Frost*collective

Designing gratitude to create social and economic change. Being thankful can change our entire perspective on the world. It has been proven to improve not only mental health, but physical health too. Most importantly, it is a powerful motivator to get people to take action. And action is what’s needed in our modern world.  Kim McDonnell is a social impact innovator, futurist, entrepreneur, speaker and author whose focus is on shifting mindsets to create social and economic change. With her global impact organisation, Thankful, she’s promoting gratitude to make real change for a more sustainable, equitable and happy world.   It hasn’t been an easy ride. After 25 years working for leading advertising and marketing agencies such as Leo Burnette and Publicis Worldwide, and founding her own award-winning data business CUBED Communications, in 2013 she turned her family’s life upside down. Unable to get funding for what is now a very successful social impact organisation, she gave up what would universally be seen

Working to have a positive impact is one thing. Working to have positive impact at scale is another. It’s a pursuit that needs an attitude of aggressive optimism to last the distance, and an openness to ongoing learning to succeed.  Kevin Finn is an internationally recognised designer, advisor and author who started his career in Dublin at the studio that has designed all of the album covers for U2 and was Joint Creative Director of Saatchi Design in Sydney for seven years. A self-confessed risk-taker, in 2007 Kevin moved with his now wife from Sydney to Kununurra, a remote town in Western Australia. It’s where he founded TheSumOf, the independent design business he now runs from Brisbane on Australia’s east coast.   As the founder, editor and publisher of Open Manifesto, an independent journal focused on design, social, cultural, political and economic issues, he’s interviewed thought-leaders and some of the biggest names in design from around the world. He’s also recently published Brand Principles, a book

To Cat Burgess, energy is everything. It’s how you inspire the people around you, and it’s how you align your personal resources to the things you need to get done in work and life. She believes we need to move away from the idea of managing time, and into an era of managing your energy, focused on bringing the right energy to the right moment.  Cat is a highly skilled industry leader and brand strategist with more than 30 years’ experience at the forefront of design, branding and communications. She’s worked with Vince Frost for close to two decades, and in her current role as Head of Place at Frost*collective she is passionate about the transformational power of design thinking in shaping places.   She credits her decisiveness and ability to structure ideas into powerful brands to her start as a television journalist. And her appreciation of design to growing up in a house designed by prominent Australian architect Philip Cox, surrounded by ideas, with an artist mother who went to China on cultural exchange

Music has a powerful impact on our emotions, and can amplify what we're experiencing in a way we’re often not aware of. When watching a film, sometimes we don’t perceive the music, but it's there. Impacting our emotions. Elevating our feelings. Music can help set the scene for a time period. And when you really know your stuff, you can make the audience tingle by allowing a hip-hop beat to invade the world of Elvis.  Anton Monsted is Head of Music at Amazon Original Movies and has worked with some of the biggest names in music and film including Herbie Hancock, Jay-Z and George Doering. But he’s most famous for his work with Australian director Baz Luhrmann, who he most recently collaborated with on the hit biographical music drama Elvis.  Monsted’s career trajectory is almost the stuff of movies, he was the boyfriend with time on his hands on the set of Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet in 1996. When he realised there was a place for him there, he set about advertising himself internally while painting the walls. Be

How does scent impact our mood and mind? Why is it important to design for all the senses? And what do you do when you realised you’ve designed a life you no longer want?  As a partner in the world’s largest law firm, Craig Andrade was living the life he’d aways dreamed of. Or was he? It was during a candle-making class he’d decided to take on a whim he realised the transformative power of scent and his deep spiritual connection to fragrance.  From the moment on, Craig’s life changed - he’s now a perfumer with a highly-successful artisanal luxury fragrance house. He’s passionate about sharing Australia’s extraordinary botanical heritage and specialises in natural botanical fragrances using often-unknown and unused Australian native scents.  Listen in as Vince and Craig discuss designing for all the senses, finding the strength to make brave life changes, and the Frost*Chapters tri-layer candle they have created together.  Visit Frost*shop to shop the collaboration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info

