Inside The Maverick Mind

Afanti Media
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Inside the Maverick Mind is an invite-only vodcast hosted by Emyr Afan — long-form conversations with people who don’t quite fit the mould.Each episode features a Maverick from business, fintech, innovation, tech and the creative world, revealing how they think, what drives them, and how they turn “you can’t” into “watch me.”Episodes drop fortnightly on YouTube, with audio available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.Subscribe and back your own Maverick mind.

Episodes

  1. Ep 3 | Simon Powell | Inside The Maverick Mind

    2 FEB

    Ep 3 | Simon Powell | Inside The Maverick Mind

    In this episode of Inside the Maverick Mind, Emyr Afan sits down with Simon Powell, one of Wales’ most influential and quietly disruptive tech entrepreneurs. With more than four decades at the forefront of travel technology, Simon’s story starts in a traditional family travel agency and evolves into building systems that powered thousands of UK travel businesses. Long before “digital transformation” became a buzzword, Simon was solving real-world inefficiencies with practical, scalable tech - and along the way, he’s bought and sold around 20 companies, giving him a rare, deal-tested view of what makes businesses grow, stall, or scale. In this conversation, Simon opens up about:             •           How spotting friction in everyday systems became his superpower             •           Building and scaling travel tech businesses before it was fashionable             •           Buying and selling companies - what he learned from the wins and the scars             •           The mindset required to stay curious and relevant across decades             •           Dyslexia, learning differently, and why thinking visually can be an advantage             •           Investing in people, not just ideas             •           What being a true maverick really means when the spotlight is off This is not a hype-driven founder story. It’s a thoughtful, grounded exploration of leadership, resilience, and long-term thinking from someone who has genuinely shaped an industry from the inside out. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, leaders, and rule-breakers 👍 Like and share if this episode resonated 💬 Comment below - what part of Simon’s journey struck a chord with you? #InsideTheMaverickMind #SimonPowell #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #WelshBusiness #TravelTech #MaverickMindset

    1h 7m
  2. Ep 2 | Lucy Cohen, CEO Mazuma | Inside The Maverick Mind

    19 JAN

    Ep 2 | Lucy Cohen, CEO Mazuma | Inside The Maverick Mind

    Picture it: 2006. A twenty‑something at a kitchen table with a battered laptop, a pile of receipts, and an idea most accountants would’ve called ridiculous… Instead of charging by the hour, she turned accountancy into a subscription — like Netflix, but for tax returns. That founder is Lucy Cohen, creator of Mazuma. She’s rock‑chic disruptor, not grey‑suit stereotype — and she built a model that became a multi‑million‑pound business helping thousands of small businesses across the country. Lucy’s also a former Team GB powerlifter, an award‑winning author, a women’s health + mental health campaigner, and (in her own words) someone with raging ADHD. And yes — she’s been through a lot. She’s also almost lost her life, and what she’s had to fight through (physically and mentally) has shaped how she leads, how she lives, and what she’s building now. We don’t dwell on the details — but we do talk about what it takes to rebuild and keep moving forward when everything changes. We get into business, ADHD, resilience, identity, and doing success on your terms. 📩 Want to suggest a true Maverick? Drop a comment  Get in touch: itmmpodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram: @InsideTheMaverickMind  🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every fortnight.

    1h 6m
  3. Ep 1 | Aled Miles | Inside The Maverick Mind

    6 JAN

    Ep 1 | Aled Miles | Inside The Maverick Mind

    Inside the Maverick Mind: Aled Miles - From Bridgend to Boardrooms Join us for an extraordinary conversation with Aled Miles, Welsh-born tech leader who's led Symantec's Norton Division, TeleSign, Source Labs, and now heads IntelliStack. As Welsh Government Envoy to the US, Aled bridges Wales and Silicon Valley. In this episode:  🔥 Surviving the LA Palisades wildfire - a harrowing account of losing everything and finding humanity  🎯 Leadership lessons from crisis: calmness, consistency, and the power of energy management  🌍 From Bridgend to Boston: How a 16-year-old exchange program shaped a global career  💡 The "diagnosis before strategy" framework that transformed his approach to business  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Why Wales matters in global tech - semiconductors, cybersecurity, and creative industries  🚀 Bold decisions: When to re-platform, when to pivot, and learning from failure  🎤 The power of Welsh storytelling in business and why "follow your passion" is terrible advice Key Takeaways: The CEO as "Chief Energy Officer" - managing energy in yourself, your team, and the marketFrom unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence: the leadership journeyWhy differentiation matters more than perfectionThe importance of incremental change over grand gestures

    51 min
  • 3 Episodes

About

Inside the Maverick Mind is an invite-only vodcast hosted by Emyr Afan — long-form conversations with people who don’t quite fit the mould.Each episode features a Maverick from business, fintech, innovation, tech and the creative world, revealing how they think, what drives them, and how they turn “you can’t” into “watch me.”Episodes drop fortnightly on YouTube, with audio available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.Subscribe and back your own Maverick mind.

Information

  • Creator
    Afanti Media
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Inside The Maverick Mind
  • Provider