Nico Sarti has never been content to simply follow the media landscape—he’s been quietly rewriting its architecture. After years shaping strategy inside global powerhouses like The Economist and POLITICO, Sarti recognised a deeper need in the industry: translation, intuition, and cultural fluency that could turn storytelling into sustainable commercial design. That realisation became NextWave / Media, the consultancy built on the belief that creativity and commerce don’t compete—they compound. Today, Sarti stands at the intersection of media, culture, and strategy, helping publishers and brands understand attention not as a metric, but as an ecosystem.
“Media isn’t noise or inventory—it’s culture. The brands that win aren’t the ones shouting, but the ones fluent enough to become part of the conversation.”
Can you share the journey that led you from working at global publishers like The Economist and POLITICO to founding your own consultancy, NextWave / Media?
I was a natural progression. I loved The Economist’s rigour, and POLITICO’s energy, and the amazing brands at Condé Nast, but I kept hitting the same wall: publishers had amazing journalists and great storytellers, but no one was helping them build sustainable business models from it. Most consultancies come in and tell them to launch newsletters or pivot to video. That’s not the problem. The problem is they don’t know how to scale their editorial credibility into multiple revenue streams, or how to structure their studio so that growth doesn’t mean burning out their team.
On the brand side, I’d see marketers trying to force their way into culture conversation instead of actually understanding it first. They’d hire an agency that sold them the idea of “authentic storytelling” but had no clue what their audience actually cared about.
I have been doing that type of work for decades, anyway, in strategy meetings, late at night rebuilding decks, so I decided to build the firm around that. I love content and I love media, and I like to be in front of a challenge and work with clients directly. Advisory-first means we start by understanding what’s actually broken, not what vendors want to sell. And, ‘culture-first’ means we’re thinking about what your audience genuinely wants before we talk about revenue. That’s where NextWave / Media came from: the realisation that both publishers and brands need someone who speaks both languages fluently. Someone who knows how to turn creative vision into scalable business design.
What inspired you to focus on the intersection of media, creativity, and culture in your career?
Honestly, it wasn’t a single moment. It was a mix of realising that media on its own can feel mechanical, creativity on its own can drift, and culture without structure doesn’t always translate into something useful for brands or publishers.
Working across different publishers showed me that the best work always sat in that space. not the loudest campaign or the flashiest format, but the pieces that understood people’s behaviour, tapped into a cultural shift, and then delivered it in a smart, creative way.
So it became less of a choice and more of a natural focus. that’s the space where things actually land, where strategy isn’t abstract, and where results come from understanding how people live, not just how media works.
When leading Global Creative Strategy at Condé Nast, what was one of the most transformative projects you worked on, and why?
This is difficult to choose. It is such an amazing company, with so many talented people working in it. There was this project with W Hotels called “Through a New Lens.” … An amazing campaign. We brought together a photography community, the craft of storytelling, and actual business results. It won awards, sure, but what mattered more was proving something simple: audiences don’t grow because you’re shouting louder. They grow because you give people permission to speak. We turned the magazine’s credibility and reach into something people actually wanted to participate in, and it worked commercially. That stuck with me—the idea that the best partnerships are built on letting other voices lead.
How do you approach helping publishers future-proof their studios in an ever-changing media landscape?
First, forget about “future-proof.” That’s not real. Here’s what I think truly works: good studios should test in the ‘messy places’ first. Social-first, Reddit, Substack, niche Discord communities, that’s where you see what’s actually resonating before it hits the mainstream. That’s where the nuggets are.
But testing blindly is useless. You need real insights and analytics watching for cultural signals constantly. Not vanity metrics. Real signals about what your audience cares about, where attention is actually flowing, what conversations are happening that you’re not part of yet.
Then you build feedback loops where your editorial team stays in control but is genuinely listening to what’s working. Not A/B testing headlines to death, but actually understanding why certain ideas land and others don’t.
The real shift is thinking like a product company and a media company at the same time. Most publishers choose one or the other. Good ones do both. You design your pricing and your structure to protect margins by default, not by accident. When your economics are solid from day one, you can actually afford to take “smart risks”. You can experiment a lot more and you can fail, a little. That’s the studio model that scales without destroying itself.
Can you walk us through a time when you helped a brand or publisher successfully navigate a cultural or technological shift?
I worked with a heritage fashion brand, really beautiful house, decades of craft, but they felt like they were losing relevance. Their instinct was to pump out more videos, more content, more noise. But that wasn’t actually the problem. The problem was people had stopped trusting them. They’d stopped seeing themselves in the brand.
We started by asking: what mindset are we actually affecting? What do people feel when they think about this house? And it turned out the emotional connection was still there, it was just dormant. So instead of making more content, we made fewer, smarter things, work that felt like a conversation between the brand and the people who actually cared about it.
We shifted the whole measurement system. The editorial team stopped being measured on views or impressions and started being measured on dialogue. Real conversations. Questions people were asking. Comments that showed they were genuinely engaged. It sounds simple, but it’s radical, suddenly the incentive structure rewards depth over volume.
The results were interesting. Engagement went up, sure, but more importantly, renewal rates improved. People were subscribing to access more, not scrolling past. And the model scaled because it was built on something real, community, not vanity metrics. That became the blueprint for everything they did after.
What trends in media and technology do you think will have the biggest impact on content creation and monetization in the next five years?
Attention is scarcer than it’s ever been. That will not change in my opinion, but here’s what’s interesting: that same scarcity is actually supporting smaller, more focused content studios. Niche specialisation can become a trustworthy allie for talented studios.
It is also happening that AI will handle the briefs and the drafts. What AI won’t do is decide what matters. That’s still human. A studio perspective will be the key to success. The ones where someone is actually thinking about culture and taste, not just automating output. The ones that can look at what’s happening in the world and say “this story matters” before the algorithm catches up.
And lastly, I think retail media is having a moment right now and it’s not because of ads, it’s because retailers have direct access to consumer intent. They know what people want to buy. Smart retailers are becoming publishers. They’re building content around that intent, creating communities around products, not just selling. The ones doing it well are the ones treating it like editorial, not like inventory.
And for smaller studios, build something genuinely interesting, understand your economics inside out, and monetize through community, subscriptions, partnerships, whatever makes sense for that particular audience. The advantage small studios have is speed and taste. Use it.
How do you balance creative vision with commercial strategy when guiding content ecosystems?
You protect the creativity first, the margins second. Strategy’s job is to make the idea clear and make it work financially. Creativity’s job is to make it feel right. The mistake is letting either side think they’re the whole job. You need both, and they need to respect what the other is doing.
What was a key lesson you learned while growing POLITICO Studio’s revenue in Europe that you still apply today?
Simplicity wins. The best clients were the ones where we got clarity before we sold them anything. We didn’t pitch media—we pitched a roadmap, a clear sequence of what would happen. That feeling of certainty mattered more than any single idea. I still do this: the next meeting should prove the first one was worth having.
For brands and publishers looking to stay relevant, what’s the one mistake you see them making most often?
This is hard! The old mistake was thinking monetisation came first and editorial followed. Now it’s flipped, for the right reasons. Build something with real editorial integrity, something people actually trust, and the money follows. That’s what retail media is proving. That’s what small studios need to understand.
Looking back at your career so far, what advice would you give your younger self starting out in media and creative strategy?
I will sound incredibly earnest here. Read obsessively, and follow any culture rabbit hole you encounter. I think long-form writing teaches you how to think in ways that articles and tweets never will. All of it feeds into how you see culture and tell stories. Your taste is built on what you consume, so be intentional about it.
Same with music. Pay attention to how artists are communicating ideas, how they’re building moods, how they’re saying something that feels true without being obvious about it. That’s the craft you’re learning.
And here’s the thing nobody told me, but I learned along the way: the people around you matter infinitely more than you think. Not for networking. Just because good thinking happens in conversation. Share the book that blew your mind. Argue about the article that annoyed you. Send someone the essay you didn’t understand and ask them to explain it. Keep a running thread of taste and curiosity with your colleagues. That’s where real collaboration starts.
