Seeds of Synergy

Patrick Robinson

Planting seeds of synergy in the collective garden that empower individuals to example change through environmental stewardship, social connection and technological collaboration.

  1. 11/25/2025

    [014] Knowing Thyself Part II: Honour thy Father and thy Mother

    Peter is a professor, published author and good friend. He has taught students for decades across a range of different subject matters and in this conversation he shares his research and personal experience on the importance of the relationships we have with our parents. Join this conversation as we explore the synergy between science and faith, parental relationships and their enduring impacts on our happiness, finances and family, as well as the capacity for growth we unlock by breaking the restrictive vows we make with ourselves. I extend my sincerest gratitude to Peter as I learned so much from this exchange. Reflecting on the seeds that were planted in my garden from this were: - The most important skills a parent can impart unto their child is the capacity to love and to trust. As love and trust form the bedrock of all our meaningful long-term relationships. - A lifelong inability to manage one's anger was the single biggest contributor to an unsuccessful and unfulfilling work life. - The vows we make against our parents or traits they possess can cause us to repeat the same poor decisions time and time again. - We are more than capable of changing our behaviours and vows, we can utilise three mechanisms to do so: the Conviction Mechanism (Reviewing evidence that convinces us we are doing the right thing), the Faith Mechanism (Reaffirming our path through belief, gratitude and prayer) and the Community Mechanism (Seeking support, role modelling and engagement from our community) - Our parents are only human, they make mistakes and they can't teach us everything and so it is ok to seek mothering and fathering from others for different things. I am so appreciative for your parents, for without them we would not be blessed with the wonders of you! Until our next exchange, continue to embody all that you seek and you will plant seeds of synergy in the soil of every moment. Links: Peter's book: The Father Factor Harvard GRANT study Andrade and Ariely's paper: Search "The enduring impact of transient emotions on decision making"

    1h 19m
  2. [010] Apu Lin University

    05/22/2025

    [010] Apu Lin University

    Frederic is a mentor of mine that has been on the podcast before (Remember you) and Ombeline is a new friend that I actually met during this conversation. She is French/Swissand has a PHD in chemical engineering - specifically plant medicines.  After experiencing a managerial capacity, she decided to move to Peru and take a big leap into the unknown of the self-development path.  This conversation is an introduction to the Apu Lin University and hopefully gives you a better idea of who I am and what this collaboration will look like going forward. Through this we navigate my desire to be an actor growing up and how that has shaped my communication style and expression. We touch on what leadership means and the distinction between inspiration and motivation. I briefly share my journey with escapism mechanisms and how it fueled addictions and feelings of fear and insecurity. I provide some insight into my message, vision, motivations, why and for what. At its core this is a call to action for anyone listening to join this life-long learning journey, as a means of connecting, growing and sharing - one day at a time. The seeds that were planted in my garden as a result of this conversation are: Motivation is equally as, if not more, important than inspiration when leading a team. Motivation is what keeps the tough going when the going gets tough.The choice is yours as to whether you go down the path of fear or the path of love. You need to keep moving forward but make sure that its not your fear that is pushing you forwards. But welcome the fear and so too welcome the confidence that comes with embracing the unknown. The connection to the earth, to yourself and to your roots (family, where you came from) is the key for people in fear and confusion to go back to stability. Always focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Links: Ombeline YT Frederic FB Get in Touch: SOS Website ⁠⁠SOS Instagram SOS Linkedin

    44 min
  3. [009] Lovin Lombok

    05/13/2025

    [009] Lovin Lombok

    Dayat is a close friend from Lombok, Indonesia. He is currently running an educational foundation, a travel agency and a motorcycle tour company. His story so far is fascinating, despite coming from humble beginnings and dealing with continuous set backs from earthquakes to COVID, he has managed to continue the pursuit of his mission - to connect travelers with the Lombok community. In this conversation we explore Dayat's backstory as well as his story yet to be fully written. How he dealt with social alienation in school, societal judgement through his early adult years and his more recent business setbacks. He highlights the importance of learning English in his own journey and for the local community as well - to equip them for the emerging tourism industry in Lombok. He explains the difference between travelers and tourists. How travelers have supported the foundation and expanded his perspective of the world. His vision is to foster cultural exchange in Lombok. The local community sharing their way of life, culture and traditions with international travelers and vice versa. A mutual exchange where both the locals and the travelers learn, connect and grow. I really align with his vision and have had the privilege of seeing first hand the impact this project is having on students, locals and travelers alike! The seeds that were planted in my garden as a result of this conversation were: Education is the key to opening opportunities in life. There are many different ways to learn either through schooling, conversations or experiences. Regardless of the method an open mind and a willingness to do your best is all that matters.In Islam - when you go through a struggle there is something there. The bigger the struggle the greater the outcome will be. So dream big and keep making strides towards that dream!When you travel or go somewhere else, always try to leave a positive impact because something positive will always come back to you. Thank you for listening, please find the links below and keep planting seeds of synergy wherever you go! Links: Lovin Lombok Feel Lombok Lombok Loop Get in Touch: SOS Website SOS Instagram SOS Linkedin

    54 min
  4. [007] The Social Network

    04/28/2025

    [007] The Social Network

    Erica is a friend I met on the train from Machu Picchu in Peru - the perfect example of the strength of weak ties. She has spent a lot of years working with start-ups and since 2014 has started The Reliants Project - an initiative designed to promote understanding around networks. Erica is originally from the US but now spends her time rotating between Mexico City, London and Hong Kong. In this conversation we explore the wonderful world of networks: network theory; network graphs; networks types; and the importance of a diverse network. How to build a network and the major changes that tend to disrupt our networks: moving to a new place; changing jobs; becoming a couple or breaking up; having children; and illnesses . We explore Erica's approach to forming meaning connections, network fragility and being 'adopted' when travelling. Her desire to increase the value of social capital, to support the development of a more relationship-oriented society and reduce male loneliness and isolation, all serve as real-world examples are synergy in action! The seeds that were planted in my garden from this conversation were: The strength of your relationships is the strongest indicator of whether you live a long and healthy life. This is particularly important for males, who generally speaking, tend to have 'shoulder to shoulder relationships' and usually outsource the responsibility of maintaining relationships to organizations (Their company, sports club, gym etc.). This can mean male networks can lack the necessary depth of connection or are fragile to organizational/circumstantial changes. Unstructured time with friends and family is also really important. Unlike structured time, where there is an agreed activity and timeline, it allows us to have emergent play and fun. To go with the flow and create together. "The small group is the unit of transformation" - A small group of people working together is the best means of transforming our world. It was such a pleasure to converse with Erica and an even greater fortunate to be able to share what was discussed with you. I really hope there was something you were able to get out of this conversation and until next time, keep planting seeds of synergy everywhere you go! References: Harvard Business Review: Better People Analytics Harvard longitudinal study Max Dickins Podcast with Chris Williamson Mapping your network Links: Erica Young Linkedin The Reliants Project Website Get in Touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SOS Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠SOS Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠SOS Linkedin⁠

    1h 33m

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Planting seeds of synergy in the collective garden that empower individuals to example change through environmental stewardship, social connection and technological collaboration.