Human Innovation with Jens Heitland

Jens Heitland

Long form conversations with CEOs and senior leaders on leadership, decision making, and innovation inside complex organizations. Hosted by Jens Heitland, CEO of Heitland Media Group and former Global Head of Innovation at IKEA Centres. © The Jens Heitland Show - Heitland Media Group

  1. 2 days ago

    EP270 - Jeff Helfgott on the Real Risks of Owning a Franchise

    Jens Heitland speaks with Jeff Helfgott of Boardroom Salon for Men about franchising as a lower-risk way to own a business with more support. Jeff shares the realities of small business ownership that rarely make it to social media, how he vets and guides franchise owners, how his team approaches AI and in-house technology, and why following great people has shaped every step of his career, from a childhood job in a barbershop to leading a 55-location franchise. Highlights: 00:00 Ep.270_Podcast_Jens_Jeff Helfgott 00:02 Origin Story 06:40 Boardroom Salon & Franchising 14:17 The Vetting Process 19:11 Corporate Leaders to Franchise Owners 22:39 Leading Franchisees to Success 25:55 Mentorship & Personal Journey 31:58 Technology in Franchising 38:47 The Future of Franchising Guest links: Connect with Jeff Helfgott Website: https://www.jeffhelfgott.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhelfgott Connect with Jens: https://www.jensheitland.com/links

    EP270 - Jeff Helfgott on the Real Risks of Owning a Franchise

  2. 6 Oct

    EP269 - Stephen Brooks on Entrepreneurship, AI and Culture

    Stephen Brooks returns for his fourth one-on-one conversation with Jens Heitland, now back in Europe after more than fifteen years in the United States. Together they discuss the difference in business relationships on each side of the Atlantic, Stephen's new book The £10 Business Tool Box: An Entrepreneur's Guide, and why every business should begin with a clearly defined problem. The conversation moves through AI adoption in small and large organizations, how culture is shaped at the top, and the courage it takes both to start a business and to step away from one. Stephen shares the lessons of 38 years in business with characteristic honesty and warmth. Highlights: 00:00 Welcome back, Stephen Brooks 00:50 Leaving the US after fifteen years 01:59 Doing business in the US compared with Europe 06:55 How relationships are built in European business 07:56 Know what you know 10:08 The £10 Business Tool Box 13:28 Why working nonstop is no badge of honor 14:39 Start with the problem you are solving 17:23 Ideas without problems among students and corporate leavers 19:40 Starting from zero with AI 23:41 The fear factor holding small businesses back 25:01 AI and the human side of business 26:38 Large organizations, Copilot and cautious leadership 30:46 Culture starts at the top 34:23 Leading by example 36:43 Layoffs, courage and leaving corporate life 40:36 Social media and the myth of overnight success 43:45 Why it takes longer than you expect 45:44 Entrepreneurship is not for everybody 47:20 Stephen's next chapter in Europe 48:48 The European Perspective Guest links: Connect with Stephen Brooks Website: https://stephen-brooks.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenabrooks1/ Connect with Jens: https://www.jensheitland.com/links

    EP269 - Stephen Brooks on Entrepreneurship, AI and Culture

  3. 30 Sept

    EP268 - The Real Challenge Starts After the Training Ends with Amit Kasliwal

    In this episode of the Human Innovation Podcast, recorded in The Hague, Jens Heitland sits down with Amit Kasliwal, founder of Dehurdle and former head of corporate sales for Ford Motor Company in India. Highlights: 00:00 Welcome to the Netherlands 01:04 Networking Mindset Basics 02:14 Introduce Yourself Right 03:23 Energy and Presence 04:57 Teaching Kids by Example 07:31 Work Life as One 09:05 Leaving Corporate Behind 10:11 INSEAD and Self-Awareness 12:39 Resigning After TEDx 14:12 Early Founder Survival 15:47 Finding the Startup Idea 18:10 Pivots and Building Team 19:34 Hiring for Values Fit 19:53 Hiring By Trying 20:43 Going Global Intentionally 22:56 Corporate Lessons Ford 24:56 Drive To Make Impact 27:29 One Minute Product Pitch 30:33 Use Cases And Differentiation 31:55 Growth Targets And Markets 33:35 Cultural Intelligence Feature 36:24 AI Hype Versus Real Demos 38:02 Advice For New Founders 40:43 Closing Thanks And Wrap LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitkasliwalofficial/ Website: www.dehurdle.com Connect with Jens: https://www.jensheitland.com/links

    EP268 - The Real Challenge Starts After the Training Ends with Amit Kasliwal

  4. 22 Sept

    EP267 - Julia Wagner: Building Community Into Every Business

    Julia Wagner has planned her life for decades, since she was eighteen. In this episode, she talks with Jens Heitland about building a coworking space and software company in Spain, why Europe undervalues failure, and the long-term vision that shapes her thinking about family, community, and business. Timecode: 00:00 EP. 267_Podcast_Jens_Julia Wagner 00:03 Early Banking & Real Estate 05:30 International Career & Moving to Spain 09:25 Starting the Coworking Business 11:46 Lifestyle & Community 20:22 Two Businesses: Coworking & Software 25:42 Future Vision 31:51 Understanding Your Talent Guest: Julia Wagner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliawagner-salesqueen/ Website: https://rundesk.me/ Connect with Jens: ⁠https://www.jensheitland.com/links⁠

