The Being Human Podcast

In this episode, Amelia and Jez are joined by Dr Jutta Tobias Mortlock to explore what it really means to be mindful. Jutta is a social psychologist and leading researcher in mindfulness at City St George’s, University of London. Together, they discuss why mindfulness is a practice rather than a quick fix, how it can open the door to psychological safety in teams, and why its purpose is ultimately to understand and transform suffering both for ourselves and others. Jutta explains that mindfulness is less about emptying the mind or finding calm, and more about remembering that we always have a choice in how we respond. Through stories from her work with leaders in high-pressure environments, including the British Armed Forces, she shows how noticing our stress, slowing down and asking “what is helpful now?” can change the course of a conversation, a decision or a relationship.

In this episode of the Being Human Podcast, Amelia and Jez are joined by Professor Helen Chatterjee to explore how museums, culture, creativity, and community-based approaches can transform health and wellbeing – especially for those facing inequalities. Helen shares her experience of taking her roles as a zoologist and museum curator and using them to drive her work as a creative health advocate, highlighting the importance of moving beyond clinical care to address social determinants of health. Through engaging stories and research insights, Helen delves into the value of creative health, social prescribing, and the ways communities can foster connection and resilience.

Amelia and Jez are joined by Adam Kingl and Jakub Radzikowski to explore nourishment in its broadest sense. From the science of what we eat to the creativity, care, and connection that shape how we live. Drawing on Adam’s work in leadership, innovation and education, and Jakub’s background as a scientist and chef, they reflect on the role of cooking as an act of mindfulness, the value of preparation and mastery, and the joy of sharing food with others. Together, they consider how the kitchen can become a place of learning, experimentation and belonging, and why nourishment is about far more than nutrition alone.

Amelia and Jez sit down with renowned photo editor and visual storyteller Kira Pollack to explore how photographs shape what (and who) we see. From her years at TIME Magazine to her role as Creative Director at Vanity Fair, she lifts the lid on the often‑invisible role of the photo editor: commissioning photographers, advocating for their work, and navigating the creative and ethical decisions behind some of the world’s most recognisable and powerful images. Through her fellowship at Harvard, she’s exploring how technology and oral histories might help us preserve visual history while protecting authorship and trust, turning her role of advocating for photographers shot by shot into a longer‑term project to build archives where images are remembered not just as files, but as evidence of what they saw, and the stories, risks, and relationships behind each frame.

For the first episode of series four, Amelia and Jez sit down with ethics advisor Ben Wilberforce-Ritchie to explore how ordinary people make ethical choices in a messy, pressurised world. From speed limits and office policies to laws and social norms – exploring that fact that “we can” is not the same as “we should.” Ben shares how his work in high-risk corporate environments has shaped his view that ethics isn’t about being perfect, but about thinking critically, noticing the grey areas, and trying to polish our small corner of the world. Ben gives advice on how we can build better judgment, create cultures where people feel safe to speak up, and make good decisions when it matters most.

In this final episode of series 3 of the Being Human Podcast, hosts Amelia Vegting and Jez Francis are joined by leadership, team culture and resilience expert Mark Denton. Mark shares his remarkable experience leading a diverse, amateur crew in the world’s toughest round-the-world yacht race, highlighting the importance of vulnerability, inclusive leadership, and teamwork under intense pressure. Through candid stories of success, setbacks, and learning from failure, Mark reveals what it takes to build genuine togetherness and high performance - whether at sea or in the workplace!

In this episode, Amelia and Jez are joined by endurance athlete and Guinness World Record holder Natalie Dau. Together, they explore what it means to be human by embracing failure, finding growth in discomfort, and noticing joy in everyday moments. Natalie shares her journey of running ultramarathons, including her two epic 1,000 km solo runs across Southeast Asia. She reflects on the importance of support systems and the lasting impact of kindness from strangers during her adventures - reminding us that as long as you’ve tried your best, that is more than enough.

Amelia and Jez explore the human voice. With Heather Hanson, an expert in global communication, they explore the power of voice and accent in shaping identity and status. Heather shines a light on accent bias and how it persists both socially and professionally, and the price we pay as a result. The notion of 'good' and 'bad' English is challenged, and the case for more inclusivity in how we perceive and value different accents is made. The conversation delves into practical strategies for individuals to make their voices heard in the workplace and beyond, and for leaders to create more inclusive communication cultures. Heather's insights reveal how deeply ingrained accent biases are and the importance of self-awareness in overcoming them, ultimately emphasising that being human means communicating and connecting with others, regardless of how we sound.