How do the mind, body and emotions work? How can we fine tune them for dynamic activity in today’s overstimulating world? And how does a rugby-playing beer-drinking agricultural economist become a meditation guru?    Tim Brown has been called Australia’s most experienced Vedic Meditation teacher and has taught over 6,000 people to meditate over the past 20 years. He learnt the craft from Thom Knoles, who is credited as the first Westerner to be inducted by a great Indian guru.    From children as young as five years old to elite athletes and corporates, he has proven anyone can benefit from the calm, clarity, creativity and energy that comes from meditating. In fact, he believes it can help us solve some of the huge challenges facing our world.    Listen in as Vince and Tim discuss a time of life-changing reflection in the Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan aged just 24, the incredible neuroscience behind the power of meditation, and how un-overwhelm-ability will change your life. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr

Growing up with a dynamic, upbeat and straight-talking New York City businessman for a father is one thing. Building a career as a highly successful no-nonsense creative business consultant is another. But the two are most certainly intertwined.    Emily Cohen is the author of Brutally Honest, a book of, ‘no bullshit strategies to evolve your creative businesses’. She’s also a business consultant who has successfully partnered with over 500 leading creative firms worldwide to help them become more effective, profitable and fun to work with.    She confesses she’s not a great designer, but she’s proven she’s an excellent connector and industry advocate, and campaigns endlessly for the value of the profession of design.    Listen in as Vince and Emily Cohen discuss knowing when your work is adding value to the world, solving clients' problems, and the value the business of design can bring.    https://emilycohen.com/  https://nobs.events/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What role does design have to play in creating a successful and liveable world for future generations? And how does life-centred design come into this equation?    Bruce Mau is a globally recognised and awarded designer and innovator. He’s spent the past three decades funnelling his energy into projects that contribute to a better world including designing; a sustainability platform for Coca Cola, a social movement platform for Guatemala, and an institute for entrepreneurial designers.    Mau is also the Co-founder alongside his life partner Bisi Williams and CEO of Massive Change Network, an organisation dedicated to working with leaders to envision an abundant future and accelerate massive, sustainable change and positive impact for organisations and the planet.    His life-centred design approach is grounded in the belief that people are just one part of our larger ecosystem and environment, and everything we do as humans has implications for the health of our planet. Economic, ecological, environmental an

Most of us grow up with a basic understanding of Greenpeace and the work they do. But being aware of the organisation's first ‘creative confrontation’ happening close to home as a child is a fairly unique experience. And watching a life path unfold into a position of power in how the ‘peace’ in Greenpeace plays out in today’s fragile world? That could be considered a calling.    David Ritter is the CEO of Greenpeace Australia Pacific where he works to achieve the company’s mission of securing an Earth capable of nurturing life in all of its magnificent diversity.    It wasn’t a straight trajectory for Ritter. He describes his childhood as informed by, “a narrative of depletion”, and his career path via a law degree as, “a lack of imagination”. But now, he’s certain he’s in the right place.    Listen in as Vince and David discuss the impacts of growing up a child of a refugee, how the historic Mabo decision has impacted his life, and why we all have a world-changing superpower. See omnystudio.com/listener for

Sustainability, equality, and connection to country in contemporary Australian architecture are often spoken about. Commonly they’re thought of as nice add-ons. But shouldn’t they be integral to the design process, right from the start?  Adam Haddow is a globally recognised architect, and Director at SJB, one of the most highly regarded architecture practices in Australia. He has and continues to play a major role in designing the future of Sydney, and particularly loves taking on projects he can walk to from his studio in Surry Hills. Adam describes himself a context-based architect and is interested in designing buildings to fit in with the fabric of their environment. Recognised as a thought-leader in mixed-use design, his buildings embody ambitions of beauty, delight, joy and surprise.  Listen in as Vince and Adam discuss sustainability and connection to country in architecture, thinking in three dimensions, and knowing he wanted to be an architect at age six.  This episode was recorded in front of a live