    EP267 - Julia Wagner: Building Community Into Every Business

  5. 17 Sept

    EP266 - The ROI of communication with Ben Timpson

    Ben Timpson spent thirteen years in the Royal Navy before building a career teaching CEOs and their teams how to communicate under pressure. He and Jens Heitland discuss what military briefing culture gets right that most businesses miss, why leaders are buried in unfiltered information, and what changes when a team learns to prepare a message before it reaches the top. Highlights: 00:00 EP. 266_Podcast_Jens_Ben Timpson 02:53 Ben's Background & Bosnia 08:29 Preparing Leaders for High-Stakes Meetings 25:27 The Gift-Giving Empathy Story 27:54 AI's Impact on Briefing 35:10 The Briefing Course 45:01 How to Reach Ben Guest links: Connect with Ben Timpson: Website: https://thebriefingcourse.com/index.html LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentimpson/ Connect with Jens: https://www.jensheitland.com/links

    EP266 - The ROI of communication with Ben Timpson

  6. 15 Sept

    EP265 - From Using AI to Influencing AI, with Ross Rafahël

    A shared apartment in Johannesburg. A career built across four continents. And a question that now shapes how organizations think about AI. Ross Rafahël sits down with Jens Heitland to talk about the difference between using AI and influencing it, why structured unlearning matters more than another degree, and what gets lost when decisions are made without clarity of intent. Timecode: 00:00 Reunion and Setup 00:46 Brotherhood in Johannesburg 01:59 Global Moves and Career Leaps 05:36 First Steps with AI Tools 08:32 From User to AI Influencer 10:21 Market Flooded Human Gap 12:19 Relevance Jobs and Purpose 16:02 Human Decision Infrastructure 19:04 Structured Unlearning with AI 21:37 Organizations and Untapped Markets 27:33 Future You Program Explained 30:00 Governance and Decision Conditions 32:49 Benefits for Business and Society 35:05 Practical Tips and How to Engage 38:12 Closing Thanks Guest: Website: https://www.rossrafahel.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossrafah%C3%ABl/ Connect with Jens: https://www.jensheitland.com/links

    EP265 - From Using AI to Influencing AI, with Ross Rafahël

  7. 10 Sept

    EP264 - Tobias Tanner: Why Retail Is Becoming Hospitality Again

    Tobias Tanner, founder of the co-retail platform Le Magasin, joins Jens Heitland to talk about the return of physical retail. The conversation covers his path from running a jazz label in New York to building a hospitality-driven retail model in Berlin, the pattern behind Le Magasin and its Dry Bar concept, and what makes a community durable enough to bring people back through the door. Guest links: Connect with Tobias Tanner Website: https://lemagasin.store/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiastanner/ Connect with Jens: https://www.jensheitland.com/links

    EP264 - Tobias Tanner: Why Retail Is Becoming Hospitality Again

  8. 7 Sept

    EP263 - Edouard Leeuwenburg on Change, AI, and the One Person Company

    Edouard Leeuwenburg returns to Human Innovation to update Jens on life after OneFit and the AI sales tool he has built since. The conversation moves through the mechanics of driving change inside a large organization, the psychological cost of stepping out of a high-pressure CEO role, and what it takes to build an AI executive team from a text file and a set of clear boundaries. Edouard also shares his approach to learning AI without a technical background, and why he treats new tools with curiosity rather than urgency. Guest links: Connect with Edouard Leeuwenburg Website: https://lionizer.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleeuwenburg/ Timecode: 01:04 OneFit CEO During Covid 02:54 Fixing the Business Model 04:34 Culture Customers Partners Reset 06:49 How to Drive Change 10:02 Results and Handing Over 12:56 Life After the CEO Sprint 15:15 Entrepreneurship Origins 18:04 AI Meets Sales and CRM 19:29 Freevent Demo and Benefits 23:28 Predictable Funnel and Cashflow 26:12 Building With Virtual Team 27:45 Adaptive Sales Assistant 28:38 News Driven Follow Ups 29:27 One Person Company Vision 30:56 Building an AI Org 33:44 Daily AI Triage Workflow 35:15 Freedom And Lifestyle Gains 38:17 Pilot Customer Workflow 39:33 Learning AI By Doing 41:53 Privacy And Local Models 43:54 Avoid Tool Hype 45:14 Pharmakon And Change 47:44 Simple Agents And Wrap Up

    EP263 - Edouard Leeuwenburg on Change, AI, and the One Person Company
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Long form conversations with CEOs and senior leaders on leadership, decision making, and innovation inside complex organizations. Hosted by Jens Heitland, CEO of Heitland Media Group and former Global Head of Innovation at IKEA Centres. © The Jens Heitland Show - Heitland Media Group

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