Those conversations, in a caffe, pub, or while walking the corridors with a colleague, become the connective tissue of everything. You’ll forget most of the meetings. The decks will fade. But you’ll remember the person who got what you were trying to say. You’ll remember the moment someone pushed back on your thinking in a way that made it better. Build those moments generously. They’re not a side project, they’re the actual work. It’s the longest-running thing you’ll ever build. I told you, I would be a little earnest about this.
After more than forty years in finance and leadership, Nigel Armitt has seen just about everything — companies in crisis, teams rediscovering hope, and organisations learning how to breathe again. What’s kept him going all these years isn’t just the numbers, but the people behind them. Today, through his company, First Success Coach, Nigel combines his extensive experience with coaching and advisory services to help executives and organisations achieve lasting success.
“Finance gives you the tools to understand a business — leadership gives you the heart to transform it.”
You’ve spent over 40 years leading major organisations. What first drew you into finance and leadership?
I was drawn to finance because I love understanding how businesses work and helping them grow. Many organisations can’t survive without strong financial oversight, and that’s where I saw I could make a difference. Leadership appealed to me because I genuinely enjoy motivating people, learning from them, and championing new ideas. Combining both allows me to guide Boards and teams in a way that really adds value.
You’ve helped turn around struggling organisations. What’s the first thing you do when a company is in trouble?
I start with the cash. Most organisations fail because they run out of it, or their banking arrangements aren’t strong enough. Tight cash management is critical early on. I set up a forward cash forecast—initially 12 months, sometimes extended to two years and reviewed it regularly, adjusting as more information comes in. These numbers help me make key decisions: improving collections, renegotiating bank facilities, and managing resources carefully.
Your time at Amnesty International was a milestone. What stands out most from that experience?
Two months after joining as CFO, I attended the 2019 Global Assembly Meeting in Johannesburg. Speaking to representatives from all over the world, I outlined the turnaround plan and answered their questions directly. It was essential to gain their trust. Digitising the membership subscription process came out of that, and it significantly improved cashflow, which had stalled because of COVID-19.
You’ve worked across charities, big companies, and startups. How do you adapt your approach?
Every environment is different, but they all need strong leadership, efficient management, and a positive team spirit. I focus on building trust from day one and keeping communication clear and simple. I explain the steps we need to take to achieve our goals and adapt how I work with people depending on their experience and skills. Flexibility is key.
Leading teams through difficult times isn’t easy. How do you keep people motivated?
It starts with trust and listening. I make time to hear people’s concerns, lead from the front, and check in on the team’s morale regularly. Transparency is crucial—share what you know, focus on what can be controlled, and frame challenges as opportunities. Celebrating even small wins helps keep everyone positive and motivated.
What made you move from CFO to coaching and authoring?
I wanted to help people directly, using my experience to fast-track their success. Coaching C-suite executives or sharing practical advice in my books gives me a lot of satisfaction. Seeing someone land a job, nail an interview, or take the next step in their career—it’s incredibly rewarding.
Your latest book focuses on AI in job searches. Why is AI such a game-changer for careers today?
AI changes the way people compete, learn, and get hired. Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can analyse job descriptions, highlight the skills employers care about, and help tailor CVs and LinkedIn profiles. They speed up research, cover letter writing, and interview prep, and even help identify skill gaps and create personalised learning plans. Employers are using AI too, so ignoring it risks missing opportunities. The key is to see AI not as a threat, but as a competitive edge.
You’ve written about stress and burnout. What advice would you give leaders who feel overwhelmed?
First, acknowledge the stress. Ignoring it leads to burnout. Then:
Prioritise and organise your tasks.
Set boundaries and learn to say no.
Take breaks and step away from work.
Make time for self-care and activities you enjoy.
Try practical relaxation techniques—mindfulness, yoga, or meditation.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle with sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet.
You’ve achieved a lot — what keeps you curious and driven?
I love making a difference and seeing results. Whether it’s coaching someone to work more efficiently, advising a Board, or helping recruit the right person for a role, seeing tangible impact keeps me motivated.
Looking back, what does success mean to you now — and what kind of legacy do you hope to leave?
Success is about rescuing organisations, saving jobs, and delivering complex transformations. It’s about giving practical advice, helping people grow, and seeing organisations thrive. My hope is that the people and organisations I’ve worked with continue to succeed and make a positive impact long after I’ve moved on.
Few leaders can claim a career spanning over three decades in industries as fast-paced and ever-changing as martech and fintech. Colin Day is one of them. From navigating global markets across EMEA and APAC to helping businesses harness digital tools and build stronger customer relationships, Colin’s journey is defined by curiosity, adaptability, and a deep belief in the power of people. In this conversation, he shares insights on leadership, innovation, and what it takes to stay relevant—and inspired—after 35 years at the forefront of change.
“Curiosity keeps me ahead, no matter how fast the industry moves.”
You’ve worked in martech and fintech for over 35 years. What keeps you excited about your work after all this time?
Two things. First, the pace. Both sectors are in a constant state of evolution. Martech and fintech never sit still, and I’ve always enjoyed being in an environment where reinvention is part of the job. Second, the people. Whether it’s customers, partners, or the teams I work with, I thrive on being around people who are curious, ambitious, and unafraid to challenge convention.
Leading business across EMEA and APAC must come with challenges. How do you approach working in such different regions?
You start by recognising that while the regions are different, people are people. The fundamentals of trust, clarity, and mutual respect remain the same. That said, local context matters. I don’t believe in copy and paste strategy. You need to listen, understand how each market operates, and adapt without losing sight of your global objectives. It’s a balancing act, but one that gets easier with experience and a good local team.
Your book talks about using social media in B2B. How can companies use it to really connect with their customers?
The key is to treat social not as a broadcast channel, but as a relationship one. B2B buyers want relevance, expertise, and transparency. Social gives you a way to show up consistently, share what you know, and build trust over time. It’s not about chasing likes. It’s about being present in the buying journey, influencing early thinking, and staying part of the conversation long after the deal is done.
Marketing and sales don’t always work well together. What’s your advice for getting them on the same page?
Bring them into the same room and focus on shared outcomes. Too often, the friction comes from misalignment on goals or definitions of success. When marketing is focused on leads and sales is focused on revenue, you get a disconnect. The solution is to align around pipeline quality, deal velocity, and customer lifetime value, metrics both sides can influence. From there, collaboration becomes natural.
You’ve helped companies with big changes and mergers. What’s the most important thing leaders should do during times of change?
Communicate early, often, and with purpose. Uncertainty is the enemy of performance. People do not need every answer straight away, but they do need context and confidence that someone is steering the ship. During any transformation, I make it a point to be visible, honest about what we know and what we’re still working through, and consistent with what we expect from the team.
Digital tools are everywhere now. How do you see them changing the way businesses reach their customers?
They are removing friction, plain and simple. The best digital tools reduce manual effort, increase visibility, and help businesses move faster. But the real shift is in accountability. With the right tools, marketing and sales can no longer operate on gut feel alone. There’s nowhere to hide, which, if you embrace it, is a positive. It drives focus, discipline, and more strategic conversations about how we go to market.
What’s been the toughest international project you’ve worked on, and what did it teach you?
Years ago, I led a multi-region rollout of a complex platform across Europe and Asia for a fintech organisation. Every market had its own regulations, data requirements, and internal politics. It taught me that alignment does not happen by accident. You need clarity on roles, disciplined execution, and strong local leadership that feels empowered rather than controlled. Without that, you burn time and lose momentum.
With your experience, what trends in martech and fintech excite you most today?
In martech, it’s the growing shift from vanity metrics to meaningful commercial insight. Marketers are finally being equipped with tools that show how they influence pipeline and revenue. In fintech, I’m excited by the convergence of embedded finance and data-driven personalisation. When done well, it creates better experiences for customers and new business models for providers.
How do you inspire your teams to take risks and try new things while still focusing on results?
