Thriving Minds with Alberto Zandi

Professor Sonia Livingstone is one of the world’s leading experts on how technology is changing our lives. A technology social psychologist at the London School of Economics and Political Science, she has spent decades researching social media, digital wellbeing and online safety, while advising governments and international organisations around the world.Technology was supposed to make our lives easier. But has it also made us less in control?In this episode, Professor Livingstone explains why the biggest technology companies are fighting for our attention, how social media can learn and exploit our vulnerabilities, why screen time alone is the wrong way to think about digital wellbeing, and how artificial intelligence could take the attention economy to an entirely new level.She also explains why children are struggling to put their phones down, what parents are getting wrong about screen time, how our own phone habits influence our children, and why simply taking technology away may create more problems than it solves.You will learn:• Why agency may be one of the most important factors in our mental wellbeing• How social media platforms are designed to keep us scrolling• Why five hours on a screen does not always have the same effect• How personalised algorithms can push vulnerable people towards increasingly extreme content• Why children may feel they have nowhere else to go when we take their phones away• The biggest mistakes parents make when managing technology at home• Why children are constantly watching how their parents use their phones• How to create a healthier relationship with technology without removing it completely• Why AI companions could become particularly dangerous for lonely and vulnerable people• How to use AI without allowing it to replace human judgement and real relationships• Why governments are struggling to regulate technology quickly enough• The simple changes we can make today to take back control of our attentionProfessor Livingstone’s message is ultimately simple: technology should be a tool that helps us live the life we choose.It should not choose that life for us.Buy Prof Livingstone books:https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B001HP4N1E/Follow Prof Livingstone:https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sonia-livingstone-6b0b8712https://www.lse.ac.uk/people/sonia-livingstone#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #Livingstone #Professor #BigTech #DigitalWellbeing #TechRegulation #MediaLiteracy #LSE #SiliconValley #MentalHealth #Technology #SocialMedia #Automation #DigitalAge

Most people believe they should have figured their life out by 30.Simon Woodroffe says he was lost, nearly out of money and 47 when he opened YO! Sushi. He explains why boldness matters more than following the perfect plan, and why some of the greatest opportunities appear when you ignore how an industry tells you things should be done.Simon Woodroffe is an entrepreneur, the founder of YO! Sushi and YOTEL, one of the original Dragons on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, and the author of Yo! Man. YO! Sushi grew from one unconventional Soho restaurant into an international brand, while YOTEL expanded from a small airport hotel prototype into a global hospitality business.He explains:Why starting YO! Sushi at 47 proves that you are never too late to build something significantHow he opened a £1 million restaurant with only a fraction of the money he needed and had queues within one weekWhy being bold, different and occasionally outrageous can become your greatest competitive advantageWhy founders must eventually give up control and trust other people if they want the business to scaleWhy he believes businesses should be built with an eventual sale in mindHow childhood loneliness, prison at 17, imposter syndrome and an “I’ll show them” mentality fuelled his successThe views expressed are those of the guest, and this conversation is intended for general informational purposes only.This podcast and its associated materials should not be used as a substitute for professional financial, legal, business, health or other specialist advice.Follow Simon: ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Website⁠Buy Simon’s book: ⁠Yo! Man⁠#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #SimonWoodroffe #YoSushi #YOTEL #Entrepreneur #HospitalityIndustry #BusinessWisdom #ThailandLife #FounderStories #StartupAdvice #LifeAfterSuccess

Most people blame their phone for destroying their attention. Nir Eyal says the phone is often only the outlet, that 90% of distraction begins with something happening inside us, and that the real solution is not deleting every app but learning to manage discomfort, plan our time and challenge the beliefs keeping us stuck.Nir Eyal is a behavioural design expert, former lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, and the author of Hooked, Indistractable and Beyond Belief.He first revealed the psychology companies use to create habit-forming products, before developing a practical system to help people reclaim their attention and follow through on what they intend to do.He explains:◼ Why your phone is probably not the real reason you cannot focus◼ Why boredom, anxiety, loneliness, fatigue and uncertainty drive most distraction◼ The four-step system for taking back control of your attention◼ Why traditional to-do lists can make you feel busy, unsuccessful and incapable of managing your time◼ Why emails and other work-related tasks can become distractions disguised as productivity◼ How the beliefs and labels you repeat can change what you see, how you behave and what you believe you are capable of achievingThe views expressed are those of the guest, and this conversation is intended for general informational purposes only. This podcast and its associated materials should not be used as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, legal, financial or other specialist advice.Follow Nir:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/https://www.instagram.com/nireyal/https://www.youtube.com/user/nirandfarhttps://www.nirandfar.com/Buy Nir's books:https://amzn.to/44ZoL6q#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #NirEyal #Distraction #PhoneAddiction #BehavioralPsychology #Focus #Productivity #Habits #DigitalWellness #MentalHealth

