entrepreneurship or coaching

Key takeaway: Career pivots don't require complete reinvention—change one variable at a time

Ep 20: How to build a satisfying, sustainable career as a mid-life generalist

Jonathan Simpson Tarling discusses how to leverage your network's second-degree connections when job hunting as a generalist, why the 50+ demographic represents untapped talent, and how to position yourself as the 'wild card candidate' with recruiters. He explains why generalist skills become increasingly valuable in senior leadership roles where cross-functional translation is essential.

Best for: Mid-career and senior professionals navigating ageism or feeling overlooked

Key takeaway: Career progression for generalists follows a counterintuitive pattern where early-career sacrifice leads to senior-level advantage

^{For founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone building something new from the ground up.}

Ep 12: He has a SaaS, and a community AND a co-working space?!

Charlie Ward discusses how to leverage competitive markets as opportunities rather than obstacles, why community-driven business models require fundamentally different strategies than traditional SaaS, and how to evaluate business opportunities using the 'hell yeah or no' framework for better decision-making.

Best for: Multi-passionate entrepreneurs juggling multiple ventures

Key takeaway: Build in competitive markets rather than avoiding them—competition validates demand

Ep 17: She generated $20M helping founders scale - here's how

Caitlin Ferguson breaks down how to overcome 'whiteboard paralysis' that keeps founders stuck in planning mode, why situational leadership frameworks help founders delegate effectively, and the specific methodology behind 'decision journaling' to build confidence in high-stakes choices. She shares how to create a 'Keystone document' that makes AI 10x more effective.

Best for: Founders struggling to scale or move from planning to execution

Key takeaway: No battle plan survives contact—test ideas instead of perfecting plans

^{For those looking to strengthen relationships, improve their networking game, or rethink how they approach sales and community.}

Ep 15: How to embrace your generalism

Dimitra Sotiraki discusses how to transition between industries by focusing on transferable relationship-building skills, why community management should focus on fostering loyalty rather than direct sales conversion, and how flat hierarchy cultures create more collaborative work environments. She explains rapid skill acquisition that enables month-long mastery of complex concepts.

Best for: Community managers and professionals with non-linear career paths

Key takeaway: Community as relationship infrastructure, not sales funnel—focus on connections over conversions

Ep 21: The community operator who made Milly 'redundant'

Ece Kurtaraner shares how to build community with members rather than for them by co-creating value from the earliest stages. She discusses why successful community metrics focus on connections between members, the 'win-win-win' framework for designing community programs, and strategic approaches to making founders 'redundant' by building self-sustaining systems.

Best for: Community builders and anyone interested in creating sustainable, member-led spaces

Key takeaway: The most valuable community metric is connection density between members, not platform engagement

^{For those working at the intersection pf technology and human services, or seeking to create meaningful impact.}

Ep 5: Generalist with a PhD longer than you can pronounce?!

Shern Tee, a lecturer and physicist specialising in molecular dynamics simulations, discusses how 'irrational optimism' about student potential transforms teaching approaches, why generalist thinking is valuable in specialised academic environments, and strategies for increasing student engagement through curiosity-driven teaching. He explores how human connection remains critical even as AI transforms educational landscapes.

Best for: Educators, researchers, and anyone interested in cross-disciplinary thinking

Key takeaway: Confidence-based networking beats transactional relationship building every time

Ep 9: This generalist is fixing healthcare's biggest problems....with brain science?!

Roxana Seifer reveals how to create your own role by raising your hand for interesting projects, why moving from 'driver' to 'navigator' mindset helps generalists thrive in uncertain environments, and how to use energy audits to make better career decisions. She discusses why healthcare as a 'red thread' helps explain diverse career moves and why systemic thinking from neuroscience applies to organisational change.

Best for: Healthcare professionals, scientists pivoting to business, or anyone interested in systemic change

Key takeaway: Build spiral careers, not linear ones—link personal development to business needs

We'd love to hear which episode resonates most with you and what you're working on heading into 2026. Share your thoughts in the poll, your journey inspires us all.

Here's to a year of growth, connection, and embracing everything that makes you a generalist 🌀