You create a culture where smart failure is not punished. I always ask teams to be clear on their hypothesis, what they are trying, why, and how they will measure success. As long as it is thought through and aligned to the wider goal, I support it. Results matter, but so does learning. If you get both, the business moves forward.
Looking back, what advice would you give someone who wants to lead a global team one day?
Build empathy early. You can’t lead globally if you only see things through your own cultural or commercial lens. Be curious about other ways of working, respect the local knowledge, and never assume that HQ has all the answers. Also, invest time in people. Relationships drive results, especially across borders. Oh, and remember, trust is built in drips and lost by the bucketful.
“Leadership is about trust, empowering teams, and navigating change together.”
How one man’s frustration with the system sparked a global movement to make marketing a force for good.
When the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit collapsed, the world sighed in disappointment — and one man’s life changed forever. Thomas Kolster, then a creative in advertising, watched as political promises dissolved into inaction. The city buzzed with hope one day and fell silent the next. For Thomas, that silence wasn’t just political — it was personal.
“If governments couldn’t move fast enough, maybe brands could. Creativity moves culture — and culture moves the world.”
That realization became the seed of what he would later call Goodvertising — a movement that reimagines marketing as a tool for progress, not persuasion. “I wanted to explore how we could use the same creativity that sells a soda to instead inspire people to recycle it,” he says with a smile. “It wasn’t about making nice ads — it was about rethinking the role of marketing altogether: from manipulation to meaningful contribution.”
You’re known as the man who started the Goodvertising movement. What first inspired you to connect advertising with doing good?
When the climate summit in Copenhagen collapsed back in 2009, it really hit me. I remember the city being full of energy and hope people genuinely believed something big was about to change. And then… nothing. Just political stalemate and disappointment. At the time, I was working in advertising, and it forced me to ask some uncomfortable questions about the role of our industry. If governments couldn’t move fast enough, maybe brands with their creativity, reach, and cultural influence could actually help drive the change we need. That frustration, that sense of wasted opportunity, became the spark for Goodvertising. I wanted to explore how we could use the power of marketing not to sell more products, but to sell progress. I was struck by how much creativity was being wasted on selling more stuff we didn’t need. The same energy that convinced people to buy a soda could be used to inspire them to recycle it.. It wasn’t about making “nice ads,” it was about rethinking the role of marketing altogether: from manipulation to meaningful contribution.
You’ve said that people don’t buy a brand’s purpose — they buy who that brand can help them become. Can you explain what that means in simple terms?
Purpose has become a vanity project for brands. Everyone wants to be the hero saving the planet. But people don’t wake up wanting to join your purpose parade they wake up wanting to live their own values.
So the real question is: How does your brand make me better? Not “How do I make your brand look good?”
If you’re Nike, don’t talk about your commitment to empowerment; show me how you empower me when I lace up your shoes. The shift is subtle but powerful: it’s about turning your marketing mirror outward from “Look how good we are” to “Look who you can become with us.”
Think about how you can make people live healthier lives? More fulfilling lives? Maybe more climate conscious lives? The oatmilk brand Oatly encourage people to live a plant-based lifestyle. Like a coach they nudge you – they don’t preach.
Many brands talk about purpose, but few make a real impact. What do you think separates the ones that truly walk the talk?
What separates the brands that truly walk the talk from those that don’t is authenticity and consistency and you can see that difference in how people actually feel the brand in their own lives.
Authenticity is about helping people make a real, positive change for themselves not about big words or saving the world. As I write in The Hero Trap, people don’t buy into your purpose, they buy into who you can help them become. When a brand like IKEA helps you create a better everyday life at home, or L’Oréal empowers you to feel worth it, that’s purpose grounded in real human experience. It’s authentic because it starts with people, not the brand’s ego.
Then there’s consistency and this is where most brands fall down. In research I did with WARC, we found that the majority of so-called “purpose-driven” campaigns actually fail to deliver measurable business or behavioral impact. Why? Because they treat purpose like a short-term campaign, not a long-term commitment. It’s not consistent across the company’s actions, products, or internal culture.
The brands that do walk the talk are the ones that live it every day. They don’t shout about purpose they show it through what they make, how they act, and how they help people grow.
At the end of the day, walking the talk means this: people should be able to feel the difference your brand makes in their own lives. If they can’t, it’s just marketing.
You’ve worked with big names like Meta, adidas, and IKEA. What’s one lesson you’ve learned from helping these global brands become more responsible?
That scale is both a privilege and a responsibility.
Big brands can change industries overnight, but only if they align profit with progress.
The best ones treat responsibility not as a “nice to have,” but as a business advantage. For example, when IKEA started designing for circularity, it wasn’t charity; it was foresight. They saw a world running out of resources and asked, “How do we stay relevant?” That’s the mindset shift: sustainability not as sacrifice, but as strategy.
Your method, The Arrow, has been adopted all over the world. How does it help companies stay true to their values?
The Arrow is really about clarity and focus helping companies move from lofty words about purpose to something that’s actionable, human, and real.
In The Hero Trap, I argue that too many brands get stuck asking “Why are we here?” and end up with a grand mission statement that often sounds like everyone else’s. The Arrow flips that question on its head and asks instead: “Who can you help people become?” That simple shift grounds everything a company does in people’s transformation, not the brand’s ego.
When you define your brand through that lens, your values stop being abstract. They start to live in the way you design products, how you communicate, how you treat employees it all lines up. I’ve seen companies from Latin America to Scandinavia use The Arrow to align leadership, culture, and marketing around one clear promise of who they help their customers become.
And that’s what keeps them true to their values. Because when you build from the “who,” your decisions become a lot more consistent. You can ask at every turn: Does this action actually help people become who we said we’d help them be? That question becomes your compass.
So The Arrow isn’t just a branding tool it’s a way to build authenticity through accountability. It forces brands to live their values through behavior, not just messaging.
You’ve spoken in over 80 countries. What’s one story or experience that really stayed with you on this journey?
In Mozambique, I met a group of young entrepreneurs who were using solar lamps to replace kerosene. They told me, “We don’t sell lamps, we sell light for studying, safety, and hope.” That stuck with me.
Because it reminded me that marketing at its best isn’t about selling products, it’s about transforming lives, however small the impact. That’s the energy we need back in the boardroom: seeing people not as consumers, but as changemakers in their own right.
Greenwashing is still a big problem. What advice would you give to companies who want to make real change, not just good headlines?
If your sustainability story starts with your PR team, it’s already too late. The best communication is demonstration. My advice is simple: do the hard work first. Pick one area your supply chain, your packaging, your energy use and commit to measurable, transparent progress. Don’t talk in future tense; talk in numbers and results.
But I’d also say this: real change isn’t just about how your company behaves it’s about how you help people change too. That’s where The Arrow comes in. It’s not about shouting your “why,” it’s about defining who you help people become.
If you’re a food brand, maybe you help people live healthier. If you’re in mobility, maybe you help people move more freely or sustainably. When you focus on your customers’transformation, not your own hero story, everything becomes more genuine and much harder to greenwash.
In the end, people don’t want you to save the world for them; they want you to help them make a difference in their own lives. That’s what builds real impact and lasting trust.
You often talk about “post-purpose.” What does that mean for how we think about marketing today?
Post-purpose is about moving beyond brand heroism.
We’ve reached a point where every brand claims to have a “purpose” to save the planet, empower communities, end world hunger. But when everyone is trying to be a hero, no one really is. We’ve romanticized purpose to the point of paralysis.
Post-purpose is the evolution it’s about moving from what you stand for to who you help people become. Instead of trying to lead grand movements, brands should focus on enabling movement in people’s lives.
It’s not about preaching your beliefs; it’s about giving people the tools, choices, and confidence to act on theirs. Think less “join our cause,” more “here’s how you can make a difference.”
The brands of the future won’t be the ones shouting the loudest about purpose they’ll be the ones that help people live it, every day.
What gives you hope about the future of business and sustainability?
When things get black and white like a U.S. president openly defending fossil fuels we finally know what we’re up against. You can’t fight fog, but you can fight something clear. And that’s when change happens.