All creatives suffer from some level of self-doubt, imposter syndrome or lack of inspiration. It’s unavoidable. The good news is, it’s possible to harness our feelings of inadequacy and turn them into something useful.  Richard Holman is a creative, author and speaker who believes creativity is one of the most valuable qualities humans have. He’s dedicated the past few decades to helping people feel more confident creatively, so they can come up with better ideas.  After 20 years working on brands such as the BBC, Discovery and National Geographic, he now spends his time coaching, hosting masterclasses, speaking, writing and podcasting to inspire creativity. In his recently published book, ‘Creative Demons and How to Slay Them’, he does just this.  In this second episode in our Fit-ish series Vince and Maria Briganti, Creative Director of Frost*collective’s Environments team, chat with Richard about all things creative. Tune in as they discuss why it’s best to delay evaluation and continue with creation, how

We know making lifestyle changes can impact the quality and length of our lives, but which are the changes that work? Is vitamin C ageing? How important is portion control? And does muscle tone impact mood?  Dr. Norman Swan is a medically trained journalist, best-selling author and award-winning broadcaster. He hosts ABC Radio National’s The Health Report, reports on 7.30, and is a guest reporter on Four Corners. Like most of us, he wants to live better longer.  Most recently he’s been known in Australia as the straight-talking doctor who led us through the Coronavirus pandemic with his evidence-based reporting on the Coronacast podcast.  Listen in to the first episode in our Fit-ish series, exploring the idea of the least we need to do for good health, as Vince and Norman discuss slowing the clock on ageing, how control in life impacts our health, and why eighty is the new sixty. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A turban that looks and functions like a regular turban, but is as tough as a motorcycle helmet? It exists, and the product is an open-source design available for anyone to download. The Tough Turban is the result of an ingenious idea Vic Bath and the team at Zula Alpha Kilo have brought to life for client Pfaff Harley Davison, who came to the Canadian creative agency with a brief to help them appeal to a more diverse audience. The product has won a raft of awards, including a Wood Pencil and two Graphite Pencils at the D&AD Impact awards this year.  Listen in to episode three of our Designing for Impact series in collaboration with D&AD wherever you get your podcasts as Vince and Vic discuss the power of design to create a better world, the importance of diversity and how this incredible new product works.  https://toughturban.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marijke Spain is part of the creative team at Leo Burnett who conceived the award-winning ‘One House to Save Many’ project for Suncorp Group. It’s a creative solution designed to address the destruction of Australian homes brought on by our changing climate and brings together a group of experts to prototype and test what could be Australia’s most resilient home. Collaborating over many months, Suncorp partnered with CSIRO, James Cook University (JCU) and Room11 Architects to create a truly impactful solution to a real problem for our modern world. The project is a beautiful demonstration of how simple thinking can solve complex problems and the power of creative talent in bringing big ideas to life. It’s no surprise the project won a Wood Pencil at the D&AD Impact awards this year.  Listen in to episode two of our Designing for Impact series in collaboration with D&AD as Vince and Marijke discuss how the project came to life, what to do if you morally object to a brief and how simple thinking can sol

Ever wondered how D&AD came to be, what the organisation does outside of awards, and why it’s important for not just the design community, but the world? Tim Lindsay is the Chairman of D&AD, the esteemed advertising and design awards and creative education charity famed for its iconic Yellow Pencil, awarded only to outstanding work that achieves true creative excellence. Born in Lincolnshire and brought up in East Africa, Tim spent thirty-four years in advertising before becoming the head of the seminal creative institution that’s been inspiring and celebrating commercial creativity since its beginnings in 1962. This is the first in our Designing for Impact series in collaboration with D&AD where Vince speaks with some of the winners of the recent D&AD Impact Awards, which celebrate creative ideas that are making a real and positive difference in the world. Listen in as Vince and Tim discuss the part design has to play in building a more sustainable future, the formative experience

