SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE with Vinay Kumar

Vinay Kumar
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In this business podcast that is all about people, Vinay Kumar, a Leadership Coach, Certified Professional Facilitator, OD Consultant, Podcaster, Global Nomad, Wildlife Stalker and Records Collector, interviews leaders, thinkers, strategists, and doers to reveal actionable insights, first-hand experiences, smart strategies, brilliant tips and lesser-known best practices on a range of subjects in business leadership and people management, from innovation, DEI, facilitation, technology, future of the workforce and sustainability to evolution of leadership, storytelling, negotiation, digital learning, mental wellbeing, the art of staying positive and even water wars! Plus each episode features curated recommendations from Vinay and his guest for your own RWL (Read Watch Listen) list to keep you shinier and happier!

  1. Ep 179: Steve Brown on the AI Ultimatum

    FEB 12

    Ep 179: Steve Brown on the AI Ultimatum

    Send a text We are in the ‘Intelligence Age’ and the ‘humans versus AI’ debates are everywhere. So, we thought we’d bring in an AI futurist and a leading voice in AI, digital transformation, and how AI will shape business, education and society. Meet Steve Brown, entrepreneur and former Google DeepMind and Intel executive who has helped brands like Bank of America, Lenovo, Nespresso, Cameco, and Intuit prepare for what he calls The Intelligence Age.  Drawing upon his decades of experience in artificial intelligence and high tech to help leaders build winning AI strategies that fuel innovation, boost performance, and drive growth, Steve succinctly explains the radical global transformation with AI, in his book: ’The AI Ultimatum: Preparing for a World of Intelligent Machines and Radical Transformation’ Hit play for Steve’s take on the AI ultimatum and key takeaways from his book.  [2:46s] Genesis of Steve as an AI futurist [10:09s] On ‘The AI Ultimatum: Preparing for a World of Intelligent Machines and Radical Transformation’ [22:08s] On AI innovation, ethical AI, regulations  [36:16s] Top 3 future trends in AI RWL: Steve’s book ’The AI Ultimatum: Preparing for a World of Intelligent Machines and Radical Transformation’ Connect with Steve on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn  What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.com Subscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.   This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

    51 min
  2. Ep 178: Sara Daw on the Growth of Fractional Leadership

    JAN 29

    Ep 178: Sara Daw on the Growth of Fractional Leadership

    Send a text Have you heard of part-time C-Suite leaders? Meet Sara Daw, our guest this episode, who is a leading voice on the future of executive work and a pioneer of the fractional leadership movement. She heads The CFO Centre & The Liberti Group, the world’s largest network of fractional leaders, where skilled C-Suite leaders work for businesses in a freelance role from a few hours a month to several days a week, instead of being a full-time hire. Sara shares deep insights on why senior executives are moving to portfolio careers, and why more companies are hiring CFOs, CMOs, and other senior leaders for just a few days to several weeks instead of full-time.  Sara is an award-winning global leader in fractional C-Suite talent and author of ‘Strategy and Leadership as Service’, the first research on applying the access economy to C-suite leadership, built on her research at Oxford University. She was named to the Independent’s E2E Female 100 Track in 2024 and 2025, recognising the UK’s fastest-growing female-led businesses. [3:41s] Sara’s origin story - from Chemistry to Finance to Fractional Leadership [6:56s] Tipping point for fractional leadership  [15:22s] The fractional edge over a fulltime role [28:35s] Fractional leadership in bigger organizations [31:23s] On access economy and ‘Strategy and Leadership as Service’ RWL: Must-read Sara’s book ‘Strategy and Leadership as Service’ Connect with Sara on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn  What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.com Subscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.   This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