We can’t go back in a time machine to when oil was cheaper than renewables or when white men ruled the world. The future is already moving toward diversity, clean energy, and progress.
We’re past the age of “saving the world.” The future belongs to those who help people build a better one.
If you could leave one message to young marketers and entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Don’t chase meaning. Create it. If I could tell young marketers one thing, it’s this: stop trying to sell change start enabling it. Everyone wants to “make a difference,” but the real power lies in helping people make a difference in their own lives.
It’s like quitting cigarettes everyone can tell you to stop, your doctor, your friends, your family but until you decide, nothing happens. The same goes for marketing. You can’t force change on people; you can only give them the motivation and tools to choose it themselves.
So be the change, yes but more importantly, help others become it.
Marketing has incredible power to shape behavior. Use that power to make people’s lives tangibly better not just to make your brand sound clever.
Be bold. Be useful. And remember: the best story you can tell is the one you help others live.
Born into one of the most influential families in music history, Hymn Marley carries the spirit of legacy with a voice uniquely his own. The grandson of Bob and Rita Marley, Hymn isn’t simply following in legendary footsteps—he’s carving a new rhythm that blends authenticity, emotion, and global influence. With his latest single “Not Today,” the rising artist channels resilience and self-discovery into a sound that transcends genre, reminding listeners that legacy isn’t just inherited—it’s reimagined.
Interview
As Bob and Rita Marley’s grandson, what part of their legacy inspires you most in your own path?
The part of their legacy that inspires me most is their perseverance — coming from such humble beginnings and never giving up. They stayed true to their passion and had the faith to believe that what’s meant to be will be. Their determination paid off. That’s what inspires me — not the awards or accolades, but the long nights and early mornings that built the legacy.
You recently appeared at London Fashion Week to promote “Not Today.” What was that experience like for you?
London Fashion Week was exciting. I love the eclectic mix of designers and their creativity. It was actually my first time there, something I’d been looking forward to for a while — and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I’ll be back for sure.
How would you describe your sound to someone hearing your music for the first time?
I’d describe my sound as world music. Genre-wise, I’d say pop — but once you listen to a few songs, you’ll realize none of them sound the same.
What was the inspiration behind your new single “Not Today”?
“Not Today” was inspired by a time when I felt like I was being kicked while I was down. I had to make a decision — and this time, I chose me.
Your first EP In My Head showed a lot of different styles. How have you grown since then?
That actually ties into how I describe my sound — nothing I create sounds the same, and that’s intentional. I have ADHD, and part of that means I’m always seeking variety and stimulation. I like to keep things fresh — those who get it, get it!
Coming from a legendary family in music, how do you make sure your own voice shines through?
I make sure my voice shines through by creating songs that let me shine. I have my own light, and whether it’s music or anything else I do, that light doesn’t fade.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your father or grandfather about music or life?
The most important lesson is to write honest music. Create from the heart. Tell your own story. And most importantly — keep it simple.
When you sit down to create, do you usually start with words, a beat, or a feeling?
It’s different every time. I find inspiration easily — usually from real experiences that make me feel seen or understood. Sometimes I see myself in someone else’s story, and sometimes it’s the other way around. A lot of my songs are inspired by other people’s experiences too.
How does your personal journey show up in your music?
My personal journey is in every song. Some feel more like poems or journal entries than tracks. They all hold real meaning for me.
What do you hope people feel when they listen to your songs?
I hope people feel a sense of themselves. I want them to hear their own story in mine and think, “Damn, I’ve been through that too.”
How has it felt to hear your music on stations like SiriusXM and iHeartRadio?
Hearing myself on the radio is always exciting! It’s amazing to know that people who choose what to play genuinely connect with my music.
Looking ahead, what’s one dream or goal you’re excited to chase next?
I’m really excited to start modeling and get into acting. Those are worlds I’ve always wanted to explore — so fingers crossed that journey starts soon.
Dr. KamAulak is a renowned cosmetic dentist celebrated for his exceptional skill in enhancing smiles and his profound passion for skin health and facial aesthetics. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to excellence, Dr. Kam seamlessly blends the art and science of dentistry to create stunning, natural-looking results. His holistic approach to cosmetic care ensures that patients not only achieve beautiful smiles but also radiant, healthy skin. Dr. Kam’s expertise extends beyond traditional dentistry, as he integrates advanced aesthetic techniques to enhance overall facial harmony. Dedicated to staying at the forefront of his field, he continually pursues the latest innovations and technologies. Patients trust Dr. Kam for his compassionate care, personalized treatment plans, and unwavering dedication to their well-being. His reputation as a transformative cosmetic dentist and skin health expert has made him a sought-after practitioner in his community. Dr. Kam’s passion for enhancing beauty and confidence shines through in every smile he perfects and every face he rejuvenates.
Can you share the story behind your transition from dentistry to focusing solely on facial aesthetics and skin health?
During my years as a practicing dentist, I always preferred doing cosmetic dental treatments and enjoyed the aesthetic enhancements to my patients’ confidence.
The turning point for me came when a patient, who had undergone veneer treatments, confided that while her smile had transformed, she still felt self-conscious about her skin. She joked,“Now that you have given me my beautiful smile, what can you do for these wrinkles ? “. This was my “aha” moment. I realized that true confidence came from an overall sense of well-being and satisfaction with one’s appearance. This inspired me to explore the broader field of facial aesthetics and skin health.
I pursued advanced certifications in aesthetic medicine, attended workshops, and trained with leading experts. I began integrating traditional facial massage techniques with state-of-the-art injectable and laser treatments, crafting personalized treatment plans that addressed my clients’ unique needs and desires.
The happiness I saw in my clients as they experienced not just improved appearances but enhanced self-esteem proved this journey from dentistry to facial aesthetics was the right decision.
Today, I run 2 thriving clinics dedicated to facial aesthetics and skin health, where my background in dentistry provides a unique foundation for understanding facial structure and anatomy.
What inspired me to combine traditional facial massage techniques with cutting-edge injectable and laser treatments in my practice?
As I was essentially from a science background, I must admit I didn’t really feel facial massage techniques were particularly beneficial to long term skin health. However, I was happily proved wrong when I met the incredibly talented and celebrated Yvonne Martin. Yvonne demonstrated facial massage techniques that gave amazing results – she has clients who come from all over the world to be treated by he,r and the results are extraordinary. The ancient art of facial massage promotes relaxation, improves circulation, and enhances the skin’s natural glow, providing a foundation of holistic wellness
On the other hand, modern injectable and laser treatments offer precise and effective solutions for a variety of skin concerns, from fine lines and wrinkles to hyperpigmentation and scarring.
By integrating these methods, I can create customised treatment plans that address both the surface and deeper layers of the skin, resulting in more profound and lasting improvements. This fusion of old and new not only maximizes the benefits of each technique but also ensures that my clients receive the most effective and up-to-date care available.
How do you ensure that each treatment at your clinics is personalized to meet the specific needs and desires of your clients?
Ensuring that each treatment at our facial aesthetics clinics is personalized to meet the specific needs and desires of our clients involves several key steps:
1. Comprehensive Consultation Process
Initial Assessment: Begin with a thorough consultation to understand the client’s medical history, skin concerns, lifestyle, and aesthetic goals.
Detailed Skin Analysis: We use an advanced skin analysis machine to assess the client’s skin type, condition, and underlying issues, looking at 9 different aspects of the skin at every layer.
WeConsider factors such as diet, stress levels, and lifestyle in the treatment plan to enhance overall skin health and well-being.
2. Customised Treatment Plans
Tailored and modular solutions: We develop individualised and flexible treatment plans that can be adjusted based on the client’s progress and changing needs combining traditional facial massage techniques with cutting-edge injectable and laser treatments to provide a holistic approach to skin health.
3. Personalized Client Experience
Bespoke Service: We create a personalized and luxurious experience for each client, from the moment they walk in to the follow-up care.
By focusing on these elements, we can ensure that each treatment is uniquely tailored to meet the specific needs and desires of our intelligent clients, providing them with the highest level of personalized care and achieving optimal results.
