We’ve all heard that old cliché, "It gets me from A to B." For a long period of time, that was good enough in the eyes of many drivers. How times have changed. The car industry is at the intersection of a range of disruptive forces: environmental sustainability, the rise of digital and AI, and the brand purpose era (to name a few).

There are few industries that are changing as rapidly, and as fundamentally, as automotive. To help Will understand the experience and brand implications of this new world behind the wheel, he is joined in this episode by Len Devanna, VP at Cortico-X, and Jeff Curry, former VP of Global Marketing, Communications and Product at Lucid Motors.

Get in touch with Cortico-X here [https://acquiscortico-x.com/get-in-touch/].

Follow Cortico-X on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/acquiscortico-x/].

Driving CX in the auto industry, with Jeff Curry and Len Devanna

London’s famously gloomy weather reflects the national mood. Farmers are marching on Westminster to protest crippling changes to inheritance tax laws. They are one of countless segments of the population that the new Starmer government has alienated in its early days in power. Illegal migrants continue to cross the channel in unprecedented numbers. Journalists are being investigated for thought crimes. And the long-term economic outlook is anemic. 

At the same time, the new Trump administration may provide a blueprint for how to shake up a country in decline. The question is, how can we make Britain great again? To help Will with an answer, he is joined by comedian, podcaster and GB News host, Leo Kearse.

Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod].

Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Make Britain Great Again, with Leo Kearse

There has been no real, society-wide reflection on the way we responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to reflect on it, because the responses of Western governments were characterised by some of the most flagrant abuses of political power in history. We also witnessed shocking failures in the pharmaceutical industry; all in the pursuit of gigantic profits at the expense of public safety.

Fortunately, Naomi Wolf is talking about it. Naomi’s most recent, and perhaps most important, contribution to the public debate has been editing the now released collection of papers, collectively called 'The Pfizer Papers – Pfizer’s Crimes Against Humanity.'

Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod].

Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Pfizer's crimes against humanity, with Naomi Wolf

This episode was recorded on the morning after the 2024 US election. Historians may just have a few things to say about it in years to come. One reflection will no doubt be on the impact of images and videos on the campaign. Whilst we’ve had several social media elections now, this was perhaps the first one where social media was combined with the power of AI to deliver visual content. The results were in turn unnerving, powerful, positive, and terrifying.

The impact of AI is, and will be felt no more viscerally than in the domain of visual media. After all, videos and photos impact us on the most human of levels. And organizations, like politicians, are still trying to come to terms with it.

To discuss the fusion of AI and visual experiences and what it will mean for businesses, Will is joined by the VP of Strategy at Cloudinary, Sam Pickover.

Get in touch with Cortico-X here [https://acquiscortico-x.com/get-in-touch/].

Follow Cortico-X on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/acquiscortico-x/].

The GenAI revolution gets visual, with Sam Pickover

Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States. He will be the second President in history to be elected for non-consecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland. Whether you like him or not, Trump has confirmed his position as the most remarkable American political figure of the 21st century. 

To discuss what we’ve just seen, and what is to come, Will is joined by writer and commentator, Melissa Chen.

Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod].

Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Why Trump won, with Melissa Chen

In a recent episode with Lord Frost, Will asked him if he was hopeful for the future of the United Kingdom. He acknowledged that it feels doom and gloom in 2024, but that the country has a history of getting itself into difficulties, and then finding the strength to overcome them. It is a great country with great traditions, and we just need to draw on them once again.

If the UK is to draw strength from its history, it should talk more about it. There’s no one better in the world to have that conversation with than the co-host of the cultural phenomenon that is The Rest Is History podcast, Dominic Sandbrook.

Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod].

Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

The 10 greatest British history questions, with Dominic Sandbrook

We are 10 days out from the most important US election of our lifetimes. Of course that’s what they always say, but this time it feels like it may just be true. In this special bonus episode, Will chatted to Former White House Press Secretary, and now host of The Sean Spicer Show, Sean Spicer. Sean reflected on the campaign, and gave his prediction for who will win on the 5th of November. And spoiler alert, he thinks he'll win bigly.

Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod].

Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Watch The Sean Spicer Show here. [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFB0An_BK5hKadLEI5Q60D4WNEL77D1T2&feature=shared]

BONUS: Landslide incoming, with Sean Spicer

The start of a new government sets a tone that is often difficult to change. And the tone of Keir Starmer’s first 100 days has been dire, reinforcing a feeling of malaise across the United Kingdom. 

To help with his first report card, Will is joined by David Frost, a Conservative member of the House of Lords and previously the Europe adviser to Boris Johnson and his Chief Negotiator for Exiting the EU in 2019 and 2020.

Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod].

Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Starmer's 100-day report card, with Lord David Frost

There are many things that are depressing about the modern culture wars, but none more so than the war on the past. There is a concerted, fierce and increasingly successful effort to not just make us ashamed of our history, but to disconnect us from it entirely.

How did this war start, and more importantly, how can it be won by defenders of Western civilisation? To answer these questions, Will is joined by sociologist, author, and commentator Frank Furedi. Frank’s new book is titled, “The War on the Past: Why the West Must Fight for its History.”

Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod].

Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

The war on the past, with Frank Furedi

Over the previous decades, technology has made it easier to understand and connect with other people, whether through social media, digital adoption, or with the increasing use of AI. At the same time, human interactions have become more polarized, with growing levels of political and social conflict.

We are at a critical juncture in world history. The combination of technology and interconnectivity can either be used to coerce and further polarize people, or it can be used to enhance human flourishing. How can we push the world in the latter direction? To answer that question, Will is joined by CX legend Bruce Temkin, and the President of Cortico-X, Sujay Saha.

Get in touch with Cortico-X here [https://acquiscortico-x.com/get-in-touch/].

Follow Cortico-X on LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/acquiscortico-x/].

Humanity@Scale, with Bruce Temkin and Sujay Saha

A safe space for dangerous conversations, from The Spectator Australia.
The Spectator is the world’s longest-running magazine of news, arts and ideas.
Hosted by Will Kingston.

Fire at Will

A bi-weekly podcast from Cortico-X on experience, innovation and digital strategy.
Cortico-X is an experience-led transformation business that partners with clients and technology companies to drive digital acceleration.
Hosted by Will Kingston.

Speaking from Experience

Will is the host of the Australiana podcast (produced by The Spectator Australia). 

Will Kingston

Shows