    51 min
  3. Ep 177: Cindy Huggett on High Impact Virtual Facilitation

    JAN 15

    Ep 177: Cindy Huggett on High Impact Virtual Facilitation

    Send a text Happy New Year to you and we are back with a cracker of an episode to kickstart 2026 with – featuring the OG, the guru of virtual facilitation, Cindy Huggett, CPTD. As a leading industry expert and 20+ year pioneer of virtual training, Cindy brings in vast experience partnering with global organizations on learning strategy and technology solutions. She has authored six acclaimed books, including ‘Virtual Training Tools and Templates: An Action Guide to Live Online Learning 2nd edition’, ‘Designing Virtual Learning for Application and Impact’, and ‘The Facilitator’s Guide to Immersive, Blended and Hybrid Learning’.  Cindy partners with organizations to create training programs with lasting learning impact. She helps upskill trainers and designers, maximizes learning design, and facilitates actionable training and hybrid learning. A sought-after speaker, Cindy has taught thousands of people how to facilitate and present through cutting-edge workshops and presentations on topics related to leadership, learning, and technology. Based in Raleigh, NC, Cindy serves clients globally.  [4:20s] Cindy’s origin story  [9:35s] Evolution of virtual training from the 90s to today  [16:04s] Evolution of the virtual learner expectations   [29:04s] Tech of virtual facilitation right today  [30:44s] Key essentials skills for virtual trainers today  [37:34s] On hybrid, blended formats of facilitation: Successes and pitfalls   [48:13s] On the future of virtual learning  [52:12s] RWL: Must-read Cindy’s books: ‘Virtual Training Tools and Templates’, ‘Designing Virtual Learning for Application and Impact’, and ‘The Facilitator’s Guide to Immersive, Blended and Hybrid Learning’. Connect with Cindy on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn  What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.com Subscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.   This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

    59 min

  4. 12/18/2025

    Ep 176: Best of Shiny Happy People in 2025

    Send us a text It’s a year-end SHP tradition – where we bring you our top picks of the year. This time, we invite our guest hosts, Jyothi Dass and Shaleel Nalakath to choose their top episode picks from 2025. You can listen to the full episodes of their top picks, by clicking on each episode title below.  As we wrap up another wonderful year of podcasting, here is a big shout-out to all our listeners and our guests from across the world for being with us, for tuning in each episode. We look forward to bringing you more exciting episodes with a new guest line-up next year. Do write in and tell us what YOU liked from this year and what you would like to hear about, at podcast@c2cod.com. We will see you back in January of 2026! Wish you all a fabulous New Year!  Jyothi’s top picks Ep 152: Mirjami Sipponen-Damonte on Facilitating High Impact Strategy & Leadership Development Ep. 161: Silvia Damiano of About My Brain on Neuroleadership Ep. 165: Nik Kinley on Rewriting Your Leadership Code and the Power Trap of Leadership Shaleel’s top picks Episode 167: Oscar Trimboli – How to listen Ep 154: Rangineh Azimzadeh Tehrani on Peace and Conflict Resolution through Facilitation  Episode 160: Michelle Zhang, Facilitating Leadership Transformation through Inclusion Episode 162: Dr Cecilia Herbert, Workplace Behavioural Science and Organizational Psychology Subscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook.

    57 min
  5. Ep 175: Rick DeLisi on AI and Customer Service

    12/04/2025

    Ep 175: Rick DeLisi on AI and Customer Service

    Send a text With so much talk around it, it was about time we dedicated a whole episode to AI – and boy, have we got a power-packed one for you! Meet Rick DeLisi who is leading AI adoption in an industry that almost everyone one of us has had a direct experience with – customer service. Rick is Lead Research Analyst at Glia, co-author of the bestselling business book The Effortless Experience and a multi-time contributor to the Harvard Business Review with more than 20 years of experience in the customer experience industry.  This conversation underscores Rick’s data-backed approach to understanding the gap between what leaders expect from AI and what actually happens in customer experience. Many organizations are wrestling with how to make AI a genuine advantage without falling into costly traps, and Rick’s grounded research has spurred meaningful conversations at several leading companies. Hit play to get the lowdown!  [4:29s] Evolution of customer service  [10:13s] Growth of automation in customer service [19:02s] AI in customer service [28:27s] Organizations who are doing it well: ‘AI for all’ [39:24s] Future drivers for AI adoption the ‘right way’  [47:14s] Future of the customer service industry  [51:06s] RWL: Read Rick’s book ‘The Effortless Experience’   Visit Glia at https://www.glia.com/ for more resources to help you elevate your customer service with the right adoption of AI. Connect with Rick on LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn  What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.com Subscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.   This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