Could you describe the philosophy and atmosphere you aim to create at The Skin Culturist and Newhall Medical and Dental Aesthetics clinics?
At The Skin Culturist and Newhall Medical and Dental Aesthetics clinics, our philosophy is rooted in the belief that true beauty and wellness come from a harmonious blend of inner health and outer radiance. We are committed to providing an unparalleled experience that caters to the unique needs of our elite clientele, ensuring they leave feeling rejuvenated.
Our clinics are designed to be sanctuaries of serenity and luxury. From the moment clients step through our doors, they are enveloped in an atmosphere of calm and sophistication.
Every detail is meticulously curated to enhance the client experience. Aromatic diffusers fill the air with subtle, calming scents, while gentle background music provides a serene soundtrack. Our waiting areas are designed to be relaxing lounges where clients can unwind with a selection of premium teas, infused waters, and healthy snacks, all while perusing the latest lifestyle and wellness publications.
We strive to make every visit an indulgent retreat, where clients can escape the stresses of daily life and emerge feeling revitalized and beautiful. This unique blend of serene ambiance, personalized care, and professional excellence defines our clinics and sets us apart in the world of luxury aesthetics.
What are some of the most significant advancements in facial aesthetics and skin health that you have incorporated into your practice over the years?
Over the years, my practice has embraced several significant advancements in facial aesthetics and skin health to provide our clients with the best possible care and results.
Other than integration of injectable treatments, such as Botox and dermal fillers,
We have also incorporated laser and light-based therapies, such as Fractional CO2 lasers and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments. These technologies are exceptional for skin resurfacing, reducing pigmentation, and promoting collagen production, leading to a more youthful and radiant complexion.
The introduction of microneedling with PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) has been another game-changer. This technique stimulates the skin’s natural healing processes, improving texture, tone, and overall skin health by using the client’s own growth factors and for hair rejuvenation ,especially for menopausal alopecia.
Additionally, we have adopted radiofrequency (RF) treatments, which provide non-invasive skin tightening and lifting. RF technology helps to firm the skin by stimulating collagen and elastin production, delivering noticeable results without surgery.
We also employ advanced light therapy treatments with Dermalux and Intravenous treatments such as glutathione, B12 and NAD.
How do you stay updated with the latest trends and innovations in the field of facial aesthetics?
I stay updated with the latest trends and innovations in facial aesthetics by actively participating in industry conferences, workshops, and seminars. I also subscribe to leading medical and aesthetic journals, follow key opinion leaders and professional organizations on social media, and engage in online forums and webinars. Additionally, I invest in continuous education and advanced certification programs to ensure my skills and knowledge remain cutting-edge. Networking with peers and collaborating with industry experts further enhances my understanding of emerging techniques and technologies, allowing me to offer the most advanced and effective treatments to my clients.
Why did I establish the academy?
The motivation to establish the Newhall Facial Aesthetics Academy stemmed from my deep passion for advancing the field of facial aesthetics and a desire to elevate the standard of care provided by practitioners. Over the years, I noticed a gap in the market for personalized, high-quality training that properly prepares practitioners to meet the unique needs of their clients. Generic, one-size-fits-all training programs often fail to equip practitioners with the nuanced skills required to deliver patient-centred, bespoke treatments.
At the Newhall Facial Aesthetics Academy, we offer a unique approach to training that focuses on 1-2-1 teaching. This individualized instruction ensures that each aspiring practitioner receives the undivided attention and tailored guidance necessary to master advanced techniques. Our curriculum is designed to emphasize the importance of patient-centred care, teaching practitioners how to develop customized treatment plans that consider each client’s specific needs, preferences, and goals.
Our hands-on training sessions provide real-world experience, allowing practitioners to refine their skills under expert supervision. By prioritizing bespoke treatments and personalized education, the Newhall Facial Aesthetics Academy aims to produce highly skilled, compassionate practitioners who are committed to delivering exceptional, individualized care to their clients.
Can you elaborate on your collaboration with the celebrity chef and how this unique partnership enhances skin health through diet?
Partnering with a celebrity chef brings a dynamic dimension to enhancing skin health through diet. By combining my expertise as a facial aesthetician with the chef’s culinary prowess, we create a holistic approach that addresses skin concerns from within.
Our collaboration focuses on curating nutrient-rich menus that promote skin health and radiance. We emphasize foods high in antioxidants, vitamins, and essential fatty acids known to support collagen production, reduce inflammation, and maintain hydration. Our personalized meal plans consider individual skin types and conditions, aiming to improve complexion and overall well-being.
Additionally, we educate clients on the connection between diet and skin health, empowering them to make informed choices. By integrating professional skincare treatments with tailored dietary recommendations, we offer comprehensive care that enhances results and promotes long-term skin vitality. This innovative partnership not only elevates client experiences but also underscores the importance of nourishing the skin from the inside out.
How do you balance the artistic and scientific aspects of facial aesthetics to achieve natural and harmonious results for your clients?
Balancing the artistic and scientific aspects of facial aesthetics is essential to achieving natural and harmonious results for my clients.
From my background in Dentistry, the scientific aspect involves an understanding of facial anatomy, skin physiology, which forms the foundation upon which all treatments are based, ensuring safety, efficacy, and predictable outcomes.
On the other hand, the artistic aspect involves an intuitive understanding of facial proportions, symmetry, and aesthetics. It requires a keen eye for detail and a sense of proportion to enhance natural beauty while avoiding over-correction or unnatural results. This artistic skill allows me to customize treatments to each client’s unique facial structure and desired outcomes.
Furthermore, ongoing education and training in both scientific advancements and artistic techniques are crucial to allow me to stay abreast of the latest innovations in facial aesthetics, ensuring that I can offer my clients the highest level of care and achieve outcomes that are both scientifically sound and aesthetically pleasing.
What advice would you give to individuals looking to pursue a career in facial aesthetics and skin health, based on your extensive experience and expertise
Based on my extensive experience in facial aesthetics and skin health, I would advise individuals looking to pursue this career path to prioritise education, hands-on training, and continuous learning. Start by obtaining a solid foundation in anatomy, physiology, and dermatology. Seek advanced certifications and training from reputable institutions to master the latest techniques and technologies in injectables, lasers, and skincare.
Develop strong communication skills to understand clients’ goals and expectations effectively. Emphasize patient-centered care, focusing on personalized treatment plans that address individual concerns and enhance natural beauty. Cultivate an artistic eye for facial aesthetics, understanding the principles of symmetry and proportion.
Network with industry professionals, attend conferences, and stay updated on emerging trends. Lastly, maintain integrity and prioritise patient safety and satisfaction above all else. A commitment to professionalism, ongoing skill development, and ethical practice will ensure a rewarding and successful career in facial aesthetics and skin health.
In an era where technology and innovation are reshaping the entrepreneurial landscape, Scott English, Brand Director at CEMG, stands at the forefront of empowering fast-track SMEs and high-growth businesses. With a passion for providing entrepreneurs with the tools, insights, and connections they need to scale, he has played a pivotal role in shaping Elite Business into the UK’s leading content platform for ambitious founders.
From navigating the challenges of a rapidly evolving media landscape to embracing AI and automation, Scott ensures that Elite Business, Elite Business Live, Elite Franchise, and the EB100 & EF100 Awards remain invaluable resources for entrepreneurs worldwide. As he leads the platform’s international expansion—most recently into Canada—he continues to drive innovation, bridging the gap between knowledge, opportunity, and global success.
In this exclusive interview, Scott shares his vision for the future of entrepreneurship, the biggest challenges facing business leaders today, and how cutting-edge strategies are helping businesses thrive in an ever-changing world.
As Brand Director at CEMG, what is your core mission in supporting SME fast-track growth companies?
Elite Business is the UK’s leading content platform for fast-track startups, SMEs, and high-growth business owners. My core mission is to ensure it stays that way by continuing to provide the needed tools, insights and connections to succeed by making available any actionable information that helps entrepreneurs scale.