Food is supposed to nourish us. So why has eating become a source of guilt, anxiety, confusion and control?Emily English is one of the world’s leading nutritionists, a bestselling author, entrepreneur and one of the most influential voices in modern healthy eating.Known to millions as Em The Nutritionist, she has built a global community by making healthy food feel simple, joyful and realistic. She is also the founder of Epitome, a science-led gut health brand, and the author of So Good, Live to Eat and her latest book created for people who want nutritious food without spending hours in the kitchen.But Emily’s mission began with her own painful relationship with food. After being scouted as a model at 17, one comment about her body led her into a cycle of restriction, obsessive exercise and fear around eating.She explains:◼️ Why diets work temporarily but almost always fail in the long term◼️ Why some people cannot stop thinking about food◼️ How childhood experiences silently shape the way you eat as an adult◼️ Why trying to look healthy can make you physically and mentally unhealthy◼️ The nutrition trends and online advice she believes people should stop following◼️ Why healthy people may not need continuous glucose monitors◼️ How stress, anxiety and the speed at which you eat can affect your gut◼️ Why some people feel bloated after eating foods that are supposed to be healthy◼️ The truth about carbohydrates, sugar, fruit, ultra-processed food and blood glucose spikes◼️ Why intuitive eating does not work for everyone◼️ How to enjoy pizza, pasta, chocolate and restaurants without guilt◼️ What your gut microbiome has to do with your skin, brain, hormones and immune system◼️ Why people pleasing contributed to Emily’s eating disorder and later business burnout◼️ How she recovered after a business failure, betrayal and mental breakdown◼️ What it really takes to create nutrition habits that last for lifeFollow Em:https://www.instagram.com/emthenutritionist/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCidIG-H2gxf9Wkf30z3aSaAhttps://www.facebook.com/emthenutritionist/https://www.emilyenglish.com/Buy Em's books:https://amzn.to/4vO2tzA#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #EmilyEnglish #Nutritionist #HealthyEating #FoodRelationship #DietCulture #Wellness #BlueZones #BodyImage #NutritionTips #HealthPodcast #MindfulEating #FoodIsCulture

Depression is not always sadness. Feeling numb, disconnected and trapped inside your own mind is the warning sign.Dr Rosalind Watts is one of the world’s leading clinical psychologists and researchers in psychedelic therapy, depression and human connectedness. At Imperial College London, she worked on one of the pioneering clinical trials investigating psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, as a treatment for people living with treatment-resistant depression.She is the creator of the Connectedness Scale, now used in psychedelic research around the world, and the founder of ACER, a therapeutic community designed to help people turn temporary psychological breakthroughs into lasting change.She explains:◼️ Why depression often feels like numbness rather than sadness◼️ How modern life, loneliness and excessive screen time are disconnecting us from ourselves and each other◼️ What psychedelic therapy really does to the mind and why some patients felt alive again after years of depression◼️ Why psychedelics are not a miracle cure and can become dangerous in the wrong environment◼️ What people must do after a psychedelic experience to prevent the old patterns from returning◼️ Why antidepressants help some people but leave others feeling emotionally numb◼️ How trapped emotions, trauma and the need for control can keep people psychologically stuck◼️ Why friendship, community and nature may be among the most powerful forms of medicine◼️ The ACER framework for accepting your emotions and reconnecting with your body, other people and the world◼️ Why learning to feel your pain may be the beginning of feeling alive againFollow Dr. Watts:http://instagram.com/acerintegrationhttps://medium.com/@UCesynUk4Pi__QGy1SnW92_Ahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rosalind-watts-89527660/https://twitter.com/drrosalindwatts#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #DrRosalindWatts #Psychedelics #Psilocybin #MagicMushrooms #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #AlcoholFree #PlantMedicine #Neurogenesis #PsychedelicResearch #SoberCurious #Wellness #Microdosing

Most people wait until they feel ready.Andrea Thompson built her career by doing the opposite.In this episode, Alberto sits down with Andrea Thompson, former Editor in Chief of Marie Claire UK, award-winning journalist, investigative reporter, and one of the most influential women in British media.Andrea grew up in a home where politics, current affairs, race, representation, and social justice were part of everyday conversation. From a young age, she wanted to tell stories that mattered, especially the stories that were not being told.Her career took her across some of the biggest names in British media, from newspapers and magazines to television. She worked undercover, investigated exploitation, reported on child labour, and exposed difficult truths in industries where power often protected itself.Then came the role she had wanted since university: Editor in Chief of Marie Claire.But when the dream job arrived, it came with redundancy, grief, pressure, digital transformation, and eventually lockdown.Andrea had to rebuild Marie Claire as a digital-first brand while leading a small team, protecting the values of a legacy publication, raising two children, and carrying the loneliness that often comes with leadership.In this conversation, Andrea opens up about ambition, risk, failure, media ethics, motherhood, leadership, representation, power, the changing role of journalism, and why doing things that scare you may be the only way to grow.This episode is for anyone who has ever wanted to take a bigger step in life, but did not feel ready.It is for anyone who has ever achieved the thing they wanted, only to realise the pressure was bigger than they expected.And it is for anyone who needs the reminder that nobody is an overnight success.You will learn:Why Andrea wanted to become a journalist from a young age.What undercover journalism taught her about people, power, and exploitation.Why the media’s treatment of women has changed so dramatically over the past 20 years.What it really felt like to become Editor in Chief of Marie Claire.Why the dream job can still be the hardest job.How she rebuilt a legacy magazine for the digital age.Why leadership can be deeply lonely.Why women have been taught to feel uncomfortable with ambition.What it takes to balance motherhood, career, pressure, and purpose.Why nobody is truly an overnight success.Why Andrea believes we should all do something that scares us regularly.Follow Andrea:⁠Instagram⁠⁠Website⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #AndreaThompson #MarieClaire #FashionJournalism #EditorInChief #CareerGoals #Manifestation #WomenInMedia #JournalismCareer #FashionMagazine #MediaCareer #DreamJob