Working on things you care about, close to the people you love, in a business with ethics and morals aligned with your own seems a straightforward ambition. Until the result is a leadership position in a global $1bn company that’s driving conscientious business around the world.    Dane O’Shanassy is Patagonia’s Country Director, Australia and New Zealand. The decisions he makes for the business today are led by Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard’s earliest choices. The conscientious objectives that drive both incredible revenue for the business and ongoing positive change for planet earth.    “It's very much a simple mission, but one that I've never seen as present and lived in anywhere else I've worked. The mission itself is, ‘We're in business to save our home planet’. I've never been in an organisation that really takes its accountability to the mission as seriously as it does here.”   DListen in as Vince and Dane discuss why P

Being in the business of helping people live healthier and happier is quite a goal, but the Alessandri brothers have done it. By elevating the importance of positive workplace culture in building their brand and products, they’ve found global successful.  Pierluigi Alessandri is the Vice President and Co-founder of Technogym, one of the most successful wellness and innovation businesses in the world. Pierluigi emphasises, it’s the people on the team and their passion who make the business what it is today.  When he and his brother and business partner Nerio started the business in 1983, they never could have imagined they’d be the Official Supplier of the Olympic Games for eight consecutive games, since Sydney in 2000. Or that Wellness, a concept introduced to the world by Nerio ten years later, would dominate the zeitgeist for years to come.  Listen in as Vince and Pierluigi discuss designing exercise equipment that is seen as art, starting a brand and $3.2B global business o

Can government and industry have the most impact when it comes to climate change? Or is it up to the individual to take action?  Craig Leeson is the 2022 Tasmanian Australian of the Year and a self-described storyteller who feels a personal responsibility to have an impact. The one-time foreign correspondent now makes and sells documentaries to broadcasters around the world so his stories addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, single use plastics and environmental issues are seen far and wide.   Leeson’s first feature-length documentary, A Plastic Ocean, released in 2017, has been viewed around the world. It’s ranked as one of the world’s top documentaries to watch about the environment, and is still winning awards today.  In this special edition of our Tide For Change series, listen in as Vince and Craig discuss; being the first media on the ground at the 2015 Nepal earthquake disaster, a transformative evening spent drinking wine with David Attenborough, and the

If you put people before profit, will your business be a bigger success? Cliff Ho thinks so. But you need to be profitable and self-sustainable, too. That’s when you can make the biggest impact on communities and the environment.  Ho is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Commons, the wildly successful creative coworking spaces. When they opened their third location in Sydney in 2017, they filled the 3,5000sqm space with 550 members in just ten weeks. They have a waitlist on most of their sites today.  But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Ho. After tanking at an early presenting gig in front of 100,000 people, he got over it and got better. He honed his craft, practicing relentlessly in front of the camera until it felt natural, and went on to interview Kanye West, Miley Cyrus and Usher in his role as a host for Channel [V].   Listen in as Vince and Cliff discuss how to bounce back after a fall from grace, the time Kanye came off stage and asked him, “was tha

Sasha Titchkosky is on a mission. If everything goes to plan the Co-founder and CEO of Koskela, the furniture and homewares business she founded and with her partner Russel Koskela in 2000, will be 100% emission zero by 2030. That means absolutely no emissions. Zero.   On top of that, the lawyer and accountant is the inaugural chairperson of the B Corp Climate Collective and she spends her spare time supporting her local independent parliamentary candidate. She believes this is the best way to bring about a desperately needed shift in the way the Australian Government works and addresses public issues – the top of her list? Climate action.   Listen in as Vince and Sasha discuss; her ambition to become the Patagonia of the furniture world, her motivation to design a profitable yet conscious business model as a template for others and leaving the world liveable for her children.    https://koskela.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.