However, it’s more than that; it’s also about visibility and networking with your peers. Underpinning this are initiatives such as the Elite Franchise and EF100 awards, where we showcase not only the very best of the best entrepreneurs and businesses but also provide aspiring franchisees with the knowledge and support needed to navigate the world of franchising.
Elite Business has become a leading platform for entrepreneurs—how do you ensure it stays ahead in an evolving media landscape?
To stay ahead of the game that means continuously evolving and being nimble enough to respond to the ever-changing needs of fast-growing SME’s and entrepreneurs.
One of the major ways we do this is through Elite Business Live – a major event where high-growth entrepreneurs can seek out industry experts, investors, and thought leaders, who can offer invaluable advice.
The EB100 Awards are also invaluable. Here, the exposure for high-growth companies through the award brings added visibility and credibility. And hopefully, a longer-term boost for their businesses.
In a global context, we’re not standing still either; indeed, we’re expanding the Elite Franchise and the EF100 Awards internationally, with Canada marking the first international year for the EF100 CA Awards. From our perspective, this will help us stay connected to the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Entrepreneurship often comes with setbacks—can you share a time you faced a major challenge and how you overcame it?
The COVID-19 pandemic has been the obvious ‘elephant in the room’ – not least because when it hit in 2020, we were in the process of preparing Elite Business Live. So, its timing was inopportune, to say the least. Yet if the timing was one thing, there were also practical considerations to take on board too. For example, in-person events were cancelled, so we had to pivot quickly and transition to a fully virtual event, meaning a substantial investment in live-streaming technology and new content formats, to make the event engaging for our audience, was now required.
As the COVID protocols ebbed and flowed 2021 saw another set of challenges, leading us to take matters a step further by transforming Elite Business Live into a TV-style programme. This allowed us to safely bring our speakers on-site while complying with COVID protocols, such as social distancing measures, managing airflow in the room, and marking floors to ensure proper spacing between attendees. These efforts meant we could continue to offer value and engagement, even in the most challenging of times.
With AI and automation transforming industries, how do you see these technologies shaping the future of entrepreneurship and business media?
They say the AI revolution is coming but it is now here because AI and automation are already reshaping how businesses operate and how content is delivered to entrepreneurs.
Not only does AI provide smarter decision-making tools, but it also enhances customer experiences and allows for automation of operational tasks, freeing up time to focus on scaling. From our point of view AI helps us deliver highly personalised content to our audience, ensuring that the right insights and resources reach the right entrepreneurs.
Elite Business Live and our digital platforms are already using automation to streamline event logistics, optimise attendee experiences, and manage content delivery. As AI advances, we will become even more efficient in connecting entrepreneurs with the needed resources to grow their businesses.
What are the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face when expanding internationally, and how does Elite Business help?
Challenges to our international expansion are three-fold. Firstly, there are the cultural differences. Secondly, never underestimate the regulatory hurdles that need to be overcome and last, but not least, you need to understand the complexities of new market dynamics. For entrepreneurs that means not only navigating local business environments but also appreciating that to succeed they need to understand these competitive landscapes.
Our role at Elite Business is to provide the necessary resources and tools to help entrepreneurs make informed decisions when expanding globally. Platforms – such as Elite Business Live and Elite Business Online – can help connect entrepreneurs with industry experts who can provide advice on market entry strategies and overcome international expansion challenges.
Meanwhile, the EF100 Awards highlight successful franchises globally and our recent expansion into Canada and beyond, gives us a sense of satisfaction in that we continue to help entrepreneurs expand their own operations too.
What’s next for you and CEMG? Are any exciting projects or developments on the horizon?
The future is bright regarding continued growth for Elite Business, Elite Franchise and the EF100 Awards.
Our international expansion means we’re looking forward to further developing our offerings to help entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey.
Much of the focus will be on enhancing our events, such as Elite Business Live, and integrating more cutting-edge technologies to improve the experience for attendees and speakers. The EF100 Awards will also continue to grow, and our recent push into Canada will help expand our global reach even further. That is not to say that we aren’t always looking for improved means of supporting entrepreneurs, be it through digital content, live events, or industry-leading awards.
If you could sit down for a coffee with any entrepreneur—past or present—who would it be and why?
Well, Richard Branson immediately springs to mind, partly because he very kindly opened the very first Elite Business Live back in 2013. While I met him at a subsequent event I would like to get more time to spend with him.
I’ve always been inspired by his ability to marry bold innovation with a strong sense of personal brand and customer experience.
Scaling businesses is also important and given his experience across a myriad of industries, ranging from airlines to space travel and financial services, it bears testimony to his vision and resilience.
I am especially interested in what makes him tick in terms of how he has managed to maintain his entrepreneurial spirit despite having to navigate through often difficult business challenges of his own during his career.
Jason Graystone is not just a globally recognized entrepreneur—he’s a beacon of financial freedom. From launching his first business at 22 to building multiple 7-figure companies by 30, Jason’s journey is one of relentless determination and strategic investing. Today, he stands as a thought leader in the world of wealth creation, empowering thousands to break free from the chains of financial limitation. In this article, Jason shares his powerful insights on how to build unstoppable wealth and achieve the true freedom that many only dream of.
How did you manage to achieve financial independence by 30? What were the key steps?
Firstly, mental leverage. I found out I was going to be a dad at 23, and that fueled a quest for security that I wanted to provide for my family. I had a lack of security as a child and didn’t want that for my son.
I learned early that real wealth isn’t just about money, it’s about control.
I focused on building income streams that didn’t depend on my time. I mastered money management, built assets, and lived well below my means.
I automated savings to remove emotional decision-making, invested religiously every month, and treated financial freedom like a mathematical equation, because it is.
Many people chase more income but never measure how much time they’re buying.
I obsessed over that. When you value your time more than your money, you end up with plenty of both.
When you started your first business, did you ever imagine reaching this level of success? What motivated you to keep going?
No, not at all. I just knew I couldn’t live a life where I was told what I was worth.
The motivation wasn’t money, it was autonomy, mobility and flexibility.
I had a clear vision of the life I wanted to live: freedom of mind, movement, and money. That vision pulled me through every tough moment. I wasn’t motivated by the goal; I was committed to the process. Must have been the engineering brain in me!
You’ve built several successful businesses. What’s the most important thing to keep in mind when scaling a business?
Don’t scale chaos. A business must be built on systems, not stress.
If your business doesn’t serve your ideal lifestyle, you’ve just built another job.
Delegate the uninspiring tasks, automate what you can, and make sure everything aligns with your values.
If it doesn’t feel like a natural extension of who you are, it’s not scalable in a meaningful way, and you will face burnout like many do.
How do you personally define financial freedom, and why is it important?
Financial freedom is the ability to stop, not the obligation to keep going.
It’s having your lifestyle funded by assets, not effort.
For me, it’s about time, how many years of life you’ve already bought in advance. It matters because when you remove money stress, you show up better in every area: relationships, creativity, health, and leadership. You’re no longer surviving; you’re living.
You’ve talked about combining active income, investing, and business systems. How do these elements work together to build wealth?
They’re the three legs of the freedom tripod. Active income is the launchpad; it gets the cash flowing. There is only one way to get money, and that is for another human being to give it to you. This also provides fulfilment.
There are two ways to get it from them: a competitive environment like a sport where there is a winner and a loser, or to serve them and they pay you for a fair exchange.
Serving people is the easiest way to accumulate money.
Business systems then free up your time and scale impact.
Investing compounds the results and future-proofs your wealth.
Most people rely too heavily on one and wonder why they’re stuck.
You need all three working in harmony if you want to be Always Free.
What advice would you give to someone just starting in trading or investing?
Stop looking for the shortcut and start building the skillset.
Trading isn’t about predicting the market; it’s about managing yourself.
You’re not just trading charts, you’re trading your beliefs, your fears, your discipline. Master yourself, master the process, and let time do the rest.
The market rewards consistency, not excitement.
If you are looking to start investing, start by allocating your funds proportionately to your knowledge on the investment.
If it keeps you up at night, you have put too much in, or you don’t understand enough about it.