    57 min
  6. Ep. 174: Kate Lowry on Thriving Under Fear-Based Leadership

    11/20/2025

    Ep. 174: Kate Lowry on Thriving Under Fear-Based Leadership

    Send us a text Managing through fear and intimidation has long been a hallmark of high-pressure industries like tech, finance, and private equity. But now, the gloves are off. Domineering, manipulative leaders are not only more brazen in those fields, but they’re also spreading into workplaces everywhere, even public service. Employees need a toolkit to protect themselves, maintain agency, and thrive, and that’s exactly what our guest today and Silicon Valley veteran Kate Lowry delivers in her new book, ‘Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders’ (released October 28, 2025). Kate is a CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author based in Silicon Valley. An expert in fear-based leaders, Kate developed her methodology growing up in a personal hierarchical family, then refined her approach navigating high-pressure roles in the elite worlds of start-ups, private equity, management consulting, and big tech at McKinsey, Meta, and Insight Partners. She helps audiences understand why these leaders are so predictable, how to gauge emotional maturity, and how to respond strategically instead of shutting down. But most of all, she stands by the fact that you are not powerless. Hit play to find out how.   [3:32s] Kate’s origins story  [10:04s] What prevents people from speaking up – operating under fear   [16:53s] ‘AI + Human Teams Are the Future of Work’ [20:43s] The rise of fear-based leadership in the age of AI [23:45s] Catalyst for Kate’s book ‘Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders’   [30:30s] Kate’s top tips for thriving under fear-based leadership  RWL: Read Kate’s book ‘Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders’  Connect with Kate on Instagram and LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn  What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.com Subscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.   This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

    50 min
  7. Ep. 173: Isobel Rimmer on ‘Present with Presence’ and Overcoming Glossophobia

    11/06/2025

    Ep. 173: Isobel Rimmer on ‘Present with Presence’ and Overcoming Glossophobia

    Send us a text Over 75% of people fear public speaking — sometimes more than flying, snakes, or even death. Yet for leaders, communication is everything. That’s where our guest today steps in. Meet Isobel Rimmer, Founder of Masterclass Training who has spent the last twenty-five years as a business leader, entrepreneur, trainer, coach and mentor. Isobel has helped thousands of professionals, in a wide range of sectors, develop the confidence to speak with impact and has also coached leaders in industry, trade, and politics, including the former UK Deputy Prime Minister and members of both cabinet and opposition. Isobel is the author of the bestselling book ‘Natural Business Development’ and her newest book ‘Present with Presence’.   [4:25s] Isobel’s origins story  [11:01s] The nuances of glossophobia  [15:10s] ‘Present with Presence’ [23:36s] Coaching leaders and politicians  [28:10s] Isobel’s top tips to overcome glossophobia [50:03s] RWL: Read Isobel’s books ‘Natural Business Development’ and ‘Present with Presence’   More about Isobel’s work at www.masterclass.co.uk  Connect with Isobel on X , Instagram and LinkedIn Connect with Vinay on X and LinkedIn  What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.com Subscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more.   This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

    53 min

  8. 10/23/2025

    Ep. 172: Did They Get It Right? SHP Special: Past Guests' Predictions!

    Send us a text Did they predict right? In this Shiny Happy People special, we bring you clips from five past episode dating all the way back to 2020, when we first started this podcast, and share what those guests had predicted – on the future of learning, talent management and leadership. See who all got it right or close enough – hit play! Click on the episodes title below to listen to the full episode.       [2:15s] Ep 40: Adrian C Bazemore on ‘Learning Never Stops’: The L&D Paradigm (March 2021) [07:08s] Ep 4: Dr. Vasanthi Srinivasan on the Future of the Workforce (June 2020) [13:06s] Ep 70: Neha Saxena Shenoy and Rohit Shenoy on the Future of Talent Management (February 2022) [22:22s] Ep 90: Talent Development & Future of Learning with Dr. Aman Jain(August 2022) [28:34s] Ep 10: Pia Lee on Where Leadership Development is Going(August 2020) Connect with Vinay on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn  What did you think about this episode? What would you like to hear more about? Or simply, write in and say hello! podcast@c2cod.com Subscribe to us on your favorite platforms – Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Tune In Alexa, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn + Alexa, Stitcher, Jio Saavn and more. This podcast is sponsored by C2C-OD, your Organizational Development consulting partner ‘Bringing People and Strategy Together’. Follow @c2cod on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook

    35 min
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In this business podcast that is all about people, Vinay Kumar, a Leadership Coach, Certified Professional Facilitator, OD Consultant, Podcaster, Global Nomad, Wildlife Stalker and Records Collector, interviews leaders, thinkers, strategists, and doers to reveal actionable insights, first-hand experiences, smart strategies, brilliant tips and lesser-known best practices on a range of subjects in business leadership and people management, from innovation, DEI, facilitation, technology, future of the workforce and sustainability to evolution of leadership, storytelling, negotiation, digital learning, mental wellbeing, the art of staying positive and even water wars! Plus each episode features curated recommendations from Vinay and his guest for your own RWL (Read Watch Listen) list to keep you shinier and happier!

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