What common mistakes do new traders make, and how can they avoid them?
They chase freedom but trade from fear.
They focus on the outcome instead of the process.
They risk too much, learn too little, and expect too fast.
The solution is to slow down, get coached, journal every decision, and build a strategy that suits their personality.
The market doesn’t care about your goals; it rewards patience, precision, and process.
How has working with experts like Dr. Brett Steenbarger shaped your approach to trading?
Brett helped me understand that trading is less about strategy and more about state. He taught me to track emotional triggers, build mental resilience, and cultivate self-awareness. It’s not about suppressing emotions; it’s about understanding them and making decisions in alignment with your higher self. That changed everything.
How do you choose topics for your YouTube videos and podcasts to have the most impact?
I reverse engineer the content from the conversations I’m having daily, with entrepreneurs, with traders, with people stuck in a rut.
I speak to the problem they feel but can’t articulate.
I don’t make content for views; I make content for impact.
If it doesn’t move someone to action or give them clarity, I don’t publish it.
What’s one thing people should know if they want to succeed in business and building wealth?
It’s not one thing.
That’s the truth most people don’t want to hear.
Wealth is a ratio of many moving parts: values, vision, systems, psychology, income, liquidity, and lifestyle.
Ignore one, and the others suffer.
Success doesn’t come from one action; it comes from alignment.
Align who you are with what you do and how you earn, and you’ll never be stuck again.
At the Intersection of Culture, Capital, and Diplomacy: Global Stratalogues’ Pursuit of Purpose Beyond Ambition
Oscar Wendel is no stranger to bold ideas. From co-founding a lunar-dust cooling initiative to moderating high-level roundtables on the future of digital finance, he has built a career at the intersection of strategy and imagination. As the founder of Global Stratalogues—a forum and think tank launched in 2024—Oscar curates off-the-record dialogues that bridge sectors and disciplines.
Global Stratalogues has hosted roundtables at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords, alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos, with the Qatar Financial Center at the Qatar Economic Forum, at the Venice Biennale with the Saudi Ministry of Culture, and in partnership with the French Ministry of Economy’s Vision Golfe Summit in Paris. It has become a trusted platform for meaningful exchange between industry leaders, policymakers, and academics.
In this exclusive interview with Global Man, Oscar reflects on the power of curiosity, what reporting from conflict zones taught him about infrastructure, and why the most transformative conversations happen when the stage—and the ego—is set aside.
What inspired you to start Global Stratalogues, and what makes those roundtable conversations so powerful?
Global Stratalogues began with a simple insight: the most meaningful conversations often happen offstage, over dinner, between people who’d never otherwise meet. While running large conferences at Dubai World Trade Centre, I organized small, agenda-free dinners for my favorite 20 to 30 speakers. These dinners—unstructured, personal, and agenda-free—sparked something rare: people speaking not as company representatives, but as themselves.
After leaving this position, I wanted to preserve and build on that spirit. That’s how Global Stratalogues came to life—an independent forum and think tank designed to convene remarkable individuals from across sectors for open, non-commercial dialogue. What makes these roundtables powerful is exactly that openness. We don’t choreograph the conversation too tightly. By allowing people to speak candidly, without pushing a brand or a pitch, we create an atmosphere where unexpected insights emerge and new partnerships are born. When the right people share the same room, the conversation takes care of itself.
You’ve worked across journalism, events, and leadership platforms—what connects all these experiences for you?
At the core of everything I do—whether it’s reporting from conflict zones, curating global conferences, or hosting leadership forums—is a drive to bring people together around ideas that matter. Journalism taught me to listen deeply and find meaning in complexity. Event programming taught me how to shape environments that make people feel safe to share bold ideas. And Global Stratalogues brings it all together: it’s about curating not just content, but chemistry.
What was it like reporting from conflict zones like Iraq and Afghanistan? How did it shape your perspective today?
I wasn’t embedded with military units, but was reporting on industrial operations in some of the most complex and high-risk regions of the Middle East. The trips I made to Baghdad, Basra, and Kabul required meticulous planning, down to the hour. I travelled with logistics operators in Basra who had armored their trucks not just to protect goods, but to ensure supply chains could keep flowing even amid attacks. In Baghdad, entrepreneurs were reestablishing truck dealerships in areas while urban warfare and roadside bombs were a common occurrence. These were stories of determination to build something amid chaos.
That experience fundamentally reshaped my understanding of what “infrastructure” really means. It’s not just about roads and ports—it’s about trust, relationships, and the invisible threads of human coordination that keep fragile environments functioning. It’s also why I approach business and trade through a deeply human lens today. I’ve seen firsthand that resilience isn’t just a system—it’s a living organism, sustained by people coming together to make it work.
You’ve taken on big projects like worker rights and fire safety—what drives you to tackle these complex challenges?
I’m drawn to the blind spots that are inconvenient to talk about but too important to ignore. I think we all believe that we are on the side of truth and justice. Reaching a common understanding of what that is requires there to be open lines of communication between stakeholders to see eye to eye on what the reality on the ground is. When I first moved to Dubai in 2008, I launched the conference division of the magazines Construction Week and Arabian Business. It was in the midst of the building boom, and there was a significant global spotlight on worker safety and welfare. The first conference I produced was under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Labour, convening international organizations such as the Human Rights Watch, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the American labour union AFL-CIO. They met with regional construction contractors and diplomatic representatives from the sending countries of labourers. The discussions were very constructive, and many misunderstandings were cleared up, as well as new initiatives that took shape, including the midday work ban for labourers in the summer months. Years later, after a series of high-rise fires, I collaborated with Civil Defense authorities across the Gulf to raise fire safety standards. These projects matter because they change lives.
Tell us about the moment you realized the power of combining creativity with strategy—was there a turning point?
Absolutely. During my time at the Dubai World Trade Centre, I launched the Creative Economy program at GITEX, bringing together authors, artists, and philosophers. The conversations moved beyond the benefits of products and services to explore the deeper, intrinsic value of innovation. By placing creativity at the core, I came to see it as the most potent strategy for unlocking technology’s true potential—to serve people in meaningful, human-centered ways.
At the Qatar Economic Forum, your roundtable with the Qatar Financial Center focused on tokenization of real-world assets. What excites you about this digital asset world?
Fractional ownership unlocks global liquidity and participation. What excites me is the convergence of compliance, capital, and code—it’s reshaping how new value is created and accessed.
With Qatar aiming to tokenize major properties—skyscrapers worth over $500 million—what challenges and opportunities do you see in bringing these conversations to life?
The opportunity is clear: increased transparency, liquidity, and cross-border investment. The challenge lies in regulation, interoperability, and education. These are not just tech conversations—they’re legal, political, and cultural. That’s why roundtables like ours matter. We’re not just showcasing use cases—we’re designing the governance models needed to scale them.
You’ve made bold moves with ASTROCOOL and the Intraplanetary National Anthem. How do you take a creative idea and turn it into global impact?
Creative ideas become impactful when they are shared, supported, and strategically staged. Start with a bold vision, bring the right people together, and find the right stage. Impact comes from cross-sector collaboration, global platforms like COP and the UN, and a strong story with a clear call to action.
Both projects you mention are outlandish in a literal sense. Astrocool is a research project that I co-founded, proposing a lunar-dust solar-shield concept to cool our planet. David Chaum and I focused on the scientific backbone and showcased the idea at the hundred-year-old Deutsches Museum in Munich, the largest science museum in the world.
The idea for the Intraplanetary National Anthem came to me on the spur of the moment after being invited to speak at a COP28 press conference with a day’s notice. I asked my friend Fernando Garibay, the Grammy-winning producer behind Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, to join me on stage to unveil a project we dubbed a “Salute and Celebration to All Mankind.” In the video, you’ll notice how nervous I am. It was a surreal feeling to announce something as unconventional on a UN stage, and I was worried about getting in trouble or bursting out laughing. Afterwards, with the response it received, I realised what a powerful idea it is to create a unifying project celebrating humanity through music. Immediately after the press conference, the team behind placing the first art installation on the moon, Jeff Koons’ Moon Phases, invited me to their launch at Cape Canaveral the next month to discuss potential collaboration. The project is growing in ambition, and work is ongoing with an orchestra in Venice.
How do you bring people from government, business, and culture together to have honest, meaningful talks?
You design for trust and dialogue based on a shared sense of intellectual curiosity. No stages, egos, hierarchies, or experts speaking down to an audience asking questions. It’s not about status, it’s about insight and openness without self-aggrandizing sales and promotion. This means curating the guest list with discrimination. The quality of an event is as much about who is not there as it is about who is.
Finally, it’s asking questions that have no clear answers. Finding new paths towards insights requires the intersection of perspectives. The most boring thing in the world is gathering like-minded individuals. This often leads to entrenched views and groupthink, perpetuating the status quo.
You’ve written under a different name and published a book praised by Forbes. What made you take that route, and what do you hope readers take away?
Oscar Wilde said, ‘Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.’ Writing under a pseudonym gave me the freedom to speak openly about uncomfortable truths. The book ‘Bargepole Management’ described strategies to establish and exploit inequalities across organizations to the advantage of a minority. While seen as quite offensive to many, it was written to unveil the Realpolitik of management in large organizations.
From the rugged northern coastlines to the sun-soaked cities of the south, one name is quietly reshaping the landscape of luxury real estate in Portugal—Dr. Nuno R. B. Martins, PhD. As a visionary co-founder of LUX PREMIUM, one ofthe country’s largest and most dynamic real estate development firms, Dr. Martins has built more than just properties—he’s building an empire. With over €500 million in premium investments and 300,000 square meters under construction, his story is one of bold ambition, strategic brilliance, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Welcome to the world of LUX PREMIUM—where luxury meets legacy.
Dr. Martins, you’re the founder of several companies across different sectors. What initially inspired your entry into the real estate industry, and how did the vision for LUX PREMIUM come to life?
We are living in the most extraordinary period in human history. Technology now empowers entrepreneurs everywhere to think globally and address humanity’s global challenges. Innovations in computing, communications, and transportation have enabled us to reach across borders and scale impact in unimaginable ways.
My mission is to help build a world of abundance where everyone has a great quality of life. Housing is a fundamental component of that vision. Solving the housing crisis isn’t just about creating shelter for everyone. It’s about improving everyone’s quality of life, health, safety, and dignity. That vision began to take shape during my time at NASA Ames Research Centre, in California, where I explored how exponential technologies could be a powerful tool to help us solve the global housing crisis.
Today, through LUX PREMIUM, we are actively working to develop high-quality, health-centric housing at accessible prices, beginning in my home country, Portugal. Our broader goal is to scale globally, helping to ensure that every individual has a place they can proudly call home. Housing is just one challenge, but it’s a critical one—and I am deeply committed to being part of the solution.
LUX PREMIUM has grown to become one of Portugal’s leading real estate developers. What key factors or strategies have fueled this impressive growth and national presence?
The foundation of our success at LUX PREMIUM can be summarized in one word: integrity. Business is fundamentally about trust and relationships. We believe that our reputation is our most valuable asset, and we do everything we can to uphold it across every stakeholder interaction, whether with clients, partners, municipalities, or suppliers.
We strive to ensure that every participant in our development process feels heard, respected, and satisfied. Long-term success depends not only on delivering excellent products but on fostering enduring trust. For us, honesty is not just a value—it’s a strategy for building a resilient company with a meaningful mission.
Your current development portfolio spans numerous cities across Portugal and represents over €500 million in investment. How do you strategically select locations, and what makes a region ideal for LUX PREMIUM projects?
We select our project locations based on one core criterion: need. Our mission is to develop housing where there is a clear demand for higher-quality, healthier living spaces, particularly in areas where existing housing is substandard.
In many Portuguese cities, residential buildings are outdated and no longer serve the well-being of their occupants. At LUX PREMIUM, we focus on creating modern, energy-efficient, well-ventilated, and well-insulated housing that genuinely enhances quality of life. For us, the term “premium” is synonymous with “healthy” and “impactful”—not “extravagant.” We aim to deliver housing solutions that uplift communities while remaining accessible to residents.
With a gross construction area of 300,000 m² under development, what does this scale of work mean to you, both in terms of business achievement and contribution to Portugal’s urban development?
This scale represents both a milestone and a responsibility. It reflects the trust the market has placed in us, but more importantly, it underscores the magnitude of the work still ahead. There are still many individuals and families in Portugal living in homes that do not meet high health and well-being standards.
Our goal is to redefine what a “home” should be: well-lit, energy-efficient, properly ventilated, and built to support both physical and mental health. Every square meter we build is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference. For LUX PREMIUM, success is measured not only in sold units but mostly in how many lives we have positively impacted.
Premium quality is central to your brand. How do you ensure that each project consistently reflects the high standards that LUX PREMIUM promises?
At LUX PREMIUM, the word “premium” does not mean luxury for luxury’s sake. It means delivering exceptional value by maximizing the ratio of quality to cost. We strive to raise living standards while maintaining affordability. “Premium” in Lisbon may look different from “premium” in a rural town, but the philosophy is the same: we aim to exceed expectations based on the local economic context.
Our commitment is to thoughtful, high-integrity design and execution that enhances everyday life, not just visually, but functionally, socially, and environmentally.
What role does innovation play in your approach to real estate development, and how are you integrating sustainability into your projects?
Innovation is central to everything we do. Technology provides the tools we need to rethink housing from the ground up—from materials and energy systems to lighting, air quality, and insulation.
At LUX PREMIUM, we actively explore how emerging technologies can improve the health, sustainability, and efficiency of our buildings. Our homes are designed to support not just physical comfort, but also mental and emotional well-being. We see housing as a foundational platform for a great quality of life, and innovation is the key to continuously improving that platform.
What have been some of your biggest challenges as a real estate entrepreneur, and how have those experiences shaped your leadership style?
I view myself not as a leader in the traditional sense, but as a team member. My role is to support, motivate, and empower those around me. Leadership, for me, is about service—about ensuring that every individual within our company feels valued, fulfilled, and aligned with our mission.
A company is like a family. Every member’s contribution is essential, and it is our collective responsibility to create an environment where everyone thrives. That mindset has helped me build companies where the culture of purpose and care is just as important as our business goals. A company culture is one of the underlying reasons for a company’s success.
As a founder managing multiple companies, how do you balance your time, make high-stakes decisions, and maintain clarity in your long-term vision?
My compass is always my mission: to make the world a better place. Profit is important, but it is not my ultimate goal—it’s a means to an end. My true measure of success is the number of lives positively impacted by the work we do.
When that purpose is clear, it becomes easier to make decisions, prioritize, and allocate time. I see capital as a tool that, when used wisely, can fuel progress, create jobs, and solve real problems. My energy goes toward maximizing the positive impact my companies can have on people and society.
Looking ahead, do you see opportunities for international expansion or diversification into new sectors under the LUX PREMIUM brand?
Yes, absolutely. While Portugal remains our core focus, we are actively exploring opportunities for international expansion. The housing crisis is not unique to Portugal—it’s a global issue. Our vision is to bring our healthy, human-centric housing philosophy to other countries where we can create similar value.
We are currently identifying markets where there is both need and opportunity for innovation in residential development. But our global ambitions will always be grounded in our founding principles: quality, accessibility, and a commitment to improving lives.
What legacy do you hope to build through real estate and your broader entrepreneurial journey?
I aspire to contribute meaningfully to solving some of the great global challenges of our time—from poverty and clean water access to education, healthcare, and environmental restoration. I believe these challenges are solvable, especially when technology is harnessed thoughtfully and inclusively.
I see entrepreneurship as the most effective vehicle for creating scalable, lasting change. Through my businesses, I aim to address not just housing, but the broader ecosystem of human well-being.
Ultimately, I want to leave behind a world that is better and more abundant for all. And I invite everyone reading this to join in that mission, whether by helping a neighbor, supporting a good cause, or building something extraordinary. Every contribution matters.
